Zoll and Twins Look to Add More Power to the Lineup This Winter

[Cody Christie]

The Minnesota Twins have plenty of work to do this offseason, but improving the lineup appears to be one of the organization's biggest priorities. General manager Jeremy Zoll recognizes that the club has some promising young hitters who could become bigger contributors next season. However, relying entirely on internal improvements might not be enough to make Minnesota competitive in the American League Central.

The Twins finished the 2026 campaign with 739 runs, tying the New York Yankees for the second-highest total in the American League. That production demonstrates that Minnesota has several pieces capable of creating offense. Still, the lineup experienced stretches of inconsistency, and the club needs another reliable power source in the middle of the order. They're also losing two important contributors. Josh Bell and Ryan Jeffers are both free agents, leaving the Twins with some holes to address as they construct their 2027 roster.

The potential losses are significant when looking at what those two players provided. Bell appeared in 154 games, hitting .255/.319/.419 with 21 home runs and a team-leading 96 RBIs. Jeffers was productive behind the plate, posting a .256/.353/.461 slash line with 14 home runs in 92 games. His .814 OPS was among the best marks on the team. Replacing that production won't be easy, particularly if (as is expected) Jeffers declines his qualifying offer and signs elsewhere. Minnesota could turn to internal options, but losing both players would create a noticeable gap in the middle of the batting order.

Zoll discussed the importance of addressing those potential departures, while also recognizing the organization's young talent.

“I think between Ryan and Josh Bell becoming free agents, it’s on our minds that that’s a real loss to our offense,” he said. “Also, we have a number of young players that we think are going to take real steps forward to backfill a good chunk of that. But we want to find a way to continue to supplement the offense and put the position player group in the strongest position we can.”

Young Players Could Provide an Offensive Boost

Minnesota has several prospects who could become more important parts of the big-league lineup in 2027. Kaelen Culpepper, Walker Jenkins, and Emmanuel Rodriguez are among the players who could help provide some additional production.

Culpepper made his major-league debut in 2026, appearing in 33 games and hitting .274. He could become the club's regular shortstop next season. FanGraphs projects him to produce 3.1 WAR in 2027, which would tie him with Byron Buxton for the second-highest projected total on the roster. Jenkins also received his first opportunity in the big leagues, appearing in 26 games and hitting .226. His brief introduction to the majors should provide valuable experience heading into his first potential full season. FanGraphs projects him for 2.2 WAR next year.

Rodriguez has also reached the major leagues, although injuries limited him to 13 games. He hit .178 during that stint, but his offensive ceiling remains intriguing. FanGraphs projects him for 0.7 WAR in 2027 as he continues adjusting to major league pitching.

The Twins will also need established young players to continue developing. Brooks Lee emerged as an important part of the lineup, finishing with 24 home runs and 83 RBIs while appearing in 156 games. Luke Keaschall provided another encouraging performance, batting .282/.374/.407 with 10 home runs, 52 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases across 152 games.

FanGraphs projects Lee for 2.9 WAR next season, while Keaschall leads the club with a projected 3.6 WAR. Those projections illustrate the potential of Minnesota's young position-player group, but they also demonstrate why the organization cannot assume every player will immediately become a star.

Finding More Power Should Be a Priority

One area where Minnesota needs improvement is its ability to hit home runs. The Twins finished with 187 home runs in 2026, ranking 12th in baseball. Nobody on the roster reached the 30-homer mark.

Kody Clemens led the club with 27 home runs, while Buxton finished with 25 despite appearing in only 93 games. Lee added 24, and Bell contributed another 21. Those are respectable individual totals, but the lineup could benefit from having another established power hitter capable of consistently threatening opposing pitchers. 

There are reasons to believe the offense can improve internally. Buxton has the ability to provide significant power when healthy, Lee is coming off a productive season, and Keaschall has demonstrated an ability to get on base and create opportunities. However, those improvements alone might not address the lineup's biggest weakness.

Minnesota's projected position-player group currently sits around 25.4 fWAR, placing it 10th in baseball alongside Baltimore. Within the division, Detroit (26.8) and Cleveland (26.3) project slightly ahead of the Twins. That leaves Minnesota with an opportunity to close the gap through offseason additions.

Zoll's comments suggest the front office understands that internal development and outside additions aren't mutually exclusive. Minnesota can give its young players opportunities, while also pursuing established major league talent.

The Twins have several intriguing pieces already in place. However, if the organization wants to return to contention in 2027, it cannot afford to assume those pieces will solve every problem. Adding another impact bat should remain near the top of the offseason checklist.

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Who should the Twins target this winter? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

Image courtesy of Erik Williams-Imagn Images

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[SarasotaBill]

Big bat 1B

[Parfigliano]

I'll take the under on Buxton appearing in 93 games this year lockout or not.

[old nurse]

Big bat. That was supposed to be Wallner, Sobato, and Larnach. Time for plan B. Free agent big bats are few. They have the question marks of inconsistency. There is the trade route. To get something you have to give up something. The less you give up, the more the risk. We shall see what they do. 

[mikelink45]

Anyone watch the WS?  Speed, pitching, defense were key.  HRs were nice but this was not a power series.  We need to adapt to the new faster and more exciting style of play.  

[Twins GFP]

This means increasing payroll in some form or fashion. Call me jaded, but I will believe it when I see it.

[bean5302]

Positional stability should be the priority. Looking for another left handed DH just because they have "power" would definitely be a hallmark of this front office, though.

[Nashvilletwin]

Well, if Jeffers is off the table (and the JZ quote seemed to imply that), then C does not appear to be where the Twins will find that big bat.

Assuming the most important criteria for a FA position player is to provide experienced MLB play without blocking a young Twins up and comer, that leaves either 1B or 2B as the position to find that big FA bat (Bell notwithstanding, a pure DH big bat FA doesn’t seem to be the priority).

Sadly, the Arraez return is now just a pipe dream.  Oh well….

Btw, long ball is so passé these days. 

[Linus]

Read the article hoping some power candidates I wasn’t aware of would be profiled. - nope. So the point of the article is the Twins could use another power bat?  Got it. 

[MackMan]

At this point, why even chase the big bat. Let's just put together the best hitting team. We don't need to hit the ball out of the park all the time. We just need to have consistency from our lineup. If I remember correctly, we were near the top of the league with bases loaded and we really poor at scoring from that position. At this point, I'd rather not just have a power hitter who is Wallner 2.0. If Larnach or Roden were willing to play 1B I'd plug them in the lineup at that spot as they've shown ability to hit the ball when needed.

[Karbo]

I would keep Bell. He's the best clutch hitter on the team.

[Cory Engelhardt]

Isaac Paredes in a trade from Houston. 1b and can back up 3b. His pull power would look good at target field and he turns 28 in February so he isn’t old.

[DJL44]

Bottom 5 defense and the GM is looking for more designated hitters. 🤦‍♂️ 

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Well, if Jeffers is off the table (and the JZ quote seemed to imply that), then C does not appear to be where the Twins will find that big bat.

Gary Sanchez hit 12 HR last year with a SLG of .422. He has 10 seasons of double digit dingers.

Eugenio Suarez can sort of play 1B and he’s usually good for 25 HR. George Springer, Paul Goldschmidt, Randal Grichuk and Alec Bohm can hit for power. 

None of these guys can field but that doesn’t seem to be a concern for the Twins.

[Original_JB]

We need better defense. The way you've written the article you seem to equate "power" only with the HR aspect; TBH, I don't want "no defense, all or nothing" type batters on this team, regardless of how many HR they hit (especially with the 'premium' you need to pay for to acquire those stats); I want patient, smart AB, use the field, sluggers.

[Riverbrian]

Leave the Damn DH Spot Alone. 

Find a KING KONG Mother of a bat to play 1B. 

It's crucial. Priority One. 

You want to spend money... Spend it right here. I swear to all that's holy... if they one year deal this away. I'll lose it. 

Yes... you could pay big money and have it blow up in your face. It happens all the time.

I don't care... they painted themselves in this corner. They announced ownership support, they announced that they are going for it. 

[laloesch]

They need to find a true 1st base bat.  It's one of the biggest glaring holes in the lineup in my opinion.

[Riverbrian]

Well there goes Bauers to the Red Sox.

Reported 4 years 58 million. 

I wonder if the Twins were talking with his agent and how much they were willing to offer. 

[thelanges5]

The DH spot is needed for Buck and the OF logjam. Sign Jazz to a 3yr deal w/ some opt outs (see Correa 2021)

[Greglw3]

Randy Arozarena

[mike8791]

I think the Bauer's signing is a good signal on how far the Twins won't go.  He would have been the type of bat who would slot in nicely in the middle of the lineup and at $14MM, at a reasonable price.  Same old Twins!

[Mike Sixel]

11 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Well there goes Bauers to the Red Sox.

Reported 4 years 58 million. 

I wonder if the Twins were talking with his agent and how much they were willing to offer. 

No half measures! Which I think means zero measures....

[DJL44]

13 minutes ago, Greglw3 said:

Randy Arozarena

Send Jenkins back to AAA?

[DJL44]

14 minutes ago, mike8791 said:

I think the Bauer's signing is a good signal on how far the Twins won't go.  He would have been the type of bat who would slot in nicely in the middle of the lineup and at $14MM, at a reasonable price.  Same old Twins!

If Milwaukee won’t give him that money then I don’t want the Twins to give him that money.

[Nashvilletwin]

2 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

If Milwaukee won’t give him that money then I don’t want the Twins to give him that money.

Agree 100%.

I know you hate the idea, but I’d take Jeffers on the exact same deal in a heartbeat.   

[DJL44]

25 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Well there goes Bauers to the Red Sox.

Reported 4 years 58 million. 

I wonder if the Twins were talking with his agent and how much they were willing to offer. 

Jarren Duran non-tender is a lock.

[DJL44]

1 minute ago, Nashvilletwin said:

I know you hate the idea, but I’d take Jeffers on the exact same deal in a heartbeat.   

$58M is at the top end of what I would spend for Jeffers.

[MackMan]

30 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

The DH spot is needed for Buck and the OF logjam. Sign Jazz to a 3yr deal w/ some opt outs (see Correa 2021)

No. Leave Chisholm off the roster. He's lazy and makes boneheaded play in the INF. I'd rather have someone else.

[MackMan]

32 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Well there goes Bauers to the Red Sox.

Reported 4 years 58 million. 

I wonder if the Twins were talking with his agent and how much they were willing to offer. 

Hey, that means that Tristan Casas might be available for trade. Joe Ryan, Lewis, and Winokur for Casas and Duran???

[IndianaTwin]

34 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Well there goes Bauers to the Red Sox.

Reported 4 years 58 million. 

I wonder if the Twins were talking with his agent and how much they were willing to offer. 

Queue the "Willson Contreras for Joe Ryan" trade speculation...

(Contreras is at $17M, with $4M being paid by the Redbirds. With a club option at $7.5M for 2028.)