5 First Base Upgrades the Twins Could Target Via Trade

In looking over the projected 2027 Twins roster, the clearest opportunity to upgrade the lineup is at first base, where Royce Lewis is coming off another sub-par season. Twins officials have signaled a willingness to invest. The problem is that this year's free agent class at the position is not particularly strong. There are only a few truly good hitters on the market and competition will be high for them, meaning trades could be the better avenue for landing an impact bat, especially with the Twins being open to dealing from their pitching depth.

Here are five names that stand out as potentially available targets capable of meaningfully improving a position where the Twins ranked 26th out of 30 MLB teams in fWAR this season.

Yandy Díaz, Tampa Bay Rays

Coming off an All-Star campaign (his second), Díaz has one remaining year of team control at $13 million. That makes him a prototypical Rays trade candidate. He's an excellent all-around hitter with a 127 career OPS+ and his right-handed bat would be a nice fit in the heart of the Twins' order. 

It's reasonable to wonder if Díaz is a credible defensive first baseman at this point. All of the 35-year-old's starts this year came at DH, and 114 of his 150 appearances last year. The Twins had little tolerance for Josh Bell's glove at first and it's not clear Díaz would be any better. 

Alec Burleson, St. Louis Cardinals

Biggest prize the Twins could hope to land. He led the majors with 116 RBIs as No. 3 hitter for the Cards. Burleson is two years from free agency and turning 29 next month. He has produced a 129 OPS+ over the last two seasons with a high-contact swing that produces a lot of power. He'd be the kind of slam-dunk acquisition this team needs to generate enthusiasm and back up big talk.

The question is availability. St. Louis has no real impetus to shop him, especially since they already had one of the worst offenses in the league this year. Minnesota's front office would need to knock their socks off with an offer.

Spencer Steer, Cincinnati Reds

Reunion alert! Steer has been a pretty average hitter for the Reds since being sent over in the Tyler Mahle trade, but there's value in that — especially because he brings some defensive versatility that would be handy. For example, as a righty hitter he could pop out to left field and start against a southpaw. 

Steer's overall .242/.327/.421 slash line in 586 games is mediocre, but he has an .838 OPS against lefties and that's what makes him interesting for a Twins team trying to overcome a perpetual weakness. He's controlled through 2028 and reportedly received "plenty of interest" at the deadline.

Triston Casas, Boston Red Sox

High risk, high reward. Casas was a Rookie of the Year contender in 2023 and had a 126 OPS+ through 222 MLB games. He was slumping in 2025 before suffering a torn patellar tendon against the Twins in early May. He hasn't appeared in a game since, with his recovery complicated by soft tissue injuries and a wrist issue requiring arthroscopic surgery. Injuries have ravaged the 26-year-old and derailed a promising career. 

Maybe a change of scenery helps him get it back on track. Casas has two remaining years of control and will be cheap in terms of salary, making him an efficient payroll fit that maintains spending flexibility to upgrade elsewhere. Gambling on him to finally get healthy and return to form would be a bold course with a lot of downside. 

Ryan Mountcastle, Baltimore Orioles

More of a floor raiser than a ceiling raiser. Cost to acquire him would presumably be low because he's become highly redundant in Baltimore. Missed all but one game this year due to a fractured foot, and he was not a good hitter in 2025. Prior to that, however, he was a reliable 110-ish OPS+ right-handed power bat.

Based on recent history, it's not clear he's a superior option to Lewis, so this isn't the most exciting proposition, but there's little question that Mountcastle is attainable he's still only 29. 

None of these options is perfect, in terms of both clear availability and fit. But if the Twins are serious about bolstering an offense that will need to replace the lost impact of Bell and Ryan Jeffers, first base offers an opportunity to be aggressive.

They have pitching depth to deal from and an obvious need to address. Whether it's a blockbuster for Burleson, a calculated gamble on Casas or something in between, this feels like an area where the Twins should be actively exploring every avenue this winter.

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