Projecting the 2024 Minnesota Twins Opening Day Roster: Version 2.0

It was a slow-moving early offseason for the Twins, before a flurry of moves in recent weeks. The Jorge Polanco trade has the most significant impact on the 2024 roster, but the club has also added a veteran hitter and bullpen pieces. Minnesota is still looking to add another outfield bat, so other changes could still be coming for the team’s Opening Day roster. Here are the names to watch as spring training begins.

Catchers (2): Christian Vázquez, Ryan Jeffers
There was some discussion about trading Vázquez this winter, but it doesn’t seem like something the Twins were ever serious about. Minnesota likes using a two-catcher timeshare, and that plan worked last year, with neither catcher missing time on the injured list. It’s rare for a team to only need two catchers in a season, so the Twins will probably need to rely on more depth in 2024. The Twins added Jair Camargo to the 40-man roster earlier in the offseason, so he’d be the next man up if one of the starters gets injured. 

Infielders (6): Carlos Correa, Kyle Farmer, Alex Kirilloff, Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien, Carlos Santana
The Twins must get a better performance from Correa this year, after he played through plantar fasciitis in 2023. At his best, he’s a superstar, and he needs to return to that level for the club to reach its full potential. Julien is being handed the keys to second base for Opening Day, but top prospect Brooks Lee is waiting in the wings. Kirilloff is among a group of former top prospects who have seen their roles altered because of the Santana signing. After battling numerous injuries, it’s an important year for him to prove he can stay healthy and hit like he did as a prospect. Lewis is looking to build off a tremendous rookie season and has already been touted in some corners as a dark-horse MVP candidate. José Miranda is another name fans should remember in the infield mix, but Santana’s addition pushes him off the roster.

Outfielders (5): Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Willi Castro, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach
The Twins believe Buxton will be able to play center field regularly in 2024, and that’s why the club has yet to add to the outfield group. There is still a possibility for the club to add a right-handed hitting outfielder to provide more depth to the bench, so this is one area where it's unlikely that the group has been finalized. Castro will see time in center field when Buxton needs a reprieve. Kepler’s name surfaced as a trade candidate, but that’s happened for multiple years, and the team has held firm to their high asking price. Wallner will be an intriguing player to watch, and there is hope for him to avoid the sophomore slump. Nick Gordon’s trade to the Marlins opened a bench spot for Larnach, but he would be pushed to Triple-A with another outfield addition. The Twins will also rely on other outfielders on the 40-man roster, like Austin Martin, when the need arises.

Rotation (5): Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Chris Paddack, Anthony DeSclafani 
The rotation’s most prominent change has been the addition of the veteran DeSclafani in the Polanco deal. His installation pushes Varland to Triple A to begin the year, which is something the club did with Ober last season, and he ended up pitching over 140 innings for the Twins. When the offseason began, many believed Minnesota would be active on the trade market to acquire a playoff-caliber starter, similar to what the front office did last year with López. Those deals haven’t developed, and the Twins hope Ryan and Ober can take the next steps in their young careers. Behind Varland are other young options like Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa, and Brent Headrick. All three of those arms are expected to make starts for the Twins in 2024.

Bullpen (8): Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax, Brock Stewart, Caleb Thielbar, Justin Topa, Jay Jackson, Josh Staumont, Steven Okert
The bullpen has seen the most changes in recent weeks, with the team trading for Topa and signing Jackson. Overall, FanGraphs projects the Twins bullpen to be the best in the American League, a far cry from where this unit was last season. Varland is also a candidate to join this group, but the Twins are committed to him in a starting role at the moment. They don't have enough rotation depth to convert him proactively. Jorge Alcalá and Staumont must prove they are healthy before being given roster spots. Kody Funderburk is also in the bullpen mix, but doesn’t make the Opening Day roster with the addition of Okert in the Gordon trade. Alcalá, Cole Sands, and Josh Winder will make relief appearances this year, but they each have an option remaining, so they will move back and forth from St. Paul. The Twins have also been claiming other relievers and trying to pass them through waivers when the club needs a roster spot. Any of those players could impress in camp and make the team.

How do you feel about the team's depth at multiple positions? What will change with the 26-man roster before Opening Day? Leave a comment and start the discussion.