3 Twins In "No Man's Land" Headed Into 2025

The Twins don’t have an easy task this offseason as they try to return to contention under a strict budget. Making matters more difficult are several of their players whose futures are particularly murky. These players have shown tremendous upside, but it's also clear that at their worst, they don't even belong in the big leagues. Here are three players on the roster who find themselves in no man’s land headed into 2025.

Edouard Julien
Julien burst onto the scene as a rookie and looked like a potentially elite piece of the next great Twins team. Pairing plate discipline with power, Julien showed flashes of being one of the best-hitting second basemen in all of baseball through his first 400 plate appearances. Then it all fell apart.

Julien never found his footing in 2024. His disciplined plate approach became his biggest weakness, as opposing pitchers discovered they could fill the strike zone while the bat remained on Julien’s shoulder. At times, Julien appeared more interested in walking than doing damage at the plate. He led the league in strikeouts looking, despite spending much of the season in St. Paul. He slashed an untenable .199/.292/.323, which was 20% below league average. Even his defense seemed to regress down the stretch, as he seemed to take his tough at-bats into the field with him.

As one would expect following such a disappointing season, Julien has no guaranteed starting spot in 2025. Given the Twins’ glut of options in the infield, they’ll likely prioritize other players at second base, such as Brooks Lee or Royce Lewis. Julien may be shifted to first base out of necessity, where the bar to clear to be a helpful hitter will be much higher. His career will sink or swim with his offensive contributions, and in 2025, he’ll have to work his way back into the Twins' long-term plans.

José Miranda
The 2024 campaign was a strong bounceback season for Miranda, who suffered through an injury-riddled 2023 season. His final slash line of .284/.322/.441 was a pleasant surprise, but how he got there left plenty of questions for the Twins to ask moving forward.

Miranda has always been a streaky hitter, and his resurgent season was a tale of two halves. His .888 OPS in the first half of the season was a big reason the Twins were in the thick of the division race. Unfortunately, his .543 OPS in the second half was a big reason they fell out of it. Miranda had back problems flare up partway through the season, and it felt like he was never the same upon his return.

Like Julien, Miranda’s primary position in 2025 may be first base. His first-half performance would be more than adequate for the position, but the Twins may be concerned with the likelihood of those numbers sustaining themselves over a full season of regular playing time. Due to his plate approach and injury history, the team likely can’t rely on Miranda as a regular impact contributor. Miranda is a good bet to come up with some big performances in 2025, but it felt like he came up short of earning a place in the everyday lineup moving forward, and now his defensive fit will be a question mark, as well.

Jorge Alcalá
Like Miranda, Alcalá’s total body of work in 2024 has to be considered an enormous success. After years of injury, he threw 58 innings with a 3.24 ERA and supporting peripherals. He also fell apart down the stretch, leaving plenty of question marks heading into 2025.

Alcalá averaged 98 miles per hour on his fastball in 2024 and still had his wicked slider. It’s possible his inning count just wore him down in his first entire season in years, but his 9.90 ERA in August was a significant factor in the Twins' collapse. Alcalá’s implosion against the Texas Rangers on Aug. 18 is often referred to as the tipping point of the season, and he tumbled down the bullpen hierarchy amidst several more poor outings down the stretch.

Making matters more complicated is that the Twins do not appear to be believers in Alcalá. If their questionable usage of him for years before wasn’t enough, they demoted him in September to claim Cole Irvin off waivers. They used Irvin in high-leverage spots in what was likely the twilight of his MLB career, instead of sticking with Alcalá. He returned to throw just under 10 innings in September and allowed only two runs. Hopefully, his strong finish to the season is a sign of another solid season in 2025. Still, knowing what to expect from him is hard, especially given his shaky standing in the organization.

The Twins might have a more manageable offseason if they had a better idea of what these three players can contribute in 2025. Are there any other players on the roster that fit this description? Let us know below!