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The Twins' rotation is far from finalized, but with as good a one-two punch as any team and a wealth of options to fill out the final three spots, they should feel great about their rotation depth headed into 2026. Should they take advantage of this and use their depth to fill out the roster elsewhere?
Despite being less than perfect, the rotation was far from the biggest reason the team struggled in 2025. A lack of performance and depth in the lineup plagued the Twins for much of last season, and those concerns remain heading into 2026. With starting pitching always in high demand and the Twins likely to once again reduce the payroll, dealing from their group of potential rotation pieces is a creative way to take some swings at improving the lineup.
Bailey Ober stands out as perhaps the most puzzling member of the potentially tradable group of starting pitchers. This year was an abject disaster for him: After a strong start, Ober became untenable in the rotation and was eventually placed on the IL due to a hip injury. He would return and look a bit better down the stretch, but his reduced velocity stayed that way, and he would finish the season with a career-worst 5.10 ERA and 19.2% strikeout rate.
On one hand, Ober has been a durable mid-rotation starter for years, and it may be worth writing off one bad season in hopes of a rebound. On the other hand, Ober has battled injuries throughout his career, and there’s a chance it may have caught up to him at age 30. His fastball averaged just a touch over 90 mph and often sank into the high 80s in the middle innings in 2025.
A pitching-needy team may see a worthwhile gamble in Ober. He won’t bring a star in return, but one rough season shouldn't totally torpedo his value. He may be the best option to trade for an MLB-ready position player, if the Twins feel comfortable letting him go.
Another starter the Twins could ship out is Simeon Woods Richardson. Now out of options, Woods Richardson has to be carried on the roster out of camp. This lack of flexibility could push the Twins in the direction of trading him to a team with fewer candidates to fill out the back end of their rotation.
Like Ober, Woods Richardson would not bring back premium value, but the return would have to make sense. He’s cheap, team-controlled, and capable of taking another step at just 25 years old. He may have already shown signs of doing so last season, as his new splitter became a weapon for him down the stretch. He offers a higher floor than many of the younger rotation options and may not be as lacking in upside as we once thought. If the Twins can find a position player version of Woods Richardson, a swap may be hard to pass up. The Astros could be interested in a swap like that, and Woods Richardson is a Houston-area native. The Athletics could fit on a deal. So could the Rangers.
The less established rotation options can be grouped together when making a case to trade them. The Twins likely have their favorites among Zebby Matthews, David Festa, Mick Abel, Taj Bradley, and Andrew Morris, and it would come down to matching up how they value these names in comparison to other pitching-needy teams.
Perhaps the Twins would be less inclined to deal from this group, before seeing them put together a bigger sample size. If another team is in love with one of them and is willing to blow them away to get their guy, though, the Twins may be wise to take a chance and improve their roster while reducing the logjam they currently have in the rotation. As things stand, it’s hard to find immediate space for everyone between both the Triple-A and big-league rotations. Some of them may transition to the bullpen, but there simply aren’t enough spots for everyone on paper.
It’s possible the Twins' convictions about competing in 2026 are not as strong as we’d like to think. If that’s the case, they may very well choose not to get creative in trading team-controlled assets until at least the trade deadline. If they’re serious about getting this roster in shape, though, dealing from the rotation may be the best way to do it.
Should the Twins dig into the starting rotation depth to try to build a more competitive roster in 2026? Are some of these potential rotation pieces better trade candidates than others? Let us know below!
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