Matthew Lenz

Image courtesy of © Thomas Shea-Imagn Images The Houston Astros have been in the rumor mill for the vast majority of the offseason, specifically as teams kick the tires on third baseman Isaac Paredes. Earlier this week, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported that the team “is seeking an outfielder who hits from the left side in any potential package for Paredes.” Unless you've been buried under a rock since last year’s trade deadline, you're well aware that the Minnesota Twins have an excessive amount of left-handed hitting outfielders. They have high-value prospects like Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez who will likely debut in 2026. They have middle-of-the-road veterans like Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach, who have some upside but also come with their fair share of warts. They also have lower-value options like James Outman, Alan Roden, and Hendry Mendez, of whom Outman and Roden are ready to compete at the big league level (Outman is actually out of options). Finally, right or wrong, the Twins have an owner who believes they'll be competitive in 2026. While the Twins have a plethora of options to meet the needs of the Astros, you now may be asking yourself, “But isn't Royce Lewis our everyday third baseman?” To which I’d say, “meh, I guess”. While Lewis is penciled in as the team’s primary third baseman in 2026, I simply think he no longer has the leverage to demand where he plays. Additionally, as a client of Scott Boras and someone who has made multiple questionable remarks publicly, I no longer care to try to keep him happy. He's under team control through the 2029 season, and I already think it's a long shot that he re-signs with the Twins without a dramatic turnaround within the clubhouse and organization as a whole. If we turn to the productivity on the field, his inconsistencies at the plate have led to a career .762 OPS and a 110 wRC+, both buoyed by a 2023 breakout. Since the start of 2024, those numbers have dropped to .705 and 94, respectively…I guess you can't call it a slump if that's what you typically produce. Moreover, he's played a passable third base, but not to the point where moving him to second (we’ll get to Luke Keaschall next) would make the infield meaningfully worse than it's already going to be. Simply put, adding Paredes bat to the lineup would more than make up for the downgrade in defense at the hot corner, and it would help Tom Pohlad meet his unrealistic expectations for the 2026 season. Of course, if Lewis shifts to the keystone, then Keaschall gets booted from his primary position. However, there are already questions on whether second base can be his long-term home. While he exploded on the scene at the plate in 2025, he finished T-14th among second basemen with at least 150 attempts with -2 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 2025 (he barely met this threshold with 156 attempts). So, then, where does he go, you ask? To the corner outfield. While his experience was limited to just 173 ⅔ innings across 20 games, Keaschall has patrolled centerfield for both the Double-A Wichita and High-A Cedar Rapids in 2024. In the long run, many baseball minds think he's destined to call the outfield grass his home, and a trade for Paredes could open a spot sooner rather than later. However, a left-handed hitting outfielder is not the only match the Twins have. The Astros have been tied to catchers Joey Bart, Christian Vazquez, and Victor Caratini this offseason to back up Yainer Diaz. While no reports have suggested the Twins are set on moving Ryan Jeffers, the signing of Caratini to a two-year, $14 million deal ahead of Jeffers final year of team control seems to suggest that's a distinct possibility. If they were to move Jeffers, that would make Caratini the primary backstop ahead of Alex Jackson. Paired with one of the mid or low value outfielders named earlier, the Astros could solve both of their needs while giving up Paredes and a mid-level prospect. Again, this is all under the assumption that Pohlad realizes this team, as-is, cannot truly compete in 2026. By acquiring Paredes, the Twins add a reliable bat to an offense that has been anything but. Do you think the Twins can compete in 2026? Do you think they should kick the tires on Paredes? Join the conversation in the comments! View full article

Seven Minnesota Twins are competing in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, including Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, Pablo Lopez, Luis Quinones, Dan Altavilla, and Matt Bowman. Here's a guide covering who's competing and the countries they're representing! View full video

The Minnesota Twins announced two wallet-friendly ticket packages to get fans back to Target Field this season. Will you take advantage of these limited-time offers? View full video

With MLB The Show 26 soon to be released, they're releasing hype videos to hook convince consumers to purchase the latest version of the game. In one of those trailers, it seems they have leaked a new uniform for the Minnesota Twins 2026 season. Though not official, MLB The Show is an officially licensed product by Major League Baseball. It stands to reason that any uniform seen in their gameplay, content, trailers, etc. is likely something that you could see in a really MLB game. Additionally, we don't know which uniform could be replaced however it's fair to think that they replace the navy blue jerseys shown in the cover image of this post due to their similarities. See the jersey highlighted in the MLB The Show trailer below. The two notable diffferences are "Twins" replacing "Minnesota" across the chest and a Minnesota patch on the right sleeve instead of a "TC" patch. In other images circulating around social media, you can also see the "Securian" advertisement patch on the left sleeve. Its not unusual for teams to release new uniforms without going through a major rebrand as the Twins did ahead of the 2023 season. What do you think about the uniforms? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images In an effort to get fans in the stadium (and maybe buy back some good will), the Minnesota Twins announced the return of the Twins Pass and introduced a new limited time Buy 2, Get 1 offer. Introduced ahead of the 2019 season, Twins Pass is returning for the eighth year. Most notably, the organization announced a price reduction to both the monthly and full season option. Previously $59 per month, the 2026 version of the pass will be only $49 per month (excluding a one-time $5 service fee). Though that doesn't include the home opener, if you were to attend the remaining 80 games, you would be paying $3.12 per game. You can avoid the $5 fee and sign up for the season-long “All-In Pass” at a reduced rate of $229 (down from $325 in 2025), or $2.83 per game—including access to the home opener. As is emphasized on the Twins website, you’ll need to act fast to lock in this “special, limited-time” price. As has been the case in previous years, the Twins Pass simply gets you into the stadium. Once in the stadium, you have the opportunity to upgrade your standing room-only ticket and purchase a seat at an additional cost. It's worth mentioning that the Twins Pass does not include any season ticket-holder benefits, such as postseason priority. If you're looking for less of a commitment but additional fan-friendly opportunities, you might consider the Triple Play Bundle. When you buy tickets to two games, you'll get the third one free—though there are stipulations that are important to know. Of the two games you buy tickets to, one must be of the “premium” tier, and the other is the “select” tier. Premium games include the Home Opener, Milwaukee Brewers series and Los Angeles Dodgers series, among others. Some of the games included in this package are interesting, such as Saturday, Aug. 29 against the Chicago White Sox. Might that be a giveaway or special event? It could just be because it's the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, but it's worth keeping an eye on that date. Looking at the “select” games, you have options like the World Series runner-up Toronto Blue Jays, divisional foe Cleveland Guardians, or the hated New York Yankees to choose from. Once again, you'll find odd games included in this category, such as a game against the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, April 18. To be clear, the suggestion that these will be special event games of some sort is pure speculation, but something has to be up with that Reds game. Once you've made those two selections, you don't get free rein over the rest of the calendar. Instead, you're choosing from a list of games not available in the first two categories—most notably when the Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox come to town. Since the end of the 2023 season, Twins fans have had little to cheer for, on the field and off. From a reduced payroll and a trade deadline fire sale to increased prices and temporary uncertainty around their broadcasting future, it's been a frustrating two-plus years. However, these fan-friendly packages are a sign the Twins are trying to win us back…or at least get our wallets in the stadium. Will you be taking advantage of either option? Join the conversation in the comments! View full article

With an excess amount of depth from the outfield at both the major league and minor league levels, the Minnesota Twins are exploring the possibility of a recently acquired prospect trying their hand at a new position in 2026. In a recent episode of Inside Twins, general manager Jeremy Zoll said that Hendry Mendez would get an opportunity to play first base in 2026. Though it's not a position that Mendez has experienced, it is surely a position of need within the organization, and he's shown that outfield defense is not a strength of his. At the major league level, the Twins will likely use a combination of Josh Bell, Kody Clemens, and Victor Caratini at first. Behind those three, Aaron Sabato is the only real option, and it's pretty clear he's a long shot to contribute to the Twins, if there's a shot at all. Mendez, 21, was acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies in the Harrison Bader trade. He was added to the 40-man roster in November after a successful season at Double-A and in the Arizona Fall League. Though he didn't crack Twins Daily's top 20 prospect list in the last update, he was ranked as the Twins' 25th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline at the end of last season. After such a successful 2025, it's almost a guarantee he will move up in both lists. Do you think he can establish himself as a candidate for the Twins' first baseman in the future? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

In a shocking turn of events, the Minnesota Twins and general manager Derek Falvy have decided to mutually part ways. Jeremy Zoll will take over as general manager at a time where the Twins as an organization have a lot of questions to answer. View full video

With roughly a month until spring training, the Minnesota Twins have a perplexing roster construction… Especially on the offensive side of the ball. How do they think this is all going to work out? View full video

Not surprisingly, the Minnesota Twins have had a fairly quiet offseason when it comes to player personnel. While they've made headlines in the coaching and ownership departments, the only notable addition to their roster to this point is first baseman Josh Bell. However, since the public update on ownership, it's also been reported that the club is looking to rebuild its bullpen and could add players via free agency. We have a little more clarity on that report. Darren Wolfson of KSTP is reporting that the Minnesota Twins "briefly inquired" about reliever Seranthony Dominguez last month. While talks are not currently taking place, both Wolfson and our own Cody Pirkl suggested that Dominguez would be an intriguing fit for the club. Dominguez, 31, is most known for his time with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he started his career. However, he most recently spent time in the AL East with the Baltimore Orioles for a season and a half, followed by the Toronto Blue Jays, who acquired him at last season's trade deadline. In 2025, he appeared in 67 games, pitching 62 2/3 innings. He posted an impressive 3.16 ERA, though a 3.47 FIP suggests the potential for slight negative regression. Despite walks always being an issue, including last year (13.8% walk rate), he produced a very good 26.5% K-BB rate. Aside from walks, the biggest question is whether the Twins should be targeting a groundball pitcher with the state of their infield. Do you think the Twins should pursue Dominguez? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

Derek Shelton continues to put his own touch on the Minnesota Twins' coaching staff. Since he's taken the role of manager, Shelton has named a new hitting coach, bench coach, bullpen coach, first base coach, and field coordinator. Recently, he made another addition to the coaching staff by bringing in someone who recently played for the club. Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune is reporting that the Minnesota Twins are hiring Michael A. Taylor as the team's Outfield Instructor. Michael A. Taylor retired following the 2025 season after a 12-year career with five different clubs, most recently with the Chicago White Sox. For what Taylor lacked in offense (a career 79+ OPS), he made up for in his outfield defense. Throughout his career, Taylor was known as an elite glove-first center fielder, which is evident by being a three-time Rawlings Gold Glove finalist and the award in 2021. It's likely he would have received recognition (and hardware) if his bat had allowed him to stay in the lineup more regularly. Regardless, Taylor will shift from patrolling the outfield to patrolling the outfielders with the Twins in 2025. A role that he seems perfectly suited for, given the 62 Outs Above Average (OAA) he accrued in the Statcast era. Do you think Taylor can help strengthen the outfield defense, particularly when it comes to Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

The Minnesota Twins have gotten off to an unsurprisingly slow start in the offseason. To this point, their most notable move is tendering a contract to Trevor Larnach, who many thought might be non-tendered. However, this morning, Jeff Passan of ESPN ignited the burner on the hot stove with an update on Byron Buxton. In ranking the players who could be traded, Passan ranked Buxton as the fifth-best player behind Tarik Skubal, Ketel Marte, Freddy Peralta, and Hunter Green. Passan added, "Buxton is willing to waive his no-trade clause - and not just for Atlanta..." To this point, Buxton has not stated anything publicly to confirm or deny this report. If it's true, this is a notable shift in Buxton's mindset, who, on multiple occasions, has said he wants to stay with the Twins. However, at the back end of his prime and with the state of the organization, it's hard to blame him for the change. Buxton, coming off a career year, played in 126 games in 2025. He finished with 35 home runs, 97 runs scored, and 24 stolen bases. He posted an impressive .878 OPS, a .367 wOBA, and a 135 wRC+. Defensively, Buxton is starting to slow down in center field with -5 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and +3 Outs Above Average (OAA). Do you think the Twins should trade Buxton? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor

The Minnesota Twins' direction this offseason has been unclear to this point. From Derek Falvey's quote suggesting the team wants to build around its nucleus to rumors suggesting the Twins could continue their trade-deadline fire sale this offseason, it has left fans wondering about the organization's direction. In a recent column in the NY Post from Joel Sherman, the offseason got a little murkier. Though he didn't say the Twins are actively shopping either pitcher, he suggested the Twins are "more likely" to move Pablo Lopez than Joe Ryan. Lopez, who is owed more than $43 million through 2027, only made 14 starts in 2025. In 75 2/3 innings, the righty sported a solid 3.19 FIP and mediocre 17% K-BB rate. While he had been one of the game's more durable pitchers before last season, his tenure with the Twins has been very up and down. While trading the 30-year-old at some point seems likely, Lopez's value right now is lower than it's ever been. While the Twins are more concerned with the bottom line than maximizing value, they would be remiss to deal the righty now instead of waiting until the 2026 trade deadline. Do you think now is the time to move on from Lopez? Let us know in the comments! View full rumor