Nick Nelson

With free agency drying up and the Twins constrained by financial limitations, the front office might need to get creative in finding a veteran plug at first base. Could LaMonte Wade Jr. or Jorge Polanco be a fit to return? Image courtesy of Robert Edwards, Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images Over the weekend, we reviewed what remains of the free agent market at first base. It was a pretty lackluster group even when it featured Carlos Santana, who signed with Cleveland a couple hours after the article went live. Assuming they are not legitimate suitors for Pete Alonso, the best the Twins can now hope for in first base free agency is a 40-year-old Justin Turner, or someone like Connor Joe or Donovan Solano. While reuniting with Solano wouldn't be the worst idea, all things considered, I'd be looking for a little more upside at the position. These two potential options, both former Twins, intrigue me as possibilities. Trade for LaMonte Wade Jr. The Twins traded Wade to San Francisco in 2021 for reliever Shaun Anderson. It was a bad move. Anderson made all of four appearances for the Twins before moving on, while Wade has posted a 115 OPS+ over four seasons in The Bay. With two lefty-swinging fourth outfielders in their mix, Minnesota essentially picked Jake Cave over Wade; the former recently signed to play in the KBO, while the latter is coming off another strong season as a regular in the majors at age 30. This offseason, the Twins have an opportunity to right their wrong. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that "many clubs believe first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. to be available – for a price, of course." It will take more than a fringy Anderson-type reliever to bring him back, but the cost of acquiring Wade could potentially be palatable. Entering his final season of arbitration, Wade is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to make $4.7 million in 2025. That's a price tag the Twins should be able to make work. The relatively modest salary reflects some of the limiting aspects of Wade's value as a player, which also could tamper San Francisco's demands in a trade. He has been used pretty strictly as a platoon player, despite moderate success against lefties in a small sample. He's not considered a particularly strong defender, though he does offer some flexibility, with the outfield corners also in his bag. Wade also does not offer prototypical power for a first baseman, but he offsets it with stellar discipline and on-base skills. I'd argue the Twins are in greater need of those traits versus another hard-swinging slugger. On basically a one-year deal in his age-31 season, Wade feels like a very solid fit for Minnesota's needs, depending on what the Giants are willing to accept in exchange. If the Twins would prefer to focus on free agency, there's a more unconventional fit I've got my eyes on. Sign Jorge Polanco and try him out at first base. Admittedly, this is a more radical and experimental suggestion, but the Twins need to be open-minded in their hunt for impact and value. Polanco was not listed among the previous rundown of free-agent first basemen because, well, he's never played first base. Not in the majors or the minors. He has, however, played every other infield position, and it doesn't seem like a stretch to believe Polanco could handle first capably. In fact, it's almost an inevitability that some team will try him there in order to prolong his career as a useful defender; Polanco was already grading out poorly defensively at second before undergoing knee surgery in October to repair the patellar tendon in his left knee. The concept of him making a move to first base has been discussed here as recently as one year ago, before he was traded. Polanco turns 32 next July. He's got a long history of wear-and-tear on his lower body. And he did not hit in 2024, slashing just .213/.296/.355 in 469 plate appearances for the Mariners, who declined his $12 million option for next year. But previously Polanco had been a very consistent offensive performer, posting an OPS+ of 112 or above in every full season since 2019. The Twins are well positioned to accept the risk involved with signing Polanco, since they have a reasonable baseline at first base between José Miranda and Edouard Julien. Plugging in Polanco would enable Minnesota to be patient with those two, neither of whom looked up to snuff at season's end, while also supplementing the infield depth lost in Kyle Farmer. Most importantly, Polanco would bring a proven switch-hitting bat that Rocco Baldelli clearly holds in very high regard. The wisdom of signing Polanco hinges on how much he ends up being able to command, but there's reason to believe he could end up settling for a one-year deal in the range of what Santana made this year, maybe with some incentives added on top. Polanco's familiarity with the team, manager, facilities and players would theoretically be a differentiating draw. It's possible Polanco's market may not heat up until later in the offseason, once he's able to showcase his readiness and recovery from the surgery. That would suit the Twins' purposes just fine, since they're currently focused on making a trade to open up payroll space and that might still take some time. If healthy, he'd be an exciting (re)addition to a lineup that, like Polanco, is looking to rebound and show what it's made of. What are your thoughts? Do either of these potential reunions do anything for you? What are some other outside-the-box ideas for solving the need at first base given the team's circumstances? Let's hear from you in the comments! View full article

It is perhaps the clearest area of need on the Twins roster. Top options are already coming off the board. Who might Minnesota's front office still be targeting on the free agent market at first base? Image courtesy of Matt Krohn-Imagn Images The past few days have seen two of the top free agent options come off the board at first base. On Friday the Houston Astros reached agreement with Christian Walker on a three-year, $60 million contract, and on Saturday the Yankees came to terms with Paul Goldschmidt for one year and $12.5 million. Realistically, the Twins were probably not in the running for either player – certainly not Walker, given their constraints. But given their glaring need at first base, it was fun to dream on the possibility of an impact addition at this level. There are still a few high-caliber options remaining in the field, but more likely the Twins are aiming for the mid-to-lower tiers. Here's a quick overview of remaining free agent first basemen (per MLB's tracker), arranged into my own subjective tiers with the pros and cons of each from Minnesota's standpoint. Listed alongside each player is his age and his fWAR over the past twos seasons. The top tier, from my view, is now down to one. Top Tier Pete Alonso (30, 5.0 WAR) Pros: Elite power hitter, durable, consistent offensive production, and still in his prime. Cons: Will command a high salary a multi-year commitment. Viability: High impact but out of financial reach given the Twins' constraints unless they make other moves to clear payroll. Mid Tier Carlos Santana (39, 4.5 WAR) Pros: Experienced, excellent plate discipline, strong clubhouse presence. Still productive offensively and (especially) defensively while approaching 40. Cons: Age raises concerns about durability and potential decline. Viability: Affordable on a short-term deal, a good fit as a veteran stopgap. [Update: We learned shortly after this article was published that the Cleveland Guardians are signing Santana to a one-year, $12 million deal after trading Josh Naylor to the Diamondbacks. So that's another option off the board!] Justin Turner (40, 2.2 WAR) Pros: Battle-tested veteran, strong hitter, and can fill a hybrid DH/1B role. Cons: Advanced age and limited defensive value. Viability: A reasonable fit if the team values his leadership and is willing to rotate him at DH. Connor Joe (32, 2.0 WAR) Pros: Versatile defensively (1B/LF/RF), solid OBP skills, affordable. Cons: Lacks the power typical of a first baseman. Viability: A cost-effective platoon or depth piece with some upside. Donovan Solano (37, 2.0 WAR) Pros: Familiar with the team, reliable contact hitter, affordable. Cons: Limited power and defensive range. Viability: Reunion wouldn't be a terrible idea, but he's better suited for a utility role rather than full-time 1B. Anthony Rizzo (35, 0.5 WAR) Pros: Veteran experience, previously an excellent defender and hitter. Cons: Recent concussion issues and other injuries have significantly impacted performance. Viability: A risky signing but could be worthwhile if health concerns are resolved. Ty France (30, 0.3 WAR) Pros: Still relatively young, a bounce-back candidate with potential for improvement. Cons: Recent performance dip raises concerns about reliability. Viability: A low-cost gamble with potential upside. Josh Bell (32, 0.2 WAR) Pros: Switch-hitter, power potential, and streaky offensive bursts. Cons: Inconsistent production and below-average defense. Viability: Worth considering if available on a short-term, incentive-laden deal. Bottom Tier Joey Gallo (31, 0.6 WAR) Pros: Familiar with the Twins, elite power, and defensive flexibility. Cons: Poor contact skills and declining offensive performance. Viability: Likely not a strong candidate to return given fit concerns at 1B. Yuli Gurriel (41, -0.5 WAR) Pros: Veteran with postseason experience and strong contact skills. Cons: Age-related decline and minimal upside. Viability: Low-cost emergency option, but unlikely to contribute meaningfully. Ji-Man Choi (34, -0.5 WAR) Pros: Capable of getting on base when healthy, low-cost option. Cons: Poor recent performance and injury concerns. Viability: A reclamation project at best. Rowdy Tellez (30, -1.2 WAR) Pros: Power potential. Great name. Cons: Struggles with consistency, defense, and overall value. Viability: A buy-low candidate, but better options are out there. Gavin Sheets (29, -2.4 WAR) Pros: Youngest of the group with untapped potential. Cons: Defensive liability, hasn't hit in the majors. Viability: Possibly of interest on a minor-league deal. Do any of these options interest you? Who would be at the top of your list? Or do you find these targets uninspiring enough that you'd prefer turning to the trade market or rolling with in-house candidates? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments. View full article

Up for sale and shedding payroll, the Twins are struggling to sustain interest from longtime fans, much less attract a new generation. Here's a lighthearted look at some tactics to win over younger audiences next year. Image courtesy of © Jordan Johnson-Imagn Images The Minnesota Twins brand is in a state of crisis. Hopes of growing attendance and interest coming off a breakthrough year were dashed, partially out of self-sabotage, as the team drew fewer fans, reduced TV access and collapsed late in the season. With the front office transparently admitting that they need to scale back spending and make tough bottom-line decisions this offseason, a sense of apathy is setting in, even among the diehards like myself. In order for the franchise to enjoy a healthy future, they need to reverse course on their dwindling fan momentum. Attracting a younger generation that can turn into longtime followers is vital. This has been a concerted effort for MLB as a whole and should be one for the Twins as well. There are plenty of serious ideas to be discussed for rejuvenating fan engagement, from simply winning more games to, say, lowering concession prices. What follows is a series of decidedly non-serious suggestions for reaching young fans in the 2025 season. It should definitely be noted that the author is almost 40 and extremely out of touch, but hopefully that only makes the exercise more sadly amusing. Refer to hot dogs exclusively as "glizzies" at Target Field. Glizzy has become a popular nickname for hot dogs among the youth. The Twins should go all in on this trendy terminology at the ballpark. I mean menu listings, vendor shouts, the works. When people order a "hot dog" at the counter, the cashier should stare at them blankly. Will this weird out and alienate older people? Of course. That's part of the charm. Buy TikTok and rebrand it as TwinsTok. The beloved social media platform faces a potential ban in the U.S. next month unless a domestic buyer can step in and save it. This is the Pohlads' (or a new owner's) chance to play hero for the app's heavily youthful user base. With more than 1 billion daily users worldwide, a purchase of TikTok and subtle rebrand as TwinsTok would offer great opportunities for brand awareness. As a bonus, Twins ownership would have its own streaming platform for broadcasting games. The action would need to be transmitted to audiences in the form of brief clips but with the state of today's attention spans, that's just as well. Start a rap beef. We saw earlier this year the culturally transfixing power of a heated hip-hop rivalry, when Kendrick Lamar and Drake went toe to toe over a series of increasingly personal diss tracks. Maybe it's time for the Twins to follow this example by stirring up smoke with their opps. If they want to build on the cross-border friction that Kdot and Drizzy sparked up, the Twins could set their sights on the Toronto Blue Jays and former hitting coach David Popkins. Or they could stay closer to home by taking aim at the neighborly Brewers. What about a civil war beef between the Twins and Saints? The possibilities are endless. Of course, this would be dependent on finding someone to craft the bars, and they're gonna need to bring it. I wonder who on the Twins has the best rap writing skills? I'll happily volunteer my pen if called upon. Institute team dress code requiring high socks. Apparently wearing ankle socks is out -- a sign of dated fashion sensibilities. We can apply this shift to the Twins and deduce that the low-pants look is simply not resonating with younger observers. It's time for this franchise to take a page out of the Steinbrenner book and mandate a strict appearance policy; instead of outlawing facial hair, they can take hard stance on the "mother of all baseball fashion arguments" by requiring all players to rock high socks at all times. Fortunately team leader Carlos Correa is already ahead of the game here. Fortnite Nights at the ballpark every fortnight. If I know one thing about young people -- and that might be about accurate -- it's that they love Fortnite. The game is a generational sensation. One study found that almost two-thirds of players for the mega-hit battle royale video game are between 18 and 24. Well, there's nothing like glomming onto a mainstream trend to borrow some of that buzz! We've seen baseball teams dabble with Fortnite-themed events before. Minor-league teams have used it as a promo gimmick and last January the Red Sox hosted an offseason Fortnite game on the Fenway jumbotron. The Twins can make waves by going even bigger. Picture this: Fortnite Night at Target Field. Fans encouraged to dress up in creative "skins," and to play Fortnite rounds on their mobile devices in the stands, with occasional highlights piped to the big screen. Players doing celebratory dances and emotes on the field. The whole works. And we're not doing this just once a year, but once every two weeks. Build some real sustained inroads with the Fortnite community. If the Twins aren't at home on a date the event falls, it's still happening at Target Field. Let's hear your best ideas for bringing younger fans to the ballpark and broadcasts in 2025. You're welcome to take the assignment a little more seriously than I did. Or not! View full article

The Winter Meetings came and went without the Twins front office making a particularly significant splash, although they did select a player in the Rule 5 for the first time in seven years. Here's a rundown of where things stand in their offseason with the holiday slowdown approaching. Image courtesy of Reading Fighting Phils & Matt Blewett/Jerome Miron–Imagn Sports During the Winter Meetings in Dallas last week, Derek Falvey confirmed some things that we mostly knew to be true: The Minnesota Twins are prioritizing trades over free agency, and for roster additions, they are targeting a first baseman and a right-handed outfield bat. As I wrote earlier this month, the front office's ability to take action this winter is contingent on making a significant trade – if not to acquire the help they need directly, then to free up spending room for such endeavors. From my view, a trade that swaps out quality pitching for an impact hitter feels like almost an inevitability. The Twins have some really conspicuous gaps in their position-player depth, with no experienced options at first base and guys like Austin Martin, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. and Michael Helman lined up for key roles. Meanwhile, their pitching staff is already pretty full up here in mid-December, to the extent that credible candidates like David Festa and Louie Varland are on the outside looking in. The projected pitching group became more crowded last week with new addition to the roster. Twins Select RHP Eiberson Castellano from Philadelphia in Rule 5 Draft Not since Falvey's first full year at the helm, back in 2017, have the Twins taken a player in the Rule 5 draft. That year, they selected Tyler Kinley out of the Marlins system following a strong showing from Kinley in the Dominican Winter League. The hard-throwing righty ended up making the roster out of spring training, but lasted only four appearances before being designated for assignment in late April. This year, with the ninth pick in the Rule 5, Minnesota picked right-hander Eiberson Castellano, the reigning Phillies minor league pitcher of the year. The 23-year-old is coming off an impressive season between High-A and Double-A (103.2 IP, 3.99 ERA, 11 HR, 136-to-29 K/BB). He boasts a mid-90s fastball, a heavily featured breaking ball, and a developing changeup that Minnesota seems to have some belief in. It's far from a lock that Castellano will make the Opening Day roster, or stay there long if he does, but I don't believe the Twins make this pick unless they're tentatively writing him into their plans. Castellano was primarily a starter in Philadelphia's system this past season, logging 104 innings across 22 appearances, but it sounds like the Twins are envisioning him as a long man out of their bullpen. This could make him a good fit for the team's needs. Taking a Rule 5 gamble is potentially the kind of crafty, low-cost value add that the front office needs to be pursuing given its constraints. However, the implications of bringing Castellano into the fold are notable. If he ends up with a spot in the Twins bullpen – alongside currently-slated occupants Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax, Cole Sands, Jorge Alcalá, Brock Stewart, Michael Tonkin and Justin Topa – there is no room for anyone else. But that can't be it. The unit currently lacks a left-hander. Are they really going to send Varland back to Triple-A as a 27-year-old? Yes, things can and often do figure themselves out, but still I can't imagine the Twins head into camp with this same relief corps makeup. Something's gotta give. Griffin Jax Rotation Conversion Unlikely? One shakeup that would create flexibility in the bullpen would be transitioning Jax back into a starting role, which has become a prevalent talking point this offseason. However, according to Bobby Nightengale's report from the Winter Meetings, "The Twins haven’t closed the door on the idea of using Griffin Jax as a starting pitcher next season, but it appears unlikely." "There are Twins officials who think he could succeed at it with his pitch mix, even if his velocity slightly declined while throwing more innings," Nightingale writes, "but Jax knows he’s one of the most dominant relievers in the league, too." This doesn't mean it won't happen. The fact that Twins decision-makers "haven't closed the door on the idea" here in mid-December tells me it's something that's been seriously weighed. I'm of two minds on the subject because while I think there's validity to the stated point about his deep pitch mix, Jax was legitimately one of the two or three most valuable relief pitchers in the league. Tough to mess with that. Twins Interested in Re-signing Santana Nightengale reports also that the Twins have interest in a reunion with Carlos Santana. This comes as no real surprise, given his successful fit in 2024 and Minnesota's lack of a clear replacement for the free agent first baseman. But simply signing Santana to the same deal as they did this year (1 year, $5 million) would require clearing about $10 million of payroll to align with the perceived ownership cap of $130 million. The problem is that if he has any interest elsewhere, Santana probably doesn't want to wait around until the Twins can find a taker for Christian Vázquez or whomever. The urgency built by this contingency is why I believe the front office will buck its trend of waiting until the late stage of the offseason to make any trades. Then again, there are no signs anything is close to materializing right now, and we're coming up on that two-week holiday period where major moves rarely take place. So maybe they are just going to wait, wait, wait. Front Office Calms Fears of a Correa Trade The team's unwillingness to rule out a Carlos Correa trade has caused plenty of anxiety with fans this offseason, myself included. While the stance of listening on any player is understandable, some of the quotes from Falvey almost started to sound like he was welcoming offers for the shortstop, who has a full no-trade clause. These rumors and rumblings strike a nerve only because of their viability, in the scope of frustrating spending limitations being imposed from ownership. Fortunately, team officials have since taken steps to downplay that possibility. Among them was Rocco Baldelli, who (rightfully) reiterated how critically important Correa is to the team and its outlook. "When you take a guy away who’s one of the top players in the game … you’re really going to be left searching and looking to figure things out," Baldelli said. Uh, yeah. Per Nightengale, "The speculation surrounding Correa’s availability was overblown this week, club officials indicated, as they continue to emphasize they are not doing anything more than their normal due diligence when asked about any of their best players. They have no desire to shop Correa despite their own payroll limitations, which they’ve communicated to teams." My fears of a financially-driven Correa trade won't be put to bed until the Twins make some sort of actual move for payroll relief, but it's reassuring that the organization – not exactly known for its PR prowess of late – was compelled to get the word out and prevent this from becoming the overriding narrative in their barren offseason. The idea that they'd even be open to trading Correa at all in their current state is just sad. 2025 Roster & Payroll Projection Minnesota's current projected roster, below, is interesting to behold. On the one hand, you've got a pitching staff that looks all but finalized. We might see Varland or a left-hander sneak into the bullpen somehow, but they've got all the personnel they need. On the other hand, you've got an offense with so many clearly troubling uncertainties, and that's before you potentially trade someone like Vázquez or Willi Castro to get clear under the payroll mandate. Is José Miranda really going to be your primary starter at first? There's been talk of moving Royce Lewis to second but then what happens at third? Is Brooks Lee going to start in the majors after looking overmatched as a rookie? Keirsey and Martin are the top backup outfielders? Like I said, something's gotta give. View full article

The Twins have a lopsided balance of arms and bats on their roster. One way or another, it's going to need to work itself out. Image courtesy of Matt Krohn and Jeffrey Becker–Imagn Images At the start of the offseason, the Minnesota Twins lost six players to free agency. Four were position players, all of whom played relatively large roles in 2024: Max Kepler, Carlos Santana, Manuel Margot, Kyle Farmer. The two pitchers were Caleb Thielbar, an aging lefty reliever who threw 47 innings, and Anthony DeSclafani, who never threw a pitch. Since then, essentially every additive move the Twins have made has been pitching-focused. The team surprisingly tendered contracts to both Michael Tonkin and Justin Topa, more or less assuring them spots in the Opening Day bullpen if healthy. Then they added right-handers Marco Raya and Travis Adams to the 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 eligibility deadline. Most recently, in the aforementioned Rule 5 draft, the Twins selected Eiberson Castellano from the Phillies, their first time taking a player in seven years. Castellano is an intriguing right-handed pitcher on the verge of MLB readiness, and Minnesota is hoping it stumbled upon a steal. Of course, the stipulation is that in order to keep Castellano, he needs to remain on the active roster for the Twins all year. There's no guarantee Castellano will make the team, but the Twins wouldn't have drafted him if they didn't see it as reasonably likely. So if you pencil him into an eight-man bullpen alongside Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Cole Sands, Brock Stewart, Jorge Alcala, Topa and Tonkin, you've got a unit that is already full-up. Minnesota's 40-man roster currently features 22 pitchers and only 16 hitters. Without making any additions, they can already boast a contending rotation and relief corps deep enough that guys like David Festa, Louie Varland and Zebby Matthews are currently on the outside looking in. I will note that all 13 presently projected members of the 2025 staff are right-handed. Meanwhile, you've got an offensive unit that is full of blatant holes. Coming off a second half where their lineup completely bottomed out, the Twins lost one of their most promising hitters (Alex Kirilloff), one of their most dependable hitters (Santana) and one of their most tenured hitters (Kepler). They currently have major questions to address all over the field, if not in the starting roles then certainly with the positional depth. The front office, as we know, has negative money to address these question marks. They're clearly trying to shop Christian Vazquez to free up his $10 million salary, but that would only exacerbate their position-player shortage. How are they going to find ways to replace their losses, much less bring in any kind of help? Trading out of their quality pitching depth to acquire impact bats seems like the clear path forward. And I'm talking about something more significant than moving Chris Paddack, who is not likely to bring back a substantial return and also wouldn't clear enough room for much in the way of additions. The Twins might need to get even bolder. Would they consider something like, say, trading Joe Ryan or Bailey Ober for a quality young hitter, then transitioning Jax to a starting role? Or trying to maximize Duran's value three years away from free agency? I'm just spitballing here. But I'd have to figure these kinds of concepts are very much on the table, if not being actively pursued. It's a scary thought but also a somewhat exciting one. Good pitching is always in demand, and that's one of the few things the Twins have in their favor with their positioning this offseason. View full article

The Twins have been quiet so far this offseason, as expected. But other significant moves are taking place around the league, and the pace figures to pick up with the Winter Meetings getting underway this week. From the perspective of the Twins and what they're trying to accomplish this winter, what can we learn from some of the early developments and trends we've seen play out? Image courtesy of Mike De Sisti and Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images (Willy Adames and Clay Holmes) We have a pretty clear idea of what Derek Falvey, Jeremy Zoll and the Minnesota Twins front office are trying to accomplish right now. Since any potential additions are essentially contingent on clearing salary from the books and creating some spending flexibility, the Twins are looking to make a trade. Maybe more than one. While they haven't yet taken part in any significant move outside of the procedural types, there's been a fair amount of hot stove action elsewhere around the league. Let's review some of the more noteworthy moves and unpack the potential implications for the Twins in their efforts. (Moves and details courtesy of ESPN's very helpful offseason tracker.) San Francisco Giants sign SS Willy Adames for 7 years, $182M The relevance of this signing to the Twins depends on how legitimate you find the notion of a Carlos Correa trade. Adames was the big prize in the free agent shortstop market and now he's off the board. Other clubs looking to make a splash at the position will need to look elsewhere, and Correa could be an attractive target if he's willing to waive his no-trade clause. Correa is one year older than Adames and his remaining contract (four years, $128 million) looks quite reasonable relative to what San Francisco gave Adames, depending on your confidence in his health outlook. In particular, I've got my eyes on the Yankees. Last week MLB.com's ace reporter Mark Feinsand wrote that the Yanks were viewing Adames as a "backup plan" in the event they were unable to re-sign the highly coveted Juan Soto, who reached agreement with the cross-town Mets on a 15-year, $760 million deal on Sunday night. What's the Yankees' Plan B now? One month ago I wrote about speculation from NY media that the Yankees or Mets might consider reaching out to Minnesota about the availability of Correa. Personally I would not be in favor of trading Correa but it's unfortunately an option the Twins have to at least consider given their payroll circumstances. For what it's worth, Falvey has conspicuously failed to rule out the possibility when asked about it. New York Mets sign RP Clay Holmes with intentions of converting him to a starter This is a trend that is seemingly gaining traction across the league: taking an established relief pitcher and converting him to a starter, well into his career. The Padres did it successfully with Seth Lugo in 2023, setting Lugo up to land a sizable contract with Kansas City, where he's now the No. 1 starter. Elsewhere we've seen the Cardinals do it with Jordan Hicks, the Braves with Reynaldo Lopez, and the Rays with old friend Zack Littell, as a few examples. It's easy to see the appeal of this arrangement from the pitcher's perspective. Lugo was never getting the contract he got from Kansas City (three years, $45 million with an opt-out) as a relief pitcher. Same goes for Holmes and this similar deal he just got from the Mets: three years, $38 million with an opt-out. Which brings us to the subject of Griffin Jax. While not an offseason transactional move, per se, the idea of converting Jax back into a starter has definitely been a talking point. Seeing this approach increasingly utilized across the league lends further credence to the concept. At the same time, it does bear mentioning that none of the names we mentioned – Holmes, Lugo, etc. – had a case for being one of the two or three best relief pitchers in all of baseball, as Jax does. Athletics sign Luis Severino for 3 years, $67 million; Angels sign Yusei Kikuchi for 3 years, $63 million These contracts are notable because they are both nearly identical to the remaining commitment in Pablo López's deal with the Twins (three years, $65 million). Would you rather have López – younger than both players at 28, and a proven Game 1 playoff starterr – at that price? I know I would. Would you give up quality talent in order to make it happen? Therein lies the question. Much like trading Correa, this is not a course of action I'd be on board with. The goal is to win a championship, right? You don't give up an All-Star shortstop or No. 1 starter when making that push. However, it cannot be ignored that trading Correa or López is perhaps the only method of clearing out substantial salary that would enable impactful additions elsewhere. And the early offseason landscape suggests that the Twins could get back real value in return if they did choose to follow this disruptive path. Free agent catchers Danny Jansen and Travis d’Arnaud land with Rays and Angels The far less disruptive and dramatic scenario for closing the gap on Minnesota's spending cap would be trading Christian Vázquez and his remaining contract (one year, $10 million). But of course, it takes two to tango and finding a taker for an expensive no-hit backup catcher is different from shopping a star. Unfortunately, two teams that could've been interested in taking on Vázquez's salary, or some portion of it, have found their solutions at catcher. Jansen signed with Tampa for one year and $8.5 million, while d'Arnaud's deal with the Angels is for two years and $12 million. Elsewhere, Austin Hedges re-signed with the Guardians for one year and $4 million. The Twins probably weren't going to make a trade with their top division rivals, but the Rays and Angels fulfilling their clear needs behind the plate will make the endeavor of trading Vázquez all the more challenging. Read more: Twins Trade Candidate Breakdown: Christian Vázquez Cubs sign SP Matthew Boyd for 2 years, $29 million I mention this signing because it's one of the most surprising "He got HOW much?" moments of this offseason thus far. Boyd has always had an interesting level of upside as a lefty with good stuff, but he's never come particularly close to unlocking it and has struggled perpetually to stay on the mound. He hasn't thrown even 80 innings in a season since 2019. In light of this contract, it's much easier to envision the Twins finding a taker for Chris Paddack (one year, $7.5 million) and maybe even getting a little bit back in return. Read more: Twins Trade Candidate Breakdown: Chris Paddack Royals re-sign SP Michael Wacha, trade with Reds for 2B Jonathan India and OF Joey Wiemer The message is here is that the Royals aren't going anywhere. Following a breakthrough 2024 season, Kansas City is continuing to push, already signing Wacha for three years and $51 million following his strong campaign, and sending pitcher Brady Singer to Cincinnati in a move that bolsters their offense. It feels like standing pat is almost the best thing we can hope for this offseason as Twins fans. Will that be enough if the Royals – not to mention the Tigers and even the Guardians, who re-signed starter Shane Bieber – continue to invest and improve? View full article

This is a great point and I think the ultimate struggle the Twins are facing. They might like to make a move proactively and create some flexibility, but their trade partners are motivated to wait.

In the past, this front office has shown a tendency to bide its time on the offseason trade front, almost always waiting until the later stages of the winter to strike. This year, that isn't really an option. Image courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Let's think back to some of the notable trades in recent Twins offseasons. This past year, there was the deal with Los Angeles that brought Manuel Margot to Minnesota. It happened in late February. The Jorge Polanco trade took place at the end of January. In 2023 the Twins traded for both Pablo Lopez and Michael A. Taylor in the latter part of January. In 2022, the Sonny Gray and Josh Donaldson trades took place in mid-March (following a lockout interruption). The 2020 Kenta Maeda trade was in mid-February, as was the Jake Odorizzi acquisition way back in 2018. Outside of November trades that were driven by arbitration-raise contract situations (e.g. Gio Urshela and Kyle Farmer in 2022), you'll be hard-pressed to find any examples of Minnesota's front office under Derek Falvey completing deals before the home stretch of the offseason. This has been their M.O. more generally -- stay patient, let the market take shape, await your opportunities -- but especially so on the trade front. I believe this is the year we see that change. The team's perceived payroll restrictions are prohibitive, to the extent that the front office really can't do anything until they find a way to clear out some salary. As we examined in our latest offseason status update, the Twins are likely somewhere between $5 and $10 million over budget before making a single addition. It feels like the Twins are stuck in a holding pattern until they can find a way to offload some salary and get back above water. Whatever modest free agents they might have on their radar are liable to come off the board while Falvey and Jeremy Zoll sit and wait to find the right deal to materialize. The Twins are motivated sellers because any meaningful they action they want to take this offseason is essentially contingent on a stage-setting trade. Those trades could of course take many different shapes. The most obvious candidates to be moved in a pure salary dump are Christian Vazquez and Chris Paddack; they've been discussed plenty. The Twins could also pursue a more disruptive and high-scale avenue like trading Carlos Correa, or a more value-focused (albeit less financially-relieving) move like trading Willi Castro, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober or Jhoan Duran. Several options are on the table. But one way or another, something's gotta give. As much as patience has been a virtue for Falvey's front office in the past, it doesn't seem wise to let the entire offseason pass while frozen in place and incapable of acting in any substantial way. With all this in mind, I suspect we will see the Twins buck their trend of waiting until the late offseason to strike in trades. As the MLB Winter Meetings get underway next week in Dallas next Monday, the conversations could take on a bit more urgency than usual. If you want to get the full scoop on Minnesota's trade candidates, along with potential partners and possible returns, we went in-depth in our breakdown series. You can find those below: Chris Paddack Christian Vazquez Jhoan Duran Willi Castro Joe Ryan Bailey Ober Royce Lewis Ryan Jeffers Doris from HR 😂 View full article

The Twins need major-league outfield depth—namely, a player who can back up Byron Buxton in center and handle the corners as needed. They already have a player on hand capable of fulfilling this role, at the league minimum salary. It's just not all that clear the team trusts him to do it. Should they? Image courtesy of Matt Krohn-Imagn Images In 2023, between Double-A and Triple-A, DaShawn Keirsey Jr. had a fantastic season. He slashed .294/.366/.455 with 15 homers, 41 extra-base hits and 39 steals in 130 games, all while playing (primarily) center field. At age 26, the former fourth-round draft pick had the makings of a late bloomer, capable of filling a valuable big-league role. As such, around this time a year ago, we were wondering if the Twins would add Keirsey to the 40-man roster and protect him from the Rule 5 Draft. They didn't, and from accounts that Aaron Gleeman has shared on the Gleeman and the Geek podcast, it doesn't sound like they seriously considered it. (Paraphrasing: After multiple inquiries about the team's likelihood of adding Keirsey, a Twins official replied to AG, "Boy, you really like DaShawn Keirsey, huh?") So then, we wondered if the Twins would regret exposing Keirsey to the Rule 5 draft. They didn't. He went undrafted and stayed in the organization, returning in 2024 to put together a season that was even more impressive than the last: In 111 games at Triple-A, he slashed .300/.368/.476 with 14 homers, 43 extra-base hits and 36 steals. His 133 hits set a St. Paul Saints franchise record—despite missing nearly a month with injury. The Twins continued to exhibit a lack of visible faith. They didn't call up Keirsey until their hand was essentially forced in September, when they finally placed a hobbled Max Kepler on the injured list. Then they sent Keirsey back down nine days later. Keirsey returned for the final weekend of the season, once Minnesota was knocked out of contention, but overall, he got only 14 plate appearances. During his brief time with the Twins, Keirsey went 2-for-13 but showed a few nice signs, including some defensive flashes and a home run. He clearly can handle center, and he offers standout speed, which is a rarity on this slogging Minnesota roster. His performance in Triple-A at least suggests some level of offensive ability. With Kepler and Manuel Margot departing this offseason, the Twins need a player like Keirsey, who could back up Byron Buxton in center and supplement their corner outfield depth. But are they willing to trust Keirsey to be that guy? That's not at all clear. The front office's reluctance to give Keirsey a chance this season and the lack of playing time he received when on the roster, seem like red flags. Why not feed him some at-bats at the tail end of the season to get a better look if you're considering him as part of your future plans? Keirsey got three at-bats the final weekend, in meaningless games. You don't find a ton of late-20s guys with virtually no MLB experience on 40-man rosters, and between Keirsey and Michael Helman, the Twins have a couple. There isn't much evidence the team has significant confidence in either, but at the same time, both have the ability to fill roles the team needs and both would make the minimum in 2025, which weighs heavily for the front office given its financial constraints. Keirsey strikes me as a pivotal figure this offseason. Will the Twins aim higher for the backup center-field role, dedicating some share of their limited resources to an external option like Michael A. Taylor or Margot? Or are they finally willing to give Keirsey a real shot? In the end, they might not have much of a choice. View full article

This may happen and I wouldn't hate it but one year ago the Twins basically rolled their eyes at the notion they would protect Keirsey from the Rule 5, and they didn't call him up this season until they had little choice in the matter, then gave him 14 plate appearances. I just don't get the sense they have much belief. He is cheap, though.

The fact that everyone (including myself) is so resigned to absolutely nothing happening this offseason makes me feel convinced something(s) big is going to happen. This front office has proven to be unpredictable in the past, and now we've got a newly elevated GM looking to make his name.

The projected 2025 roster has come into clearer focus over the first month of the offseason, but big questions remain. We should start to get some clarity soon with the marquee event of hot stove season quickly approaching. Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson, Matt Blewett-Imagn Images We knew coming into this offseason that Twins fans were in for a long, slow winter, with the front office's impetus to trim down payroll serving as the main storyline rather than any potential for big-splash additions. It's been expectedly quiet through the first month. That said, things are happening. With the deadlines to protect Rule 5-eligible prospects and tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players arriving over the past few weeks, the Twins were compelled to make several key decisions. We'll catch you up on those while also setting the stage for the upcoming Winter Meetings in Dallas, where trade conversations figure to heat up. Twins Tender Contracts to All Arbitration-Eligible Players When the arbitration deadline arrived on November 22nd, the Twins front office decided to tender contracts to all 11 eligible players, with the only exception being Alex Kirilloff who had already made the decision for them by retiring earlier in the month. The class of retained players, who will all receive guaranteed contracts (many of which still need to be specifically agreed upon), included a few mild surprises—namely, Justin Topa and Michael Tonkin. Neither will be expensive; Topa agreed at $1.225 million ($1 million in 2025 with a $2 million option and $225K buyout in 2026), Tonkin at $1 million for one year. But neither was a significant contributor for this season's team. I would basically view them as the equivalents to low-wattage free-agent signings from last year, like Jay Jackson and Josh Staumont, and in that vein, they are fine. Often, in cases like these, the agreement on a deal ahead of the tender deadline tells us the team was unwilling to tender them without getting cost certainty. With six of seven bullpen spots all but spoken for between Tonkin, Topa, Cole Sands, Jorge Alcalá, Brock Stewart, Griffin Jax, and Jhoan Durán, it's very unlikely the Twins will be active on the bullpen front this offseason. Which is fine, because they have the makings of an elite unit. Raya, Adams Added to 40-Man Roster Ahead of the deadline to add prospects to the 40-man roster in order to protect them from being exposed to the upcoming Rule 5 draft, Minnesota selected two players: Marco Raya and Travis Adams. Raya was a no-brainer. Adams was a bit more surprising, but hardly a shock. The former is a highly-rated 22-year-old pitching prospect whose combination of proven performance, upside and proximity to MLB would have made him irresistible to Rule 5 talent hunters. The latter is a 24-year-old right-hander who could hardly be considered a top prospect, but whose ability to fill an immediate functional depth role is viewed as valuable. Since his addition to the 40-man roster nudges Adams into the Twins' future plans, he's worth learning more about. I wrote of the former sixth-rounder's appealing traits, including his durability: Adams leads all Twins minor-leaguers in innings pitched over the past three seasons. With Raya and Adams aboard, the Twins' 40-man roster currently sits at 37. At the moment, it's slightly lopsided, with 21 pitchers and only 16 position players—and that's with two spots being occupied by Michael Helman and DaShawn Keirsey Jr. Personally, I'd be surprised if both were still rostered at the start of spring training. One thing coming into focus is the fact that a bigger restructuring of the position-player group than we expected is probably looming. Speas Signed to Minor-League Deal The only signings we've seen from the Twins front office over the first month of the offseason were of the minor-league variety, and many were just bringing back 40-man roster casualties like Yunior Severino, Scott Blewett and Daniel Duarte. However, one noteworthy outside pickup was righty reliever Alex Speas, who signed a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training. The story on Speas: big fastball, reaching triple digits, and big control problems. Last year he spent time with four different organizations, posting a 12.13 ERA with a 45-to-43 K/BB ratio in 29 ⅔ innings at Triple-A while also making one appearance in the majors. (None of those numbers is a typo. Unfortunately.) He's a project, and one that many different teams have been keen to take a shot at, with little success so far. Turning 27 in March, the former second-round draft pick will be worth keeping an eye on as an intriguing bullpen longshot. Trade Talks to Heat Up at Winter Meetings? From my view, the Twins have a pretty credible, contending-caliber roster in place. Sure, you'd like to add a couple more bats, but as I look over the roster layout below, it strikes me as a club that could plausibly win the division. The problem, as you can see over on the right side, is that they are about $4 million over their budget by my (inexact) calculations. I've seen other estimates that put them close to $10 million above the $130 million threshold that ownership appears to have set. That means the Twins are going to need to find a way to unload some salary to meet the payroll mandate they have in place, and even more if they want to add meaningfully from outside. There's been plenty of buzz around Christian Vázquez and Chris Paddack as clear candidates to be moved. Other, weightier names like Carlos Correa, Pablo López, and Jhoan Durán have also been thrown around as possibilities on the more disruptive end. It really feels like everything is on the table here in a fascinating first offseason for Jeremy Zoll in the GM chair, officially second in command to the organization's head honcho Derek Falvey. What are you expecting to see? View full article

The Twins added right-handed pitching prospect Travis Adams to their 40-man roster on Tuesday, positioning him to play a role in their short-term plans. Here's what you should know about him. Image courtesy of William Parmeter The Minnesota Twins added two prospects to their 40-man roster ahead of Tuesday's deadline to protect players from Rule 5 draft: Marco Raya and Travis Adams. In our article previewing this deadline, we had Raya at the top of the list in terms of likelihood, and Adams near the bottom. He's not considered one of the organization's best prospects (Adams is not in Twins Daily's top 20 or even MLB.com's top 30). As a mid-20s right-handed pitcher, his profile is robustly represented in the Twins system. The addition of Adams to the 40-man roster above several other candidates serves as a good reminder that this decision is not so much about who your best prospects are, or even where your greatest organizational depth needs lie. It's all about who you actually expect other teams to target when the Rule 5 rolls around on December 11th. Clearly there was a sense that Adams would be at real risk, despite a track record and rep that don't stand out at first blush. So let's take a closer look at what the Twins see in the righty, and what they feel other clubs might see. Travis Adams: Background and Development The Twins selected Adams in the sixth round of the 2021 MLB Draft as a college pitcher out of a Sacramento State. The first five players they drafted that year (Chase Petty, Noah Miller, Steve Hajjar, Cade Povich, Christian Encarnacion-Strand) have all been traded, leaving fifth-rounder Christian MacLeod and Adams the most highly-drafted remaining players from the class. "Adams fastball ranges from 90-95 mph and has touched 97 at its best," shared Baseball America in their draft report. "He goes right after hitters with his fastball and gets plenty of swings and misses on it ... Adams is a good athlete with a quick arm and still has some physical projection left to add strength and throw harder in the future." That last part – projectability to add bulk and velocity – has been a common trait for mid-round college arms drafted by the Twins, and we've seen it come to fruition time and time again, including with David Festa, a 13th-rounder from the same draft. But relative to Festa and many other arms in Minnesota's pitching pipeline, Adams has not posted especially impressive numbers as a pro: 4.54 ERA, 23% K-rate in 75 appearances (70 starts). What to Like About Travis Adams What Adams has been able to do is establish a strong baseline of durability, throwing 100 innings in his first season (2022), 110 innings last year, and 127 innings this year. Relative to many pitching prospects – including in the Twins system – there is little question about Adams's ability to hold up as a starter. He leads all Twins minor-leaguers in innings pitched since 2022. He also showed a lot of improvement this year after struggling mightily in 2023 as a 23-year-old at Double-A, improving from a 5.66 ERA to 3.67 in 2024 to earn a late-season promotion to Triple-A, where he made four appearances. Adams didn't post huge strikeout numbers over the course of the season but he threw strikes and got ground balls. From a repertoire standpoint, Adams is pretty conventional: four-seam fastball, changeup, slider, and curveball. In a spotlight interview with Twins Daily's Seth Stohs last year, Adams said his fastball “will sometimes cut, sometimes run, just kind of do its own thing from time to time.” Turning 25 in January, he's ready-made MLB pitching depth, and while he doesn't seem to boast an especially high ceiling, that can change. For one example, look no further than current rotation stalwart Bailey Ober. He was barely on anyone's radar when the Twins added him to their 40-man roster following the 2020 season. Look where he is now, four years later. I'm not saying Adams will follow the same path but this move makes him one to watch. View full article

Even with minimal offseason moves, it's not as big of a leap as you might think. Seriously. Image courtesy of David Richard and Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The 2025 season will mark the 10-year anniversary of Kansas City's last World Series title, which was memorably earned through the might of a legendary relief corps. The Royals ranked 22nd among MLB teams in starting pitcher ERA that year, and 11th in offensive wOBA. They had zero players hit 25 home runs or post an .850 OPS. In many respects it was a fairly ordinary team. But, that bullpen. Powered by Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera, Ryan Madson, Franklin Morales and closer Greg Holland, Kansas City's bullpen ranked second in MLB in ERA, third in fWAR. They took their game to the next level in the playoffs, leading the Royals past big-market titans in Houston, Toronto and New York on the way to a second championship in franchise history. Ten years ago, we witnessed the overwhelming impact of a consistently elite bullpen in the playoffs. And last year, within the same division, we saw it in the regular season. Cleveland ranked 24th in the majors in starting pitcher ERA. They ranked 17th among MLB teams in wOBA and 14th in runs scored. But their unbelievable, impenetrable bullpen, which led baseball in ERA and fWAR, turned game after game in their favor en route to a division title and ALCS berth. Hopefully the Twins will fare better in terms of offense and starting pitching than the 2015 Royals or 2024 Guardians. I'd argue they should be expected to do so as currently constructed. But it's clear that a truly transcendent bullpen could be the differentiator that flips Minnesota from middling contender to championship caliber in 2025. The path to a top-tier or even league-leading bullpen for the Minnesota Twins is not as improbable as one might believe. In fact, it's actually quite reasonable and straightforward. For starters, by some measures, the Twins bullpen already was top-tier in 2024. Their relievers ranked fifth in the majors in fWAR and FIP, behind only Cleveland among AL teams. I know that's small consolation considering they ranked 19th in ERA and were susceptible to devastating meltdowns, but there was a lot of bad luck, rotten timing and batted-ball noise involved. Also some bad pitching. I don't want to discount that. But consider this: In 2024 the Twins had five veterans -- Caleb Thielbar, Steven Okert, Jay Jackson, Trevor Richards -- combine to allow 86 earned runs in 146 ⅓ innings (5.29 ERA). Presumably none will be back next year. It's hard to imagine the replacements being worse. What the Twins are bringing back is an outstanding core. Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax are an elite combo at the back end. Cole Sands is coming off a breakout year, as is Jorge Alcala to a lesser extent. Kody Funderburk and Ronny Henriquez have both shown flashes of promise and will both remain in the mix. Jovani Moran will be recovered from Tommy John surgery next spring and looking to reassert himself. But there are two key additions, and a couple of prospect sleepers, I have my eye on who could really move the needle. First, Brock Stewart. If healthy and pitching up to his standard as a Twin (2.28 ERA, 12.3 K/9), he'll be their best reliever and will single-handedly lift the bullpen to another level. I know it's tough to believe in his health after another ruined season, but there seemed to be real optimism that the arthroscopic shoulder surgery he underwent in mid-August will finally resolve the issues that have been plaguing him. Stewart said at the time he was "kind of relieved to know that it's going to be fixed and I have a clean slate for next season.” Second, Louie Varland. Following a frustrating season that saw him shifting between roles and levels, my hope is that the Twins will simply commit to Varland as a reliever from the jump next season with the hopes of fully unlocking his potential. We saw it on display in late 2023 and at times in '24. I truly believe that he can be that guy, or something close, as a full-time reliever pitching at max effort, and he can do it over multiple innings, which is so valuable in today's game. Finally, more of a wild-card: Marco Raya. I listed him last week among four prospects who could have game-changing debuts in 2025, envisioning a multi-inning relief role that he'd be well suited for if he shows up at Triple-A throwing fire. Another pitcher I mentioned in that article was Connor Prielipp, who is more of a longshot after throwing just 30 innings the past two seasons, but is an arm the Twins will want to find a role for in the majors quickly if healthy. Envisioning a bullpen with Varland, Raya and Prielipp all filling length roles on top of the existing core of Duran, Jax, Sands, and Alcala, with Stewart returning to the fold ... well, that's a unit that could absolutely dominate. I'm not going to say they'd be capable of matching what Cleveland did last year because no one is -- including Cleveland next year -- but it's absolutely in that class of talent, functionality and depth. And that's before you add any acquisitions, which will admittedly be low-wattage in all likelihood. I hope the Twins make at least one impactful addition to the bullpen from the outside, ideally a left-handed reliever with some level of credibility, but when you look at this group of arms -- ranked on paper as the No. 1 bullpen in baseball at present, according to FanGraphs -- it's easy to get excited about what lies ahead on the relief front. This is a big part of the reason no one should be discounting the Minnesota Twins as contenders, regardless of what happens this winter. View full article

Tuesday marks the deadline for MLB teams to add prospects to their 40-man roster in order to protect those players from being poached in the Rule 5 Draft. The Twins have a few interesting decisions in front of them. Image courtesy of Ed Bailey, Wichita Wind Surge (photo of Marco Raya) By 5:00 PM CT on Tuesday, November 19th, MLB teams must file their "reserve lists," which is to say they must add eligible minor-league players to their 40-man rosters lest those players be exposed to the Rule 5 Draft when it takes place on December 11th. For front offices, this is always a balancing act. Certainly you want to avoid the risk of losing talented and promising players from the organization for nothing, but you also must be mindful of preserving 40-man flexibility in order to add impact talent. (For the Twins, that might be less of a concern this offseason.) Before we get started, it's worth pointing out that Minnesota's front office has a fair amount of roster space to play around with. Below you can find a current snapshot of their 40-man layout, which includes five open spaces plus a few others occupied by arbitration-eligible players who could be released by the non-tender deadline (Nov. 22). So the Twins can theoretically afford to be pretty liberal in handing out 40-man spots for players that they have any level of concern over losing. The flip side, though, is that rostering prospects puts their option clock into motion, so there is long-term risk in making this move with players who are still a distance from MLB readiness. Here are eight prospects in the Twins organization who have reached Rule 5 eligibility, and would have a reasonable shot at being selected next month, but are not yet on the 40-man roster. For each, I've assigned a percentage chance of being protected by Tuesday's deadline, along with a bit of reasoning why. Marco Raya, RHP Probability: 100% Why Protect Him: Raya is one of the best prospects in the Twins organization, ranked 10th by Twins Daily, and he's certainly one of the system's highest-caliber arms. Propelled by a standout slider, he owns a 3.75 ERA in 225 minor-league innings despite being pushed aggressively from a competitive standpoint. Raya finished this year at Triple-A as a 22-year-old, and has the potential to massively impact next year's team. He would definitely be taken, so the Twins will definitely protect him. Ricardo Olivar, OF/C Probability: 90% Why Protect Him: His interesting defensive profile is a big draw for the underrated Olivar, who once again split time between catcher and left field in 2024 while climbing to Double-A. Olivar's useful glove(s) would make him fairly easy to stash on a major-league bench even if you don't believe his intriguing bat – disciplined, but a bit low on power so far – is ready for prime-time. Given their future question marks at the catcher position and their perpetual need for right-handed hitters, I can't see the Twins letting Olivar get away. Kala’i Rosario, OF Probability: 60% Why Protect Him: Another potentially high-quality right-handed bat. He's got a big swing with a lot of raw power and a lot of whiff. Coming off a breakthrough season at Cedar Rapids in 2023, Rosario took a step backward and missed time with injury in 2024. But he held his own as a 21-year-old at Double-A, slashing .235/.321/.405 with 19 doubles and eight homers in 56 games. If left available for the Rule 5, I could see a team like Oakland snatching him and stashing him in an outfield corner or something, akin to Detroit poaching Akil Baddoo in 2021. Christian MacLeod, LHP Probability: 50% Why Protect Him: Simply put, the Twins really need left-handed pitchers. They currently have two on their 40-man roster, and they (Brent Headrick and Kody Funderburk) are fringe major-league talents. That's probably also true of MacLeod, but a little quantity wouldn't hurt. The former fifth-rounder from 2021 has rebounded from elbow surgery with a couple solid seasons, and he missed a lot of bats in Double-A this year despite upper-80s velocity. Southpaws who can get strikeouts are always in demand. I think whether or not they give MacLeod a spot on the 40-man roster will tell us much about the front office's ambitions (or lack thereof) to address this need externally. Rubel Cespedes, IF Probability: 35% Why Protect Him: Although Cespedes hasn't played above Single-A, he's a relatively polished player at age 24. His seemingly pedestrian numbers in the pitcher-friendly Midwest League (.282/.346/.431 in 463 PA) are stronger in context than they appear at first glance. He's a lefty hitter who can capably play third and second in addition to first. That's the kind of positional prospect depth Minnesota would like to keep around, but it might be a stretch to envision him getting selected. Will Holland, IF Probability: 20% Why Protect Him: Slick fielder who experienced a first-half offensive breakout in St. Paul, posting a .983 OPS before a broken leg ended his season in June. Those are really impressive numbers from a guy who can handle shortstop and center, but he was 26 playing in an inflated offensive environment. The previous year Holland put up a .606 OPS in Double-A. I wonder if the Twins are viewing him now similarly to how they viewed DaShawn Keirsey Jr. a year ago. (Incidentally, Keirsey went unprotected and unselected, but ended up getting some run for the Twins and is now on the 40-man roster.) Travis Adams, RHP Probability: 10% Why Protect Him: He’s worth mentioning as a fairly live arm that saw some success at Double-A (3.67 ERA in 108 IP) and reached Triple-A at 24, but I'm not sure Adams ranks highly enough in the pitching pipeline hierarchy to justify carving out a spot for. Noah Cardenas, C Probability: 10% Why Protect Him: The Twins need to have capable catchers handy. Cardenas hasn't shown he can hit (.173 AVG at Double-A last year), but he's a seasoned backstop with good defensive skills and he's 25. This is the kind of addition I could see the front office making if they planned to trade Christian Vázquez or Ryan Jeffers. What do you think? Did I miss any noteworthy names on this list? Are my odds too high or too low for any of these players? Let me know in the comments. View full article