Cody Schoenmann

Entering the 2022 MLB regular season, the Minnesota Twins ten-pitcher(!) bullpen was a smorgasbord of different reliever archetypes, ranging from established, veteran arms in Tyler Duffey and Joe Smith to inexperienced, high-upside prospects in Josh Winder and Jhoan Duran. The postseason-missing collective sorted through an abundance of relievers that season, finishing with the 18th-best bullpen in baseball. However, the club unearthed its next closer in the aforementioned Duran, with the hard-throwing righty occupying the role the next two-and-a-half seasons before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies during last season’s trade deadline. Fast forward four seasons later, Minnesota finds itself in a similar position, anticipated to enter the 2026 regular season with a hodge podge of trustworthy veterans in Justin Topa and Cole Sands and young, high-ceiling arms in John Klein, Marco Raya, and (most notably) Connor Prielipp. Similar to Duran’s breakthrough 2022 campaign, Twins decision-makers would love for the organization’s next star closer to develop internally. Klein, Raya, and Prielipp will likely be the first crop of young arms to receive that opportunity, with Prielipp possessing the stuff and arsenal necessary to quickly develop into the club’s next star closer. Drafted in the second round of the 2022 MLB Amateur Draft, Prielipp started two games between Single-A and High-A before needing to undergo Tommy John surgery, effectively ending his 2023 season. The Alabama product pitched minimally in 2024 before breaking through last season, generating a 4.03 ERA, 3.54 FIP, and a 98-to-31 strikeout to walk ratio over 82 ⅔ innings pitched between Double- and Triple-A. The organization deployed the then-24-year-old almost exclusively as a starting pitcher last season. However, Twins decision-makers alluded that Prielipp could transition into a relief role in 2026, further proving the notion that he could be part of the club’s Opening Day bullpen. Prielipp separates himself from Klein, Raya, and other contemporaries by possessing three of the most effective pitches in the Twins system in his four-seam fastball, slider, and changeup. The 25-year-old complements his near-elite three-pitch mix with a sinker, a fastball variant the lefty added to his arsenal last season. A primary reason Duran and (to a lesser degree) Griffin Jax developed into prized high-leverage arms was because they were able to maximize the shape and velocity of their pitches while maintaining the four-to-five pitch arsenal of a starting pitcher. Throwing left-handed, Prielipp is functionally a different pitcher than Duran and Jax, making him incomparable to the former high-leverage Twins reliever. Still, Prielipp has the breaking and offspeed pitches necessary to make the same transition as Duran and Jax, even if he struggles more against right-handed hitters. Sitting around 95 MPH as a starter, the lefty’s four-seam fastball is inferior to Jax’s, let alone Duran’s. Once transitioned into a short relief role, he should add extra velocity and improved shape to his four-seam, with it potentially reaching 97 or 98 MPH. Again, the pitch wouldn’t be in the same stratosphere as Duran’s four-seam. Still, if Prielipp can add velocity to his four-seam fastball, continue developing his sinker, and leaning on his elite slider and plus change, he could join the ranks of San Diego’s Adrian Morejon and Seattle’s Jose A. Ferrer, becoming one of the best left-handed relievers in baseball and Minnesota’s next All-Star caliber closer. View full article

i think Connor Prielipp, Marco Raya, and John Klein will play meaningful roles in addressing it

Image courtesy of © Dale Zanine-Imagn Images Over three months into the offseason, the Minnesota Twins have been mildly active on the position player front, trading for Alex Jackson to succeed Christian Vázquez as backup catcher; signing switch-hitting veteran Josh Bell to become the primary first baseman and/or DH; and acquiring Ryan Kreidler, Eric Wagaman, and Orlando Arcia to provide depth on the margins. Adding these five depth pieces to the core of Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis, Luke Keaschall, Ryan Jeffers, Matt Wallner, Brooks Lee, and others, Minnesota is nearly done rounding out its 13-person major-league position player collective. They have depth options likely to be ticketed for Triple-A St. Paul, where they can await injuries or other opportunities. That said, the club would be wise to add one more versatile bench bat to round out the group—preferably someone who could fill a super utility role in the infield and outfield. Sound familiar? Signed to a minor-league contract before the 2023 season, struggling major-league veteran Willi Castro underwent a career renaissance with Minnesota, generating a combined 107 wRC+ over 1,388 plate appearances and spending meaningful time at six different defensive positions (including multiple relief appearances). Traded to the Chicago Cubs at last season’s trade deadline, the 28-year-old struggled, hitting .170/.245/.240 with a 40 wRC+ over 110 plate appearances. The former Twin provided a similar level of defensive versatility for Chicago, but his offensive ineptitude kept him off the club’s playoff rosters, signaling an unceremonious end to his tenure with the Cubs. Before struggling in Chicago, Castro was expected to net a multi-year contract this offseason, potentially earning more than $10 million annually. He is now projected to net a one-year deal worth between $3 million and $5 million. That being the case, the former fan favorite should be within the salary-restricted Twins' price range, while possessing a skillset that would patch the remaining holes on the club’s roster. As mentioned earlier, Castro started at six positions for the Twins in 2025, primarily playing second base, right field, left field, and third base. Minnesota has adequate corner outfield depth in Wallner, Trevor Larnach, Austin Martin, Alan Roden, James Outman, and top prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez will begin the season at St. Paul. Still, given Castro’s matchup utility as a balanced switch-hitter, he could find time in left or right field as a right-handed platoon option. He could also function as Royce Lewis’s backup at third base and mix in at second base alongside Keaschall and Kody Clemens. Castro’s days as a shortstop and center fielder are behind him. Still, he could function as Brooks Lee’s emergency backup at shortstop, operating as a superior offensive option to Kreidler or Arcia and rendering it unnecessary to roster them unless and until Lee gets hurt. Despite rumors swirling around Castro mixing in at first base last season, he didn’t play a single inning at the position. In 2026, Minnesota could be more incentivized to provide him an opportunity there, given that Bell is defensively deficient and Clemens and Wagaman are fringy pieces. Again, Castro is no longer the super utility player who unexpectedly earned an All-Star nod in 2024. Those who follow the Twins shouldn’t expect him to be that guy. Still, with Kreidler, Arcia and Wagaman (all below-average hitters) around as depth alternatives, team decision-makers would be wise to add a stronger option. Affordable and well-liked in the clubhouse, Castro is a good candidate to be that guy. View full article

Buxton, Jeffers, Lewis, Keaschall, and (maybe) Martin all fit that mold. Not every position player in a 13-player group is going to hit same- and opposite-handed pitching well. That's why clubs have niche bench roles. I'm optimistic Wagaman could perform well in his.

your mom did text me to let me know she read my article, yes.

In his review of the 2005 film “Elizabethtown,” film critic Nathan Rabin coined the phrase “Manic Pixie Dream Girl,” a term that has since become common in contemporary society to identify a stock character type in fiction novels and films. For those out of the loop, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl trope is usually depicted as a young woman with eccentric, often quirky personality traits who serves as the romantic interest of the straight male protagonist. Well-known adaptations include Zooey Deschanel’s character in “500 Days of Summer,” Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s character in “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and almost every female character in a John Green novel (don’t get me wrong, I love Looking for Alaska, but the point still stands). Rooted in misogyny, the Manic Pixie Dream Girl archetype is harmful and destructive, creating the false narrative that straight men will always be the primary protagonists in stories and that women are nothing but supporting characters whose value resides in how different and unique they are from other straight women. Interestingly, a similar (albeit less destructive) archetype exists amidst the baseballsphere in the “Manic Pixie Right-Handed Hitting Corner Bat.” Did I just make that term up? Yes. However, the oft-desired archetype of a right-handed-hitting veteran who hits left-handed pitching well and plays a corner infield or corner outfield spot has long been sought by baseball fans and pundits alike, particularly those in Twins Territory. Veteran players like Randal Grichuk, Tommy Pham, and Austin Hays have long existed as the platonic ideal form of the Manic Pixie Right-Handed Hitting. Yet, the Twins front office has never taken the initiative to acquire them. Shame! Instead, the better-than-thou Ivy League-educated bunch exclusively peruses the bargain bin, taking flyers on underachieving, league-minimum-earning players of that mold. Recent examples include the club acquiring Jordan Luplow almost immediately after the 2023 MLB trade deadline. In theory, Luplow was acquired to fill the Manic Pixie Right-Handed Hitting for the postseason-contending club. Instead, the then-29-year-old generated a measly 87 wRC+ over 73 plate appearances with Minnesota, hitting only eight percentage points above league-average against left-handed pitching. Jonah Bride was acquired to fulfill the role last season. However, the right-handed hitting veteran struggled mightily with the Twins, generating a well below league-average 39 wRC+ over 67 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers. Luplow and Bride could serve as cautionary tales for front offices, advising them to avoid giving meaningful plate appearances to struggling players ostracized by other organizations. Yet, Minnesota does have a recent success story of providing significant opportunities to a player of that ilk in Kyle Garlick. Claimed off waivers from Atlanta in February 2021, Garlick performed well for Minnesota during the 2021 and 2022 regular seasons, generating a combined 102 wRC+ over 269 plate appearances. As advertised, Garlick mashed left-handed pitching, posting a 133 wRC+ over 63 plate appearances against lefties in 2021 and a 127 wRC+ over 82 plate appearances against them in 2022. The former Twin quickly fell from grace in 2023, evidenced by his netting an uninspiring 74 wRC+ before being designated for assignment in late June. Still, Minnesota manufactured considerable value from the league-minimum-earning Manic Pixie Right-Handed Hitting Corner Bat for two consecutive seasons, operating as a noteworthy success story for team decision-makers. Three years later, Minnesota could have its next productive league-minimum earning right-handed hitting corner bat in Eric Wagaman. Acquired from the Miami Marlins for minor league reliever Kade Bragg on Jan. 2, Wagaman joins the Twins' 40-man roster, expected to compete with Edouard Julien, Orlando Arcia, and Edouard Julien for the club’s final infield utility bench spot. Being that Wagaman has three minor league options remaining, the 28-year-old could justifiably begin his 2026 campaign with Triple-A St. Paul. Yet, given how thin Minnesota’s infield corner infield depth is, those who follow the club should expect to see Wagaman don a Twins jersey early next season. Hitting .250/.296/.378 with nine home runs, 28 doubles, and an 85 wRC+ over 514 plate appearances last season, the righty also sported defensive versatility with Miami last season, playing 117 games at first base, 19 in left field, three at third base, and three in right field while netting 10 starts at designated hitter. He was servicable at all four positions. Like Garlick, however, most of his value resided in his ability to hit left-handed pitching, evidenced by his generating a 114 wRC+ over 184 plate appearances. The former Marlin struggled against same-handed pitching, evidenced by his 69 wRC+ over 330 plate appearances. Yet, given that Minnesota has an abundance of left-handed hitting corner outfield and infield talent (while also rostering a platoon-proof Royce Lewis), the club should be able to shield Wagaman from same-handed pitching. That being the case, the club could deploy him similarly to how they deployed Garlick in 2021 and 2022, maximizing his offensive skillset and positional flexibility. Despite falling under the inherently derogatory “bargain bin” category of acquisition, Wagaman could provide meaningful value for Minnesota in 2026, making him the club’s first successful deployment of a Manic Pixie Right-Handed Hitting Corner Bat since Garlick four seasons ago. View full article

Image courtesy of Sam Navarro-Imagn Images On Friday, the Minnesota Twins officially announced their first substantial acquisition of the offseason, signing Josh Bell to a one-year, $7 million contract. The switch-hitting veteran is slated to step in as the club’s primary first baseman while also mixing in at designated hitter. Despite netting a combined -13 Outs Above Average (OAA) at first base the past two seasons, the 33-year-old’s defensive prowess shouldn’t be a meaningful concern for those who follow the club, evidenced by the Twins' ability to maximize the positioning of their first basemen. Still, with Bell slated to start a meaningful number of games at designated hitter (leaving first base open) and the club not yet rostering a viable backup for the oft-injured Royce Lewis at third base, the Twins would be wise to actively pursue a player who could fill that void. Enter Mark Vientos. Coming off a breakout 2024 campaign wherein the then-24-year-old hit .266/.322/.516 with 27 home runs and a 132 wRC+ over 454 plate appearances, Vientos regressed last season, slashing .233/.289/.413 with 17 home runs and a below-league-average 97 wRC+. Sporting plus power with a high swing-and-miss profile, the now-26-year-old is one of the more volatile and streaky hitters in baseball. Due to his extreme fluctuation in performance (and the club’s overall dissatisfaction with its position player core), New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns appears to be making Vientos available in trade talks, signaling the club could soon move on from the once highly-touted corner infielder. Vientos is a poor defensive third baseman, evidenced by his netting -7 OAA at the position last season. However, he has been serviceable at first base, posting -1 OAA over 112 innings at the position in his four-season career. Barring injury, Lewis (a plus defensive third baseman) is slated to function as Minnesota’s everyday third baseman, meaning Minnesota could shield Vientos from the position. Yet, if Lewis were to miss extended time, Vientos could step in as his primary replacement, minimizing the offense lost in Lewis’s absence. At this point in their respective careers, Vientos is a better defensive first baseman than Bell, meaning Vientos could slot in as the club’s primary option at the position while Bell inhabits a more traditional designated hitter role. However, given Bell’s switch-hitting profile and Vientos’s platoon-proof nature, the two could function as an interchangeable first base and designated hitter tandem. 50961094-a023fa2a-ecad099a-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 Despite a poor 2025 campaign from Vientos, Minnesota would still need to part ways with considerable prospect capital or MLB-ready assets to acquire the power-hitting right-handed bat’s services. New York is in dire need of MLB-ready starting pitching talent. Interestingly, that is the Twins' greatest area of strength and depth. Twins decision-makers could reasonably send veteran starting pitcher Bailey Ober to the Mets for Vientos and a mid-tier prospect, like Boston Baro or Heriberto Rincon. If New York were more interested in long-term upside and team control, a trade package headlined by Simeon Woods Richardson for Vientos and a mid-tier prospect could also make sense. Vientos is one of the more popular bounce-back candidates in baseball next season who perfectly fits Minnesota’s need of a right-handed hitting power bat who can play both corner infield positions while mixing in at designated hitter. He is also pre-arbitration and under team control until 2029, making him an even more enticing trade target for the salary-restricted Twins. As mentioned earlier, Minnesota could also afford to part with one of its mid-to-late-rotation arms to acquire Vientos, further supporting the deal's efficacy. A deal for Vientos likely wouldn’t happen before the New Year. Yet, the Mets' young corner infielder could soon get dealt, with Minnesota arguably being the most plausible destination. View full article

Image courtesy of © Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images During last week’s Winter Meetings, MLB.com’s Matthew Leach posted an interesting response to a question posed to him on BlueSky on whether the Minnesota Twins will pursue a strong defensive middle infielder this offseason, stating the following: Admittedly, this level of aggregation on my end is a little alarming, and I should maybe reflect on how much time I spend on social media sifting through updates on the Twins' offseason plans. Personal ruminations aside, though, Leach’s response provides some insight into the club’s plan behind projected starting shortstop Brooks Lee early next season. Right now, Ryan Fitzgerald and Ryan Kreidler are the favorites to compete for the backup shortstop role. Based on Leach’s response, however, Kreidler appears to have the inside track on Fitzgerald heading into spring training. Hitting .138/.208/.176 with an 11 wRC+ over a combined 211 plate appearances the past four seasons, Kreidler has been one of the worst hitters in baseball over the course of his career. The 29-year-old struggles to make contact, evidenced by an alarming 31.8% strikeout rate and 33.1% whiff rate on swings over his career. When the right-handed veteran does make contact, it is often weak, yielding a lackluster 28.3% Hard-hit rate and 5.5% Barrel rate during that stretch. Those who follow Minnesota shouldn’t expect Kreidler’s hitting profile to dramatically improve in 2026. New hitting coach Keith Beauregard did work with Kreidler for a time while he was in Detroit, and Kreidler did dramatically increase his swing speed and tilt in 2025, so progress isn't out of the question, but it can't be presumed. The track record is not on Kreidler's side. Luckily, an offensive renaissance won’t be required for the former top prospect to provide value. Throughout his four-season major league career, Kreidler’s calling card has been his defensive versatility. He's played 253 1/3 innings at shortstop, 139 1/3 innings at third base, 120 1/3 innings in center field, 38 at second base, and one in left field. The speedy defender played exclusively in center for Detroit last season. However, he has performed the best at shortstop over his career, generating 3 Outs Above Average (OAA) over 125 attempts at the position. Kreidler has succeeded at the two non-catcher positions highest on the defensive spectrum (shortstop and center field) by utilizing his plus range and adequate arm. Those traits have also translated to success at second and third base, resulting in him developing into a utility player. Lee improved as a defensive shortstop late last season. His improvements could translate into more sustained success at the position in 2026. However, Kreidler is a superior defender at the position, providing Minnesota with an adequate backup. Despite James Outman and Alan Roden being likely to start the season on the 26-man roster, Kreidler could also serve as one of Byron Buxton’s primary backups in center field; as Royce Lewis’s backup at third base; and as a complementary rotational piece at second base, alongside Luke Keaschall, Kody Clemens, and Austin Martin, adding to his defensive flexibility. He's a plus on the bases, for a team hoping to get faster and more athletic in both run creation and run prevention. Again, Kreidler has hit 89% worse than league average over his 211 plate appearances in the majors. If he could modestly improve his wRC+ to the 60-to-70 range next season, however, the fringe major leaguer could provide significant value to the Twins on the bases and in the field, being a plus defender at the two positions highest on the defensive spectrum. Since the team is choosing bat-first options at several key defensive positions, even a glove-only utility man off the bench is important. View full article

just ask Tommy Kahnle!

I used statistics from last season.

Pitching+ is the combination of Stuff+ and Location+. It quantifies the quality of a specific pitch and the pitcher's ability to locate it.

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images Last week, Twins Daily's Matthew Trueblood wrote a piece on changeup specialists the Twins will target in free agency, highlighting Tommy Kahnle, Luke Weaver, and Kyle Finnegan. Finnegan is off the market, signing a two-year, $19 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. Kahnle and/or Weaver would still be welcome additions to Minnesota's bullpen, presumably stepping in as the club's primary closer. However, if the Twins are unable to sign them, the club could potentially lean on an in-house option as their changeup relief specialist in Pierson Ohl. Making his major league debut late last July, Ohl primarily operated in a hybrid stretch relief role, pitching in four-inning spurts. The 26-year-old struggled in his inaugural campaign, generating a 5.10 ERA and 4.75 FIP over 30 innings pitched. However, the young righty improved upon transitioning into a short relief role in mid-September, manufacturing a 3.86 ERA, 2.81 FIP, and 11-to-2 strikeout to walk ratio over his final 9 1/3 innings pitched. Ohl could continue inhabiting that role with intentions of entrenching himself as part of Minnesota's long-term bullpen plans. However, he will need to compete with fellow inexperienced arms in Travis Adams, Connor Prielipp, Marco Raya, John Klein, and others for one of the final spots in the eight-pitcher unit. Interestingly, Ohl could have the inside track on the aforementioned quartet (besides maybe Prielipp) due to his possessing what might be the best pitch in Minnesota's bullpen. Thrown 205 times last season, Ohl's changeup generated the second-highest Pitching+ (a metric that uses the physical characteristics, location, and count of each pitch to try to judge the overall quality of the pitcher's process) rating of all Twins reliever pitches post-trade deadline, achieving a 129 (100 is average). The only pitch that netted better results than Ohl's changeup was Justin Topa's sinker, which manufactured a 131 Pitching+. Ohl's changeup had better physical characteristics than Topa's sinker. However, Topa was able to locate his sinker better than Ohl did his changeup, resulting in a slightly better score. MnIyZ2pfWGw0TUFRPT1fVjFNRlZWRlhYd1VBWGxNTFh3QUhBRkpRQUFNRlUxY0FWZ0ZVVlZBSEJnc0VBUUFB.mp4 Ohl's changeup and Topa's sinker are neck-and-neck in overall pitch quality. However, with Ohl expected to transition into a one-inning role next season, he should be able to refine his pitches further, adding more velocity and movement. If Ohl takes that step, his changeup could become the highest-graded pitch in Minnesota's bullpen, potentially resulting in him progressing from throwing the pitch 38% of the time last season to over half of the time in 2026. Ohl, Prielipp, and Raya form an exciting trio of young arms who could blossom into high-leverage relievers early next season. Prielipp's slider and/or changeup and Raya's curve could challenge Ohl's changeup and Topa's sinker for being the best pitch in Minnesota's bullpen next season. For now, though, Ohl's changeup is arguably the most enticing pitch of Twins relievers with major league experience. If the young right-hander can fortify his secondary pitches this offseason (four-seamer, cutter, and knuckle curve), he could be the recipient of save opportunities early next spring. View full article

Image courtesy of © Denis Poroy-Imagn Images This weekend, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported the Minnesota Twins do not anticipate moving Byron Buxton, Pablo López, or Joe Ryan this offseason, intending to contend for a postseason berth in 2026. In the article, Rosenthal noted that club officials believe they have “’mild flexibility’ to make additions,” signaling the front office could have more spending room than previously thought. Soon after Rosenthal’s piece was published, Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll told reporters at the Winter Meetings on Monday that the club plans on targeting “another bat or two with some thump, some impact, to bolster a group that we’re excited about.” High-cost impact bats like Pete Alonso or Kazuma Okamoto would be ideal candidates for Minnesota’s power-deficient lineup. Even though the front office has seemingly been given some spending room, though, needle movers like Alonso or Okamoto will be too expensive for the Twins. Given what we can assume are still reasonably snug constraints for a team looking to spend modestly, no other player would fit Minnesota’s needs better than Ryan O’Hearn. Splitting last season between the Baltimore Orioles and San Diego Padres, the 32-year-old hit .281/.366/.437, with 17 home runs and a 127 wRC+ over 544 plate appearances. Earning the first All-Star nod of his career, the left-handed batter performed better in the first half (135 wRC+ over 361 plate appearances) than he did post-trade deadline with San Diego (112 wRC+ over 183 plate appearances). Still, given his three-season span of strong performances (121 wRC+ over 1,406 combined plate appearances), the veteran bat projects to earn his first eight-figure contract this winter. Our top 50 free agents list ranked O'Hearn in the top half, and predicted that he'll sign for two years and $23 million. 0edabd21-df3e8c74-7185d797-csvm-diamondgcp-asset_1280x720_59_4000K.mp4 If Zoll is to be taken seriously, O’Hearn is the most intriguing bat Minnesota could realistically sign to bolster its lineup entering 2026. Posting a 135 wRC+ over 109 plate appearances against same-handed pitching (compared to a 125 wRC+ over 377 plate appearances facing right-handed pitching), O’Hearn excelled as a platoon-proof bat, cementing himself as a cog in the middle of Baltimore and San Diego’s lineups. He hits the ball hard and often, with hard-hit rates over 40% in each year of his career, according to Statcast—and better-than-average strikeout rates in each of the last two seasons. O’Hearn is also a tremendous defensive first baseman, sporting 6 Outs Above Average (OAA) at the position in 2025. Minnesota has unexpectedly been the gold standard of first base defense in recent history, fielding the last two AL Gold Glove winners at the position in Carlos Santana and Ty France. O’Hearn would possess the defensive skillset necessary to match Santana and France’s performances, if not surpass them. The veteran lefty could also mix in at both corner outfield spots; he played 149 innings in right field and 16 innings in left field in 2025. Given his plus bat, defensive flexibility, and reputation as a beloved clubhouse figure, the Twins would be wise to target O’Hearn, adding a middle-of-the-lineup presence while addressing their most pressing position of need. Twins Daily's John Bonnes contributed to the reporting in this piece. View full article

Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Since the offseason officially began in early November, Minnesota Twins starting pitchers Pablo López and Joe Ryan have been two of the most speculated-about players in baseball, with many pundits predicting one or both of the frontline arms to be moved this winter. Reports from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal have now downplayed the likelihood of López and/or Ryan being moved, but that doesn't mean team decision-makers won't part ways with their surplus starting pitching to fill roster holes. In fact, they should make a concerted effort to do just that. After the frontline duo of López and Ryan, Minnesota's rotation is projected to include Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Taj Bradley. The quintet of Zebby Matthews, David Festa, Mick Abel, Andrew Morris, and Kendry Rojas could fill Triple-A St. Paul's starting rotation, giving the club 10 major league-caliber (or at least promising) starting pitchers between the two levels. At the same time, the organization is deficient at multiple positions, with first base and the middle infield being the most glaring areas of need. Instead of parting ways with one of their two frontline arms, the club would be wise to dip into its depth, trading Ober or one of their inexperienced, high-upside arms (like Matthews, Festa, or Abel) to fill holes on the position player side. The return packages Minnesota would receive for Ober, Woods Richardson, or one of their inexperienced arms would be meaningfully less exciting than what they could net for López or Ryan. Still, the club could find itself in a win-win scenario by trading one or more, adding much-needed talent and depth while clearing up the logjam at the back end of the rotation. Ober, in particular, is an interesting trade chip, given that there are multiple avenues for Minnesota to extract value for him this offseason. The 30-year-old is expected to earn $4.6 million in arbitration, making him an enticing, low-cost veteran arm hoping to rebound from his worst season in the majors. Could the Twins swap him with the Baltimore Orioles for right-handed hitting first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, who also had a lackluster 2025 campaign? Certainly, though Minnesota would only do that if they can also get a secondary piece in the trade. Alternatively, the front office could flip Ober for multiple prospects, clearing roughly $5 million from the club's payroll and providing them more spending flexibility. That money could go toward a position player like Miguel Andujar, Rhys Hoskins, or Isiah Kiner-Falefa, on a one-year contract. Given that Woods Richardson, Bradley, Matthews, Festa, and Abel are pre-arbitration players set to earn the league minimum in 2026, trading them wouldn't provide the same savings potential as trading Ober would. Instead, the intent of moving them would be to net similar value, with the club targeting cost-effective major league-ready position player talent. Minnesota could swap one of its young pitchers for a player like Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas or Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Jordan Lawlar. New York Mets position players Mark Vientos and Luisangel Acuña are also intriguing names the Twins could pursue. Starting pitching is Minnesota's strength. The club has frontline talent under multiple seasons of control and a surplus of high-upside depth. Instead of parting ways with one of their top arms in López or Ryan, the club should instead dip into its depth, trading one or more of Ober, Woods Richardson, Bradley, Matthews, Festa, or Abel to address holes on the position player side. The Twins have the depth necessary to absorb the loss of one or more arms. Team decision-makers should make an effort to address their lack of well-rounded positional talent and increase their chances of making the postseason in 2026. View full article

Woods Richardson is out of minor-league options and has been a significantly better starting pitcher than Zebby the past two seasons. He's a lock to make the rotation.

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images The Minnesota Twins have been somewhat active early this offseason, protecting six prospects from Rule 5 Draft eligibility; trading pitching prospect Jacob Kisting to the Tampa Bay Rays for right-handed reliever Eric Orze; and swapping Triple-A utility player Payton Eeles for former Baltimore Orioles backup catcher Alex Jackson. More moves should occur this offseason. Still, it's vital to take note of where the club's 26-man roster currently stands. Which players could form Minnesota's 2026 Opening Day roster, if the season began tomorrow? Catchers (2): Ryan Jeffers, Alex Jackson Since 2023, catcher has been the easiest position to project for the Twins, with Jeffers and veteran backstop Christian Vàzquez fixed in a 50/50 split at the position. With Vázquez parting ways with the organization this offseason, team decision-makers elected to bring in a new veteran backstop to team with Jeffers. Expected to earn roughly $1.8 million in arbitration this offseason, Jackson is a much more cost-effective option than Vázquez, who was earning $10 million annually. At this stage of their respective careers, Jackson is a defensive upgrade from Vàzquez. He has more pop in his bat, though the utility of that power is limited by a catastrophic 40.7% career strikeout rate. Jeffers will be a bellcow behind the plate for the first time in his career. As the sturdy backstop enters his final season of team control, the front office would be wise to lock him up. Infielders (6): Kody Clemens, Luke Keaschall, Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, Ryan Fitzgerald, Edouard Julien As things stand, Minnesota's primary infield configuration entering next season is clear-cut, with Clemens at first base, Keaschall at second, Lewis patrolling third, and Lee at shortstop. Team decision-makers could bring in a right-handed-hitting corner infielder like Miguel Andujar or Rhys Hoskins to pair with Clemens at first. Unless and until that happens, though, the club's primary starting infield group is set. Fitzgerald is penciled in as the backup shortstop and third baseman. Yet, the front office could elect to acquire a higher-upside option like Isiah Kiner-Falefa or Jordan Lawlar, pushing Fitzgerald back to the fringes of the 40-man roster. Julien could enter the season occasionally mixing in at first base, second base, and designated hitter. Still, given his poor performance at the plate and in the field the past two seasons, that spot on the roster is written in pencil, not pen. Julien is out of minor-league options, meaning the club would risk losing him on waivers if they elect not to award him a 26-man roster spot out of spring training. That risk shouldn't stop the front office from scouring the trade market and free agency for an infielder with a higher offensive and defensive floor. Outfielders (5): Austin Martin, Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner, Alan Roden, Trevor Larnach James Outman is a notable omission from this five-player corps. The left-handed-hitting outfielder struggled in his brief stint with Minnesota, generating an alarming 52 wRC+ and 43.3% strikeout rate over 104 plate appearances. Outman is a viable defender at all three outfield positions. Still, given his significant offensive struggles over the past two seasons, I project the 28-year-old to be the odd player out of the Twins' outfield crunch. Getting the nod over Outman, Roden could mix in at center (as Buxton's backup) and right field, while forming a platoon in left with Martin. Despite being listed as an outfielder, Larnach projects to be the club's primary designated hitter against right-handed starting pitching. The left-handed-hitting veteran could be moved this offseason. Strangely, though, Minnesota appeared to hitch its wagon to Larnach for at least one more season after tendering him a 2026 contract, which (despite popular sentiment) is a sound decision. The 28-year-old has been an above-average hitter (111 wRC+ over 967 plate appearances) the past two seasons. Wallner will enter the season as the club's primary right fielder, hoping to regain his well-above-average 2023 and 2024 form at the plate. The husky Minnesotan could also mix in at designated hitter with Larnach. Despite recent trade rumors, Buxton is expected to remain the Twins' center fielder, playing an integral role in their ability to (eventually) return to the postseason. Starting Rotation (5): Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, Taj Bradley Trade speculation will continue to swirl around López and Ryan all winter. The two will form one of the AL's best frontline duos as long as they remain with the organization. Ober is penciled in as Minnesota's third starter, hoping to rebound from his second-least effective season as a major-league starting pitcher. This trio could give Minnesota one of baseball's best rotations in 2026. Yet, questions surrounding roster status (López and Ryan) and effectiveness (Ober) raise significant questions about whether that outcome will become a reality next season. Woods Richardson impressed late last season, posting a 3.52 ERA, 3.95 FIP, and a 38-to-11 strikeout to walk ratio over 30 2/3 innings after the trade deadline. The 25-year-old has become a fixture in Minnesota's starting rotation, earning the fourth spot entering next season while potentially developing into one of the club's frontline arms if López or Ryan are traded. If Bradley wins the fifth and final spot in the club's rotation, David Festa, Zebby Matthews, and Mick Abel will likely enter 2026 as the club's primary Triple-A starting pitching depth options, alongside Andrew Morris and Kendry Rojas. Bradley could still blossom into a frontline major-league arm, but he'll need to refine his secondary pitches to reach that potential. Bullpen (8): Cole Sands, Kody Funderburk, Justin Topa, Eric Orze, Connor Prielipp, Pierson Ohl, Marco Raya, John Klein Those who follow the Twins won't like hearing this, but the eight pitchers who form the club's 2026 Opening Day bullpen might already be in the organization. Sands, Funderburk, Topa, and Orze are all but guaranteed spots entering next season. This quartet will likely earn most of the early-season high-leverage situations, with Sands being the primary closer. They should be closers by committee, with all four earning save opportunities. The final four bullpen spots could be a smorgasbord of young, inexperienced arms. Derek Falvey named Prielipp and Raya as candidates to enter 2026 in the club's bullpen. Ohl and his near-elite changeup impressed in short relief opportunities last season, giving him an inside track to an Opening Day relief role. The one surprise in this collective is Klein earning the final spot over Travis Adams, but given Adams's significant struggles in the majors last season and Klein's superior stuff, Klein should have the inside track. View full article