2025-26 Offseason To-Do List for the Minnesota Twins

This all reads to me as the Twins leaving every door open. They are not going to, nor should they, shut down any trades. It also sounds like they will be active to some extent when it comes to adding players. That begs another question: what does adding look like?

If the Twins are truly willing to add, to what extent?

They currently project to be around $95-$105 million in payroll after arbitration, depending on where you look. Assuming that best best-case scenario would be getting close to last year’s payroll of $136 million, we can have some ballpark for which to aim.

That should give Falvey and company approximately $30-$40 million to work with. Is that enough to turn this roster into a playoff team? I would argue no. Is it enough to build a competitive roster? I would say maybe, if it is allocated correctly.

The Twins spent about $10 million in free agency last season. However, they had much less wiggle room, considering they were trying to cut payroll. Even if the Twins’ goal is to cut payroll this offseason, they could still spend double what they did last season and do so.

Having laid all of that out, it is now possible to have a conversation about the offseason. It is important to set realistic expectations before diving into these discussions.

There are many paths the Twins can go. They can pick up where they left off at the deadline, or try to build a winner that gives it a go in the first half, and if all else fails, trades could always be made at the deadline again.

How the Twins Could Spend Their Money in Free Agency

Add a First Baseman

If, as a team, you are posting a wRC+ under 100 at the first base position, you have a problem. Some notable stats from 2025 at first for the Twins include a 90 wRC+, 0.8 fWAR, 15 HR, and 72 RBI. With no prospects set to take the reins, the Twins need to start shopping.

Currently, the Twins are set to have first base manned by some combination of Kody Clemens and Mickey Gasper. After starting really hot, Clemens finished the season with a 95 wRC+. He would be a fine utility piece, but not an everyday first baseman. Gasper finished 2025 with a 42 wRC+ and should be in Triple-A this year.

Even after the massive teardown this season, the Twins do not have a terrible lineup. However, the glaring weakness is first base. If Falvey can fill that hole, this could be an average MLB offense.

Free Agent Options: Luis Arraez, Rhys Hoskins, Baek-Ho Kang

A Luis Arraez and Twins reunion will depend heavily on how the market plays out. I am not sure that anyone has his market pegged. In our free agent profile and landing spots article on Arraez, we have him pegged at a 1-3 year contract range, making somewhere between $8-12 million per year.

A reunion in Minnesota feels perfect, especially if Arraez ends up with fewer potential suitors than anticipated.

The past few seasons, the Twins have taken shots at veteran first basemen.

In 2024, it was Carlos Santana, and then Ty France last year. Rhys Hoskins seems to fit that mold for the Twins. Landing him on a one-year prove-it deal after the two worst seasons of his career could make some sense for both parties. Similar to Arraez, it will depend on how his market shakes out.

Let the record show that this would be incredibly unlikely, but I would like to see the Twins kick the tires on Baek-ho Kang.

I truly have no idea what the market will be for him, but he is drawing comparisons to Ha-Seong Kim offensively. When Kim came over from the KBO, he signed a four-year deal worth $28 million ($7 million AAV).

I do not think Kang gets a deal that rich with regard to AAV. Kang will be 26 this season and has eight seasons of experience in the KBO.

Kang was at his best in his first four seasons, experiencing a bit of a dip in 2022 and 2023, before a resurgence over the last two seasons. With the ability to play in either corner in the outfield and at first base, Kang is a versatile left-handed bat that has some pop. Even better, he has played some catcher as well, giving him the added versatility of being able to be a third catcher.

Potential Trade Fits: Ryan Mountcastle, Mark Vientos

For the last two offseasons, I have begged for the Orioles and Twins to make a trade. It feels like they line up perfectly for a win-win trade, and the same is true this year. Ryan Mountcastle has been phased out of the Orioles lineup and could slot in perfectly with Minnesota.

The Orioles need pitching depth, and the Twins have five starting pitchers who are young and fighting for a rotation spot.

Find the odd man out between Simeon Woods-Richardson, Zebby Matthews, David Festa, Mick Able, and Taj Bradley. Send that player to Baltimore for Mountcastle and another low-level prospect.

The Mets would also make a lot of sense for a trade here. The Mets have a young and crowded infield, and Mark Vientos is looking like the odd man out with Brett Baty looking like the new man over at third base.

Under control through 2029, Vientos could potentially be the Twins’ first baseman of the future. If they aren’t moving Joe Ryan, the price for Vientos could potentially be too steep, but it is worth the ask.

Improve Middle Infield Defense

The second biggest weakness in this Twins lineup is the defense in the middle infield. With Brooks Lee set to play shortstop and Luke Keaschall at second, there is not a ton of hope defensively.

Keaschall is too good a bat to be taken out of the lineup. However, if Lee continues to struggle at the plate, the Twins need to find another option.

As a team, the Twins ranked 23rd in defensive runs saved (DRS) and 27th in outs above average (OAA) at second base. At shortstop, they ranked 30th in DRS (-21) and 21st in OAA (-5).

The best middle infield defenders in the organization are Kaelen Culpepper and Marek Houston. Both of whom are still a ways off from the majors. The Twins need to hit the bargain bin for a glove first bench piece.

Potential Free Agent Options: Jorge Mateo

When looking at the list of free agent shortstops, there are not a lot of options for the Twins. They are likely priced out of the top guys (Bo Bichette and Willi Castro), and there is also not a lot to offer defensively.

The best and really only fit for them would be Jorge Mateo. At times, it can be really hard to watch Jorge Mateo in the batter’s box, but he is an excellent defender at shortstop. In 2022, he played over 1200 innings at shortstop and racked up 15 DRS and 10 OAA.

Another benefit to having a player like Mateo on the bench is his speed. He has two seasons where he has played over 100 games, and his steal totals in those seasons are 35 and 32. Once Gunnar Henderson made his debut, the Orioles struggled to find playing time for Mateo.

Mateo, on a one-year deal with Minnesota, helps this team get better. He also doesn’t need to be a Twin the whole season. If Culpepper is ready in June, Mateo could be traded if he is having a good season. Contenders always seem to need a defense-oriented bench piece with speed.

Potential Trade Fits: Gabriel Arias/Bryan Rocchio, Trey Sweeney, or Rule 5

An in-division trade is unlikely but not impossible. Cleveland has Travis Bazzana knocking on the door and is currently slated to start two glove-first middle infielders. The Twins need competition for Brooks Lee. Gabriel Arias or Bryan Rocchio would fit the Twins’ needs. They are both also young and controllable.

However unlikely the Guardians are to move Rocchio or Arias, the Tigers are probably more unlikely to move Sweeney.

While all three players offer excellent defense at shortstop, Sweeney probably has the most potential left in the bat. That potential does, however, appear to be fading quickly.

One last option would be the Rule 5 Draft. It is not terribly uncommon for a glove-first player to be left unprotected. We do not yet know who will be left unprotected for the Rule 5 Draft, but the Twins should keep an eye on it.

This is not the most pressing need for the Twins, but I do believe it would be best for them to try and bring in some competition for Brooks Lee at shortstop.

Entertain Trade Offers

As stated at the beginning of the article, Falvey has not really tipped his hand one way or the other. One of those reasons is probably an effort to maintain whatever goodwill the team has left with the fans.

While continuing to tear it down at this point feels unnecessary, it would be irresponsible for the Twins not to listen to trade offers.

Pick up out of Courtesy: Pablo Lopez & Byron Buxton

Pablo Lopez and Byron Buxton are two players whom the Twins should only pick up the phone out of courtesy. They should also really only trade these players if they come to the front office and specifically request a trade. Both for different reasons.

With Lopez, his value is not high enough. Not to say that he is not a good player, he is, but he only threw 75 innings in 2025. That is the lowest mark of his career since his rookie season (discounting 2020). Trading Lopez now would be doing so at the bottom of his value.

He is much more valuable suiting up for this team in 2026 than whatever trade capital they could receive. If you find yourself in a wide-open race in the AL Central, you can keep Lopez. If you aren’t, but he’s having a great season, you can flip him for more at the deadline.

Buxton, on the other hand, is the face of the franchise. He should be a career-long Twin.

A lot of the hope the Twins have for getting people into the stadium in 2026 rests on the shoulders of Buxton. He should absolutely only be moved if he requests a trade. Even then, if I were Falvey, I would try to talk him down.

Actively Listening: Joe Ryan

Trading Joe Ryan seems like a nightmare scenario for a lot of Twins fans. While I understand, it would be irresponsible not to listen. For the right package, Ryan could be a player who helps the Twins get better immediately.

It has already been mentioned that the Twins have a surplus of young pitchers. While none of them are as good as Joe Ryan, the Twins would be able to fill his spot in the rotation with a high-potential player.

Then, when it comes to the return, the Twins could obtain a good major league-ready player for Ryan on top of some prospects.

For example, Ryan has been linked to the Red Sox since the trade deadline. If that return package starts with Wilyer Abreu, you know you are getting a player who slots into your lineup immediately. Add a couple of good prospects on top of that, and it could be hard not to move him.

I want to make one thing clear to Twins fans. If the team has no plans of extending him, he needs to be traded this offseason, point-blank. His value is likely as high as it is going to be, if there is a zero percent chance of him being a Twin in 2028, move him now.

Actively Shopping: Trevor Larnach

Larnach probably does not hold a ton of value. However, there are a couple of factors that could increase it this offseason.

The early reports indicate that a number of teams are looking to add a corner outfielder. This crop of free agent outfielders is not great. That could be enough to boost the stock of a player like Trevor Larnach.

The Twins have Walker Jenkins, James Outman, Alan Roden, and Emmanuel Rodriguez all vying for playing time. All four of those players have higher ceilings than Larnach.

Larnach could probably return a reliever with upside and control. If that is the return, you move Larnach without thinking twice.

Hit the Bargain Bin for Relievers

If you didn’t know already, this bullpen has been depleted. The Twins just need some bodies.

Last year, the Twins added Danny Coulombe on a one-year deal for $3 million. He was excellent in Minnesota. This offseason, the Twins need to dip their toe back into the reliever market.

They are currently slated to have two bullpen arms who posted ERAs under four in the majors last season. They are also set to have Taj Bradley and Mick Able pitching out of the bullpen.

Those are arms that you need to make starts in either the majors or Triple-A.

Someone who might make sense is Jalen Beeks. He made a little over one million last year in Arizona, and Spotrac has him with a similar market value this year. The lefty threw to a 3.77 ERA in 61 appearances.

Sean Newcomb made one million last year, and Spotrac has him with a value just over two million this year. He posted a 2.73 ERA in over 90 innings in 2025.

Adding a couple of the cheaper relievers that are on the market will help fill the roster for 2026. Spending somewhere between three and five million total on a couple of relievers is a realistic goal for the team.

Find a Backup Catcher

With the departure of Christian Vazquez, the Twins are left without a backup catcher. They are currently projected to have Mickey Gasper as the backup catcher on the major league roster. They also have Jhonny Pereda in Triple-A.

Neither of those options put the Twins in a good place. Even for a rebuilding team, they need to have a better second catcher than what they are currently projected to put out.

Potential Free Agent Options: Mitch Garver and James McCann

The Twins could get relatively unlucky with the free agent market. There is not a lot of quantity or quality when it comes to the catching market this offseason. That could see the price of certain players like Mitch Garver and James McCann get driven up.

Mitch Garver is now 34 years old and set to hit free agency after two underwhelming seasons in Seattle. He played some of his best baseball in Minnesota. Garver would also provide a veteran presence in a clubhouse that could need it, depending on what potential trades the team makes.

Garver can also still provide some value at the plate. He is still capable of hitting the ball relatively hard. I am going to blame a lot of his offensive woes on playing in Seattle.

That ballpark has gained a notorious reputation for being a tough place to hit. In 2025, he posted a 102 wRC+ on the road compared to 65 at home.

Another option for the Twins could be 35-year-old James McCann. He is coming off a season where he only played 42 games but put up some of his best offensive numbers. Similar to Garver, McCann could offer the Twins a veteran presence in the locker room.

Both McCann and Garver are projected by Spotrac to get one-year deals for less than $6 million. That should be in the Twins’ price range.

Potential Trade Fits: Dalton Rushing, Carlos Narvaez, Kevin Parada, and Henry Davis

The trade market may be the way to go for the Twins. They would potentially be able to add a player with numerous years of control, with Eduardo Tait likely being two years away.

One route they could go is to target failed prospects who could maybe just need a change of scenery. Two players that fit that description are Kevin Parada and Henry Davis.

Parada is a former first-round pick who is not in the Just Baseball Top 15 Mets prospects (or the honorable mentions). He might be farther off, having only played 16 Triple-A games, but could be worth a shot.

Davis, on the other hand has played 186 major league games over the last three years. It has been ugly, a career 53 wRC+, but he has been good defensively.

Right now, he is set to be a utility piece in Pittsburgh and their third catcher. This is where a Trevor Larnach trade could make a lot of sense. Larnach for Davis and a reliever could be beneficial for both sides.

Dalton Rushing and Carlos Narvaez are two players who only come to Minnesota if they part with Byron Buxton and/or Joe Ryan.

If the Twins do part with either of those players, targeting an MLB-ready catcher would make a lot of sense. Especially with Ryan Jeffers set to be a free agent in a year.