As the Twins’ offseason gets underway, team president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey, general manager Jeremy Zoll and company have their work cut out for them. There’s a coaching staff to build, starting with a managerial hire, and there’s a roster to reshape after a second consecutive losing season.
While it will still be some time before player movement — that won’t start until after the conclusion of the World Series — there’s still plenty to ponder early, especially after the Twins traded away many of their best players at the July 31 deadline.
Here are five questions facing the Twins this winter:
Who will manage the Twins?
This is likely the first question to be answered.
After seven seasons at the helm, Rocco Baldelli was relieved of his duties last Monday, the day after the Twins wrapped up a 92-loss season. The Twins already had picked up Baldelli’s option for the 2026 season, but after his team missed the playoffs for the fourth time in five years, Falvey said the organization felt it was “the right time for a new voice and a new direction.”
There’s no telling how long the process might take. The Texas Rangers already filled their manger vacancy, and when the Twins hired Baldelli in 2018, it was late October. If the top candidate is currently with a postseason team, that might extend the process.
Beyond that, there’s no telling what direction the Twins might take; Falvey was vague when asked about traits the club would be looking for in a manager, saying instead that the team is open-minded, and that he didn’t think there was “one size that fits the Twins.”
Once that hiring is in place, the front office and new manager will construct the coaching staff, starting with deciding how much — if any — of the 2025 staff will be retained.
What will the payroll situation look like?
The Twins started 2025 season with a payroll estimated around $142 million by Cot’s Baseball Contracts. They shed a considerable amount from that number at the deadline.
Though they’ll still be on the hook for a portion of Carlos Correa’s salary, getting his contract off the books for the next three seasons frees up money the Twins could theoretically reinvest in players. They could also go in the opposite direction.
The Twins’ payroll reached a franchise-high during the 2023 season, approximately $156 million for a team that won the American League Central and snapped an 18-game postseason losing streak that dated to 2003. While it doesn’t seem likely to return to those levels, this offseason should shed some light on the path the Twins are taking.
Asked about the payroll last week, Falvey said he didn’t “have that direction yet” but added it was a conversation he would need to have with the team-owning Pohlad family.
“I think that’s a conversation we’ll continue to have, certainly with the Pohlads and whatever conversation they’d like me to have with the limited partners,” he said last week.
The Pohlad family, which had been exploring a sale of the franchise, pulled the team off the market in August and announced that they were bringing on two limited partnership groups. Little is known about those groups and how they might affect spending, though bringing them on is expected to help the team reduce its significant debt.
Who will be in the rotation?
Much of this depends on what happens with the payroll, of course.
As it stands, Right-hander Pablo López projects to be the highest-paid player on the 2026 team. His salary — $21.5 million a year— is not unreasonable for a top starter, but if the Twins cut their payroll, he could be a trade candidate. So, too, could Joe Ryan, who will earn far less but could bring back a significant haul if the Twins opt to go that way.
Falvey said last week it was his “hope” and “expectation” that both will be on the team next year but acknowledged that that question “still requires some ongoing conversations with ownership.” If both remain, the Twins have a strong top of the rotation to build around. There’s also hope that an offseason to rest and recover will right-hander help Bailey Ober, who had a rocky 2026 season and will spend this winter trying to regain his velocity.
Beyond those three, the Twins have a number of young arms with varying levels of major league experience, from Taj Bradley and Mick Abel, both acquired at the trade deadline, to Zebby Matthews, Simeon Woods Richardson and David Festa. Festa missed the final two months of the season with a shoulder issue.
What will the Twins do with their position player core?
The Twins left much of their position player group mostly intact at the trade deadline. They dealt three impending free agents in Willi Castro, Harrison Bader and Ty France, but Correa was only player who was under contract for next season that was dealt away.
Much of that remaining group underperformed, and there’s a question as to whether the Twins will try to break up their core or how they might supplement it. If not, what can they do to get the most of their young hitters, many of whom were first-round picks?
Under Baldelli’s watch, the Twins transitioned to a new, more aggressive style of play during the final months of the season, which provided some positive signs. Could the Twins target more athletic players who fit that style of play either in trades or free agency?
How do the Twins build their bullpen?
Jhoan Duran, Caleb Thielbar and Louie Varland are pitching in the playoffs. Brock Stewart would be, too, if not for a shoulder injury. Griffin Jax and Danny Coulombe also were also dealt to teams in playoff contention as the Twins stripped down their bullpen at the trade deadline.
The results were predictable.
The Twins have a club option on Justin Topa that they must make a decision on. Cole Sands should have a role in next year’s bullpen. Left-hander Kody Funderburk pitched well enough down the stretch to warrant a look, too. Beyond that, it’s mostly question marks.
This front office has not invested heavily in free agent relievers but has made some low-cost additions such as lefty Coulombe, who was terrific after signing a one-year, $3 million deal last season. There are also some young, internal arms who should get a look. The Twins have had success in recent years converting starters like Jax and Varland into dependable relievers, and it feels likely that is a path they could follow with some of their prospects.
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