The early part of the Twins offseason has been dominated by the ongoing search for a new manager to replace Rocco Baldelli, who was fired after his seventh season at the helm.
But there’s plenty of work to be done to patch up a roster that was torn apart at the trade deadline and went on to lose 92 games.
What the Twins do with their roster this winter ties back to the payroll question and, on that end, there has been no public indication of what that may look like next season.
Before trades and free agency officially kick off following the conclusion of the World Series, here’s a look at some of the Twins’ most pressing needs this winter.
Bullpen
No part of the team was ravaged at the trade deadline last season like the bullpen. The front office will have its work cut out for itself after trading the team’s top five bullpen arms, most of whom would have been under team control for 2026.
When the Twins traded Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia, Griffin Jax to Tampa Bay, Brock Stewart to Los Angeles, Louie Varland to Toronto and Danny Coulombe to Texas, they created a deep void they now must attempt to fix.
As of now, Cole Sands seems to have a solidified spot. But there are a bunch of question marks around him. Left-hander Kody Funderburk had a strong final two months of the season, which could give him a leg up in his attempt to secure on a spot. Justin Topa has a team option and a few more pitchers, like Michael Tonkin, are arbitration-eligible. The Twins must make decisions on those arms in November.
The Twins oversaw the development of Duran, Jax and Varland from starting pitchers to dominant relievers, and that’s a path they could choose to take to try to fill at least a few of the empty spots in the bullpen. But be it via free agency — Coulombe was a solid signing last winter at $3 million — trades or internal arms, this area will have to be a focus this winter.
Catcher
The Twins have a need at catcher this offseason with Christian Vázquez’s three-year, $30 million pact coming to a conclusion.
Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers stands on the field as Chicago White Sox catcher Edgar Quero runs the bases after hitting a solo home run during the second inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
The team primarily split time behind the plate over the past three seasons between Vázquez and Ryan Jeffers, with one better defensively and the other offensively. When Vázquez developed an infection in his shoulder late in the season, Jeffers took on a heavier workload, which could be the case next season.
The Twins could shift to more of a starter/back-up situation rather than having co-equal catchers.
Their top-ranked catching prospect, Eduardo Tait, is still just 19 and is far off from debuting. Neither of the organizations other catchers in their top 30 prospects (per MLB Pipeline) have reached the high minors, either.
The Twins used both Mickey Gasper and Jhonny Pereda behind the plate when Vázquez and then Jeffers (concussion) were on the injured list, and they could factor in in some manner if the Twins opt to address the position internally.
First base/designated hitter
The Twins have had a revolving door at first base for the past few seasons, cycling through players like Ty France, Carlos Santana, Donovan Solano, Alex Kirilloff and others. Some solutions, like Santana, have worked out better than others.
France, signed to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal, handled the position for much of the 2025 season until he was dealt at the trade deadline to the Toronto Blue Jays. From there, Kody Clemens and Edouard Julien mostly handled the position.
Trevor Larnach took a majority of the DH at-bats last season, but the Twins must decide if they are tendering him a contract offer by the November deadline or moving on from their 2018 first-round pick.
First base and DH look like spots where Minnesota could upgrade to add more thump to its lineup in 2026.
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