On paper, the Twins can already sketch out a 2027 rotation that looks built to hold its own. But that picture gets a lot messier if Minnesota decides to move a starter on an expiring deal, or if injuries hit again the way they did this year.
That kind of fragility showed up fast in 2026. The Twins entered spring training thinking they had pitching depth to lean on, and then the foundation started to crack.
Pablo López missed the season after an internal brace procedure. David Festa lost the entire year to injuries.
Mick Abel was sidelined for most of the season. Joe Ryan, meanwhile, missed a month late in the year with a glute injury.
Even with those issues, the Twins would still be smart to add another starter or two this offseason. But if the club is projecting forward using only players currently on the roster, the most likely 2027 Opening Day rotation would look like this:
RHP Joe Ryan
RHP Pablo López
RHP Taj Bradley
RHP Mick Abel
RHP Dean Kremer
Ryan is the big swing piece in all of this. The Twins could trade him this offseason, but if Pohlad really does plan to increase payroll, moving one of the team’s best arms would only make sense if another top starter is coming back the other way.
Ryan’s second-half numbers are the big concern: he has a 3.17 career ERA in the first half and a 4.98 ERA in the second half. That could push the Twins toward a deal, but he has still been one of the most valuable players on the roster over the last few seasons.
If Minnesota is serious about winning next year the way it says it is, Ryan probably stays put.
The top of the rotation still gives the Twins a solid base. Ryan, López and Bradley look like the most likely front three.
López, when healthy, has the profile of an All-Star-level starter. Bradley, acquired to help stabilize the staff, earned the Twins’ Pitcher of the Year Award after posting a 3.73 ERA with 202 strikeouts in his first full season in Minnesota.
The real question is what happens after that. Abel looks like the best bet to claim a rotation spot.
He barely got a chance to establish himself last year, making just four outings before going on the IL and missing the rest of the season. Still, the flashes were real: 13 scoreless innings with 16 strikeouts over two starts, plus an excellent spring training.
I have Kremer filling the fifth spot. The Twins picked him up from the Baltimore Orioles at the trade deadline, and he responded with a 3.48 ERA over 10 starts in Minnesota. That would leave Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews and Kendry Rojas on the outside looking in.
Ober’s 2026 season was passable, but the drop in velocity is impossible to ignore. Minnesota could trade him or choose not to tender him this offseason. If he sticks around, he still offers value as a long reliever and as a fallback starter if someone goes down.
Matthews and Rojas would likely begin the year at Triple-A St. Paul, ready to be summoned if the Twins need help in the rotation.
Either one could also surface in the bullpen, but Minnesota should be thinking about volume here. The club has already seen how quickly a rotation can thin out, and with multiple injuries always a real possibility, it needs enough starting pitching on hand to survive the turns that matter.
In Other News...
Twins Just Opened A New Question At DH
Minnesotas offseason began with a clean little roster reset, and one of the first openings is at designated hitter. Josh Bell, who spent this past season as the clubs primary DH while also filling in at first base at times, is now a free agent after the Twins declined his mutual option. It is the kind of move that does not close the door on a reunion, but it does put one of the teams more familiar bats back on the market.
The same day brought another contract decision with a longer horizon attached to it, as the Twins moved on from Joe Ryans 2027 mutual option while keeping him under club control through arbitration for 2026. For now, the bigger short-term issue is Bells spot in the lineup and whether Minnesota wants to shop for a different answer there, or see if the market and its own plans line up again before spring. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Roster Cleanup Leaves One Bullpen Question Fans Will Watch Closely
The Twins used a roster-clearing move to open some space this week, parting ways with Anthony Banda, Aaron Sabato and Tristan Gray and trimming down a 40-man roster that is likely to keep shifting as winter progresses. Bandas situation is the clearest of the three, with the left-hander coming off surgery to repair a lat strain and expected to miss the rest of the 2026 season, a setback that makes his departure more a matter of practicality than surprise.
What comes next is the part Twins fans will be watching closest, especially in the bullpen, where the front office is weighing several ways to add depth. Taylor Rogers remains a possible reunion, while Adrian Morejon and Raisel Iglesias are among the other arms being discussed as Minnesota looks for help that can stabilize the relief corps rather than simply fill innings. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Suddenly Have A Rotation Decision Fans Will Notice
Michael Kings decision to decline his 2027 player option has put one of the markets more intriguing arms on the board, and the timing makes him worth watching for teams still sorting out their pitching plans. The right-hander can first negotiate exclusively with the Padres for a five-day window before he is free to talk with every club, and that has naturally raised the question of whether the Twins should even consider getting involved as they evaluate their rotation depth.
King has been one of the more effective starters in baseball over the past three seasons since arriving in San Diego from the Yankees, which is exactly why his name comes up when teams start looking for stability at the top and middle of a staff. Minnesota is not widely viewed as a likely landing spot, but the Twins have enough uncertainty on the mound that a proven arm like King would at least fit the profile of the kind of swing that can change a winter, even if the path to making it happen still looks long. [Read more 🡒]