The Twins have their own non-tender decisions to sort out before the Nov. 20 deadline, with Bailey Ober, Royce Lewis and Trevor Larnach among the names in the mix. But Minnesota could also use that window to shop for help if other clubs cut loose arbitration-eligible players.
Two names stand out as possible fits: Boston first baseman Triston Casas and Atlanta right-hander James Karinchak.
Casas would be the bigger swing. He broke through in 2023, finishing third in American League Rookie of the Year voting after putting up 1.8 fWAR and a .263/.367/.490 line with 24 home runs and 65 RBI in 132 games.
Since then, injuries have wrecked the follow-up. He played 63 games in 2024, only 29 in 2025 and none in 2026, and he had left wrist surgery in August.
Even with that injury history, the fit in Minnesota is easy to see. The source points out that Lewis is currently projected as the Twins’ starting first baseman in 2027, but his three-year run of underperformance could push the team to move on.
If Minnesota trades or non-tenders Lewis, Casas becomes a logical target. And even if Lewis stays, the Twins could keep him at second base, slide Casas in at first and use Kody Clemens all over the field.
The concern, of course, is whether Casas can stay on the field and hold up defensively. He’ll be 27 in January, and his bat has already shown real impact when healthy. But his glove has been rough: in 1,982 career innings at first base, he has minus-11 Defensive Runs Saved and minus-13 Outs Above Average.
Karinchak brings a different kind of appeal. The Braves right-hander pitched in just nine games this season, but he was effective in that small sample, posting a 1.86 ERA over 9 2/3 innings. Before 2026, he hadn’t appeared in the majors since 2023 with Cleveland.
Injuries have been the main reason for the long layoff. Karinchak, 31, spent 2019-23 with the Guardians and logged a 3.10 ERA with 253 strikeouts across 165 2/3 innings. He also worked 42 1/3 innings at Triple-A Gwinnett this year, where he posted a 3.19 ERA and struck out 62.
If Atlanta non-tenders him, Minnesota should be in the conversation. The appeal is straightforward: Karinchak hasn’t been around much lately, but he still misses bats and has consistently produced above-average numbers.
In Other News...
Luis Arraez Suddenly Feels Like A Real Twins Reunion Possibility
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Arraezs case is more interesting now than it would have been a year ago because his game has evolved beyond the contact-heavy profile Twins fans remember. He put together a strong offensive season in 2026 and also showed real progress defensively, which changes the conversation around how he might fit if Minnesota decides to get aggressive. A return would still depend on how the rest of the roster comes together, but the idea of Arraez back in a Twins uniform is suddenly hard to dismiss. [Read more 🡒]
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What it does not do is hand the Twins extra flexibility or lock in a specific 2027 salary. Instead, it changes how that number gets determined, leaving both sides to navigate the next step of a relationship that still has plenty of value attached to it. For Minnesota, Ryan remains an important piece of the pitching picture, but the route to keeping him now looks a lot different than it did when the option was on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Second Base Decision Could Define Their Offseason Priorities
Second base has a way of shaping the rest of an offseason, and for the Twins it looks like one of the clearest places where the front office may have to make a call. Kody Clemens was steadier at first base than he was at the keystone, which only adds to the sense that Minnesota could use an external answer there if it wants to tighten up the infield and add more offense at the same time.
Among the names being weighed, Brandon Lowe and Luis Arraez stand out for different reasons, with recent season performance and defensive value pushing the comparison in separate directions. Jim Bowdens contract projections only sharpen the debate, since Arraez is expected to cost more even though Lowe has been the more productive hitter lately, leaving the Twins to decide whether they want the safer fit, the better bat, or the one that makes the most financial sense. [Read more 🡒]