The Orioles have put almost everybody on the table, and that opens a clear lane for the Twins to get involved.
According to Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner, Baltimore is willing to listen on nearly every player on its roster. The lone untouchable is star first baseman Pete Alonso. At the same time, the Orioles are trying to improve in three specific areas: the rotation, catcher and the outfield.
That setup makes Minnesota a logical trade partner. The Twins have catching and outfield depth that Baltimore could want, and they also have a need for a bat who can handle first base and punish left-handed pitching. That’s where Coby Mayo comes in.
Mayo, 24, fits the profile neatly. He can play first and third base, and he’s coming off a productive offensive season in which he hit .228/.297/.461 with 24 home runs, 18 doubles, three triples and 63 RBI in 132 games.
Against lefties, he was especially dangerous, batting .322/.393/.712. Minnesota already has Brooks Lee at third, but Mayo could cover first base, slide in as a part-time DH and even fill in at third if Lee needs a breather or gets hurt.
He’s also a long-term piece. Mayo is under team control through the 2031 season and won’t reach arbitration until 2028.
For the Twins, the fit gets even cleaner because of how their roster picture is lining up. Royce Lewis is currently the favorite to be Minnesota’s primary first baseman in 2027, but the team could still move on from him or non-tender him after he posted an 85 wRC+ over the last two seasons. Even if Lewis stays, adding a left-handed bat like Mayo would deepen the lineup.
Minnesota also has the kind of prospect inventory Baltimore could ask for. Vahn Lackey is likely the Twins’ catcher of the future, and top outfield prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez made their MLB debuts this past season.
MLB Pipeline lists six catchers in Minnesota’s top-30 prospects: Lackey, Eduardo Tait, Khadim Diaw, Carson Tinney, Enrique Jimenez and Ricardo Olivar. The outfield names that could be in play include Hendry Mendez, Gabriel Gonzalez and Yasser Mercedes.
Pitching is thinner. Outside of Riley Quick, the Twins don’t have many highly regarded arms. If Minnesota wanted to dangle Joe Ryan - who is set to become a free agent after the 2027 season - it could try to land Mayo and another prospect from Baltimore in return for the two-time All-Star.
But with the Orioles open for business on so much of the roster, Baltimore may prefer a player with more team control. That’s why Zebby Matthews could also draw interest from the Orioles.
In Other News...
Twins Face A Joe Ryan Decision Fans May Not Expect
Joe Ryans future has become one of those front-office questions that hangs over a contender even when the player in question is still very much part of the present. The right-hander remains under Minnesota control through the 2026 season, which gives the Twins time, but it also puts them on a clock if they decide the best way to maximize his value is to move him before he gets too close to free agency.
The idea is not without precedent, with Milwaukees decision to deal Freddy Peralta before his final contract year offering a template. Still, the market for pitchers with only one year of control can be tricky, and there is added uncertainty around the 2027 season that could make teams cautious about paying full freight. For the Twins, the question is not just whether Ryan is valuable enough to trade, but whether the timing and return will ever line up in a way that makes sense. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Fans Still Can't Escape The Aaron Hicks Trade Debate
A decade after the Twins sent Aaron Hicks to the Yankees, the trade still lingers in the background whenever the franchises outfield history comes up. The move on Nov. 11, 2015, was built around a swap for catcher John Ryan Murphy, a deal that at the time looked like a straightforward roster reshuffle for a club trying to sort out its future behind the plate and in center field.
Hicks career took on a far different shape once he got to New York, where he eventually settled in and produced some of his best years before later stops with the Orioles and Angels. Murphys time in Minnesota was far shorter, and after a brief run with the Twins he moved on to Arizona and later retired after the 2020 season, leaving the trade as one of those old front-office decisions fans still revisit whenever the subject of missed value comes back around. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Outfield Battle Is Putting Veteran Roles In Real Danger
The Twins outfield picture for 2027 is already starting to take shape, and it does not leave much room for comfort among the veterans. Byron Buxton is still expected to anchor center field when healthy, but the club will likely continue managing his workload with time at designated hitter, which opens the door for younger options to claim more regular at-bats. Luke Keaschall and Spencer Jenkins are projected to be part of the corner-outfield mix, giving Minnesota a core that looks more flexible than settled.
Trevor Larnach and Austin Martin are the names most clearly caught in the middle of that shuffle. Larnachs role is no longer secure, and Martin appears headed for a platoon or bench assignment unless the roster picture changes again, which is exactly why the competition matters so much this winter. With several outfielders still fighting for playing time and the front office continuing to sort through the roster, the Twins are entering a stretch where every move could reshape who stays, who slides into a lesser role, and who gets squeezed out entirely. [Read more 🡒]