The 2026 General Manager Meetings got underway Monday night and run through Thursday, and that always opens the door for movement. With the Dec. 1 lockout creeping closer, teams have a window to get aggressive, and the Twins look like a club that could at least explore it.
One move that makes plenty of sense is sending Trevor Larnach elsewhere for bullpen help. Minnesota already tried to move the outfielder at the trade deadline, lining him up in a deal to Houston for right-handed reliever Bryan Abreu. The Astros’ front office was in, but owner Jim Crane shut it down.
That matters now. If the Twins were ready to deal Larnach for a reliever on an expiring contract in July, there’s little reason to think they’ve changed course.
With Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker now having made their MLB debuts, the outfield picture looks different, and Larnach feels even more movable. Add in the fact that A.J.
Minter and Taylor Rogers are free agents, and a bullpen return starts to look like a clean fit for Minnesota.
If the Twins want to swing bigger, Ketel Marte is the kind of name that would qualify as bold. The Diamondbacks star has been the subject of plenty of offseason speculation, and Arizona general manager Mike Hazen said he listened to offers for him last season. Marte has also dealt with off-the-field issues, which only adds to the uncertainty around him.
The contract is no small detail. Marte is signed through 2030 with a player option for 2031, and he is guaranteed $77.75 million through 2030.
His 2031 player option is worth $11.5 million. He’s 33 now and has settled in as a second baseman at this stage of his career.
If Minnesota were to trade Royce Lewis and pursue Marte, Kody Clemens could end up as the primary first baseman. Marte also has a full no-trade clause, so the Twins would need him to approve any move.
Production-wise, he’s still a strong player. Marte put up 2.5 fWAR and a 103 wRC+ in 141 games this season. Since his MLB debut in 2015, he has piled up 35.1 fWAR, a 119 wRC+, 193 home runs and 663 RBI.
The one move Minnesota should avoid is dealing Joe Ryan before the lockout. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi recently reported that players on expiring contracts are unlikely to be moved for prospects before Dec.
- That would leave the Twins with a narrow path if they wanted to trade Ryan, since they’d likely only be able to get another player with one year of control left.
If the goal is to build for the future, that kind of return doesn’t line up with the point of moving him in the first place.
In Other News...
Twins Could Face A Tough Ryan Jeffers Decision This Winter
The Twins are heading into the winter with a familiar kind of uncertainty behind the plate, and it starts with Ryan Jeffers. Minnesota has already put a qualifying offer on the table, but if Jeffers decides to move on, the front office will have to sort through a catcher market that is thinner than it looks at first glance. That puts a premium on fit, cost and whether the club wants to chase a veteran stopgap or explore a longer-term solution.
Among the names being weighed are Victor Caratini and Tyler Stephenson, along with other possibilities that could come via free agency or a trade. Each brings a different mix of offense, defense and contractual complexity, which is why this decision feels so important for a team that would prefer stability at a position where continuity matters. For now, the Twins are still in evaluation mode, and the real question is how aggressive they want to be if their current catcher ends up elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Offseason Urgency Is Already Showing Around Ryan Jeffers
The Twins are already moving with purpose as the offseason opens, and much of the early focus has centered on Ryan Jeffers. General manager Jeremy Zoll said the club remains in contract discussions with the free-agent catcher, who is weighing the qualifying offer Minnesota extended to him. It is the kind of early hot stove business that can shape the rest of the winter, especially for a team trying to line up its next steps before the market really starts to move.
Minnesota also filled out part of its coaching structure, promoting Jonas Lovin to major-league assistant pitching coach. He will join Brian Reith and LaTroy Hawkins on the staff, another sign the organization is laying groundwork on multiple fronts while the offseason is still in its opening stretch. For the Twins, the Jeffers situation and the staff adjustment both point to the same thing: there is already a sense of urgency around what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Larnach Just Added A New Twist To Twins Trade Talk
Trevor Larnachs offseason took another turn this week, adding a fresh layer to a situation that had already put him in the middle of Twins trade chatter. The outfielder had been viewed as a possible move candidate, and a potential deal with the Astros was already off the table, leaving his status in Minnesota worth watching even before the latest update.
Now comes the health piece: Larnach is set for arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist after soreness lingered from a sprain that cost him the final two weeks of the season. General manager Jeremy Zoll has framed it as a minor cleanup and does not expect it to affect Larnachs availability when Spring Training opens, but for a player whose name had already been floating in trade discussions, it adds one more variable to an already unsettled winter. [Read more 🡒]