The Twins are heading into an offseason where roster decisions will start coming fast, and Trevor Larnach is right in the middle of one of the first big calls.
Minnesota has a real case for keeping the outfielder after the best offensive season of his career. Larnach hit .269/.352/.436 in 2026, setting career highs across the slash line.
For a Twins lineup that could use more stability, that kind of production has obvious appeal. He isn’t the kind of bat that changes everything by himself, but a hitter who can get close to an .800 OPS at a manageable price has clear value.
That price is part of the appeal, too. Larnach and the Twins avoided arbitration this year by agreeing to a one-year, $4.475-million deal, and his 2027 salary is projected at about $6.3 million.
That’s a jump, but not an outrageous one for a player coming off that kind of season. Minnesota is not in a position to give away productive major-league bats, and there’s a strong argument that keeping him makes sense if the money works.
The harder part is finding the playing time. The Twins’ outfield picture already looks crowded, with Byron Buxton, Luke Keaschall, Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez all expected to be in the mix for 2027.
Unless something surprising happens in a trade, there may simply not be enough at-bats to go around. Minnesota could move Keaschall back to the infield, but that only shifts the congestion somewhere else.
Using Larnach mostly at designated hitter is another option, but that comes with its own drawbacks. It would keep his bat in the lineup, yet it would also cut into the flexibility of the DH spot and could block opportunities for other players. The roster math gets messy fast.
And this isn’t just theoretical. The Twins reportedly nearly dealt Larnach during the 2026 season, with a trade to the Houston Astros for reliever Bryan Abreu close to happening before it fell apart at the last minute. That doesn’t guarantee anything this winter, but it does show Minnesota was willing to move him for the right return.
That’s why Larnach looks like a realistic trade candidate if the Twins decide they need to clear space for younger players. He’s not the easiest piece to move, and the club shouldn’t just dump him for nothing. But with a crowded roster and a salary heading upward, he fits the profile of someone Minnesota could use to balance the rest of the group.
The first deadline arrives on November 20, when the Twins must decide whether to tender Larnach a contract for 2027 or non-tender him. If they’re comfortable with the projected $6.3 million salary, the decision is simple: bring him back and sort out the lineup later. If not, then the front office has to test the trade market and see whether another team sees enough value to make a deal.
If there’s no real interest, Minnesota faces a tougher choice. The club could still tender him a contract, especially with ownership at least nominally committed to increasing payroll in 2027. Or it could decide the salary doesn’t match the role and let him go.
There’s also the timing issue. With the Collective Bargaining Agreement ending on December 1, a lockout is likely to start just 10 days after the non-tender deadline.
That could squeeze the Twins’ offseason calendar and leave them with less room to work out a trade later if they decide they want to move Larnach after all. On balance, the cleaner path may be to move on, even if that means accepting less than the absolute best return.
In Other News...
Twins Roster Shift Could Put Josh Bell In A Tough Spot
The Twins are starting to think long term with Luke Keaschall, and that has a ripple effect well beyond one lineup spot. If the young outfielder develops the way the organization hopes, he could settle in as a future leadoff hitter and a regular in the outfield, giving Minnesota a player to build around at the top of the order and in the field.
Josh Bell, meanwhile, could wind up squeezed by the numbers. With several outfielders and prospects competing for playing time, the roster is getting crowded fast, and Bells value comes mostly as a designated hitter. In a setup like that, there may not be enough room to bring him back, which makes his situation one of the quieter but more interesting questions hanging over the Twins offseason plans. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face Tough 2027 Calls On Several Familiar Names
The Twins are already staring at a busy arbitration picture for 2027, and MLB Trade Rumors latest projections put a familiar group of names in the spotlight. The list spans 10 players, with the analysis pointing toward likely stays for pieces such as Anthony Banda, Dean Kremer, Taj Bradley and Kody Clemens while sorting out the rest of the group by projected salary and recent performance.
For Minnesota, the more interesting part may be the names that sit closer to the trade or non-tender line. Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Royce Lewis are among the players the projections flag as more complicated decisions, which gives the front office another reminder that roster building in the years ahead will not be simple even for a club trying to keep its core intact. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face A Roster Defining First Base Decision This Offseason
The Twins are heading into an offseason where first base looks like one of the clearest spots for change, and the conversation starts with Royce Lewis. His underperformance has left Minnesota without the middle-of-the-order production it hoped to get from that spot, which is why the search has expanded beyond simple internal fixes. The market offers a few different paths, from established bats to younger players who could be available in a trade, but none of them comes with an easy answer.
Yandy Daz, Alec Burleson, Spencer Steer, Triston Casas and Ryan Mountcastle all surface as possible fits, each with a different mix of upside and availability. Minnesota is also said to be open to dealing from its pitching depth in order to land an impact bat, a sign that this could become more than a routine offseason tweak. The complication is that the free-agent class at first base is viewed as thin, which could push the Twins toward a trade if they want real change rather than another stopgap. [Read more 🡒]