Hot Stove season is finally here, and the Twins are walking into it with a roster that’s loaded in some spots and glaringly thin in others. That mix gives Minnesota a real chance to reshape the club this winter, especially if it chooses to work the trade market.
The clearest strength is the starting rotation. The Twins have at least seven legitimate candidates for five spots, and that kind of depth usually points toward movement.
If they stay put, the most likely group would be Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, Dean Kremer and Bailey Ober. Connor Prielipp and Mick Abel are part of the picture too, and Kendry Rojas is in the mix as well.
With López, Ryan, Kremer and Ober all eligible for free agency after 2027, there’s also a practical reason to consider dealing from that group now rather than waiting until the winter when four-fifths of the rotation could need replacing.
The bullpen is a different story. Even after a bunch of midseason additions, it still looks like an area that needs work.
The left side stands out immediately: AJ Minter is a free agent, Anthony Banda has been cut loose after a major injury, and Kody Funderburk is the main returnee. The right side has more structure, with Yoendrys Gomez, Jeff Hoffman and Andrew Morris forming a solid back three, but the Twins still need more behind them.
Tommy Nance, Travis Adams and the rehabbing Cole Sands would be the rest of the group right now, and Minnesota could use at least two relievers who can pitch in late innings.
Catcher may be the biggest question mark on the roster. Ryan Jeffers is a free agent and has already been tendered a qualifying offer, so if he signs elsewhere, the Twins would get Draft pick compensation.
Still, it would be surprising if he accepted it, and the more likely outcome is that he lands a multi-year deal somewhere else. That would leave Victor Caratini as the returnee, but he struggled at the plate and does not do much to control the running game.
He works as a backup, not as the ideal starter. There isn’t an obvious answer waiting in the high Minors either, with top pick and No. 2 prospect Vahn Lackey still at least a year away.
That means Minnesota will almost certainly have to add a catcher, whether through a trade or free agency, where names like Carson Kelly and Tyler Stephenson are available.
On the infield, things are more settled, though not completely finished. Brooks Lee is lined up at third, Kaelen Culpepper at short, Kody Clemens is likely to return at second, and Royce Lewis is the current primary first baseman.
There is no primary designated hitter, and there probably won’t be one. Even so, the Twins could use an impact bat, and first base is one of the few places where that kind of addition might fit.
That opens the door to a possible Lewis trade, or even a move to bring in a second baseman and slide Clemens over to first.
The bench has Ryan Kreidler, while highly regarded No. 4 prospect Marek Houston is mainly a shortstop and could conceivably arrive before the year is out.
In the outfield, Minnesota is in another area of surplus. There are at least four starting-caliber players for three spots.
Byron Buxton is expected to handle center field, though his recovery from hip surgery could also send him to DH at times. Luke Keaschall and Walker Jenkins look like the leading corner outfielders, and Jenkins is also the top alternative to Buxton in center.
In Other News...
Byron Buxton's Latest Snub Revives A Frustrating Twins Reality
FanSideds announcement of the 2026 Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award finalists brought another familiar reminder of how quickly Byron Buxtons season can be shaped by availability as much as talent. Buxton was not among the finalists despite a strong first half, a stretch that once again showed why he remains one of the Twins most dynamic players when he is on the field.
The frustration, of course, is that the second half never gave him much of a chance to build on it after hip injuries sidelined him for significant time. Minnesota still has Buxton under contract through 2028, and the club will keep trying to balance his impact with the need to keep him healthy, a challenge that has become one of the defining realities around this roster. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Lineup Did Its Part But This Problem Still Defined 2026
The Twins got enough from their lineup to stay relevant for stretches in 2026, with the offense ranking near the top of several American League categories. Even so, the season never really found a stable footing because the pitching never matched it, and the imbalance became the defining reason Minnesota was watching October from home.
The bullpen was part of the problem early before settling in after the trade deadline, while the rotation was repeatedly forced to absorb injuries to key arms. Pablo Lpez missed the entire season, Mick Abel was out for most of it, and Joe Ryan also lost about a month, leaving the staff shorthanded at the very time the Twins needed it to hold up the rest of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Deadline Gamble Suddenly Looks Riskier Than Fans Realized
Jeff Hoffman gave the Twins exactly what they were hoping for after the trade deadline, at least on the field. Acquired from Toronto for a package of prospects, he delivered a 2.50 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 18 innings and quickly looked like a useful late-inning arm for a club trying to patch together its bullpen for the stretch run.
The concern now is what comes next, because Minnesota did not just rent Hoffman for a few weeks and walk away empty-handed. The deal cost the Twins a notable prospect haul, and with Hoffman now coming off elbow surgery, the long-term value of the swap suddenly feels less certain than it did in the moment. If he is ready for Opening Day, the Twins may still come out ahead, but the development of the young talent they sent to Toronto will shape how this gamble is judged for a while. [Read more 🡒]