The Twins’ offseason shopping list for 2027 doesn’t have to start with splashy names. If Minnesota wants practical help, the rosters of the 2026 American League playoff teams point to a handful of possible fits - players who could plug holes, deepen the bench, and give the club a little more flexibility in a few key spots.
One obvious area is the corner-outfield mix, and White Sox outfielder Randal Grichuk stands out as a clean fit. The 35-year-old has long been a strong platoon bat, with a career .839 OPS against left-handed pitching, and he was even sharper in 2026, hitting .327/.371/.655 with 11 home runs in 178 plate appearances. He wouldn’t be a headline-grabbing pickup, but he could offer useful at-bats for a 2027 outfield group that projects to include left-handed hitters Emmanuel Rodriguez, Walker Jenkins, and Alan Roden, with Kody Clemens also in the picture.
Another White Sox name worth keeping in mind is Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The bat has never been the selling point - he owns a career 81 OPS+ - but the defense is real.
He was worth 8 Outs Above Average in 2026 and struck out only 14.8% of the time. His walk rate jumped to a career-high 10.4%, though that might not hold, and the bigger draw is a reliable glove.
He’d be the kind of emergency insurance the Twins could use behind Kaelen Culpepper in 2027.
If Minnesota wants bullpen help, Yankees reliever David Bednar is the premium target on this list. After a rough 2024 season that put his future in doubt, he has rebuilt his value since a mid-2025 trade to New York.
Over 94 innings with the Yankees, Bednar has posted a 2.39 ERA with 111 strikeouts and only 28 walks, along with a 1.01 WHIP and a 2.61 FIP. He’s still bringing heat too, averaging 96.1 MPH on his fastball, and he’s generating plenty of chases and weak contact.
On top of that, he already knows Derek Shelton from their time together in Pittsburgh from 2021 through 2025.
There’s also a cheaper bullpen route in Astros right-hander Enyel De Los Santos. His 4.79 ERA won’t turn heads, but the underlying numbers are more encouraging: a 4.11 FIP and a 3.42 xERA. The 30-year-old has become a well-traveled arm - Minnesota would be his ninth team - but he does a good job limiting walks and barrels, which gives him some appeal as a lower-cost relief option.
For the rotation, Guardians starter Foster Griffin is one of the more interesting names. He returned from Asia without much noise, then quietly put together one of the stronger seasons among impending free-agent starters.
He doesn’t overpower hitters, working in the low 90s, but he leans on a cutter that he throws about a third of the time and mixes in a sweeper, four-seamer, changeup, and sinker. His command helps him keep hard contact down.
Griffin’s numbers shifted after a trade from the Nationals to the Guardians, though the split may have been more about luck than performance. With Washington, he had a 4.10 FIP and a 3.06 ERA; in Cleveland, those marks moved to 3.54 and 5.19.
Even so, he would give Minnesota a steady innings-eater for the back of the rotation.
If the Twins want a more affordable bench piece, Rays utility man Jorge Mateo fits that mold. He has struggled at the plate throughout his career, hitting .219/.264/.356 for a 74 OPS+, but he brings speed and versatility.
Mateo has 125 career stolen bases, and Minnesota finished 20th in steals this season. He could serve as another veteran shortstop option behind Culpepper while also covering multiple positions.
None of these players changes a franchise on his own. But each one addresses something Minnesota could use, whether that’s a platoon bat, bullpen depth, rotation stability, or speed off the bench. Looking at the players the top American League rivals may lose makes for a sensible starting point as the Twins try to put together a roster that can compete in the Central in 2027.
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Austin Martin spent most of the 2026 season giving the Twins a useful but incomplete picture, and that is what makes his winter so interesting. Over 118 games, he finished with a .228/.341/.315 batting line, enough to show some value without settling the bigger question of where he fits best on a roster that is always trying to balance depth, flexibility and matchup advantages.
Minnesotas next step is to figure out whether Martin can thrive in a more defined platoon look against left-handed pitching, or whether the club is better served using that roster spot another way. The front office plans to evaluate him in a limited role before making a final call, which leaves his status in the middle of the Twins' offseason puzzle rather than at the center of a clean answer. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face A Tough Ryan Jeffers Decision They Can't Delay
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The market could make the decision even trickier. Clubs such as the Yankees and Cubs have been floated as possible fits, and both would have to weigh Jeffers against their own roster plans and any added cost that comes with signing him. For the Twins, the question is less about whether Jeffers can help now and more about how far they are willing to go to keep him from reaching a market that may already be forming. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Fans Should Be Watching Kyle DeBarge Right Now
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DeBarge spent 2026 at Double-A Wichita, and his placement in the AFL gives the Twins another chance to evaluate where he stands against advanced competition. For a club always searching for the next wave of infield help and offensive depth, his progress is worth watching closely, even before the bigger numbers from this fall start to settle in. [Read more 🡒]