If the Twins lose A.J. Minter in free agency, they’ll need a left-handed answer ready to go, and Gregory Soto fits the bill.
Minter was a major piece after Minnesota picked him up at the 2026 trade deadline, and he delivered exactly what a contender wants from the back end of a bullpen. In 22 2/3 innings after the deadline, he put up a 2.78 ERA. That kind of production is hard to replace, which is why the Twins have to think ahead if he leaves.
Soto, formerly of the Pittsburgh Pirates, looks like the kind of fallback target Minnesota should seriously consider. He may not be the biggest name available, and the Twins’ financial situation probably keeps them out of the David Bednar or Adrian Morejon tier. But Soto brings enough to the table to make sense as a realistic option.
In 2026, Soto logged a 3.63 ERA across 67 innings for Pittsburgh. He struck out 27.7% of the batters he faced, a strong number for a power reliever, while his 10.2% walk rate left a little room for improvement. That combination gives him a usable base, especially for a team that needs left-handed bullpen help.
There’s also a developmental angle here. The Twins are set to bring in Brian Reith from the Rays organization as their new pitching coach, and that makes a pitcher like Soto more interesting. Tampa Bay has built a reputation for helping arms take a step forward, and Soto would be the kind of project that lets Minnesota test those new ideas.
He’s not a blank slate, either. Soto’s 2026 season was his best since 2023 with the Phillies.
Before that, his time with the Orioles and the Mets was much shakier, with his ERA sitting in the mid-fours and his effectiveness lagging. But the Pirates may have helped him find something, and that’s enough reason for the Twins to take a closer look.
Minnesota’s bullpen also needs steadiness, plain and simple. In 2026, Yoendrys Gomez handled a lot of the closing work, but by the end of the year he had become unpitchable.
Soto could give the Twins another option in the ninth inning after saving 16 games in 22 opportunities last season. Even if he doesn’t end up as the closer, he would deepen the bullpen and make the path to the ninth inning a lot cleaner.
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 🡒]