With a lockout looming on Dec. 1, the Twins are heading into a crucial offseason with one big promise hanging over everything: more money. The front office has said the payroll will rise, and that it will “exhaust our energy” to improve the roster. That sounds encouraging, but Minnesota has heard versions of this before.
The real issue isn’t whether the Twins spend. It’s whether they spend well.
That’s the lesson from a franchise that has missed the playoffs in five of the past six seasons and has a history of paying for players who never really moved the needle. Tom Pohlad opening the wallet would be a welcome change, but the Twins’ challenge is bigger than that. They have to identify the right targets, not just the expensive ones.
Ryan Jeffers is one of the clearest examples of where the money could go. The Twins extended a $23.15 million qualifying offer to him, and The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reported there is “genuine interest” in a multi-year reunion. Jeremy Zoll echoed that this week at the general managers’ meetings.
“We’re engaged and definitely have real, genuine interest in a reunion,” Twins GM Jeremy Zoll said during the general managers’ meetings this week. “(We) just keep working through that process.”
FanGraphs projects Jeffers at three years and $48 million, while Hayes said it could climb to four years and $75 million. Bringing him back would be a meaningful move. But even that kind of deal would only be part of the equation if the Twins also build a stronger roster around him.
That’s where the caution comes in. Minnesota has been down this road before.
The Twins gave Ricky Nolasco a four-year, $49 million deal in 2014 to steady the rotation, and it didn’t work. He went 15-22 with a 5.44 ERA before being traded to the Los Angeles Angels in 2016.
Two years later, the club signed Byung-Ho Park to a four-year, $12 million contract to bring power to first base, but the bat never translated consistently enough. He was sent to Triple-A and returned to Korea after just 62 games.
Those deals came under Terry Ryan, but the misses didn’t stop there once Derek Falvey took over. In 2018, Minnesota spent on Lance Lynn, Addison Reed, and Logan Morrison, but the group added negative net value. Josh Donaldson then arrived on the largest free-agent contract in Twins history, a four-year, $92 million pact in 2020, and the results were derailed by injuries and clubhouse friction before the team traded him to the New York Yankees in 2022.
Matt Shoemaker, Andrelton Simmons, and Christian Vazquez also ended up as examples of money spent without enough return. There were wins too - Nelson Cruz in 2019 and Carlos Correa in 2022 - but those situations came with their own context, from Cruz’s age cliff to Correa’s six-year, $200 million deal in 2023 after failed physicals with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.
So the conversation around this winter can’t just be about finally spending. It has to be about spending on players who actually fit.
Jeffers may be one name the Twins are willing to pay for, even if the price gets steep. But if the deal stretches to four years, Minnesota could be committing top dollar to a catcher who would be 34 by the end of it.
And if the Twins aren’t also chasing Tarik Skubal, there are plenty of other free-agent traps waiting to swallow up money that could have been used better elsewhere.
There’s also the possibility that more players become available if MLB and the union work out a salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement. Even if that doesn’t arrive until 2028, it could make sense to wait and see whether the market opens up once a new deal is in place.
That may not be the Twins’ style as they try to buy back “Don From Woodbury” after cutting payroll in 2023. But the larger point is hard to miss: spending alone won’t fix this. The Twins need the right names, or this offseason will just be another expensive mistake.
In Other News...
Kody Clemens Put Twins Fans In A Spotlight They Didn't Expect
The Twins have already found themselves in the Silver Slugger conversation as a team finalist in the American League, but Kody Clemens is pulling a little extra attention into the mix. He has landed among the finalists at second base, putting his name next to Chase Meidroth of the White Sox in a race that reflects more than just one hot stretch at the plate. Clemens also spent time moving around the diamond this season, which only adds to the sense that his value for Minnesota went beyond a single spot on the field.
For Twins fans, the interesting part is how this award race frames the season from an offensive angle, especially with Clemens among the two names left standing at second. The comparison with Meidroth comes down to production, and the broader team nomination gives Minnesota a chance to see its lineup recognized in a national spotlight. Whether Clemens finishes with the hardware or not, his presence in the final round is a reminder that the Twins got contributions from some unexpected places. [Read more 🡒]
Twins May Need The Trade Market For A Real First Base Fix
The Twins are already looking ahead to 2027 with offense and bullpen help on the shopping list, and the search for a real answer at first base could push them beyond the free-agent market. Jake Bauers signing elsewhere only sharpens the need, especially for a club trying to position itself to contend in the AL Central rather than patch the spot with another short-term stopgap.
One name that fits the conversation is Astros first baseman Christian Walker, whose situation in Houston could make him available if the infield picture keeps getting crowded. His 2026 performance and contract status give Minnesota a potential trade target with more certainty than a typical winter fallback, but the Twins would still need to decide how aggressively to pursue a deal and what price they are willing to pay. [Read more 🡒]
Twins May Use Rotation Depth To Fix A Bullpen Question
The Twins are weighing a familiar kind of roster shuffle this winter, one that could help them solve a bullpen issue without chasing the usual high-priced relief market. General manager Jeremy Zoll said the club values its current starting pitchers, but is open to adding another starter in free agency if it creates more flexibility elsewhere on the staff.
Minnesota has long preferred to build its bullpen through trades, internal conversions and minor-league signings rather than handing out big contracts to relievers, and this approach fits that pattern. The idea would be to deepen the rotation, then potentially shift one of those starters into a relief role, giving the Twins more options as they try to piece together the back end of games. [Read more 🡒]