As the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate clinching a World Series birth, the Twins have to be looking at their own roster with one clear question in mind: what needs to change this winter?
The answer, at least in this view, starts in the bullpen. Minnesota carries a payroll of $141.3 million, according to COT'S contracts, which ranks 18th in baseball.
The Brewers, who are just three spots behind at 21st, sit at $123.2 million. Both figures include the CBT tax, and the comparison only sharpens the point: the Twins have money to work with, and they remain a major force in a relatively small market.
What stood out most about Milwaukee was not just the result, but the way it got there. The Brewers’ bullpen has been dominant this postseason, producing a 1.33 ERA across 40 2/3 innings. That kind of relief work is exactly the sort of weapon Minnesota should be trying to build.
For this offseason, the best move for the Twins is straightforward: fix the bullpen. A stronger relief group would help shorten games, and it could become a major Achilles heel in 2027 if the club uses the unit the right way.
That urgency matters because the Twins have a lot of open spots in the bullpen heading into 2027, and those innings have to be filled with quality arms. With an impending lockout, this winter figures to move fast, so Minnesota needs to move fast with it.
The first order of business should be bringing back A.J. Minter.
He was excellent in his time with the Twins, finishing with a 2.78 ERA in 22 2/3 innings. Left-handed relief is hard to find, and when a team gets one, it cannot afford to lose him.
The Twins need to keep Minter.
After that, the search turns outward. If Minnesota wants to make a real splash and shock the baseball world, Adrian Morejon is the obvious target.
He was outstanding for the Padres, logging a 2.83 ERA in 86 innings. The workload speaks to his durability and effectiveness, and the velocity adds another layer of appeal.
David Bednar is another name that fits. The Yankees closer posted a 2.47 ERA in 69 1/3 innings, making him a strong option as well. Both Morejon and Bednar are eligible to be tendered a qualifying offer by their teams, and if they are not, the Twins should be ready to pounce.
There could also be trade possibilities, though those have not fully surfaced yet with the lockout approaching. Still, the path is clear. Minnesota has a chance to strengthen a bullpen that cost it games in 2026, and a much better relief group could be one of the biggest reasons the Twins get back to the postseason in 2027.
In Other News...
Josh Donaldson Just Reopened A Twins Trust Issue Fans Know Too Well
Josh Donaldson has reopened an old conversation around the Twins and one of the more frustrating themes of recent seasons: whether the club can fully trust its late-game decision-making. In looking back at his time in Minnesota, he described a loss of trust tied to bullpen management, a reminder that even talented teams can fray at the edges when the communication between dugout and clubhouse breaks down.
The broader issue has hardly gone away. Minnesotas relief corps has been a source of unease in recent years, and the fix would seem to require both sharper transparency around pitching changes and better arms to deploy when games tighten up late. Donaldsons comments do not change the past, but they do put a familiar pressure point back in view for a club still trying to convince everyone it has the bullpen answers to match the rest of its roster. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Have One Clear Challenge With Andrew Morris Next Season
Andrew Morris first season in the majors gave the Twins a better sense of what they have, even if the role changed along the way. He broke in as a starter before ending up in the bullpen, and the final line was respectable enough at a glance, with a 4.40 ERA and 1.37 WHIP across 73 2/3 innings. The deeper numbers hinted at a pitcher who may have been better than that surface result suggested, especially with a six-pitch mix that gave him plenty to work with.
Still, the next step for Minnesota is figuring out which pieces of that arsenal can truly carry him forward. Morris showed flashes of real effectiveness with his best pitch, but the challenge is finding more consistency around the edges of the mix and smoothing out the pitch that lagged behind the rest. Whether he stays in a relief role or gets another look as a starter, the Twins will want a clearer answer on how to get the most out of him next season. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Linked To A Veteran Bat With A Very Specific Role
A former Twins reliever recently made an interesting suggestion for Minnesotas offseason chatter, pointing to Paul Goldschmidt as the kind of veteran bat that could make sense in the right role. The idea is less about chasing the name on the back of the jersey and more about what Goldschmidt still offers: 16 years of big-league experience, an MVP award from 2022 and a track record that would give the Twins another seasoned presence in a clubhouse built around younger left-handed hitters.
Goldschmidts appeal also comes from the split that has defined much of his late-career value, making him the sort of platoon piece teams can plug in without asking him to carry the offense every day. For Minnesota, that kind of fit would be about balance as much as production, and it fits the broader conversation around how to support a young core. For now, though, it remains just that, an idea floating around the edges of the Twins offseason rather than any official move. [Read more 🡒]