Monday Morning Minnesota: The “Hit The Roof” Edition
The playoffs have already moved past the Wild Card round and into the middle stretch of the Division Series, and former Twins keep popping up in the spotlight. Ty France nearly played spoiler for the Padres in Game 1 against the Brewers, only to send a moonshot off Trevor Megill that bounced off the American Family Field retractable roof and dropped into Jackson Chourio’s glove.
Elsewhere, Sonny Gray wasn’t thrilled after manager Chad Tracy lifted him in the fifth inning with the score 1-0, two outs on the board, and two runners aboard. Some things never change.
Back in Twins Territory, the biggest development came at a final press conference with Tom Pohlad, Jeremy Zoll, and Derek Shelton. Pohlad said the Twins will raise payroll in 2027. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Around the site, Zach Koenig looked back on his trips to the ballpark this season, while Matt Monitto brought back the offseason movie nights with a spooky October theme. Zach Koenig also broke down where MLB and the players stand after the 2026 season in salary cap and floor talks.
Elsewhere in Twins coverage, Dan Hayes at The Athletic dug into the year-end Pohlad press conference, Betsy Helfand at the Pioneer Press examined how the Twins are preparing for a potentially long offseason, Bobby Nightengale at the Star Tribune evaluated Royce Lewis’ season and whether he’ll return to the Twins, and Nick Nelson at Twins Daily laid out the Twins’ current 2027 roster and payroll situation.
Across baseball, the week brought the end of the road for the Phillies, Cubs, Red Sox, and Astros in the wild card round, with each Division Series now underway. Will Leitch at MLB.com examined the questions facing every ALDS team heading into Game 2, AJ Cassavell and Adam McCalvy at MLB.com looked at the storylines surrounding Ty France’s flyball and the reactions from players and coaches, and Kiley McDaniel at ESPN surveyed MLB insiders on the kind of contract Tarik Skubal might land this offseason.
In Other News...
Twins Roster Shift Could Put Josh Bell In A Tough Spot
The Twins are starting to think long term with Luke Keaschall, and that has a ripple effect well beyond one lineup spot. If the young outfielder develops the way the organization hopes, he could settle in as a future leadoff hitter and a regular in the outfield, giving Minnesota a player to build around at the top of the order and in the field.
Josh Bell, meanwhile, could wind up squeezed by the numbers. With several outfielders and prospects competing for playing time, the roster is getting crowded fast, and Bells value comes mostly as a designated hitter. In a setup like that, there may not be enough room to bring him back, which makes his situation one of the quieter but more interesting questions hanging over the Twins offseason plans. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face Tough 2027 Calls On Several Familiar Names
The Twins are already staring at a busy arbitration picture for 2027, and MLB Trade Rumors latest projections put a familiar group of names in the spotlight. The list spans 10 players, with the analysis pointing toward likely stays for pieces such as Anthony Banda, Dean Kremer, Taj Bradley and Kody Clemens while sorting out the rest of the group by projected salary and recent performance.
For Minnesota, the more interesting part may be the names that sit closer to the trade or non-tender line. Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Royce Lewis are among the players the projections flag as more complicated decisions, which gives the front office another reminder that roster building in the years ahead will not be simple even for a club trying to keep its core intact. [Read more 🡒]
Twins Face A Roster Defining First Base Decision This Offseason
The Twins are heading into an offseason where first base looks like one of the clearest spots for change, and the conversation starts with Royce Lewis. His underperformance has left Minnesota without the middle-of-the-order production it hoped to get from that spot, which is why the search has expanded beyond simple internal fixes. The market offers a few different paths, from established bats to younger players who could be available in a trade, but none of them comes with an easy answer.
Yandy Daz, Alec Burleson, Spencer Steer, Triston Casas and Ryan Mountcastle all surface as possible fits, each with a different mix of upside and availability. Minnesota is also said to be open to dealing from its pitching depth in order to land an impact bat, a sign that this could become more than a routine offseason tweak. The complication is that the free-agent class at first base is viewed as thin, which could push the Twins toward a trade if they want real change rather than another stopgap. [Read more 🡒]