The Twins have a practical offseason fix sitting in a familiar name: Ty France.
Minnesota needs help at first base, and that search comes with some uncertainty. Royce Lewis took over as the club’s primary first baseman at points this season, but his performance issues leave the Twins needing another option in the mix, even if they intend to keep him around. Victor Caratini can also handle first base, though he is expected to move into the starting catcher role with Ryan Jeffers likely headed for free agency.
France, who already spent part of last season in Minnesota, is one possibility worth revisiting. He signed a one-year deal with the Twins after the 2024 season, but the fit never really clicked at the plate.
Over 101 games, he put up a .678 OPS before Minnesota shipped him and right-hander Louis Varland to the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline. In return, the Twins got left-hander Kendry Rojas and outfielder Alan Roden.
France’s run in Toronto was brief and only slightly better. In 103 plate appearances with the Blue Jays, the 32-year-old posted a .693 OPS and went 1-for-4 in the playoffs.
That stretch was enough to push him into a minor-league deal with the San Diego Padres this offseason, but France wound up forcing his way onto the roster out of spring training. From there, he turned into one of the biggest surprises in the league.
France finished fourth among Padres position players in FanGraphs WAR at 3.6, behind only Fernando Tatis Jr. at 5.4, Jackson Merrill at 4.2 and Mason Miller at 3.7. San Diego won 91 games and then knocked off the Chicago Cubs in the National League Wild Card Series with France handling first base.
At the plate, he delivered the best offensive season of his recent career. France hit .295/.363/.502 with 21 home runs and 72 RBI in 133 games, then went 7-for-22 in the playoffs.
He also gave the Padres real value with the glove. Across 1,030 1/3 innings at first base, France posted +15 Defensive Runs Saved and +7 Outs Above Average. The year before, he logged +9 DRS and +10 OAA.
That kind of defensive profile matters for the Twins, even if the bat settles back down. Minnesota would not need to chase him on a massive long-term contract, but a reasonable one- or two-year deal would make sense. France showed in San Diego that he still has something to offer, and the Twins could use that at a position that has not given them much over the past several seasons.
In Other News...
Twins Face One Big Austin Martin Decision This Offseason
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
Ryan Jeffers is headed into a winter that could reshape the Twins catching picture, and the club may have to make its call before the market really opens up. The looming free-agent issue is straightforward enough on the surface: Minnesota would like to keep a productive regular in the mix, but it is also balancing the long-term path of top catching prospect Vahn Lackey, which makes a multiyear commitment feel complicated.
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
The Arizona Fall League is starting to do what it usually does this time of year: give front offices and fans a fresh look at young hitters who are trying to finish the season on a high note. Among the names popping up in the weekly rundown, Kyle DeBarge is one Minnesota followers will want to keep tabs on, especially with the crop of top bats spread across Salt River, Peoria and Scottsdale.
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 🡒]