A potential Minnesota Twins first baseman offseason target is officially off the board. According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Boston Red Sox have signed Milwaukee Brewers World Series champion first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers to a four-year, $58 million contract. MLB.com's Mark Feinsand listed the Twins as a fit for Bauers before he signed with Boston.
While Bauers is coming off an outstanding season, he entered 2026 with a negative career WAR. That, plus the fact that he had a qualifying offer attached to him, means the Twins might be better off signing a different first baseman anyway.
The Twins don't necessarily need a first baseman, with Royce Lewis the favorite to be the team's primary first baseman in 2027. However, the Twins might move on from Lewis this offseason because he has struggled over the past three seasons. Even if Minnesota wants to keep Lewis, general manager Jeremy Zoll should still consider adding a first baseman this offseason, as Lewis can play second base and Kody Clemens can play all around the diamond.
Twins first base targets after Jake Bauers signs with Red Sox
Ty France
France is a familiar name for Twins fans, as the first baseman signed a one-year, $1 million deal with Minnesota ahead of the 2025 season. Minnesota traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays along with Louis Varland at the 2025 trade deadline. Between the two teams, France posted 0.9 fWAR with a 92 wRC+.
After a below-average 2025 season at the plate, France signed a minor-league deal with the San Diego Padres. He made the Padres' Opening Day roster and became one of San Diego's best players, finishing the year with 3.6 fWAR and a .295/.363/.502 (141 wRC+) slash line.
MLB Trade Rumors predicts France will sign a two-year, $32 million deal. ESPN projects he will sign a one-year, $13 million contract. Trade Rumors' prediction might be too costly for the Twins, but bringing France back on a one-year deal for roughly $13 million would be a smart move. France is an elite defensive first baseman, so even if he cannot repeat his success at the plate, he should at least provide exceptional defensive value.
Paul Goldschmidt
Goldschmidt, 39, would be a more affordable option than France. The future Hall of Famer is also more of a platoon player at this point in his career. He made $4 million with the New York Yankees last season and will likely get a similar contract for 2027.
Last season, Goldschmidt slashed .299/.393/.573 against left-handed pitching. He had a rough .590 OPS against right-handers, so Minnesota shouldn't sign him to be an everyday first baseman.
As a future Hall of Famer with 16 years of big-league experience, Goldschmidt would be a perfect veteran presence for the clubhouse given how young the Twins will likely be next year.
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