2 Minnesota Twins players who made Opening Day roster but will be cut by June

2 Minnesota Twins players who made Opening Day roster but will be cut by June

OF James Outman

If Outman had minor-league options left, he'd probably be in Triple-A St. Paul, and Alan Roden would probably be in the majors.

Outman, whom the Twins acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers for right-handed reliever Brock Stewart at last summer's trade deadline, made the Opening Day roster as a backup outfielder. During the Twins' first series of the season against the Baltimore Orioles, Outman went 0-for-2 and collected a walk.

Outman finished third in 2023 Rookie of the Year voting after finishing the season with 3.4 bWAR and a 114 OPS+. Since then, he has failed to hit above .200, leading him to spend much of his time in the minors. Given his outstanding rookie season, Outman clearly has the potential to perform at a higher level. But it's also likely he won't return to the 2023 version of himself, and Roden finds himself back in the majors soon.

INF Tristan Gray

Gray, whom the Twins acquired from the Boston Red Sox for minor-league catcher/first baseman Nate Baez in January, made Minnesota's Opening Day roster as the backup shortstop behind Brooks Lee after battling for the role with Ryan Kreidler and Orlando Arcia during spring training. Gray can also play third and second base.

Many assumed Kreidler would earn the role, since he can also play outfield and is a right-handed bat, while the Twins have an abundance of left-handed hitters.

After appearing in two big-league games in 2023 and 15 games in 2024, Gray played in 30 games with the Tampa Bay Rays last season. In 86 plate appearances with Tampa Bay in 2025, Gray slashed .231/.282/.410 (91 OPS+) with three home runs, five doubles and nine RBI.

Unusual for a left-handed hitter, Gray struggled significantly against right-handed pitchers but excelled against southpaws last season; the 30-year-old infielder hit .179/.242/.286 across 56 at-bats against righties, and posted a .364/.391/.727 slash line over 22 at-bats against lefties.

Gray impressed in his Twins debut against the Orioles on Sunday, going 2-for-4 with a two-RBI double and an RBI single. Even though he started the season on the right foot, it's doubtful Gray, a 30-year-old journeyman, will have a highly successful season at this stage in his career. It's more likely that he does a serviceable job as the backup shortstop, then loses his roster spot when top infield prospect Kaelen Culpepper is ready for the majors.