Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in just a few days, yet several former Twins are still without a job. Here are notable ex-Twins who are still seeking a team to sign with and won't return to Minnesota, and some ex-Twins who could return to the land of 10,000 lakes.
5 notable former Twins still without a job who won't return to Minnesota as 2026 spring training nears
C Christian Vázquez
The Twins are set at the catcher position with Ryan Jeffers, Victor Caratini and Alex Jackson, meaning a Vázquez reunion is not happening.
A Vázquez-Houston Astros reunion may occur, however, as The Athletic's Chandler Rome reported earlier in the offseason that Houston is interested in the catcher who signed a three-year, $30 million deal with the Twins after he earned a World Series ring with the Astros in 2022. Vázquez would likely be a solid backup for a team on a cheap one-year deal, but the Twins don't need him.
C Gary Sánchez
Sánchez, who posted 0.7 bWAR in 128 games with the Twins in 2022, is a free agent after appearing in just 29 games with the Baltimore Orioles last season. He missed a lot of time last year due to a knee sprain and wrist inflammation. The Twins certainly aren't interested in reuniting with Sánchez, but another team will likely be willing to offer the power-hitting backstop a one-year deal.
C/DH Mitch Garver
There seems to be a trend here... Another ex-Twins catcher on the free-agent market, Garver is coming off a rough two seasons with the Seattle Mariners in which he slashed .187/.290/.341 (85 OPS+) over 201 games. At this point in his career, Garver is mainly a designated hitter, yet he hasn't hit at an above-average level since 2023. He may have to settle for a minor league deal this offseason.
1B Ty France
The Twins already have Josh Bell, Kody Clemens, Eric Wagaman and Victor Caratini to play first base. France, whom the Twins traded to the Toronto Blue Jays as part of the Louis Varland deal last summer, has reportedly received interest from the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres. The Yankees recently signed Paul Goldschmidt and the Diamondbacks signed Carlos Santana, so the Padres and Mets are the most likely landing spots for the 2025 Gold Glove award winner.
RF Max Kepler
In case you missed it, Kepler is suspended for 80 games after testing positive for PEDs this offseason. Even if Kepler wasn't facing a suspension, the Twins likely wouldn't be interested in bringing him back. Minnesota has plenty of left-handed hitting outfielders, and Kepler struggled mightily with the Phillies last season, posting a .691 OPS.
3 notable former Twins still without a job who could return to Minnesota as 2026 spring training nears
RHP Liam Hendriks
The Twins could use another established righty reliever in their bullpen. Since Hendriks struggled in limited action last season and missed the entire 2024 campaign due to undergoing Tommy John surgery, the righty won't be expensive, which makes him a perfect fit for the Twins.
LHP Danny Coulombe
The Twins are probably okay with starting the season with Taylor Rogers and Kody Funderburk as their lone lefties in the bullpen. But if they are unable to find an established righty reliever on the free agent or trade markets to their liking, they may consider bringing back Coulombe, who posted a 2.30 ERA in 43 innings with the Twins and Texas Rangers last season. He is effective against righties and lefties, so the Twins shouldn't care about the fact that he's a southpaw and that they already have two lefties slated to be in the opening day bullpen.
INF Donovan Solano
Reuniting with Solano is unlikely for the Twins since they've already signed infielders Gio Urshela and Orlando Arcia to minor league deals. However, Solano will likely have to settle for a minor league deal, meaning the Twins could be willing to bring back the infielder who played a key role on the 2023 team that defeated the Blue Jays in the American League Wild Card Series. Still, it's unlikely, as Solano likely wants to sign with a team with less infield depth.