While it seemed like the Minnesota Twins played it conservatively during the offseason, a number of players with major league experience who spent time on the active roster (or close to it) in 2024 are no longer with the organization.
Not everyone was invited back from the 80-victory season, hard as it might be to believe.
With that in mind, let's take a look at 10 former players whom the Twins will miss in the coming season, sprinkled among 10 whom they will NOT miss.
MISS YOU
Carlos Santana, 1B
Santana won a Gold Glove at first base in 2024, hit 8-9 percent better than league average, and tied for fifth on the team with right-hander Pablo Lopez in bWAR (2.5). It's possible that newcomer Ty France will hit as well or better, will play OK-enough defense at first, and offer a lot of the same leadership.
All for a lower salary.
But now that Santana is with the Cleveland Guardians across the AL Central, his departure has a real chance to bite the Twins in the booty, even as he turns 39. And he'll be missed because you typically miss good teammates like Santana, no matter who replaces them.
WON'T MISS YOU
Max Kepler, OF
Kepler had three really seasons with the Twins out of nine in the majors, if you count the shortened COVID pandemic year in 2020. He was typically effective on defense in right field, and slightly above league average as a hitter overall, with some individual seasons that were clunkers.
He also wasn't healthy throughout 2024 and has turned 32.
He's heading to a good hitting environment in Philly, both in ballpark and lineup, and if healthy, has a chance to put up his best stats yet. But it was time as far as Minnesota went, after 15 years in the organization and a slow boat from Germany.
Matt Wallner has a chance to be a better player going forward, and Trevor Larnach should give the Twins every bit of what Kepler and more did at the plate.
The Twins didn't need Kepler anymore.
MISS YOU
Manuel Margot, pinch-misser
Just hold on a second. The Twins won't miss the record 0-for-30 pinch hitting, or the unplayability against right-handed pitching, or the decline in defense they should have seen coming. Almost an entire negative-1 bWAR!
And yet: Fans certainly will miss scapegoating Margot, who was known as Magoo in some circles. Well, you won't have him to kick around anymore!
In fact nobody has Margot to kick around right now because he's still a free agent.
WON'T MISS YOU
Caleb Thielbar, LHP
Great story, local guy, had two different stints with the Twins, and all that. But he couldn't keep it together for long stretches in '24, and when Thielbar is a team's best left-hander, the pitching staff might as well be all right-handed.
Danny Coulombe will be more effective (as long as the elbow holds together). Thielbar signed with the Cubs, so there's a nonzero chance he becomes some kind of folk hero.
Falvey will risk it. (editor's note: nice risk Falvey)
WON'T MISS YOU, EITHER
Steven Okert, LHP
One of the bigger miscalculations made by the front office a year ago, Okert was acquired from Miami for Nick Gordon. The Twins didn't miss Gordon, but Okert missed almost no bats with his ineffective stuff. He wasn't as lackluster as Thielbar or other lefties, it just seemed like it.
He's now with the Houston Astros.
MISS YOU
Kyle Farmer, IF
He'll be missed because of the Rally Sausage, not his bat or glove.
Farmer rated as a (nearly) league-average hitter in 2023, and has been strong against lefties, but he got off to a horrendous slump in '24 and finished about 15-20 percent below league average overall. Farmer did hit better in the final two months (when few others could) but at age 34, his defensive versatility is less of an asset anymore.
The Rally Sausage turned out to be one of the few bright spots in the 2024 season, stupid as it was, because that kind of creativity is required over the long haul to mentally plow through the redundancies of MLB. Good luck manifesting Rally Rocky Mountain Oysters with the Rox in '25, Kyle.
As for the Twins: Willi Castro, what kind of gimmicks can you conjure?
WON'T MISS YOU
Diego Castillo, RHP
A burly right-handed reliever, he burned himself out with the Rays and Mariners long before arriving with the Twins. Castillo walked eight in 10 innings in '24, and since has moved to Colorado, which of course is every pitcher's favorite place to work.
ALSO WON'T MISS YOU
Diego A. Castillo, IF
Unprovable assertion: The Twins had both Diego Castillos in the organization not because they liked their talent especially, but instead because they thought it was funny. The two were never active with the big-league Twins at the same time in '24, so it must not have been that funny.
Diego A. Castillo remains among the free-agent group.
Rockies: Now you can do something funny.
MISS YOU
Brent Headrick, LHP
OK, here's a lefty reliever they might miss. Ty France's acquisition cost Headrick his spot on the 40-man roster, and the dreaded New York Yankees claimed him on waivers.
There's a nonzero chance that Headrick somehow makes his way back to the Twins someday through the magic of waivers, because that's the nature of MLB. But there's also a chance he's gone for good and sticks somewhere (not even with the Yankees, necessarily) and becomes a decent bullpen piece or even a fifth starter.
He seems the kind of player fans lament letting go, even if they didn't necessarily predict success while the player was here.
Well, we're predicting it here! Maybe.
MISS YOU TOO, LEFTY WITH A TRACK RECORD
Jovani Moran, LHP
He struck out 54 in in 40 2-3 innings with a 2.21 ERA in 2022, but walked too many in 2023, got hurt and missed all of '24 because of Tommy John surgery. Not waiting for him to bounce back with them, the Twins shipped him to the Red Sox for minor-league slugger Mickey Gasper.
Gasper has an intriguing bat, but this trade has an air of risk about it, though it still might take Moran more time to round back into major league form.
WON'T MISS YOU
Michael Helman, UT
The Twins had a potential need for a right-handed hitter who can play the corner outfield, and Helman has shown decent production in the minors over six years, especially recently. Instead, they're likely going with Austin Martin and Harrison Bader in the outfield, and letting Helman try with the Cardinals, who have had good luck with similar utility types in the past.
It's an OK risk for the Twins.
MISS YOU
Alex Kirilloff, 1B/OF
Kirilloff decided to sit out the 2025 season at age 27 after enduring back pain that no doubt contributed to his disappointing results. It's a shame, because he appeared to be turning a corner in 2023 and seemed to be healthy at the start of '24.
But bad backs stink. The Twins had replacements ready, or ideas for replacements, so they're not caught too short — it's just tough to see a former first-round pick struggle with their health.
WON'T MISS YOU
Trevor Richards, RHP
It was funny, and also kind of mean, when Twins radio announcer Kris Atteberry roasted Richards during a game, calling him a "three-pitch guy: fastball, change-up and wild pitch."
Richards had thrown six wild pitches in nine games for the Twins before being granted free agency in October, and signing with the Cubs in January.
MISS YOU
Jay Jackson, RHP
Perhaps it's controversial to put him here because Jackson's results were poor, because he's 37 years old, and because the Twins are deep in the bullpen.
They have arms. So they might not miss him in the primary definition.
But Jackson (it turns out) said he was pitching with a knee injury that required surgery after the Twins let him go. His sore knee hindered his delivery, which made him a bit vulnerable to home runs, which skewed his results in 26 1/3 innings.
So while the Twins definitely missed his best, Jackson's attitude and story were inspiring. The game needs players like him. Hopefully he catches on with a new team and gets another shot.
WON'T MISS YOU
Cole Irvin, LHP
The Twins had the worst raw stats from left-handed pitchers in the league, and it was almost funny how they kept trying to bring in more, and each of them produced nothing good.
The only detail that kept Minnesota from having the worst WPA among lefties was a lack of innings (124 1/3). Only the Mariners pitched fewer innings (82 1/3) with lefties. Seattle just didn't bother.
Irvin pitched only 3 2/3 for the Twins, but it was about 3 2/3 too many.
MISS YOU
Ronny Henríquez, RHP
Only 24 years old, Henríquez has a 2.90 ERA with 24 strikeouts and eight walks in 31 innings combined between 2022 and 2024. If you care less about results because of sample size, his 95.6 mph fastball is 76th percentile, and his BB% and ground-ball % rank even better. Best pitch is the changeup.
His roster spot was lost to Coulombe, a trade the Twins would make every time. Henríquez should get an opportunity with the Miami Marlins (Fangraphs projects him to make the roster).
WON'T MISS YOU
Giovanny Gallegos, RHP
He signed with the Dodgers, which is the only thing that should give the Twins pause. Gallegos was not effective at age 32 in 2024, not even for the Twins at Triple-A. He had developed into a solid reliever with the Cardinals, but he's lost something off his fastball and perhaps all of his pitches. He could be done.
Unless the Dodgers know something.
Do the Dodgers know something?
A lot of times, they know something. That's what makes them the Dodgers.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW, DODGERS?
MISS YOU
Josh Winder, RHP
Also be suspicious whenever the Diamondbacks pick up someone your team cut, because Mike Hazen's people know what they're doing. Winder, still just 28, pitched well (albeit in nine innings) in 2024, striking out 10, walking one and allowing no home runs. He'd be a great guy to unfairly overuse in a computer game simulation.
Maybe Hazen plays OOTP, APBA or Strat!
WON'T MISS YOU
Josh Staumont, RHP
We're just Joshing here. Anyway. Staumont isn't throwing as hard (94.9 mph) as he used to, though he's still 64th percentile with his fastball, and he did reach the upper 90s or even 100 once or twice with the Twins at one point.
None of his arsenal (including a slider) is particularly easy to hit, but his K% dropped to 17.6%, which is not anywhere close to where he needs it to keep pitching for money.
MISS YOU
Caleb Baragar, LHP
No, not Caleb Boushley.
He's a different Caleb who also found a different organization (the Texas Rangers).
This other Caleb was signed from the Atlantic League in May, and he did not perform well for St. Paul, walking too many and allowing too many home runs. After being released late in 2024, he's now in the Mexican League. Baragar has had a fascinating professional career.
Seemingly out of nowhere, he made the Giants out of Spring Training in 2020 thanks to a career pivot using analytics, it was reported. He performed well, posting a 2.78 ERA in 49 career games, all with the Giants, but nothing in the majors since 2021, when elbow trouble began.
It would have been fun to have him ascend to the Twins, but last year, they couldn't pick the correct lefty if given 100 chances.