The Minnesota Twins have an interesting offseason ahead of them. The team surprisingly stayed competitive for most of the 2026 season but was ultimately eliminated from playoff contention in the second-to-last weekend of the regular season. Not to mention, the weak nature of the American League Central and Wild Card race is a major reason the Twins stayed in the race as long as they did.
After missing the playoffs three straight years following the memorable 2023 season, the Twins enter the offseason with several burning questions surrounding the organization.
3 burning questions for the Twins heading into the 2026-27 offseason
Will the team make a big free agency splash?
Controlling person Tom Pohlad made it clear he intends to provide general manager Jeremy Zoll with the resources he needs to make the Twins competitive in 2027. If Pohlad plans to back up that message, Minnesota fans could be treated to an exciting offseason unless the looming lockout keeps the team from making moves.
The question is, who would the Twins be interested in signing? With Ryan Jeffers set to hit free agency, the team's big offseason move could simply be to bring back the fan favorite. If Minnesota wants to add a catcher, another option is Carson Kelly.
The Twins are pretty set in the outfield with Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, Luke Keaschall and Byron Buxton, so if the team wants to add offensive help via free agency, the team will likely look to add a catcher or an infielder. Available infielders include Ty France, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Luis Arraez, Mauricio Dubón, Brandon Lowe and Bo Bichette.
As for the pitching, the team could obviously use more bullpen arms. Minnesota's bullpen ranked 26th in ERA at 4.74 this year. The bullpen improved quite a bit throughout the season with the emergence of Yoendrys Gomez and Andrew Morris, plus the additions of A.J. Minter, Tommy Nance and Jeff Hoffman. Nance and Hoffman will return in 2027, putting the group in much better shape than last offseason. Regardless, the team could use some more bullpen arms.
If the Twins are looking to spend big, relievers they could target include Adrian Morejon, David Bednar, Raisel Iglesias and Minter.
There are also several strong starting pitching options on the free agent market. It's doubtful the Twins will be in the running for Tarik Skubal. Possible targets are Trevor Rogers, Kevin Gausman, Sonny Gray, Freddy Peralta and Tyler Mahle.
Will Minnesota trade Joe Ryan?
On the surface, it doesn't seem it would make sense for the Twins to trade Ryan, an All-Star the past two seasons, if they plan to be competitive next year. However, it could still make sense for the Twins to deal the veteran right-hander even if they plan to make a postseason run in 2027.
Ryan, 30, will be a free agent at the end of next season. Minnesota may want to receive some young talent for Ryan before he hits the free agent market.
Ryan started the season strong, posting a 2.85 ERA over 110 1/3 innings in the first half. Unfortunately, he made only seven starts after the All-Star break because of a glute strain and posted a poor 6.82 ERA over 34 1/3 innings. Ryan notably has a 4.98 second-half ERA throughout his career, much worse than his strong 3.17 first-half ERA. Ryan's second-half struggles and contract situation are reasons for Minnesota to trade the right-hander this offseason.
What's the Twins' plan for Royce Lewis?
How the Twins handle Royce Lewis this offseason may be the biggest question of them all. After his outstanding rookie season in 2023, Lewis has posted just 2.6 fWAR over 313 games. He had an 85 wRC+ over the past two seasons.
It would be tough for the Twins to give up on Lewis. He was the 2017 first-round pick and put up MVP-level numbers in 2023, posting a 152 wRC+ with 15 home runs and 52 RBI over 58 games. He also hit four home runs in six postseason games in 2023.
Unfortunately, it might be time for the Twins to move on from Lewis. Minnesota optioned him to Triple-A St. Paul last May, hoping it would spark a resurgence at the plate. He dominated Triple-A pitching, but it didn't translate to success at the big-league level after he was called back up.
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