Twins continue 40-man roster housecleaning ahead of offseason

This winter is going to be one of the most important offseasons the Minnesota Twins have had in quite some time.

A handful of key decisions must be made to ensure the future remains as bright as it looked this October. Minnesota has a slew of free agents and arbitration-eligible players that will need to be attended to, plus a few roster holes that will be filled through trades or signings.

There are also a few up-and-coming players in the minors that could take the leap this offseason, which is something the team is preparing for by doing some house keeping with the 40-man roster.

Minnesota Twins continue to cut down 40-man roster ahead of offseason

This week the Twins released Oliver Ortega, who was picked up by the Houston Astros on waivers not long after.

Minnesota claimed Ortega off waivers back in January but he only ende dup throwing fifteen inning for the Twins before being placed on the 60-day IL. The big takeaway from the move doesn’t really have anything to do with something on the field as much as it does off it.

This now marks four players the Twins have removed from the 40-man roster since the end of the season. Minnesota outrighted Jordan Luplow, Andrew Stevenson, and Jose De Leon earlier this week, and with Ortega’s exit the team is clearing space on for potential moves this winter.

If you’re wondering why the Twins are making these moves to clear 40-man roster space, it’s because the deadline to add Rule 5 eligible players is nearing. Minnesota — and all MLB teams — have until mid-November to add certain minor league players who could be lost to the Rule 5 Draft if they aren’t added to the 40-man roster.

This includes players like Jair Camargo, Yunior Severino, Jose Salas, and Emmanuel Rodriguez. Austin Martin is also on the list, but the expectation is that he’ll legitmately get added to the 40-man roster with the intention of potentially making the Opening Day roster next April.

For slots are already cleared to add players, but it might be the last bit of housecleaning that the Twins do.

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