Twins fans were pretty happy with the team's starting rotation going into the 2026 season.
Joe Ryan, Pablo López, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, Zebby Matthews, Mick Abel, and Taj Bradley make up what is expected to be one of the stronger staffs in the American League. This was enough to satisfy the fandom, but recent reports of the Twins showing interest in Freddy Peralta has potentially opened a can of worms.
Were the Twins ever going to land him? Probably not, but the fact that they checked in on him has fans thinking — and possibly wanting — more out of this pitching staff. It was a thought that didn't exist a week ago, but now that we know the organization tried for an added push, should we hope for more? Should the Twins try to shop for another starting pitcher?
Minnesota Twins' offseason takes sudden turn with interest in starting pitching
We aren't going to get too far ahead of ourselves, but Freddy Peralta was by far the best 'available' starting pitcher based on 2025 production — and the Twins shockingly threw their hat in the ring for him. Peralta wound up getting traded to the New York Mets in an unsurprising move, so every team has to move on to wishing for another starter. Taking a look at the free agent pool, Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, Nick Martinez, Chris Bassitt, and Zack Littell are all still on the market.
You can almost forget about Valdez and Gallen signing with Minnesota to a long-term deal, but the other three offer some intrigue. Bassitt and Martinez are in their mid-to-late 30s, so a short-term deal for a solid middle-of-the-rotation could be a fun play. But Littell is the true 'hidden gem.'
At 30 years old, Littell has been DFA'd and traded several times in his career. Teams seem to not value him much, so that could mean he won't be offered a seismic deal this offseason. If the Twins were really interested in bolstering the rotation, a reunion with Littell could be the perfect move. He's registered an ERA in the mid-3.00s the last two years.
Littell offers a different visual on the mound, too. The right-hander has an elite walk rate with his slider and splitter being his most used pitches.
Will Minnesota actually continue hunting for another starter? The odds are low, but showing interest in Peralta suggests that the club wants to build. We've reached a dull point in the offseason, just ahead of pitchers and catchers reporting, so all we can do now is wait and hope that your favorite team does a final patching of the roster. We're all for the Twins trying to make the team better, and maybe they'll come through.