When the Twins signed Josh Bell to a one-year, $7 million deal, many speculated he'd be Minnesota's primary first baseman in 2026. However, with Minnesota's recent trade acquisition of first baseman Eric Wagaman, Bell is likely slated to be the Twins' primary designated hitter, a role he served for the Washington Nationals last season.
Bell, a poor defender, will still get some starts at first base in 2026. However, Wagaman, who posted a .783 OPS against lefties last season, and Kody Clemens will most likely serve as Minnesota's primary first basemen in a platoon system.
With Bell, Wagaman and Clemens expected to be the Twins' primary first basemen and designated hitters, Minnesota may look to trade left-handed-hitting outfielder/designated hitter Trevor Larnach.
Twins should trade Trevor Larnach for bullpen help after Josh Bell, Eric Wagaman acquisitions
Larnach played in left and right field occasionally last season, but he mainly served as Minnesota's designated hitter. In 142 games during the 2025 campaign, Larnach hit .250/.323/.404 (99 OPS+) with 17 home runs and 60 RBI. If he were a good defender, he could've been a valuable player with those stats. Unfortunately, he was a poor defender in his limited time in the outfield last year, and as a primary designated hitter, a 99 OPS+ isn't great.
Therefore, the Twins should try to trade Larnach, preferably for a reliever. Larnach, 28, has shown he can be a force at the plate in flashes, but his career 101 OPS+ suggests he is simply a league-average hitter. The Twins also already have plenty of big-league outfielders (Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner, Austin Martin, James Outman and Alan Roden), and several promising outfield prospects (Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Gabriel Gonzalez) who will likely make their MLB debuts in 2026, suggesting Larnach may be the odd man out.
A rebuilding team may want to take a flier on Larnach, a former first-round pick, and could be willing to give up a bullpen arm, which Minnesota desperately needs, to acquire the outfielder. The Twins likely won't be any worse by losing Larnach, but they certainly would get better by adding an established bullpen arm. If they can swing a trade for a reliever in exchange for Larnach, they should do it.