Minnesota Twins' outfield is very crowded
It's no secret that the Twins have a lot of outfielders. Byron Buxton and Matt Wallner are slated to start in center and right field, respectively, regularly for Minnesota in 2026. Left field is more up in the air. Trevor Larnach will likely get some reps at the position while also serving as a designated hitter much of the time. Austin Martin should also get some starts in left field, perhaps more often than not. Left fielder Alan Roden and highly-regarded outfield prospect Emmanuel RodrÃguez have also made their cases to make Minnesota's Opening Day roster with their strong springs.
James Outman is also hoping to crack Minnesota's Opening Day roster, which is likely to happen since the former Dodger Rookie of the Year candidate is out of minor-league options. Not to mention, the Twins have one of the best outfield prospects in baseball, Walker Jenkins, who should be ready to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026, even though he's currently sidelined with a left hamstring strain.
With the Twins' abundance of outfielders, it'd make sense for them to trade Larnach. To many's surprise, Minnesota tendered the 29-year-old a $4.475 million contract for the 2026 season in January, despite him being a league-average hitter (101 OPS+ in 442 games across five seasons) and a below-average defender (-4 Outs Above Average in 135 attempts last season). Therefore, shedding his salary to allow younger outfielders with more upside to receive more playing time would be in the Twins' best interest, especially if they can get some value in return for the former first-round pick.
With the news of two NL East contenders losing key outfielders due to PED suspensions, the Twins may finally have the opportunity to deal Larnach.
Twins just got new potential trade partners after Braves' Jurickson Profar, Phillies' Johan Rojas PED suspensions
MLB officially issued a 162-game suspension to Profar after he tested positive for exogenous testosterone, a performance-enhancing drug (PED). Profar, who was expected to start regularly for Atlanta in left field and at designated hitter this year, was also suspended for 80 games last season after testing positive for human chorionic gonadotropin. As for Rojas, the Phillies outfielder is facing an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a PED.
Both the Braves and Phillies may fill their new outfield vacancies internally, but they may also look to the trade market, which should pique the Twins' interest. Both the Braves and Phillies are presumably playoff contenders, so ensuring they have more depth following the unfortunate suspensions could be in the cards. Attempting to acquire Larnach wouldn't be a bad idea for either NL East squad.
Sure, Larnach wouldn't be the most exciting addition for the Phillies or Braves, but they'd at least know they're getting a league-average hitter at the worst, barring a dramatic fall-off. Larnach still could unlock a better version of himself at the plate. He may just need a change of scenery. If the Twins can shed Larnach's salary while receiving a solid prospect or two in return via a trade with the Phillies or Braves, they should jump on the opportunity.