When looking at the Minnesota Twins' biggest needs, starting pitching doesn't come to mind first. With Pablo López, Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, Dean Kremer, Connor Prielipp, Mick Abel, and Bailey Ober under team control next season, the Twins don't necessarily need to add another starter, even though the rotation struggled this year. Major injuries to López and Abel, and later Ryan, held Minnesota's starting staff back, but as long as it's mostly healthy, it should be fine next year.
However, that doesn't mean the Twins brass shouldn't acquire another rotation arm this offseason. As we saw this year, injuries are inevitable, making pitching depth extremely important. If the Twins want to add another starter, they should look to reunite with veteran right-hander Sonny Gray, whose mutual option was just declined by the Boston Red Sox.
Gray will be 37 in November, but he still has plenty of gas left in the tank. In 2026, Gray went 18-5 with a 2.72 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 169 innings across 29 starts.
Spotrac projects Gray will sign a three-year deal for around $58 million. MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo reported that some in the industry expect him to sign a three-year deal worth $75 million-plus.
Three years may seem like a lot for a pitcher nearing 40, but Gray has proven he deserves it. If Spotrac's projection is more accurate than Cotillo's, the Twins are much more likely to sign him. If Cotillo's reported projection proves true, it's much harder to imagine Minnesota signing the right-hander.
Twins should bring back Sonny Gray this offseason
Regardless, the Twins should strongly consider signing Gray. It would not only improve Minnesota's starting-pitching depth but also give the team another ace at the top of the rotation. If Gray joins the staff and López, Ryan and Bradley remain healthy for most of the year, the Twins could have one of the best rotations in baseball.
The Twins acquired Gray from the Cincinnati Reds before the 2022 season. Despite missing time due to multiple hamstring strains, Gray had a strong first season with Minnesota, posting a 3.08 ERA over 119 2/3 innings in 24 starts. Then, in his second and final season with the Twins, Gray posted a 2.79 ERA with 183 strikeouts over 184 innings in 32 starts en route to finishing second in American League Cy Young Award voting. That year, he led MLB in FIP (2.83) and home runs per nine innings (0.4).
Gray helped the Twins win their first postseason series in 21 years, throwing five scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 of the 2023 American League Wild Card Series, which the Twins won 2-0 to advance to the American League Division Series against the Houston Astros.
After the 2023 season, the Twins let Gray walk in free agency and cut payroll by roughly $30 million heading into 2024. Last year, Ryan told The Minnesota Star Tribune's Phill Miller that he believed letting Gray walk was a huge mistake, and Gray wanted to return to Minnesota. Now that the Twins appear set to increase payroll, they may be willing to give Gray the money he wants, and he may be interested in coming back.
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