In some ways, the Twins are no different. They’ve made some pretty monumental changes since the offseason started back on September 28, in a season finale loss to the Philadelphia Phillies that put a 70-92 cap on their disastrous 2025 season.

The biggest change is at manager. Rocco Baldelli is out, after six seasons and three postseasons as Twins skipper (527-505). His former bench coach, Derek Shelton, is replacing his good friend as head of the MN Twins clubhouse.

Joining him will be former Twins reliever, LaTroy Hawkins, who will make his debut as bullpen coach in 2026. Meanwhile multiple members of Baldelli’s staff are now gone. That includes third base coach Tommy Watkins, who’s on his way to Atlanta after 25+ years as a player/coach in Minnesota.

What about the Minnesota Twins 2026 roster plans?

But while all of this shuffling has been taking place on the managerial staff, we know next to nothing on the MN Twins’ roster plans for next season. And that is a problem being the rest of the league has already been moving and grooving in that department for weeks now.

The last time reporters attempted to get answers on how much money the front office will have to work with this offseason was during Derek Shelton’s introductory press conference.

There, everyone from Shelton to Falvey to Joe Pohlad refused to give any sort of insight on what president Derek Falvey will have or not have at his disposal this offseason to rebuild a Twins’ roster that was half-deconstructed at the 2025 trade deadline.

Since that day, even the most historically devout Twins media members have shown some frustration, on the lack of direction of this franchise. How could they not have a sense of direction this late into the process? Hell, the general manager meetings take place THIS WEEKEND.

Either those in charge are lying to us OR they really do not know what the plan is. Either way, it’s not a good look. Thankfully, top MLB insider Ken Rosenthal did some digging behind the scenes and FINALLY pulled out some answers for the rest of a very confused baseball world.

MN Twins offseason mystery revealed

According to a story Rosenthal posted at The Athletic on Tuesday morning, Derek Falvey, his GM Jeremy Zoll and new manager Derek Shelton are not answering questions on the MN Twins’ 2026 player budget because the Pohlad ownership group has yet to give it to them.

Ownership has yet to give the front office a clear direction on the 2026 payroll, according to sources briefed on the Twins’ situation.

Ken Rosenthal – The Athletic

To no shock at all, the latest issue plaguing the Minnesota Twins stems back to ownership and their inability to give the front office a number they can work with while trying to rebuild, or continue their teardown, of this roster.

So is this more Pohlad incompetence on display in real time? Well, for as long as that family owns our favorite baseball team, there will always be an element of that at play. In this case, the delay likely stems back to an announcement that clearly broke way too soon.

Back in mid-August, after 10 months of shopping the organization to billionaires who might be interested in owning an MLB team based out of the Twin Cities, the Pohlads pulled the Twins off the market and announced the addition of two mystery minority ownership groups, one local and one based out East.

Since then, we have found out that these new investment groups are set to take approximately 20% of the franchise, when the deal is done. But not only is the deal incomplete, we have yet to even hear about who is involved in either group.

Is there any hope on the horizon?

Best case scenario, the minority sale is finalized by the league’s 29 other owners next month, during the MLB winter (owners) meetings. Other than that, we know very little about these new entities, other than they’re expected to pay off most, if not all of the $450 million in debt currently haunting the organization.

Notice, I wrote about the debt in a present tense. That’s because, until these new ownership groups are finalized, that enormous debt remains, which means the Pohlads are still making massive interest payments that are coming out of whatever fund would be feeding baseball operations.

If you are looking for a bright spot to all of this Minnesota Twins depression, I’d focus on what Ken Rosenthal wrote at The Athletic right before revealing the latest chapter in the franchise’s money problems.

Pohlad and sources familiar with the sale said the investment would be used to pay down more than $425 million in debt. Putting some of that money back into the team would be a show of faith not to Shelton, but also the fans. Twins home attendance dropped from 1.95 million in 2024 to 1.77 million in 2025, the sixth-largest decline in the sport.

Ken Rosenthal – The Athletic

Rosenthal seems to believe that, should this deal still go through, the Twins could still end their deconstruction, keep Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez, and maybe even spend some money on talent, in an effort to compete for an AL Central title in 2026, even if it is on a budget, compared to recent seasons.

The MN Twins roster is currently set at $96 million or less next season, depending on where you look. Last year, before shipping off Carlos Correa, that number was closer to $150 million. In 2023, it peaked at $153.7 million.

In other words, the Pohlads could green-light $15-$20 million in offseason spending and still be nowhere near the cost of past rosters. Whether or not that will happen, or that this minority sale even gets finalized in the first place…

I’ll believe it when I see it.

Jim Bowden praises Minnesota Twins patience

After the Pohlads cut spending substantially before the 2024 season, money has been tight. While not everyone paying attention is happy with what Derek Falvey has done with the few dollars he has, but one MLB insider loves what this front office has done during the past few months… even if it was mostly nothing.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden agrees.

“The Twins didn’t have any glaring weaknesses on their roster outside of a possible need for a right-handed-hitting outfielder, which they finally addressed with last week’s signing of Harrison Bader. Apart from that, they signed lefty reliever Danny Coulombe to a $3 million deal, added first baseman/DH Ty France on a non-guaranteed $1 million contract and made two small trades to acquire catchers Mickey Gasper and Diego Cartaya. Largely standing pat made sense for business reasons (ownership is exploring a sale of the franchise) but also baseball reasons: Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis all spent considerable time on the injured list last season, and if the Twins can keep their star trio relatively healthy this year, that should be enough to get Minnesota back to October baseball.”

Jim Bowden on the Twins offseason (The Athletic)

If your goal is to “stand pat,” then Bowden’s designation of the MN Twins doing the best job of it is probably fair. As they have made a habit of in recent seasons, Minnesota sat back. It’s only been over the last week that bullpen help, and outfield addition, and a first baseman were signed.

Danny Coulombe, Wicked 85mph Breaking Ball. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/i0K1ylKIZV

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 14, 2024

So much of what the Twins intend to do this season remains reliant on the core they return from 2024. That’s understandable though given the commitments already made to players like Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, and Royce Lewis. Last season they got just 86, 102, and 82 games respectively from that trio.

Sure, Minnesota could have (and should have) spent substantially more on higher-tier upgrades. The spots they had available to do so were understandably limited though. Any chance for the Twins to win the division rests on the production and availability of players already on the roster.

Related: 2025 Minnesota Twins Opening Day Roster Projection (1.0)

Spring Training kicks off this week. It was the end of the time in Fort Myers last year that saw the bullpen get decimated. The team needs a clean bill of health as they head to St. Louis, and they need that to continue throughout the year.

This team is a solid club as currently constructed. Angst can still be sent towards the Pohlad family, and they can’t leave soon enough. That doesn’t change the fact that the front office didn’t have significant heavy lifting to do.

Depth was the key culprit this season for the Twins, and thankfully Joe Pohlad said that ownership won’t cut payroll further. They probably aren’t going to raise it either, so internal options will need to supplement whatever small free agent additions are deemed worthy. There are a few key areas to focus on though.

Minnesota Twins rotation needs help for Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan

The Minnesota Twins need to take a page out of the Minnesota Vikings book. When Brian Flores needed secondary help Kwesi Adofo-Mensah went and added Stephon Gilmore. When the Twins needed rotation help Derek Falvey added the equivalent of Andrew Booth Jr. in Anthony DeSclafani.

Every one of Pablo Lopez's 14 strikeouts from today, which is tied for the most in one game this season pic.twitter.com/HGepHR2uhc

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 23, 2024

Minnesota doesn’t need to go pay the freight for an ace. That didn’t work out well for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Jordan Montgomery. What they do need to do is add a top-three starter. It’s great that David Festa, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Zebby Matthews all emerged as rookies. They should be seen as depth rather than necessity.

Related: Twins’ Byron Buxton Feeling Really Good About His Knee

The top of the rotation is in good hands with Lopez and Ryan taking spots one and two. Bailey Ober is a strong three that can play up. Another arm of that ilk must be acquired.

Hiring: A Gold Glove first baseman to replace Carlos Santana

Strapped for cash Derek Falvey made the decision to bring in veteran Carlos Santana as his starting first baseman. There were points where his bat got hot, but his glove never ceased to play. The first baseman should win a Gold Glove (while wearing a pink one), but he’s probably headed elsewhere.

Carlos Santana goes over the railing and hangs on for the out! pic.twitter.com/2gZDlwYYke

— MLB (@MLB) July 6, 2024

Minnesota could opt to teach Edouard Julien the role, as that seems like a logical fit. Beyond him though, there aren’t many other internal options. Yunior Severino is on the 40-man roster, but the prospect is not good defensively and that would hold the infield back as a whole.

Related: The Story Behind Carlos Santana’s Pink Glove

Ideally the first baseman brought in could hit from the right side of the plate. No matter who is tabbed for the job, they will have a high bar to clear.

Worthy bullpen help… especially if Griffin Jax moves to starter?

Last year the Twins entered the season with the possibility to have one of baseball’s best bullpens. That quickly went belly-up when Justin Topa was never ready to go and Jhoan Duran got hurt during spring training. The other additions were added from the scrap-heap and that cannot happen again.

Just how good was Griffin Jax (1.1IP 1H 0R 0BB 2K) in the @Twins win over the Marlins? The reliever had the two highest graded pitches in the league last night.

Griffin's sweeper wins our Relief Pitcher Pitch of the Day pic.twitter.com/znebyD3OSg

— Baseball Prospectus (@baseballpro) September 26, 2024

There isn’t a great track record of the Twins paying big money for relief arms. That’s not the suggestion here, either. Thad Levine became the fall guy, now it’s up to President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey to fix things or he is next on the chopping block. Keep Topa and find two more worthy arms to help.

Related: Is Griffin Jax Taking Twins’ Top Reliever Role from Jhoan Duran?

Griffin Jax is among the best relievers in baseball, but he wants to try his hand as a starter again. If he goes that route, maybe he helps fix the rotation problems? But that is far from a given, and taking him out of an already shaky bullpen could prove lethal.

At the end of the day, what the Minnesota Twins really need this offseason are owners who care more about winning baseball games and less about padding their pockets every season. Unfortunately, that need is unlikely to be met.

Multiple players will see contract boosts in 2025, and arbitration figures play a factor as well. That means there are 40-man roster players that won’t be around a year from now.

If the Twins want to make any moves of substance through free agency, it will cost them some names that they currently employ. The trade market was a significant avenue for Minnesota to improve last season, and that remains the case this year as well. Arguably the most impactful reality of the last 12 months was the Jorge Polanco deal. So who is on the outs this time?

Christian Vazquez has to go

When the Twins signed Christian Vazquez to a three-year deal for $30 million it couldn’t have made more sense. They needed to replace Mitch Garver and Ryan Jeffers wasn’t a consistent commodity. Vazquez has won a pair of World Series rings, and he is among the better defenders in the league.

The problem is that he has been a complete zero when it comes to offensive production in Minnesota. He posted a 99 OPS+ in 2022, just shy of league average, and carried and 85 OPS+ to that point in his career.

With Minnesota though, he has just a 62 OPS+. He has been a negative asset at the plate, and not short stint of production changes that. It’s too bad the brief changes didn’t stick.

christian vazquez 📈

+ added a toe tap in load
+ keeps him back, not out front chasing cb/sl

start of 2024-may ⬅️
.162/.182/.200
39% chase%
14% swinging strike
33% pull%

jun-present ➡️
.286/.327/.505
27% chase%
8% swinging strike
48% pull% pic.twitter.com/ji2d31yGds

— parker hageman (@HagemanParker) August 14, 2024

Related: Minnesota Twins Move On From Hitting Coach After Disastrous Finish

Minnesota is probably on the hook for part of his final $10 million. If they can find a contender looking for a defender though, the opportunity to offload him is too great. Ryan Jeffers and Jair Camargo aren’t an ideal combination, but the Pohlad’s aren’t opening their pocketbooks.

Former Twins 1st round pick Alex Kirilloff — See ya!

The Minnesota Twins have given Alex Kirilloff ample opportunities to produce. This season he bottomed out with a career-worst 81 OPS+. That came on the heels of the decision to deceive his team about an injury, and he was sent to the offseason early.

alex kirilloff struck out 4 times in a row tonight then hit an opposite field homer because baseball pic.twitter.com/db4GxfTinq

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) July 20, 2023

He’s not a good defensive first baseman, and he’s not an ideal corner outfielder either. His wrist has been a problem for years, and there’s no reason to believe the front office has much trust in him.

Kirilloff is due for arbitration again this season, but there’s no reason not to let someone else pay that freight. He’s not going to command much of anything, but a swap for another failed prospect or someone needing a change of scenery makes sense.

Related: Aaron Gleeman Puts Minnesota Twins Owner on Trial in Epic Back-and-Forth

Almost any trade discussion the Twins have this offseason should include trying to dump Kirilloff, and talking him up with positive upside will be the goal.

Minnesota Twins don’t need Chris Paddack clogging a rotation spot

It was understandable to deal Taylor Rogers and Brent Rooker for a package that focused around Chris Paddack. Emilio Pagan could immediately impact the bullpen, and the starter had the makings of a cheap option for the rotation.

Paddack has never regained his form though, and paying him $7.5 million is something the Twins should be hoping someone else does in 2025.

Chris Paddack, Dirty 84mph Changeup. 👌 pic.twitter.com/F1u5TBvxHZ

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 9, 2024

It’s too bad that Rooker has become incredible, but it took two different teams for him to get there. Paddack has appeared in just 24 games for Minnesota over three seasons, and he has been ineffective when healthy. Sure, the underlying numbers are noteworthy, but they mean nothing when the actual results leave plenty to be desired.

Reliever: Is This the End for Chris Paddack in Minnesota?

Minnesota has developed a pitching pipeline that includes arms like David Festa, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Zebby Matthews. None of them should lose starts to Paddack next season.

But they fell short of the MLB Postseason, thanks to a 28-38 record, after the All-Star break, including a 7-19 finish since September 3. Earlier on Sunday, news broke that the Twins were moving forward with Rocco Baldelli as their manager for the 2025 season.

Minnesota Twins say they aren’t cutting payroll for 2025

That’s not the only intel coming out of Target Field, after game 162. According to Dan Hayes (The Athletic) the Minnesota Twins do not plan to cut player payroll again this offseason, after chopping $30 million from the talent pool last winter.

Team source said the #MNTwins don't anticipate further payroll cuts for the 2025 season after reducing the budget by $30 million this past offseason.

Twins spent about $130m this season.

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) September 29, 2024

I suppose this is good news, given recent concerns among Twins insiders that more payroll could be taken out of the budget for 2025. Of course, it’s worth wondering whether or not we should believe what Dan’s sources are telling him.

Remember, Joe Pohlad tried the ‘up-front and honest’ method this time last year, when he went on record announcing his plans for budget cuts to the fanbase. That, of course, didn’t go over very well.

Related: Minnesota Twins Fan Kicked Out and Banned from Target Field for Anti-Pohlad Sign

So, it possible the Minnesota Twins ownership group learned their lesson. Maybe they will cut payroll, maybe they’ll leave it around the same. One thing is for sure, they wouldn’t tell us one way or another, this time around.

Speaking of executive president and the face of ownership, Joe Pohlad, he told reporters today that, like Rocco Baldelli, the president of baseball operations, Derek Falvey, is also safe.

His performance even prompted discussions of being designated for assignment by the Twins early in 2023, at the peak of his struggles. But in the second half, Kepler was one of the Twins’ best and most consistent bats in the lineup. When the infield dust settled on the season, it ended up being one of the best of Max’s 9-year career.

Related: Twins Confident Byron Buxton Can Handle Starter Reps in Center Field; Will Not Seek Backup Plan

He finished with a .260 batting average, .816 OPS. and 121 OPS+, registering 22 doubles, 24 home runs, 66 RBIs, 72 runs scored and a 124 wRC+ (Weighted Runs Created Plus) 2.6 fWAR across 130 games. He enters the final year of his five-year, $35 million contract signed prior to 2019.

Still, the Minnesota Twins organization is flush with corner outfield options (or at least that’s what we once thought). So, entering the offseason, the Twins made it public knowledge that they’d be shopping Kepler, along with Jorge Polanco, Kyle Farmer and Christian Vazquez, in hopes to swap in better talent in areas of weakness (SP, RP, CF, DH).

Well, Polanco was dealt two days ago and, in doing so, Minnesota now has one of the scariest bullpens in the AL Central, entering Spring Training, and more competition for the final spot in the starting rotation. Does that mean Kepler is next? Not so fast…

Postscript on Mariners-Twins trade:

I'm told Seattle inquired about Max Kepler's availability and the potential of a larger deal, but that aspect of the talks never gained traction. @MLBNetwork @SeattleSports

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 31, 2024

Max Kepler could remain with Minnesota Twins

Clearly, the Mariners wanted both Polanco and Kepler, in what would’ve been a blockbuster-type deal. If the Twins are trying to unload Max, why didn’t they trade both of their birds with one stone? Well, it seems their manager, Rocco Baldelli, may not be willing to let him go.

Minnesota’s manager accepted an invitation to speak to the Golden Dunkers, a rather notorious Gophers basketball booster club, recently. And according to Darren Wolfson (SKOR North, KSTP) on the Mackey and Judd Show Tuesday, Baldelli was gushing so emphatically over his love affair for Max Kepler that those in attendance came away believing there’s absolutely no way the team’s right fielder is dealt.

“On Max Kepler, for what it’s worth, Baldelli last week at Dunkers was gushing so much about Max Kepler. I had a couple of people in the room tell me, ‘Max Kepler is going to be in right field March 28th, opening day in Kansas City. Like, the Twins are not trading Max Kepler’.”

Darren Wolfson – Mackey and Judd Show

Of course, it’s still within the realm of possibility that the Twins end up moving Kepler, should they receive an offer they can’t refuse. But without a doubt, trade chatter surrounding Max has quieted significantly. Even in recent trade reports and rumors, we started to see Polanco’s name mentioned with a higher sense of determination, compared to Kepler, who sometimes wasn’t mentioned at all.

Related: Everything You Need to Know About New Minnesota Twins Prospect Gabriel Gonzalez

A recent example came from Dan Hayes (The Athletic) on January 19, in a piece he wrote after interviewing Derek Falvey. In the article, the Twins President of Baseball Ops warned the fanbase that their signature offseason moves may wait until Spring Training, due to the slow market.

Nearly the entire article went by without once mentioning Kepler, who wasn’t in the headline either. Finally, about 3/4 of the way through, Hayes and Falvey suddenly remembered that Kepler was one of the four veterans the team had originally planned to trade.

“With a plethora of talented young infielders developing last season and minimal financial flexibility because of their self-imposed spending limits, the potential for trading veterans Jorge Polanco and Kyle Farmer to shore up their starting rotation or outfield appeared high.”

— Six Paragraphs Later —

“Multiple team sources said the Twins won’t simply dump the salaries of Polanco, who’s set to earn $10.5 million this season with a $12 million club option for 2025, or Farmer, who avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $6.3 million contract earlier this month. Nor is the team looking to move either player or outfielder Max Kepler, who will make $10 million, for prospects.” 

Dan Hayes – The Athletic (Jan. 19)

Twins offseason remains fluid

It seems very possible, at this point, that the Twins may be content with the return they received for Polanco, leading them to hold onto Kepler. Alternatively, they might have reevaluated Kepler’s trade value and decided he’s not worth moving for their current needs.

Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach and Alex Kirilloff are far from the sure-hit offensive prospects they were once thought to be. So it’s very possible the Minnesota Twins hang onto Kepler, at least to start Spring Training and, possibly, the regular season.

But in all reality, it probably depends on what kind of offers come their way. They thought they’d have to wait on Polanco, just to trade him a week later. Conversations are fluid and decision-makers around the MLB can change their thinking, due to one conversation, one practice session… even one night of sleep. Hopefully, Eric is right and Falvey is waiting out the Scott Boras free agency market.

Related: Minnesota Twins Trade Jorge Polanco to Seattle Mariners for Haul of Players and Prospects

In 347 plate appearances last season, Buxton managed near career lows in most offensive categories, pumping a .207/.294/.438 slashline (.732 OPS), which is league average, when considering his wRC+ (Weighted Runs Created Plus), but not the type of old school baseball metrics that will move the meter for most fans, when you’re paid more than just about everybody else on the roster.

It also represents a notable decline from his .258/.316/.558 slashline (.874 OPS) between 2019 and 2022. Buxton’s impressive offensive performance over those four years, along with his exceptional defensive skills and speedy base running, established him as one of the league’s most exciting players.

Byron Buxton making these plays in 2024 will be elite, even if it’s for 60-75 games (DH for 40). pic.twitter.com/3VyOUCzZAN

— Jeff (@MNTwinsZealot) December 31, 2023

Recently, steam has been building that Buck’s knee has been feeling good, following his most recent surgery this offseason. Then, over the weekend, Buxton confirmed at Twinsfest that he’s going to get back out to the outfield in Spring Training, announcing “I’m back” to the crowd of Twins fans gathered at Target Field over the weekend.

Minnesota Twins View Byron Buxton as Everyday Center Fielder

Recently though, multiple insiders including Jon Morosi (MLB Network) and Bobby Nightengale (Star Tribune), took it a step farther reporting that the Twins are so encouraged about the progress Byron Buxton has made since he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in October, that they’re planning their 2024 outfield around having Buxton as their everyday center fielder.

How encouraged are they? Encouraged enough that their only backup plans are Willi Castro and prospect Austin Martin. Derek Falvey tells Morosi that Buxton is testing out better in his flexibility and strengths tests than he has in years. So… no Michael A. Taylor or any other ‘A’ grade insurance option or 1a/1b rest buddy who can take center field regularly throughout a grueling 162-game season.

As much as the Twins liked what Taylor contributed last year, they view Byron Buxton as their starting center fielder. They’re encouraged by Buxton’s progress since he underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in October, and they have Willi Castro and prospect Austin Martin as depth options in center.

Bobby Nightengale – StarTribune

“Oh yeah, I'm back.” – Byron Buxton on playing center field this season@jonmorosi | #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/BiEvNDPl3G

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 30, 2024

Related: Everything You Need to Know About New Minnesota Twins Prospect Gabriel Gonzalez

Last season, the Twins acquired Michael Taylor to fill in for Buxton, and he excelled in that role. Taylor filled in for Buxton throughout the season and is now in a position to turn his performance into a favorable free agent contract. He also hit 21 home runs last season.

Can Byron Buxton Stay Healthy

Really, the key is Byron Buxton’s inability to stay healthy during his nine seasons in the major leagues. Buxton has only managed to play in 100 games in one season, a 140-game campaign in 2017. Since then, he has averaged just 65 games per season, never exceeding 92 total appearances.

Given his struggles with injuries, the team had hoped that assigning Buxton as their full-time DH in 2022 would increase his availability on the field. However, that strategy did not work. We’ll see if going all-in the other way pays off.

Related: Mr. October Carlos Correa Has Arrived and He is Beautiful

Because sometime between the hours of 12:30 and 1:00 a.m CST on the morning of March 19 that spring, the Minnesota Twins and Carlos Correa agreed to a 3-year contract (really just a one-year) that sent shockwaves through the baseball community. I happened to wake up around 1:30 a.m, thought I was dreaming, and had an article up by 2:15 a.m.

Not only was I not dreaming, but after a few contracts fell through one offseason later, Correa now resides in the Twin Cities long-term. But that shocking signing nearly two years ago was a franchise-altering moment that changed the trajectory of the Twins organization forever.

This is October.
This is Carlos Correa. #WeBelieveinTC pic.twitter.com/omkPgpshIv

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) October 9, 2023

And it was all thanks to MLB super agent, Scott Boras, who found himself frustrated with the long-term offers being made to his client, Carlos Correa at that time. In response, Boras turned to the Twins and offered them what we thought was a once in a lifetime opportunity to snag a superstar in Minnesota, even if it would’ve been for just one summer.

Scott Boras holding up the MLB offseason again?

But the MLB offseason market is once again at a stand-still in 2024, just like it was entering the spring back in 2022. And guess what, it’s Scott Boras who is playing chicken with MLB front offices yet again. All five of the top free agents remaining on the market, and six of the top eight, are all Scott Boras clients.

• OF – Cody Bellinger (28-y/o) | Boras
• SP – Blake Snell (31 y/o) | Boras
• 3B – Matt Chapman (30 y/o) | Boras
• SP – Jordan Montgomery (31 y/o) | Boras
• DH – J.D. Martinez (36 y/o) | Boras
• SP – Julio Urias (27 y/o) | Boras

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Twins have been so quiet this offseason that, for awhile, many were wondering if there were any live souls walking around Target Field headquarters for a month or more. At the beginning of the offseason, the the Twins announced that they would be cutting back payroll before the start of Spring Training, citing the many unknowns surrounding their TV contract and $60 million in revenue that was up in the air.

Related: Handful of MLB Teams Including Twins Duped by International Prospects Lying About Age

A few months later, that TV/streaming situation is still yet to be figured out. Nonetheless, whether it be as part of the Amazon deal just signed by Bally Sports or they find another route, it appears the Twins are heading toward a solution that won’t cover all $60 million of that lost revenue, but certainly a large chunk of it. And President Dave St. Peter says they are very optimistic about future possibilities.

Recently, Derek Falvey and Rocco Baldelli have been out, about and talking kind of big. Rocco Baldelli went on KFAN radio last week and told Dan Barreiro that he would bet on something big happening before the team gathers less than a month from now for Spring Training. And reporters around town seem like they know something we don’t.

Twinsfest was packed and the club expects to easily pass 2 million in attendance this season. You know why? The team was good. This is why they should keep adding.

— LaVelle E. Neal III (@LaVelleNeal) January 27, 2024

Are Minnesota Twins playing dead for Scott Boras again?

Suddenly, the Twins have gone from dead in the casket, ‘we’re not spending anything, don’t even call us’… to pumping up fans and media members with optimism that something big might be on the horizon. Which begs to question, are the Twins in cahoots with Scott Boras again?

Has Falvey been waiting to deal Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco until they know what kind of surprise Boras might have for them under the offseason tree this time around? If Boras were to throw the Twins Bellinger, Snell or Montgomery, three superstars at their positions, just like they did Correa in 2022, Minnesota would be able to fill in a position of need and then adjust their offseason plan from there.

Related: Twins Trade Chips Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler Both Participating in ‘Twinsfest’

How would they afford one of those players? The front office has already cut about $25 million in player salary this offseason and now they’re starting to feel better about the TV situation. And sure, they don’t want to trade Max Kepler and Jorge Polanco for prospect packages, right now.

But if an expensive free agent addition were to change their approach, Falvey could find another $20 million by dumping their salaries for prospects, instead of demanding a tit-for-tat MLB talent only deal. Of course, there’s nothing being officially reported on something like this, but there wasn’t back in 2022 either.

Then, I woke up to go pee and the entire franchise future had been changed. So, I’m not saying to hold your breath until Cody Bellinger or Blake Snell are in Minnesota Twins uniforms. But this is absolutely something worth monitoring, at this point.

Related: Rocco Baldelli Would Bet on Twins Making a Significant Move Before Spring Training

On Friday night at Twinsfest, when asked if he’d be playing defense this spring, Byron came off as even more confident than his manager or president of baseball operations, saying “oh yeah, I’m back”.

Byron Buxton asked about playing in CF: “Oh yeah. I’m back.” #MNTwins TwinsFest Live pic.twitter.com/LhUv6M885K

— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) January 27, 2024

Byron Buxton ready to be Minnesota Twins center fielder again

As a designated hitter last season, Buxton posted a career low (seasons > 100 PA) batting average of .207, along with his worst OBP since 2020, worst slugging percentage since 2017 and his worst OPS+ since 2017. It’s safe to say the designated hitter experiment was a complete and utter failure.

But the Minnesota Twins hope that getting Byron back in center field will lead to better results at the plate. From what we’ve seen throughout his career, Buck’s proficiency as a baseball player has to do with his health. Yes, he was able to play in over half (barely) of the Twins’ games last season. But even when he was in the lineup last season, he was far from 100%. Let’s be real, Buxton would have been in the outfield, had he been anywhere near healthy.

Related: Twins Interested in Jake Odorizzi, Who Impressed in Recent Showcase

If whatever recent cleanup procedure fixed the chronic pain he feels in his knee when putting regular strain on it, and Buxton can keep himself out of walls and from further injury, I’d imagine he will be much closer to the player we remember, than what he was last year.

But, only time will tell. Spring training begins in less than one month.

Related: What are the Minnesota Twins Waiting For?

Outside of signing relief pitcher, Josh Staumont, the Twins have done pretty next to nothing for the last couple months. At the start of the MLB offseason, we were told by president of baseball operations, Derek Falvey, that he’d be shopping veterans like Jorge Polanco (2B), Max Kepler (RF) and Kyle Farmer (IF), all of whom play positions that have exciting young talents ready for big league roles.

Will Jorge Polanco, Max Kepler and Kyle Farmer be at Spring Training?

But it doesn’t seem like Falvey is overly concerned about pushing out the old, in favor of more playing time for the future. Minnesota’s PoBO sat down with Dan Hayes (The Athletic) and admitted the Twins are in no hurry to make their moves. And if that means taking this exact roster into Spring Training, then that’s what they’ll do.

“One of the things I’ve gotten more comfortable with, and more used to, is the reality [that] there’s no bow [to put] on an offseason [where your team] shows up in spring training and you’re good to go. It’s not been like that for as many years as I can remember, at this point. We’ll continue to evolve the way our roster looks, the way we think about it, probably going into camp. That’s just a reality of our situation and where we are.”

The Athletic

But let’s be real. High-ceiling prospects like Edouard Julien, Brooks Lee and Matt Wallner are all beating the door down looking for more MLB at-bats in 2024. And as of now, it could be argued that none of the three have MLB roster spots available.

Minnesota Twins facing at major 2024 roster logjam

As long as Jorge Polanco is healthy and on roster, he will be the Minnesota Twins’ 2nd baseman. With Carlos Correa and Royce Lewis already occupying the left side of the infield, Julien would be left fighting with Alex Kirilloff for innings at 1st base and as the team’s designated hitter. And good luck finding a role for Kyle Farmer, outside of paying him $6 million to be a great dugout/clubhouse leader.

Related: Minnesota Twins Sign Top-10 International Prospect, Daiber De Los Santos

Matt Wallner? Yeah, he might slide in as Opening Day left fielder, even if Max Kepler is in a Twins uniform and playing in right field. But Wallner would be far from a shoe-in for 500+ at-bats, as long as Max is still on roster. There aren’t enough to go around with Julien (DH), Alex Kirilloff (1B, DH, OF), Kepler (RF) and others all needing innings.

Are Twins decision-makers really going to suppress the growth of their most important prospects, because they are stubborn on their asking price for aging veterans they no longer have future plans for? Falvey says yes, because until another team offers a requisite package with proven big league talents that can make the Twins better in 2024, they aren’t interested in making a deal.

Twins are not interested in your prospect trade packages

Sources inside the organization have made it very clear to Hayes. They do not want a package in return for any of their available veterans. Bring them a high-caliber starting pitcher, center field help or both. Otherwise, keep your phone in your pocket and have fun picking through what’s left in the free agency scrap pile.

Multiple team sources said the Twins won’t simply dump the salaries of Polanco, who’s set to earn $10.5 million this season with a $12 million club option for 2025, or Farmer, who avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $6.3 million contract earlier this month. Nor is the team looking to move either player or outfielder Max Kepler, who will make $10 million, for prospects. The Twins instead are looking to swap need for need, which means the club could head to spring training or even into the season with one too many infielders.

Dan Hayes – The Athletic

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It’s not surprising that Derek Falvey has become very comfortable with waiting out the MLB offseason. It’s something the Twins have been doing for the last few years. Correa was signed in early-January last year and Luis Arraez was traded less than two weeks later. Michael A. Taylor and Donovan Solano were both brought in very late in the offseason process, too.

And don’t forget about the Taylor Rogers for Chris Paddack and Emilio Pagan trade, which happened in April 2022. In other words, something will probably get done. It could happen today, tomorrow or after the Twins convene in Fort Myers, but there are moves coming down the chute eventually.