MINNEAPOLIS – Twins president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey said Tuesday that it is his “expectation” that star right-handers Pablo López and Joe Ryan will both be on the club when the 2026 season begins, but also granted that that is not a certainty at the current time.
The Twins carried out a huge sell-off at the Trade Deadline, parting with 10 Major League players. That list included five pending free agents, but also four other key members of the team’s bullpen and cornerstone infielder Carlos Correa.
They received calls about Ryan but did not trade him, while López was injured at the Deadline. The two would be among the club’s highest-paid players in 2026, and with both under team control for two more seasons, each would likely have immense trade value if they were to be made available. López is under contract for $21.5 million in each of the next two seasons. Ryan made $3 million in 2025 but would stand to receive a significant raise through the arbitration process.
“When I look at this roster and I look at the team,” Falvey said, “I've said it now probably a number of times about the core and the group: Those guys [López and Ryan] are part of it, right? So that's my vision, that's my hope. That's my expectation as we sit here. It still requires some ongoing conversations with ownership and what that looks like. And ultimately, my hope is that we could build around that group. That would be my hope.”
Injury updates
Rookie infielder Luke Keaschall will undergo surgery on Wednesday to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, general manager Jeremy Zoll said Tuesday. Keaschall suffered the injury sliding into second base during the team’s penultimate series of the season against the Rangers.
“We expect, fully expect, [Keaschall] to be full-go for Spring Training,” Zoll said.
Zoll also said that all other injured Twins players – a group that includes López, David Festa, Matt Wallner, Alan Roden, and Justin Topa – should be “set for essentially a normal offseason and be full-go for Spring Training.”
Rodriguez headed to winter ball
Outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez, the Twins’ No. 3 prospect and No. 67 in the MLB Pipeline Top 100, is expected to play winter league baseball this year. Rodriguez, who hails from the Dominican Republic, has shown immense promise in his professional career but has had trouble staying healthy. He played only 65 games in 2025, receiving 267 plate appearances.
“Our plan is for him to go play some winter ball to pick up some extra at-bats,” Zoll said. “Looking forward to him getting that experience.”