MINNEAPOLIS -- With just about three weeks until Spring Training, multiple members of the Twins’ brass addressed reporters on Friday at the annual media luncheon. It’s one of several events around TwinsFest, set for Saturday, as preparations ramp up for the 2025 season.
Here are updates from some of the topics covered at the event:
Roster building
President of baseball operations Derek Falvey was asked about the club’s relatively quiet winter and potential additions to the roster. He said he does not feel the lack of movement is tied to the potential sale of the club, pointing instead to the challenges in finding trade partners.
“I think for us, we’re not stopping,” Falvey said. “We have a continued series of conversations happening with other clubs. Obviously, it hasn’t panned out to this point. We’re in a unique time. … There’s a lot of teams competing. There’s very few teams that are clear sellers. So in the trade market, you’re trying to find a lot of overlap.”
It seems probable that if the Twins add to their Major League roster, those moves will more likely come in the form of trades than major free-agent signings. Falvey said that while the club is focusing on specific areas of need, such as first base and a right-handed bat, the flexibility of the current roster allows for a multitude of ways to improve.
Player health
Falvey and manager Rocco Baldelli both expressed a great deal of optimism regarding the health of several key players, including shortstop Carlos Correa, center fielder Byron Buxton and right-hander Joe Ryan.
• Of Correa’s plantar fasciitis, Falvey said the star shortstop has had “no issues. Nothing.”
• Of Buxton, whose 388 plate appearances in 2024 were his most since 2017, Falvey said, “He feels as good as he’s felt in a lot of years.” Both Falvey and Baldelli noted the potential benefits of Buxton having a normal offseason with no rehab or physical therapy needed.
• Ryan, who ended the season on the injured list due to a right shoulder strain, is having a normal offseason and is throwing just as he would in any other year.
“This is probably the best offseason of health that I’ve seen since I’ve been here,” Baldelli said. “The reports on the pitching side and the position player side, it’s almost up and down what you would hope you’d be seeing.”
Potential sale of the team
Dave St. Peter, the outgoing team president and CEO, addressed a couple of topics, beginning with the potential sale of the team. While he referred specific questions to Allen and Company, the firm that is handling those discussions, St. Peter said there’s been a great deal of interest from potential buyers.
“What I can say is the process is underway,” St. Peter said. “I think, as expected, there’s significant interest. This is a gem of a franchise in a great market, in a wonderful ballpark. So it doesn’t really surprise me at all. But there’s also no definitive timetable on the process.”
Television
St. Peter also discussed the team’s move to Twins.TV, the team’s partnership with Major League Baseball to produce broadcasts of more than 150 games in 2025. He reiterated some of the previously announced details, including that fans in the Twins’ home market can purchase a streaming package for $99.99 for a full season or $19.99 per month with no blackouts.
Those subscriptions will be available for purchase beginning Feb. 11, and fans will be able to see at least five Spring Training games for free on Twins.TV. St. Peter expressed confidence that for fans who prefer linear TV, such as cable or satellite, all major providers will carry games at the same package or tier level as in previous years on Bally Sports North.
Front office transition
One noteworthy aspect of the annual lunch was that it is expected to be St. Peter’s last in his current role. He is transitioning to an advisory role, with Falvey taking over business operations along with his role atop the baseball side and Jeremy Zoll installed as the new general manager. St. Peter gave an update on the timeline.
“Derek and I are in the midst of our ongoing transition, and if it’s a relay race, I’m still running with the baton,” St. Peter said. “But I’m going to pass it off to Derek at some point here in the next 30-60 days, probably before Opening Day.”