ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Winter Meetings are in the rearview, and while the Twins made news this year, it was more for what they don’t intend to do, rather than what they did. That’s not a bad thing.
Derek Falvey, the team’s president of baseball and business operations, and general manager Jeremy Zoll confirmed on Monday what had been reported but not formally declared a few days prior: The front office will not be required to trade any of its highest-paid players. Trade rumors had surrounded Joe Ryan, Pablo López, and Byron Buxton, but instead the plan is to supplement that core rather than subtract from it.
With that increased clarity regarding their financial flexibility, Falvey and Zoll can begin engaging with free agents in a way they were not previously free to. The Twins are unlikely to be huge spenders in free agency this year, but they have some needs and will be looking to fill them.
The Twins did make some other news this week. They secured the No. 3 pick in the first round of the Draft via the Lottery. Then, on Wednesday, they acquired Minor League catcher Miguel Caraballo for Daniel Susac, who they had selected earlier in the day in the Rule 5 Draft.
BIGGEST REMAINING NEEDS
1. Relief pitching is far and away the Twins’ biggest need. They do believe they’ll fill some of their openings in the bullpen from within, either with starting pitching prospects who project as relievers in the long run, or via rotation contenders who do not win spots in spring. But Minnesota also intends to add help externally, and likely will look to acquire at least one reliever with some level of late-inning experience.
2. Everything else is a distant second to the bullpen, but there is definite uncertainty at first base. It’s possible the Twins could roll Kody Clemens back out there, as they did down the stretch last year, but Clemens is probably best used as a utility player. There are quite a few first base options on the market, including Rhys Hoskins, Josh Bell and Nathaniel Lowe. The club does not seem to have any interest in moving a player like Trevor Larnach or Matt Wallner to first base.
3. It goes hand-in-hand with the need for a first-base bat, but the Twins could use some lineup balance. They’re overstocked with left-handed bats in the corner outfield, designated hitter, and first-base spots, and could use a righty hitter. That could be a first baseman or it could be someone who projects more in the outfield or at DH.
HE SAID IT
“I think there's always a process to get to everything. But my assumption, when I took the job, was those three guys were going to be part of our team.” -- Manager Derek Shelton, regarding Ryan, López and Buxton
DRAFT LOTTERY
The Twins will pick third in the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft, a result that pleased club officials. They had the second-best odds to get the No. 1 pick, but the fourth-worst record. The ‘26 Draft is considered quite exciting at the top, with several college hitters already on teams’ radars. MLB Pipeline’s current No. 3 Draft prospect is University of Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron.
RULE 5 DRAFT
The Twins picked fourth in the Rule 5 Draft on Wednesday, and they did make a selection, but they held onto him for just a few hours. After drafting Susac, Minnesota flipped him to the Giants in exchange for Caraballo, who played in the Dominican Summer League this year.
Caraballo, 17, showed moderate power and a good batting eye in his first taste of professional baseball after signing with the Giants as an international free agent for a bonus that is officially listed as $172,500.
Minnesota began the day Wednesday with its 40-man roster full, meaning that it was not in position to take anyone in the Rule 5 Draft. But the team cleared 40-man space by placing outfielder Carson McCusker on unconditional release waivers, allowing for the selection of Susac. McCusker is expected to play in Asia next year.
MORE FROM THIS WEEK
- Falvey and Zoll confirmed that they’ve been cleared to add to the roster. Read more >>
- The Twins secured the No. 3 overall pick in the 2026 Draft via the Lottery. Read more >>
FRONT OFFICE’S BOTTOM LINE
In a very real sense, the Twins’ offseason has really just begun. Now that the front office has gotten clearance from ownership to acquire players without trading other players away, conversations have begun to heat up with agents regarding potential additions. Trade talks of course also continue as the Twins look to fill their roster holes.
“We talked to a few agents about this, and they agreed, at least one group agreed, that it’s felt like a lot of what happens during Winter Meetings now, there’s some big boy deals, but then there’s a lot of, you kind of get a sense for parameters or where some people are thinking, and then within like 10 days after, you see a lot of things start to happen. That’s happened the last couple of years.
“A couple agent groups that we talked to, they felt like that was the likely outcome for some of their players. Like, we’re not ready to make decisions or make calls or otherwise, but we’re going to do our work while we’re here, and then we’re going to leave and have our conversations more formally and get on with it. We get it. That makes sense. That’s the way it’s played out the last couple years.” -- Falvey