3 Biggest Offseason Needs for the Minnesota Twins, Besides New Owners

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Pablo Lopez, Minnesota Twins
Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

The Minnesota Twins failed miserably when it came to capitalizing on the opportunity in front of them during the 2024 season. There is no reason they should be in that same boat a year from now. Both Derek Falvey and Rocco Baldelli will be back next year. If they are going to have a better time, it will come with reinforcements.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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