The Twins Remain Firmly On The Fence

Minnesota seems to be stuck – unable to decide whether they want to compete or commit to a full rebuild. If they want to win, they need to make moves. If they want to rebuild, they need to trade Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis while their value is still high and get assets back in return. But they haven’t done either. Seemingly stuck in No Man’s Land.

They are in the bottom have of the league in almost every offensive and defensive statistical category, being in the bottom third of several, such as runs, batting average, team ERA and quality starts. They don’t hit for a lot of power in the generally hitter-friendly Target field, especially if you’re a right-handed hitter.

Their rotation isn’t bad, but it isn’t good either. Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober are solid, but neither of them has a ceiling higher than a middle of the rotation guy. Chris Paddack probably should be their ace on paper, but he has not progressed the way I’d hoped he might over the years, being saddled with a 4.95 ERA in 2025. Pablo Lopez is my favorite starter in this group, despite missing July and August with a shoulder injury. I had high hopes for him when he left the purgatory that was the Marlins to join Minnesota in 2023, but that was back when Sonny Gray was having a career resurgence at the top of that rotation and the Twins had a direction. Things look different now…

They made some small additions, but nothing that will move the needle. Victor Caratini and Josh Bell are the headlines.

Biggest Need Entering 2026:
Late-inning bullpen reliability. Minnesota had one of the worst bullpens in baseball in 2025, and they didn’t do much to address it, adding Taylor Roger on a 1-year deal. They also need more power in the lineup. When Minnesota has had success, it’s when they are hitting the ball out of the ballpark.

Have They Addressed It?
On one side of the ball, they added Taylor Rogers to the bullpen, but that’s it. One arm is not going to flip a bullpen from worst-to-first.

On the other side, they did add one big bat with journeyman slugger Josh Bell. The problem is, Bell is a switch hitter, and Target field is a much more forgiving par for righties. However, with 73% of MLB starting pitchers being righties, that means that the majority of his at-bats will come from the left side. The silver lining (if you wish to see it that way)? Bell is much stronger from the left side, batting .265 against righties in 2025, as opposed to .151 against southpaws. These numbers don’t really add up for Minnesota based on their specific needs. Minnesota’s top prospect Walker Jenkins (#14) could provide some backup for Bell at some point in 2026, since he possesses plus power, but Jenkins is also a lefty, so there’s that.

Our Take:
Minnesota desperately needs to make a choice. Compete with Buxton and Lewis at the center or move on and rebuild around the 2023 number 5 overall pick in Jenkins. My opinion? Start the rebuild. Minnesota last made the Postseason in 2023 and has steadily declined in the two years since. Buxton and Lewis are high-impact guys when they’re healthy, but that’s a major factor. Neither guy is getting younger and they already have LONG injury histories. Move off of them while you can and make the most of it. Trading Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan could bring nice returns as well.

It’s time for the Twins to pick a side for the future, and to me, the choice is clear.