The Twins gutted their roster at the trade deadline, fired their manager after the season and still haven't divulged any information on their new limited partners who bought a heavy share of the club. To call morale "low" among fans would be an egregious understatement, and the looming offseason doesn't offer much reason for optimism.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Byron Buxton, OF: $45MM through 2028
- Pablo Lopez, RHP: $43MM through 2027
Other Financial Commitments
- $30MM owed to Astros through 2028 as part of Carlos Correa trade ($10MM annually)
Total 2026 commitments: $46.5MM
Total long-term commitments: $118MM through 2028
Option Decisions
- Justin Topa, RHP: $2MM club option with $225K buyout (Topa remains under control via arbitration if Twins decline)
Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; salary projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
- Genesis Cabrera (5.149): $1.4MM
- Ryan Jeffers (5.089): $6.6MM
- Justin Topa (5.044): $1.7MM (Twins hold a $2MM club option with a $225K buyout)
- Michael Tonkin (5.044): $1.4MM
- Bailey Ober (4.093): $4.6MM
- Joe Ryan (4.033): $5.8MM
- Trevor Larnach (4.014): $4.7MM
- Royce Lewis (3.142): $3MM
- Anthony Misiewicz (3.082): $1.1MM
- Cole Sands (3.017): $1.3MM
Non-tender candidates: Cabrera, Tonkin, Larnach, Misiewicz
Free Agents
The Twins were in contention for much of the season's first half, even rattling off a 13-game winning streak from early May into the middle portion of the month. When things went south and the club fell below .500 with the deadline approaching, Minnesota emerged as a clear seller. It was originally expected to be a minor sale of pending free agents like Willi Castro, Chris Paddack and Harrison Bader. Instead, Minnesota traded a staggering 11 players, including several who were controlled beyond the current season -- in some instances (e.g. Louis Varland) as far out as 2030.
Whether that was due to the front office acting opportunistically in a market that lacked many pure sellers or (more likely) because ownership mandated further payroll cuts after being unable to find a buyer for the team due to a reported $400MM+ in outstanding debt, Minnesota's stunning deadline fire sale set the stage for what feels like a notable step back that will continue into the forthcoming offseason.
The large-scale changes didn't stop at the deadline. Manager Rocco Baldelli was the sacrificial lamb at season's end, getting fired with a year to go on his contract. Baldelli's tenure was far from perfect, as the Twins have had their share of disappointing seasons (including 2024's September collapse), but no manager could have succeeded in the wake of such a dramatic teardown, which included shipping out the five best relievers in what had been an excellent bullpen.
The Twins' offseason, accordingly, commences with a managerial search that has already seen them tied to names like former Mariners skipper Scott Servais, Red Sox bench coach Ramon Vazquez, and old friends Derek Shelton, James Rowson and (stretching much further back) Nick Punto. Change is coming in the Twins' dugout, but there's also still a fair bit of turnover possible on the roster itself.
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Why be a fan? Poorlads won’t invest in the team anyway. They need to sell the team. They should be fired!
“The Pohlad family killed Kirby Puckett. They all deserve to get cancer, then have it go into remission, and when they invite family and friends to celebrate the remission they all perish in a house fire.”
-Joe Mauer.
Always thought I was out of pocket for Joe to say this at the ESPYs, but now I get it.
Fake quote.
Joe Mauer has more class than that/you.