Minnesota Twins Prepare for MLB Winter Meetings: What to Expect
Much of the baseball world is preparing to congregate in Orlando, Fla., for the Winter Meetings, which kick off Monday. It’s a time for executives, agents and others to gather, and trades or free agency signings typically follow.
The Twins hired a new manager and rebuilt their coaching staff in November but little has been done to alter a roster that was torn down at the trade deadline. Perhaps this week will shed some light on what blueprint the Twins’ front office is planning to follow this offseason.
Pablo Lopez #49 of the Minnesota Twins pitches against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Comerica Park on July 26, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images)
Or, maybe not. In recent years, the front office has worked late into the offseason to build out the roster.
Key Questions Surrounding the Twins
Here are three Twins-related things to keep an eye out for this week during the Winter Meetings:
The offseason started more than two months ago and we still haven’t found out much about what direction the Twins are going. Will they continue to trade productive veterans? What will the payroll look like?
Thus far, the Twins have made only minor additions, adding backup catcher Alex Jackson in a swap with Baltimore, reliever Eric Orze in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays and claiming utilityman Ryan Kreidler off waivers.
Nobody expects them to be big spenders this winter, but rumors have been swirling around the trade statuses of their top two starters, Pablo López and Joe Ryan. There has even been recent speculation that all-star center fielder Byron Buxton is a potential trade candidate.
Will the Twins, in an effort to shed more from the payroll, trade one or both of the starters? López is projected to be the highest-paid player on the roster. Buxton would be second. If López and/or Ryan are sent off in trades, would that test the loyalty of even the most loyal — Buxton — to the point that he would consider waiving his no-trade clause?
All of this is tied to payroll, of course, which remains a question mark publicly. The Pohlad family announced in August that it would retain ownership of the team and add two limited partnership groups, though those have yet to be publicly identified and it remains seen what impact they might have on payroll.
President of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey will meet with the media at the Winter Meetings and perhaps shed light on what the rest of this offseason could look like.
Draft and Rule 5 Considerations
With some of the best odds in the draft lottery, Tuesday will be a big day for the future of the organization.
The Twins finished the 2025 season with the fourth-worst record in the majors, in front of only the Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox and Washington Nationals. But they actually have the second-best odds in the lottery. Both the Rockies and Nationals are ineligible for a lottery pick this year, meaning only the White Sox (27.73 percent) have higher odds of landing the first overall pick than the Twins (22.18 percent).
Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins slides into third base on a triple against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning at Target Field on Sept. 2, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
The Twins selected right-handed pitcher Eiberson Castellano from the Philadelphia Phillies last year in the major league phase of the Rule 5 Draft, marking the first time since 2017 that they had made a selection.
Might the Twins try again this year in Wednesday’s draft?
After trading away five members of the bullpen at the trade deadline, the Twins need relief help and could add someone to join the competition when spring training begins in February.
For more information and updates on the Minnesota Twins, visit Here
Image Source: www.twincities.com
