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What if the Minnesota Twins signed Tarik Skubal? Sure, small-market teams such as the Twins don't go after the biggest of big-name free agents, but this would be a move that would invigorate a franchise in need of a spark. Skubal is inherently familiar with a lot of the Twins' setup from his six-plus seasons with the Detroit Tigers. The Twins already have a decent rotation with right-handers Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Taj Bradley, Dean Kremer and Zebby Matthews, with left-hander Connor Prielipp also an option. Signing Skubal could also make it more palatable to Twins fans to trade away Joe Ryan, perhaps to fill an offensive weakness. That could also lure Ryan Jeffers to come back to the Twins, whether it is on the $23.15 million qualifying offer for 2027 or on a multiyear contract. Regardless, it would be a bold move for the Twins that would help ownership show its commitment to a loyal fan base that is starving for a perennial contender in an AL Central Division that is very winnable each season.

The Minnesota Twins have plenty of work to do this offseason after finishing the 2026 campaign with a disappointing 77-85 record. Between free agents departing and several holes that need to be addressed, the roster will look different when the team takes the field next spring. However, a recent MLB.com ranking suggests Minnesota might be closer to contention than its record indicates. Mike Petriello ranked all 30 MLB teams based on their projected 2027 rosters. Using Wins Above Replacement (WAR) projections from FanGraphs, the rankings examine where each organization stands as it enters the offseason. This isn't a ranking of last year's results. Instead, it provides a snapshot of the players currently projected to be on each team's roster before free-agent additions and other offseason moves. According to Petriello's rankings, the Twins are tied for eighth overall. That's a surprisingly strong position for a team that finished eight games below .500. Minnesota shares that ranking with the Tampa Bay Rays, the reigning American League champions, along with the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays. Why Are the Twins Ranked So High?Petriello acknowledges that Minnesota's position in the rankings might surprise some fans. After all, this is a team that won only 77 games and struggled to establish much consistency throughout the season. However, the projections see something worth building around. The Twins don't have a lineup full of superstars, but they also don't have many glaring weaknesses in the projected batting order. Having a relatively balanced group of position players can make a significant difference when evaluating a roster's overall projected value. There are also some interesting young players who could help elevate that group. Petriello specifically points toward the projections for Kaelen Culpepper (3.1 fWAR) and Luke Keaschall (3.4 fWAR). There is certainly room to question how much optimism should be placed in those projections, but their potential contributions help explain Minnesota's ranking. The pitching staff also has some reasons for optimism. Taj Bradley (2.7 fWAR) took a significant step forward during his breakout campaign, giving the organization another intriguing arm near the top of its rotation. Joe Ryan (3.0 fWAR) remains an important part of the starting group, while Pablo López (1.8 fWAR) is expected to return and provide another major boost. Those three pitchers give Minnesota a foundation that could make the rotation one of its strengths in 2027. However, the projections also highlight how much work remains to build a reliable pitching staff behind them. Several Offseason Needs RemainBeing ranked among baseball's top eight projected rosters doesn't mean the Twins can sit back and enjoy the offseason. Petriello identifies several areas where Minnesota needs to make improvements. The departure of Ryan Jeffers creates an immediate need behind the plate. Jeffers has been an important part of the organization, and the Twins cannot simply assume the current catching situation will be enough to replace his production. They need to find another option who can handle a significant workload. Josh Bell is another major departure. He provided 21 home runs during the 2026 season, and Minnesota needs to find a way to replace that power. The Twins don't necessarily need to sign another first baseman with the same profile, but they need to add some offensive production to a lineup that already lacks many established stars. The bullpen might be the biggest overall concern. Minnesota needs multiple reinforcements to create a more dependable group of relievers. Losing A.J. Minter to free agency would add another challenge for a pitching staff that needs more reliable late-inning options. Starting pitching depth is another concern. Bradley, Ryan, and López provide an encouraging top three, but the organization cannot expect Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews, and Dean Kremer to absorb hundreds of additional innings without finding more help. Injuries and workload management make starting rotation depth essential over a 162-game season. There is plenty of work ahead, but these are manageable needs for a team with an established foundation. How Does the Rest of the AL Central Compare?The Twins' ranking also provides an interesting look at the rest of the division. The Cleveland Guardians lead the AL Central representatives, ranking seventh overall. Minnesota and Detroit are tied for eighth, putting three division rivals among the top eight projected rosters in baseball. The Chicago White Sox come in at No. 20, while the Kansas City Royals rank 23rd. Cleveland remains near the top of the rankings despite having some significant pitching needs. Detroit also has plenty of work ahead, particularly with its rotation and bullpen. Meanwhile, Chicago and Kansas City have more roster questions to answer before they can be considered serious contenders. The AL Central could be an interesting division again in 2027, especially if Minnesota and Detroit can translate their projected roster value into more wins. The Twins Have Work to DoAn eighth-place preseason roster ranking doesn't guarantee anything. The Twins were projected to be more competitive in 2026 than their final record suggested, and projections are never a substitute for results on the field. Still, this ranking provides an encouraging starting point for Minnesota's offseason. The organization has young talent, intriguing starting pitching, and a lineup that projects to be relatively balanced. Those are important building blocks for a team hoping to return to postseason contention. Now comes the difficult part. The Twins need to replace the production of departing free agents, improve their bullpen, add catching help, and provide more depth to the rotation. Those moves will require resources and a willingness to improve the roster. Petriello's ranking offers a snapshot of where Minnesota stands before the Hot Stove season gets going. By the time spring training arrives, the Twins could look considerably different. The decisions made over the next several months will ultimately determine whether they remain a top-eight projected roster or fall further down the rankings heading into the 2027 campaign. Do you agree with the rankings? What additions could move Minnesota higher this winter? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

At the beginning of last winter, Connor Prielipp's future with the Twins was still an open question. After years of elbow injuries and an extremely limited professional workload, Minnesota's front office was considering whether his best path to helping the big-league club might be in the bullpen. His electric stuff could play in shorter outings, and a relief role might better protect an arm that had already undergone two significant elbow procedures. Prielipp entered the offseason hoping to remain a starter. Rather than moving him into the bullpen, the organization gave him another opportunity to develop his arsenal. One important addition came in January, when he began incorporating a new curveball. That decision became one of the most encouraging developments of Minnesota's season. Prielipp finished 2026 with 144 1/3 innings between the major leagues and Triple-A, surpassing his total from the previous six years. At the big-league level, he made 24 appearances, including 22 starts, and posted a 4.87 ERA with an 87 ERA+. He struck out 128 hitters (23.9 K%) across 125 2/3 innings in the majors, while recording a 1.29 WHIP. Those numbers tell part of the story, but his development as a starting pitcher might be even more important. The curveball gave him another weapon to complement his existing repertoire. Major-league hitters managed only a .198 batting average against the pitch, and it generated 48 of his strikeouts, more than any other offering. By the end of the season, the Twins were no longer simply trying to find a way to get Prielipp's talent onto a major league roster. They were watching him establish himself as a starter. Balancing Development and WorkloadThere was still a significant question surrounding how much the Twins could ask from Prielipp. He entered 2026 coming off a career-high 82⅔ innings in 2025. With his injury history, Minnesota needed to be careful about increasing that workload too quickly. August provided another reason for the organization to monitor his progress. Prielipp made five appearances and covered 26 ⅔ innings, but he struggled to a 7.90 ERA. He allowed 31 hits and 13 walks. A particularly difficult outing against Philadelphia resulted in eight runs allowed over five innings. The workload conversation was happening throughout the season. Earlier discussions had centered on whether Minnesota might eventually shut him down after reaching approximately 100 innings. That would have represented a cautious increase from his previous career high. Instead, the Twins continued to evaluate his progress and adjust his schedule. When possible, they stretched the rotation to give him extra rest between appearances. Prielipp responded with one of his best stretches of the season in September. He covered another 26 2/3 innings and posted a 2.40 ERA, striking out 22 hitters while walking only five. Opponents hit just .194 against him during the month. Minnesota also used him in a pair of bulk-relief appearances early in September as the club worked through its rotation options and managed his workload. He returned to the starting role and had arguably his best start of the season with a seven-inning, two-hit shutout performance against the Angels on September 18. When reporters asked whether the organization had changed its plans after seeing Prielipp improve late in the season, Twins GM Jeremy Zoll highlighted just how much he had accomplished. “I thought that was one of the better stories of our year," Zoll said. "He added a curveball in January and pitched a whole season as a starter.” The response also acknowledged that both accomplishments seemed uncertain when the season began. Prielipp deserved considerable credit for making them happen. His workload remained an ongoing discussion, though. Rather than establish one specific innings limit, the organization monitored his medical information, training and conditioning, and biomechanical reports. The goal was to recognize potential warning signs and adjust if necessary. “If yellow lights start to pop up late in the year, then respond to that,” Zoll explained. They were prepared to take a different approach if needed, but Prielipp continued progressing. What It Means for the 2027 RotationThe Twins now appear much closer to treating Prielipp as a traditional starting pitcher. When reporters asked whether the team planned to turn him loose more next season, Zoll indicated that his thinking had shifted. “Off the cuff, I feel like we're a lot closer to treating him as a traditional starter," he said. That doesn't mean Minnesota expects Prielipp to take every turn in the rotation for the entire season. The organization still believes additional recovery time will be important. “Still feels like someone [for whom] baking in the extra days is going to be valuable, just because I don't think he should pitch on four days' rest 32 times,” Zoll said. The Twins will have several starting pitching options entering 2027. Joe Ryan, Pablo López, Taj Bradley, Bailey Ober, Dean Kremer, Zebby Matthews, and Mick Abel give the organization plenty of competition alongside Prielipp—although that assumes they all stay in place throughout the offseason. His emergence adds another legitimate option, even if the front office eventually makes a trade to address another roster need. More importantly, Prielipp no longer profiles as a pitcher whose future might be better served by moving to the bullpen. He demonstrated that he can handle a full season as a starter, and his September performance offered a glimpse of what he could become with another offseason of development. Minnesota still needs to be thoughtful about his workload. However, the organization has a much better foundation for planning his future than it did a year ago. Prielipp went from a pitcher whose starting future was uncertain to someone the Twins can reasonably envision taking the ball every fifth or sixth day. That's a significant change in just one season, and it could become an important development for Minnesota's rotation in 2027. What stands out about Prielipp’s 2026 performance? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

In one scary scenario, the Twins might not add a significant free-agent catcher this winter. Ryan Jeffers could walk away from Minnesota for a long-term deal, while Tyler Stephenson and Carson Kelly could get better offers elsewhere. These three are the top free-agent options at the position on DiamondCentric’s free agent rankings. So, if the Twins don’t sign any of these names, where do they pivot? Minnesota could try to land bigger offensive threats such as Hunter Goodman and Shea Langeliers, names that have floated around in trade rumors for quite some time now, but it's unlikely the Twins would be willing to go after these high-tier options after just letting Jeffers go. They have a vacancy at the position, even with Victor Caratini under contract, and need at least one other body for the 2027 season (and maybe longer). Thankfully, one team seems to have a catching logjam, given that one of their top prospects was recently called up to start at the position. That team is the San Diego Padres, and their veteran catchers, Freddy Fermin and Luis Campusano, would both be solid additions if the Twins strike out everywhere else this offseason. Freddy Fermin: A Defensive UpgradeFermin was acquired at the 2025 deadline from the Royals. Through his season and a half with the Padres, the 31-year-old has slashed .217/.276/.323 with six home runs in 404 plate appearances. That's not great offensive output, but that wouldn't be why Minnesota would acquire him. Fermin graded out very well defensively in 2026, posting a Fielding Run Value of 9, according to Statcast. That was good for eighth among catchers, and significantly better than Caratini, who ranked 19th. He's very well-rounded defensively, ranking in the 86th percentile or above in blocks above average, caught stealing above average, and pop time, while grading out as a well-above-average framer, as well. He would give the Twins a reliable veteran presence behind the dish, and while the bat is not good, the rest of the lineup should have enough firepower to make up for Fermin’s lack of offensive output. Luis Campusano: An Offensive UpgradeWhile neither of the Padres’ potential trade chips is as good offensively as Jeffers, Campusano held his own last year, putting up a respectable .265/.363/.433 line with 8 homers in 248 plate appearances. The former top prospect has struggled to find consistency throughout his seven-year major-league career, but with Salas called up and (ostensibly) ready to go as the future of the catching position in San Diego, it may be time for Campusano to get a change of scenery. His 122 OPS+ was significantly better than Caratini’s 77, and it's also better than Kelly (97) and Stephenson (101) were this year. Campusano is not as good defensively as Fermin, earning -3 FRV last season, a bit worse than Jeffers. Still, Campusano could be one of the better offensive options for the Twins to get, and if they can’t get a more established major-league player, he certainly would have more upside than Caratini, at least in the batter’s box. How Willing Will San Diego Be to Deal?Though it's natural to look at the three catchers who finished the year in the majors and assume the Padres will move one of them, top executive A.J. Preller downplayed that likelihood a bit on Tuesday in Las Vegas. "You think you have some catching, then there's an injury, which can happen at that spot, and all of a sudden, now you're searching for catching," Preller said, when asked how hard it would be to move any of his three backstops. "We've built up that spot. We have three players that we feel like you can win in the playoffs with at that position. So we don't take that lightly." Preller pushed back on the notion that Salas has established himself, suggesting he'll need to come to spring training ready to compete for a spot and pointing to some shorcomings the rookie showed as a receiver and handler of the pitching staff. However, he also admitted that the Padres have already heard from several teams interested in trading for one of the trio, so San Diego is keeping an open mind. Suffice it to say this: neither Fermin nor Campusano will be an easy, low-cost pickup. A trade for either will cost something, even if it be relatively modest. Hopefully, This is a Short-Term ProblemNeither of these names would need to be the long-term answer behind the dish for the Twins. Minnesota has prospects on the rise, led by Vahn Lackey and Eduardo Tait, and Lackey could be here as early as the end of the 2027 season. Fermin and Campusano would be stopgaps, with a chance to remain in the organization past 2027 if they perform adequately, or at least above the level of Caratini. Ultimately, the goal would be to stabilize the position for the next season or two without significantly increasing the payroll or sacrificing high-level prospects. If the Twins find themselves watching their top catching options sign elsewhere and cannot land a bigger name on the trade market, San Diego could provide a practical alternative to bridge the gap until their own young talent is ready to take over. Twins Daily's Matthew Trueblood contributed reporting.

The Twins have plenty of work to do in their bullpen this winter, and free agency offers a few intriguing options. Alex Vesia, Bryan Abreu and Kevin Ginkel could each give Minnesota a much-needed boost in different ways.

Former Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Matt Shoemaker has a new job outside of baseball. Shoemaker was elected to a seat on the Saline Area Schools Board of Education in Michigan during Tuesday's election, winning by just 28 votes, according to The Detroit News. Shoemaker explained his decision to run for the school board to the Saline Post, saying, “I’m running for School Board to support our teachers and staff, expand opportunities for our students and help every kid succeed in school, on the field and in life.” He added, “I’ve learned great teams succeed when people are supported, everyone has a voice, and you work toward something bigger than yourself.” Shoemaker joined the Twins in 2021, signing a one-year, $2 million contract to serve as the team's No. 5 starter. Unfortunately, his time in Minnesota didn't go as planned. He posted an 8.06 ERA over 60 1/3 innings that season, before being DFA'd. Shoemaker never pitched in the major leagues again. Now, Shoemaker will take the lessons he learned in professional baseball into a new role, working to support students, teachers, and staff in his local community.

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