Every Major Contract Decision Facing the Twins This Offseason

The Minnesota Twins have promised change after missing the 2026 postseason again. It has been since 2023 that the team has been seen in October baseball.

Before they make any outside additions, though, they will have several decisions about players already within the organization.

In the year end press conference, Chairman Tom Pohlad said Minnesota intends to “meaningfully invest” in its roster. He wouldn’t go so far as to attach a number but just the statement alone and reinforcing it with saying ownership agrees, could mean a lot.

According to Spotrac, the Twins rank 21st in the MLB for payroll at about $115 million.

Pohlad went further to acknowledge his belief that $100 million isn’t enough to consistently contend within the league.

The allocation of that money will begin with the decisions the team is faced with regarding the following players.

Ryan Jeffers

Jeffers might be Minnesota’s biggest free-agent decision this offseason.

The catcher finished 2026 hitting .256/.353/.461 with 14 home runs and is now free to test the market.

Minnesota will have to decide whether they want to extend a qualifying offer to Jeffers. General manager Jeremy Zoll said the Twins had not made that decision immediately following the season.

Jeffers has expressed interest in returning to the team, so the ball is in the front office court now.

Joe Ryan

Ryan’s contract contains a $13 million option for 2027 with a $100,000 buyout, but should the team decide to decline the option, it won’t make him a free agent.

The Twins will still retain control over Ryan through arbitration for one more season. He is projected at $9.6 million.

That’s almost a made decision. If they decline the option, they can tender him a contract and it would be a wise financial move. The bigger question surrounding him is what comes next.

Ryan is just one year from free agency, leaving Minnesota a much more important decision. Should they give him a long-term extension, keep him for one final season, or consider trading him while his value remains high?

Josh Bell

Bell’s contract has a $10 million mutual option with a $1.25 million buyout.

Given that Minnesota is starting to turn the roster over to younger players, a $10 million first baseman/designated hitter may not make sense.

Unless both sides are really wanting a reunion, Bell will likely become a free agent.

Bailey Ober

Ober could be one of the organization’s toughest arbitration decisions.

He’s projected to earn approximately $6.9 million in his final year of team control after he posted a 4.47 ERA across 131 innings of work in 2026.

That’s an improvement from the 5.10 ERA he had in 2025. Whether or not Minnesota determines that is enough improvement to warrant nearly $7 million will be a tough decision.

The Twins could tender Ober and keep their rotation depth together, or explore a trade and move on altogether.

Royce Lewis

Lewis is an interesting one on this list.

He’s projected to earn $5.1 million through arbitration and remains under team control beyond next season.

The real issue isn’t the salary, it is where his place is in Minnesota’s future.

Lewis hasn’t developed the way that the Twins had hoped. He was drafted in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft and then spent the next three years in the minors. Injuries took over from that point when in 2021 he tore his left ACL keeping him out for the entire season and then reinjured the same ACL just 12 games into his MLB debut in 2022.

A non-tender here would be aggressive. I feel like the organization will tender him and then listen to offers.

Trevor Larnach

Larnach is projected to earn $6.3 million in his final arbitration season.

The question surrounding Larnach is how crowded the outfield is becoming. Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez have now reached the majors, and Byron Buxton certainly remains part of the 2027 plans.

That could make Larnach more valuable as a trade piece rather than a relatively expensive player without a guarantee of everyday play.

Dean Kremer

This should be an easy decision.

Kremer is projected to earn $6.5 million in his final arbitration season. Minnesota acquired him at the deadline, knowing they had another year of team control.

With questions surrounding the rotation, keeping Kremer is almost a no-brainer.

Several Smaller Decisions

Taj Bradley and Kody Clemens are also arbitration-eligible, but these aren’t necessarily even decisions to be made. Both should be straightforward tenders, as they have established themselves as important pieces of the team.

Anthony Banda, Cole Sands, and Tommy Nance finish out the large arbitration class. Banda’s situation could be complicated due to surgery that may keep him on the sidelines until after the All-Star break in 2027.

A.J. Minter and Taylor Rogers are free agents which means the bullpen could be restructured.

Some of Minnesota’s core is already secure. Byron Buxton, Pablo Lopez, Jeff Hoffman and Victor Caratini are all under contract for 2027.

With Minnesota’s promise to invest more, this could be a very interesting offseason for the team. The first item of business will surely be deciding which of their existing roster they are keeping.

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