Pohlad's 'Aggressive' Claim Faces Early Test: 3 Options to Replace Lopez

Just days into spring training, the Minnesota Twins have already lost staff ace Pablo Lopez to a partially torn ligament in his elbow. It's serious enough that the injury could require season-ending surgery.

It's now time for new Twins controlling owner Tom Pohlad to live up to the reputation that he's created for himself as an "aggressive" leader. Just yesterday, before news broke about Lopez leaving his bullpen session with elbow soreness, Pohlad claimed that he wanted to "make a splash" and sign star lefty Framber Valdez, who ultimately signed a huge contract with the division rival Detroit Tigers.

Fortunately, Pohlad and the Twins still can sign an established starting pitcher who could help ease the loss of Lopez. Not only would it help keep the Twins afloat, but it would help Pohlad rebuild trust with a fan base that doesn't trust the owners to spend money on marquee free agents.

From our vantage point, only two starters meet what the Twins need in free agency, and one other with star power whom the Twins would have to trade for.

Lucas Giolito (free agent)

The 31-year-old missed the entire 2024 season with an injury, but he returned strong in 2025 by going 10-4 with a 3.41 ERA in 26 starts with the Red Sox. The only concerning statistic was his strikeouts per nine innings, which dropped to 7.5 last season after ranging between 9 and 12 strikeouts per nine innings from 2018 to 2023.

Giolito might cost the Twins $20 million, but he'd be a veteran presence in a rotation that will otherwise be relying on a lot of youth. After veterans Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober, the Twins could begin the 2026 season with Taj Bradley, Mick Abel, and either Simeon Woods Richardson or Zebby Matthews as the 3, 4, and 5 starters in the rotation.

Zack Littell (free agent)

The 30-year-old went 10-8 with a 3.81 ERA in 32 starts with the Rays and Reds last season. Notably, his earned-run average jumped from 3.58 in 22 starts with Tampa Bay to 4.39 in 10 starts with the Reds, which could be a product of playing in one of the league's least pitcher-friendly ballparks in Cincinnati.

Littell's market value, according to Spotrac, is roughly $12.8 million. He's an innings eater who can keep his ERA under 4, and thus serve as a trusted started in a Twins rotation that lacks trusted arms.

Sandy Alcantara (trade)

The 2022 Cy Young winner missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and while he struggled in 2025, he began to look more like his old self with a 3.13 ERA over his last 13 starts. He's entering the last year of a four-year, $56 million contract, but he has a $27 million team option that would give an acquiring team an extra year of control.

The Marlins might not want to trade him until the summer deadline, but if Pohlad is as aggressive as he claims, he could have general manager Jeremy Zoll pick up the phone and dangle top prospects for Alcantara before the regular season begins.

On Monday, Pohlad reiterated his desire to be "aggressive."

"That’s my personality," Pohlad said, discussing the team's interest in Valdez. "But there is only so much we can do given the timing that we were in. We tried to be aggressive on some things. Those things didn’t work out, and here we are. But I also don’t want something to get lost in translation here: We really like our team.”

Does he still like the team without Lopez? Things have changed, but it's not too late for Pohlad to stay aggressive and instruct Zoll to make a splash. And if a contender like the Brewers was comfortable trading star right-hander Freddy Peralta to the Mets before the start of the season, then there's a good chance the Twins could convince the Marlins to part with Alcantara for the right package of prospects.

Lucas Giolito (free agent)

Zack Littell (free agent)

Sandy Alcantara (trade)

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