Twins Could Need Roster Cuts Before Their First MLB Signing

Six injured-list returnees could force Minnesota to clear roster space before adding outside help or protecting eligible prospects.

Minnesota Twins designated hitter Josh Bell. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Minnesota Twins may need to clear roster space before completing their first Major League signing this offseason. Their immediate challenge begins with players already in the organization.

A count of MLB's current roster listing, checked Oct. 11, showed 40 players counting toward the limit and six others on the 60-day injured list. The exemptions those injured players received during the campaign will not provide permanent offseason space. 

That makes the first roster decisions important even before Minnesota chooses an outside target. Expiring contracts will create openings, but the injured-list returns will use them. The club needs a plan for both, along with any eligible prospects it wants to protect.

The Current Ledger Already Creates Pressure

Minnesota Twins pitcher Anthony Banda. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The six injured-list returnees are Mick Abel, Anthony Banda, David Festa, Pablo Lopez, Mike Paredes, and Cole Sands. Returning all six to the count, before any departures, would bring the total to 46. This is an accounting exercise based on the current roster, rather than an announced series of transactions. 

MLB's injury tracker explains that the 60-day injured-list players must be restored after the World Series. Reinstatement restores roster status; medical readiness remains a separate question. 

Three pending free agents will help offset that pressure. Ryan Jeffers, A.J. Minter and Taylor Rogers have expiring contracts, as the free-agent tracker details. Subtracting those departures from the illustrative total would leave 43 players.

Josh Bell could create another opening. His contract includes a $10 million mutual option for 2027 and a $1.25 million buyout. If either side declines the option and Bell enters free agency, the same calculation would drop to 42. His option decision remains pending. 

Even that scenario would leave Minnesota needing additional reductions to reach 40, before accounting for outside Major League additions or new prospect protections. Re-signing a departing player would use space again.

Those figures will change with official moves. They explain the current pressure without predicting which players the club will remove or the precise order in which decisions will occur.

Space Must Follow the Baseball Plan

Minnesota Twins pitcher Pablo Lopez. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

General manager Jeremy Zoll should begin by identifying the players Minnesota expects to use in meaningful roles. The next question is which depth pieces provide skills the roster would struggle to replace.

That evaluation should include defensive versatility, credible pitching depth and the ability to cover an injury. A player near the bottom of the roster can still have value if he supplies something the likely everyday group lacks.

Trades could create openings, depending on the number of rostered players moving in each direction. Non-tenders and waiver moves also can change the count. Each choice should reflect the club's baseball priorities as well as its need for space.

The deadline to protect eligible prospects adds another consideration. Adding an eligible player to the 40-man roster protects him from selection in the Rule 5 draft. Minnesota should reserve room for prospects it considers worth retaining. 

Creating an opening also can expose the organization to a loss. The front office should compare the value of a proposed addition with the player it would have to remove, especially when useful depth is involved.

The Twins' offseason plan therefore needs a roster ledger alongside its payroll ledger. Every reinstatement, option decision, departure, and acquisition will affect the available space. Clearing room carefully will help Minnesota turn its next signing into an improvement.