Twins Insider Points to Clear Need as Hot Stove Season Begins

It has been more than a week since the World Series ended, and for the Minnesota Twins, the list of offseason needs starts in the bullpen, where a few familiar arms are no longer under contract.

MLB.com's Matthew Leach went around the roster this week to sort out what the team has and what it still needs, and he found plenty of depth in the rotation and the outfield, with at least seven real candidates for five rotation spots, while the relief group came out looking much thinner.

"By contrast, even after a slew of midseason adds, the relief corps remains an obvious area of need," Leach wrote.

The left side worries me most, since left-handed pitchers A.J. Minter and Taylor Rogers both elected free agency on Oct. 29.

Pitcher Kody Funderburk is the main lefty coming back, while left-hander Anthony Banda is expected to miss a big part of next season after left lat surgery.

Whether the Twins try to bring Minter back is one of the first calls this front office has to make.

The right side is in better shape without being finished, as pitchers Yoendrys Gómez, Jeff Hoffman and Andrew Morris are a solid back three, and Tommy Nance, Travis Adams and a rehabbing Cole Sands would likely fill out the rest of the right-handed group as things stand.

The Twins activated Sands from the 60-day injured list on Nov. 2, and Hoffman had arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow to remove a bone chip, though the club expects him to start a throwing program in eight weeks and be ready for the start of the 2027 season, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic.

Leach thinks the Twins could use at least two quality relievers who can pitch late in games, and I agree, because a thin bullpen can wipe out a lot of good work from the starters.

Minnesota finished 77-85 and third in the American League Central, and chairman Tom Pohlad said at the end of the season that he expects payroll to go up in 2027.

If that money is coming, the bullpen is the easiest place to spend it and make a real difference without giving up any of the young players this team likes.

Leach also wrote that it would make sense for Minnesota to trade from its pool of starting pitchers if the club is active this winter, and a deal like that could bring back a reliever who is ready to help right away.

Signing relievers is still the cleaner path, and there is a good case for chasing a top Padres reliever in free agency, and a deal like that would give this group the late-inning arm it lacks.

If I were running the Twins, I would sign two late-inning relievers this winter, including at least one lefty, because the rotation and the outfield already have more players than spots, so the bullpen is the one area where this team cannot wait around.