The Twins have a number of potential closer candidates.
The Minnesota Twins traded star closer Jhoan Duran to the Philadelphia Phillies during the 2025 season. The move gave the Phillies' bullpen a boost, but led to uncertainty with the Twins. As the 2026 season draws near, it remains to be seen how the Twins will approach the closer situation.
Justin Topa, Kody Funderburk and Cole Sands are possible candidates for the role. A closer-by-committee is a strategy the ball club may end up implementing. The Twins could also look to free agency or a potential trade for their next closer.
There are a number of internal candidates who could make sense for the role, though. Sands, Topa and Funderburk all have minimal experience in closing roles.
Topa had the most saves of the pitchers mentioned with four in 2026. He pitched to a 3.90 ERA across 54 total appearances in 2025. Funderburk turned in a 3.51 ERA across 39 appearances while Sands had a 4.50 ERA in 69 outings.
It is worth noting that the Twins have a new manager for 2026 in Derek Shelton. He may approach the situation differently than the second half of 2025 after Duran was traded. It's unclear at the moment if Shelton is looking to have one closer to rely upon or if he is open to a closer-by-committee strategy.
The Reality of the Twins' Closer Uncertainty Heading Into 2026
At the moment, there is no clear option in the Twins' bullpen to take over the role. The 2026 campaign will likely lead to a number of different pitchers receiving opportunities to display that they have what it requires to become the next closer for the team.
Sure, Shelton could make the surprising decision to name one closer immediately out of spring training. That seems unlikely to happen given the overall uncertainty surrounding the candidates.
It is not a terrible situation to be in, though. The Twins are able to be flexible when it comes to the closer role. There will not be any ruffled feathers if someone is not consistently pitching in the 9th inning.
The Twins may struggle in 2026, so closer will not be the only uncertain role on the roster. There are a number of areas that need to be addressed. The closer situation is one that is especially intriguing, though, since there is seemingly no true favorite at the moment. The role is likely open for the taking.