By James Heider 

The start of the 2026 MLB season is upon us, with the first Spring Training games starting on February 21st. Let’s take a look and see what have the Minnesota Twins done this offseason? 

First things first, it did not start well for the Twins, with ace pitcher Pablo Lopez likely undergoing Tommy John surgery, which means he won’t pitch for the entirety of 2026. Tommy John Surgery is a procedure where you fix a torn ligament on the inner elbow. Typically performed on a pitcher’s throwing arm. 

Many fans still have that lingering sour taste in their mouths when thinking about what happened at the 2025 trade deadline. Owners shipped off many beloved players to make room for cap space, including fan favorites Jhoan Duran, Louis Varland, and Carlos Correa. People speculate this mass sell-off was to help alleviate the owner’s debt problems, up to 500 million dollars.  This debt got resolved recently, by minority investors including the Minnesota Wild owner, Craig Leipold, helping the club get back into the positives. 

Tom Pohlad stepped up as controlling owner of the team, taking over the role from his younger brother, Joe Pohlad. The twins are still seaching for a new owner, as the Pohlads announced their intention to sell the team at the beginning of last year. So far, the Twins have a new manager in Derek Shelton, who recently coached the Pittsburgh Pirates between 2020-2025, with a lackluster record of 306 wins and 440 losses. They also have a new head of front office executive, who is in charge of payroll, trades, and overall upkeep of the roster. A sort of middleman between the manager and the owners. Derek Falvey decided to part ways with the organization just a couple of weeks ago, with Jeremy Zoll stepping up to the role. 

Twins traded away Eduaord Julien and Pierson Ohl to the Colorado Rockies for Jace Kaminska. Julien played an integral role in the 2023 Twins playoff run but hasn’t performed up to the major league standard in the last two seasons. Pierson Ohl was a minor league stud who got called up to the majors by the twins last season. Ohl had flashes of brilliance, but could not stay consistent, boasting an 0-3 record and an ERA of 5.10. Kaminska is a minor league prospect with a promising future at 24 years old. He’s only completed one full minor league season, recording a 2.78 ERA with over 100 strikeouts in 87 innings during the 2024 season. Kaminska underwent Tommy John surgery during 2025 and is expected to return halfway through 2026. 

Other notable pickups include Josh Bell, Victor Caratini, Andrew Chafin, Anthony Banda, Liam Hendriks, Taylor Rogers, and Gio Urshela.  

Josh Bell is thirty-three years old and played for Washington last year, batting .237 with 22 home runs and 63 RBIs, a key first basemen/designated hitter for the Twins if he can stay healthy and active. Caratini played for the Houston Astros last year as a catcher, batting .259 with 12 home runs and 46 runs batted in, a key backup for current catcher Ryan Jeffers. Urshela is a veteran who hasn’t played well the last couple seasons, hoping for a return to form this year as a backup to starting Third Basemen Royce Lewis, who tends to be injury prone. 

Chafin, Banda, Hendriks, and Rogers are all veteran relievers who are important for solidifying the twins need for a solid bullpen. Anthony Banda is the most intriguing of the bunch, who played for the World Series champions Los Angeles Dodgers the last two seasons. Banda is a solid reliever who hopes to be the glue that keeps the bullpen together. Taylor Rogers’ homecoming is something to look for, who started his career with the Twins. Hendriks and Chafin are two old veterans who hope to have a renaissance year with the Twins after posting disappointing stats the past two seasons. 

After a 70-92 record in 2025, the Twins fully reset with a new owner, front office executive, and manager in hopes of rekindling a spark in the franchise. With the news of Lopez’s injury this early in the year, that light seems to have dimmed, with expectations at a low for the 2026 season.