A player-by-player look at the Twins as they head into the offseason with player’s age, contract and future outlook.
After dust settles on 2024 Twins season, a player-by-player look at the roster for next year
Questions abound on starting rotation and bullpen, free agents like Max Kepler and Kyle Farmer, promising rookies and arbitration decisions.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
October 31, 2024 at 6:01PM
Pitchers
Jorge Alcala, 29
He frustrates the Twins so much, he was demoted to St. Paul in April with an 0.00 ERA. Then, what felt like a breakthrough year — a 1.63 ERA through July with one homer — was undone by an awful final two months (6.41, seven HRs).
Contract: Twins hold $1.5 million option, or $55,000 buyout
2025 outlook: Still cheap, but who will shake their heads in disbelief more often, opposing hitters or his coaches?
Scott Blewett, 28
Of the many fruitless outside auditions the Twins conducted for bullpen roles, who foresaw this Royals castoff being the most effective? The righthander still has control issues but was getting high-leverage work by the end.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: Probably won’t spend four months waiting for a call-up from St. Paul again. Two, maybe, but not four.
Caleb Boushley, 31
Led the Saints in innings pitched, but with a 90-mph fastball, he allows too much contact to be trusted in the big leagues. Threw 37 fastballs and sinkers in his four emergency innings for the Twins, with zero swings-and-misses.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: Twins could tinker with his pitch mix but will more likely move on.
Matt Canterino, 26
Twins officials, so optimistic when he pitched well in spring training, make sad faces when you mention him. Tommy John surgery derailed one season, shoulder pain another, and now he hasn’t pitched in a game since July 2022.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: He’ll be 27 when camp opens, so keeping a 40-man spot is iffy. But if stuff is still electric, he gets another shot.
Diego Castillo, 30
Can still hit 97 with his fastball, but eight walks in 10 innings with the Twins (and 25 in 37 innings at St. Paul) made him expendable.
Contract: Free agent
2025 outlook: An invitation to camp by one of the many bullpen-deficient franchises.
Anthony DeSclafani, 34
The Twins’ third-highest-paid player, yet most of his “teammates” probably wouldn’t recognize him. Career stats as a Twin: one arm surgery.
Contract: Free agent
2025 outlook: Last good year was 2021, but someone will risk a few million dollars for a look.
Randy Dobnak, 29
He’s become a master innings-eater at St. Paul, but first cameos in a Twins uniform in three years, though fun, made it clear that’s as high as he likely can go.
Contract: Owed $3 million for final year of five-year contract
2025 outlook: Another 30 starts for the Saints at $100,000 each, not a bad way to spend a summer.
Daniel Duarte, 27
Four innings into a season he hoped would establish him as a major leaguer, his elbow gave out.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: A likely nontender; if invited back, he’ll be climbing that mountain anew in spring camp, one of many surgical patients with something to prove.
Jhoan Duran, 26
Fastball velocity dipped by 1 mph (but still 100.5) and ERA rose by a run, so he had one blowup per month. But underlying numbers are still strong, including 23-for-25 in save tries, so the Twins believe his frustrating season was mostly bad luck.
Contract: Arbitration-eligible (first year)
2025 outlook: Finally eligible for arbitration, he’ll make a lot more than the minimum. If healthy, he’ll be worth it.
David Festa, 24
First two games were shaky, but he had a 3.81 ERA after that and looked like a rotation regular, albeit one with a remarkably short leash; only pitched into the sixth inning once. Walks remain a nagging, but fixable, problem.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: Probably an underdog to earn a rotation spot in spring training, but it’s definitely possible.
Kody Funderburk, 27
Was as effective in April as in the previous September, raising the Twins’ hopes. But wildness and an oblique injury ruined his fast start; gave up 23 runs in his final 25 innings.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: His lefthandedness will keep him on the St. Paul shuttle.
Brent Headrick, 26
Enjoyed a triumphant moment in September by returning to the big leagues after a season lost to forearm pain. It lasted one pitch. His second one landed in the Fenway seats.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: A reverse-split lefty, his best shot at a big league job is probably in the bullpen.
Ronny Henriquez, 24
In the past three seasons, he’s pitched 207 innings for St. Paul and 31 for the Twins. That feels like a verdict.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: Out of options, so it’s decision time. His youth should help him find a new contract once the Twins reclaim his roster spot.
Griffin Jax, 29
Turned in one of the 10 best seasons ever by a Twins reliever and did so while mostly facing Nos. 2-5 hitters in opponents’ order.
Contract: Arbitration-eligible (first year)
2025 outlook: He dreams of returning to the starting rotation with his improved pitch mix, but he’s too valuable in game-on-the-line moments to move.
Pablo López, 28
Wasn’t the sensation he’d been in 2023 but reeled off seven consecutive quality starts in August and September to reestablish himself as staff’s unquestioned leader.
Contract: Owed $21.5 million (up from this year’s $8 million) in each of the next three seasons
2025 outlook: A safe bet to become first three-time Opening Day starter since Brad Radke, two decades ago.
Zebby Matthews, 24
Emergency call-up whose stats were sacrificed in the name of bullpen preservation, but two months of lessons in the rotation will pay off eventually.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: Half a season at Class AAA, where he should have spent 2024, then another chance to show what he’s learned.
Jovani Moran, 27
How fondly do the Twins recall his 54-strikeouts-in-40 innings debut in 2022? They re-signed him for 2024, even as he headed to Tommy John surgery.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: A couple of months to ramp up, then the Twins will see if their investment was worth it.
Bailey Ober, 29
A remarkably similar season to López’s, including the weird first-inning HR habit. His hot streaks were hotter, his blowups more intense, but he was a valuable workhorse.
Contract: Arbitration-eligible (first year)
2025 outlook: He’s got the stuff of a borderline All-Star and the determination to get there. Is a big breakthrough next?
Steven Okert, 33
Earned job as top lefty in camp, but lost it by letting 52% of inherited runners score, then giving up 15 runs of his own in final 14⅓ innings.
Contract: Free agent
2025 outlook: Being lefthanded has its benefits, including plenty of second chances. Someone will give him one.
Chris Paddack, 28
He’s been a Twin for three years, yet they still don’t know what they have. Hopes to return to the rotation, but he might not be durable enough.
Contract: Owed $7.5 million for final season of three-year contract
2025 outlook: High risk at a relatively high price makes him a popular trade candidate, but the Twins hate dealing when value is low.
Joe Ryan, 28
Added nearly 2 mph to his fastball, became first Twin since Johan Santana to allow fewer than one baserunner per inning. But shoulder strain ended his career-best season two months early.
Contract: Arbitration-eligible (first year)
2025 outlook: If shoulder is healed, as expected, he can begin to think about All-Star selections and long-term contracts.
Cole Sands, 27
Became umpteenth Twin assigned to long relief to fail to hold the role, but with an unusual twist: He proved he’s too good for such low-leverage usage.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: With a solid cutter to go with his fastball, he should expect more than this year’s 20 innings of eighth- and ninth-inning work.
Brock Stewart, 33
He epitomizes the Twins’ luck: two consecutive years of looking unhittable — he didn’t allow a run in 12⅓ innings through April — only to spend months at a time on the injured list.
Contract: Arbitration-eligible (first year)
2025 outlook: Shoulder surgery might have fixed the problem, but it will be hard for the Twins not to hold their breath with every pitch.
Caleb Thielbar, 37
His own midseason assessment: “I need to stop pitching like a jackass.” Curveball remains sharp, but hitters teed off on his fastball (.495 slugging percentage).
Contract: Free agent
2025 outlook: He would like to return and feels he made promising adjustments late in the year. The Twins’ decision — the price will matter — will show whether they agree.
Michael Tonkin, 34
He was legitimately good over a 12-week, 40-inning stretch with the Yankees, but the Twins weren’t able to replicate after claiming him off waivers.
Contract: Arbitration-eligible (second year)
2025 outlook: It’s awfully late in his career to remake himself, but it won’t cost the Twins much to try.
Justin Topa, 33
At 33, he hasn’t yet pitched 100 career big league innings, which shows the toll injuries — like this year’s knee ligament — have taken. Finally out of crutches, he got seven outs in the season’s final week.
Contract: Arbitration-eligible (second year)
2025 outlook: A second chance at trying to prove the Twins didn’t trade Jorge Polanco for nothing.
Louie Varland, 26
A nightmare April (9.18 ERA in four starts) got him sent back to St. Paul, and though he returned, he never really recovered. Homers, 12 in 49⅔ innings, were a constant problem.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: Rocco Baldelli probably gets his way: He wants to see what Varland’s almost-100-mph fastball can do out of the bullpen.
Josh Winder, 28
His 11 promising starts in 2022 feel like a decade ago after he spent most of the past two seasons sidelined by a series of shoulder ailments.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: It’s clear his future is in the bullpen now. What’s not clear, especially since he’s out of options, is whether a major league future, or even a pain-free one, actually exists.
Simeon Woods Richardson, 24
Surprised the Twins by turning an emergency opportunity into a career-changer; after his call-up in late April, the rookie never missed a start. The Twins went 17-11 with him on the mound.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: On fumes by the end of this year, he will try to improve command along with stamina.
Catchers
Jair Camargo, 25
Best batting-practice showman since Miguel Sanó but has yet to inspire confidence that he can hit in the majors. Even with the Saints, 2024 was a step backward.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: If the Twins move Christian Vázquez, he might get a look, though without more polish, they don’t seem eager to give him one.
Ryan Jeffers, 27
Arguably the team’s MVP in April, as the season wore on, he wore out. Has worked hard on his defense, but it’s still his main weakness.
Contract: Arbitration-eligible (second year)
2025 outlook: Trying to put 2024 behind him and give the Twins a reason to play him more than every other day.
Christian Vázquez, 34
Prone to maddening slumps — he had five hits in May! — but still a reliable defender, important with so many young pitchers around.
Contract: Owed $10 million for final season of three-year deal
2025 outlook: Expensive, but leaguewide scarcity of strong defensive catchers means the Twins will likely find a trade partner if they choose.
Infielders
Diego Castillo, 26
Solid season as St. Paul utilityman, but faces multiple roadblocks here. Hard to make a name for yourself when you’re not even the only Diego Castillo on the team.
Contract: Free agent
2025 outlook: Understandably interested in finding a better shot elsewhere.
Willi Castro, 27
A credible, if unspectacular, fill-in just about anywhere, he was even rewarded for his unique role with an All-Star invitation. Oddly, that’s when he stopped hitting like one.
Contract: Arbitration-eligible (third year)
2025 outlook: A Swiss Army knife player is priceless to a manager, but a huge raise in arbitration might create a difficult call for the front office.
Carlos Correa, 30
He was the $200 million version the Twins paid for until plantar fasciitis struck again. Turns out, even a “minor” case costs two months.
Contract: Owed $36 million next year, and an average of $32 million over the next four
2025 outlook: The good news is, he doesn’t have a third foot to injure. But he remains the perfect fit for a fan base conditioned to fear the worst.
Kyle Farmer, 34
His popularity with teammates and coaching staff probably saved him from a midseason DFA, and he’s one of the few hitters who was good in September.
Contract: Free agent
2025 outlook: Likely has to take a hefty pay cut to the $6.3 million salary to stay. Well, unless he wants a coaching job.
Edouard Julien, 25
One of four big leaguers to look at more than 100 called third strikes in the last two years, he took a step back from his brilliant rookie season in almost every way. Hit seven homers in April, one after.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: No longer a projected starter, he’ll have to work to make the team. Might have made a tempting trade chip, but not off a .199 season.
Alex Kirilloff, 26
In four seasons, he’s made three trips to the 60-day injured list and has zero career at-bats in August. This time, he played 11 weeks, each a little worse than the one before it.
Contract: Arbitration-eligible (second year)
2025 outlook: He announced Thursday that he’s retiring from the game.
Brooks Lee, 23
Seemed too good to be true when he batted .458 with 8 RBI in his first week in the majors. He was. Hit .183 in last 2½ months, with only 19 more RBI.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: Still the front-runner for full-time job at second base.
Royce Lewis, 25
Opening Day quad injury turned out to be an omen for a tumble-back-to-earth season. Superheroes don’t lose almost 200 points of OPS, but he’s still a cornerstone.
Contract: Pre-arbitration, though could qualify for Super Two status
2025 outlook: Health, and a healthier approach to six-month grind, would make him a good bet to bounce back, perhaps with a long-term extension a year from now.
Jose Miranda, 26
Filled in admirably for Lewis, but his promising season abruptly halted after that. Hit his last homer on July 5, had two doubles after Aug. 15.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: His reverse-split ability to hit righthanders keeps him intriguing; Twins figure to see if potential trade partners agree.
Carlos Santana, 38
He was this year’s Michael A. Taylor, an aging veteran who far outplayed his cut-rate salary with Gold Glove defense and 20-something homers.
Contract: Free agent
2025 outlook: Taylor also figures to be the model for the Twins: They banked a great year but let him walk away, then watched in relief as age overtook him.
Yunior Severino, 25
Showed improved plate discipline at St. Paul, but the upper-deck power was on display less frequently. It’s telling that the Twins never gave him a look.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: It’s becoming clear that he doesn’t have a defensive position, so the Twins may decide the roster spot is better used elsewhere.
Outfielders
Byron Buxton, 30
Missed half of May, August and September, yet still played more than he had in seven years. Reminded Twins that when healthy, he’s still a star at the plate, in center field and in the clubhouse.
Contract: Four years remain on his contract, which pays him $15 million annually
2025 outlook: Doing everything he can to reach 100 games again. Truthfully, by now the Twins would take it.
Michael Helman, 28
After six years in the system, got his first 10 MLB at-bats at age 28 — though none, weirdly, in a Twins victory. But hey, his .800 OPS was highest of Nebraska-born big leaguers.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: Does getting a taste of the majors make it harder or easier to return to the minors? He’ll find out.
DaShawn Keirsey, 27
Spectacular Class AAA season earned him a brief September look, six years after being drafted. Strong defense in center field.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: At his age, it’s probably wise to find a better opportunity, but he’ll always have that last-day homer.
Max Kepler, 31
Late in a thoroughly mediocre season, said the Twins were better off without him on the playoff roster. Maybe he thought he was putting the team first, but it sounded to the Twins like “see ya.”
Contract: Free agent
2025 outlook: After nine years of some nice moments but only occasionally meeting expectations, he’ll get a new start. Fans’ verdict on the Max Era will be interesting.
Trevor Larnach, 27
Played hurt for much of the second half, which may explain why the Twins seem so hesitant to commit to him as a long-term regular. But he made real progress in strikeout rate and on-base ability.
Contract: Arbitration-eligible (first year)
2025 outlook: Trying to fend off being pigeonholed into DH-vs.-righthanders role, a value-killer for someone his age.
Manuel Margot, 30
Can still hit lefties, but the Twins overestimated his usefulness, especially in the outfield.
Contract: Twins hold $12 million option; if they don’t pick it up, Dodgers pay $2 million buyout
2025 outlook: Looking for part-time work at a reduced rate, though 0-for-30 as a pinch hitter makes it a tough sell.
Austin Martin, 25
Twins are divided about his future, for good reason. In underwhelming 93-game debut, he displayed the tools, but not the results, of a big leaguer.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: Trying to hold on to extra-outfielder job. His challenge: Twins will want more firepower in that role.
Emmanuel Rodriguez, 21
Recurring injury to his right thumb limited him to 47 games, but a 1.100 OPS at Class AA Wichita is reason to be excited.
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: After a few months at St. Paul, he’ll settle into the outfield at Target Field, where he figures to stay awhile.
Matt Wallner, 26
Quite a bounce-back after horrific (2-for-25, 17 Ks) April. Returned in July, pulled his numbers up to second-best behind Correa in OBP (.372) and OPS (.895).
Contract: Pre-arbitration
2025 outlook: Still shows few signs of hitting lefthanders; if that changes, can lock up up a full-time job.
The eight Twins headed for arbitration are Royce Lewis, Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, Bailey Ober, Ryan Jeffers, Willi Castro, Griffin Jax and Trevor Larnach.
