Twins' Kody Clemens: Set up as primary first baseman
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Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey has indicated that Clemens is in line to be the team's primary first baseman next season, Aaron Gleeman and Dan Hayes of The Athletic report.
Clemens was traded to the Twins in late April and went on to slash .216/.284/.442 with 19 home runs over 112 contests. He split most of his reps between first base (47 starts) and second base (34 starts) during his time in Minnesota but also saw some action in the outfield (12 starts). Clemens is just a .206/.263/.403 career hitter and will turn 30 in May, but he took significant strides in his batted-ball metrics in 2025, sporting a 48.3 percent hard-hit rate and 12 percent barrel rate. Fellow left-handed hitter Edouard Julien is likely Clemens' primary competition for the first base job against righties, and neither player has minor-league options remaining.
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Twins' DaShawn Keirsey: Jettisoned from 40-man roster
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The Twins designated Keirsey for assignment Friday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Alex Jackson, who was acquired via trade. Keirsey has managed just a .113/.149/.206 batting line across 102 plate appearances at the major-league level and will now go through the waivers process.
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Twins' Justin Topa: Avoids arbitration with Twins
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The Twins and Topa avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year contract Friday, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
Darren Wolfson of Channel 5 Saint Paul says the deal is worth $1.225 million. Topa had been viewed as a non-tender candidate, but he will stick around and could be a high-leverage reliever again on a Twins team unlikely to make any big offseason bullpen additions. The righty held a 3.90 ERA and 49:18 K:BB over 60 innings in 2025, posting a 46.7 percent groundball rate along the way.
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Twins' Alex Jackson: Shipped to Minnesota
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The Twins acquired Jackson from the Orioles on Friday in exchange for Payton Eeles, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.
Jackson was on the non-tender bubble for the Orioles, so instead of cutting him loose, Baltimore was able to get a prospect for him. The 29-year-old catcher is a career .153/.239/.288 hitter over parts of six big-league seasons. Jackson could open next season as the Twins' backup behind Ryan Jeffers.
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Twins' Connor Prielipp: Shielded from Rule 5 Draft
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The Twins selected Prielipp's contract from Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday.
Prielipp spent most of the 2025 season at Double-A Wichita before receiving a promotion to St. Paul, where he posted a 5.14 ERA and 1.57 WHIP across 21 innings in five appearances (four starts). The 24-year-old is ineligible for the Rule 5 Draft now that he holds a spot on the Twins' 40-man roster, though he will most likely be sent back to Triple-A to begin 2026 so he can continue his development.
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Twins' Andrew Morris: Receives 40-man spot
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The Twins selected Morris' contract from Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday.
Morris spent the entirety of 2025 at St. Paul, where he turned in a 4.09 ERA and 1.34 WHIP alongside an 89:28 K:BB over 94.2 innings. His addition to the 40-man roster will grant him protection from the Rule 5 Draft in December and improve his chances of winning a spot in Minnesota's rotation during spring training.
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Twins' Hendry Mendez: Joins 40-man roster
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The Twins selected Mendez's contract from Double-A Wichita on Tuesday.
Mendez spent all of 2025 in Double-A, posting a .299/.399/.439 slash line with 11 homers, 62 RBI, 68 runs scored and 10 steals over 491 plate appearances between Philadelphia's and Minnesota's affiliates. Now the owner of a 40-man roster spot, the 22-year-old doesn't have to worry about being selected in the Rule 5 Draft and can now focus on reaching Triple-A St. Paul sometime in 2026.
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Twins' John Klein: Protected from Rule 5 Draft
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The Twins selected Klein's contract from Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday.
Klein reached Triple-A toward the end of the 2025 season but struggled during his first several games with St. Paul, giving up 19 earned runs in just 25.2 innings. His place on the 40-man roster will protect him from being scooped up during the Rule 5 Draft, but he's likely to head back to the minors once the 2026 season begins.
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Twins' Gabriel Gonzalez: Added to 40-man roster
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The Twins selected Gonzalez's contract from Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday.
Gonzalez worked his way up from High-A to Triple-A by the end of the 2025 season, slashing .329/.395/.513 with 15 homers, 66 RBI, 75 runs scored and eight stolen bases across 549 total plate appearances. The 21-year-old outfielder's breakout campaign will grant him protection from the Rule 5 Draft in the form of a 40-man roster spot, and he may be able to win a place on the Twins' Opening Day roster if he continues to hit well in spring training.
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Twins' Eric Orze: Moved to Minnesota
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Tampa Bay traded Orze to the Twins on Tuesday for minor-league pitcher Jacob Kisting, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Orze looked pretty good in his first extended run in the majors last season, posting a 3.02 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 40:19 K:BB over 41.2 innings across 33 appearances. He also picked up three saves and a hold. However, he spent most of the second half of the campaign in the minors after stumbling with the Rays in late June and early July. Orze has a good chance of earning a role in Minnesota's big-league bullpen for 2026, as the club is overhauling most of its relief corps.
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Twins' Kendry Rojas: Gets spot on 40-man roster
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The Twins selected Rojas' contract from Triple-A St. Paul on Tuesday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.
Acquired from the Blue Jays in the Louis Varland trade, Rojas struggled in eight starts for St. Paul down the stretch, holding a 6.59 ERA and 28:23 K:BB over 27.1 innings. However, the 22-year-old southpaw has swing-and-miss stuff, having fanned 90 in 69 frames between his various minor-league stops in 2025. Rojas is now on the 40-man roster and protected from the Rule 5 Draft.
Twins' Justin Topa: Option declined, but arb eligible
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The Twins declined Topa's $2 million option for 2026 on Thursday, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
Topa remains in the organization, as he has another year of team control via arbitration eligibility. The righty reliever collected a 3.90 ERA and 49:18 K:BB over 60 innings out of the Twins' bullpen in 2025, notching four saves along the way. Topa could see high-leverage innings again in 2026 as part of an unsettled Minnesota relief corps.
Twins' David Festa: Expected to resume throwing soon
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Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said Tuesday that Festa (shoulder) should resume throwing relatively soon, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
Festa was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome in September, but it's considered a mild version and he was given Botox injections to alleviate a compressed nerve between his right shoulder and neck. A setback is possible, but for now Festa is expected to be ready for the start of spring training. If healthy, the young righty will compete for a spot in the Twins' rotation next season. Festa held a 5.40 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 53:19 K:BB over 53.1 innings in 2025 with the big club.
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Twins' Pablo Lopez: Considered fully healthy
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Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said Tuesday that Lopez (forearm) is fully healthy and projected to have a normal offseason, Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic reports.
Lopez's 2025 season ended in late September with a mild right forearm strain, and he also missed two months earlier in the year with a Grade 2 teres major strain. However, there are no current concerns with Lopez's pitching arm entering the offseason, and he will not face restrictions at the beginning of spring training. The 29-year-old pitched well in 2025 when healthy, posting a 2.74 ERA and 73:20 K:BB over 75.2 innings. Lopez is owed $43.5 million over the next two seasons, and with the Twins shedding payroll, he's a trade candidate this winter.
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