2024 Record: 82-80
General Manager: Derek Falvey (entering year 9)
Manager: Rocco Baldelli (entering year 7)
Notable Offseason Acquisitions: OF Harrison Bader (1 year, 6.25 million), RP Danny Coulombe (1 year, 3 million), 1B Ty France (1 year, 1 million)
It’s fair to say that the Minnesota Twins did not live up to expectations in 2024. After placing first in the AL West the year prior, Minnesota barely scratched over .500 and missed the playoffs completely. Their rotation was not as sharp as anticipated, as none of their main five starters had an ERA under 3.60. The Twins offense was injury-plagued yet again, as shortstop Carlos Correa, center fielder Byron Buxton, and third baseman Royce Lewis all missed significant time which hindered their overall production. In fact, Correa, Buxton, and Lewis only played 55% of the teams’ games combined in 2024. The bullpen held up their end of the bargain, led by breakout star Griffin Jax, but with the main parts of their club floundering, they could only play at a mediocre and disappointing level.
The Twins had to make some splashes on the margins to bring them back to a playoff contender. Sadly, without a lot of money to spend with an ownership group on the verge of selling, they were very limited in what they could do this offseason. They were quiet in the free agent market for months, until the floodgates opened in early February and locked down outfielder Harrison Bader, reliever Danny Coulombe, and first baseman Ty France.
Bader is a great defender who can play all three outfield spots effectively. He can give Buxton rest when he needs to and can provide value with speed on the base paths. Coulombe returns to Minnesota for a second stint after a great two-year run with the Baltimore Orioles. A capable option from the left side, he will provide a great option for the Twins in an already-loaded pen. France is not too far removed from being an all-star hitter with the Seattle Mariners. He should provide some decent contact and power ability at first base and if he can get closer back to his peak form, the Twins lineup should benefit immensely.
Even though these three moves are solid and help, they don’t change the ceiling of Minnesota too much. Simply put, their returning star hitters need to stay healthy. A trio of Correa, Buxton, and Lewis should be one of the best offensive groups in baseball, with all of them having the ability to hit for average and power at a high magnitude. But if they don’t play, they won’t help the club reach their playoff potential.
The starting pitching group also needs to be better than they showed last season. Pablo Lopez and Chris Paddack were part of the reason why the Twins starting group didn’t live up to expectations with their subpar production. If they can have ERA’s in the 3.50 or lower range, that should be enough to get those extra wins that Minnesota didn’t get last year.
A lot of things need to go right for the Twins to be back in the playoff picture, but if health is in their favor and if they get enough internal improvement, the fans in the Twin Cities should be more than thrilled with their team’s performance in 2025.
