Twins offseason questions: Who gets traded, who gets added to the 40-man and who are the arbitration eligibles?

The Los Angeles Dodgers remain atop the baseball world, winning a second consecutive World Series title and still the leader in doling out mega contracts. But the offseason officially started Sunday for the other 29 teams trying to keep up with the West Coast superteam.

The Twins, maybe for the first time in about a decade, won’t be viewed as contenders in the American League Central. They have entered a rebuild after shedding payroll, trading 10 major league players at last July’s trade deadline and finishing with their fewest victories (70) in a season since 2016.

New manager Derek Shelton will be introduced to the media on Tuesday and give his vision for the future of the team.

Here is a primer on the key dates and decisions ahead in the Twins offseason:

The Twins have one: Christian Vázquez.

The Twins traded five pending free agents — Harrison Bader, Willi Castro, Ty France, Chris Paddack and Danny Coulombe — during their fire sale, which was part of clearing more than $20 million from their 2025 payroll. Bader is the one most likely to receive a multiyear contract this winter.

Vázquez stuck around after the trade deadline, but he missed most of the last two months of the season because of an infection in his shoulder. He was a poor hitter over his three-year, $30 million contract with the Twins, but his defensive value should intrigue teams for a backup role on a low-cost deal.

The Twins have a $2 million club option for the veteran righthander Topa that includes a $225,000 buyout, which must be decided by Thursday.

Unlike most contract options, if the Twins decline Topa’s option, he doesn’t automatically become a free agent. He would still be under team control and eligible for arbitration, where MLB Trade Rumors’ projections say he could command $1.7 million.

The Twins’ nine arb-eligibles are Ryan Jeffers, Michael Tonkin, Génesis Cabrera, Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Trevor Larnach, Royce Lewis, Cole Sands and Anthony Misiewicz.

Some of these players will likely be released before Nov. 21, which is the deadline to guarantee their contracts for the 2026 season. Larnach represents an interesting case because he’s projected to command around $4.5 million through arbitration. He led the team in games played (142) and typically hit near the top of the lineup, but the Twins have a lot of outfield depth that could push him off the roster.

Relievers Tonkin, Cabrera and Misiewicz are candidates to be released, though the Twins need to rebuild most of their bullpen following all their trades. Jeffers, who will be eligible for free agency after the 2026 season, is expected to command a salary of more than $6 million through arbitration, while Ryan, Ober and Lewis are projected to fall into the $3-6 million range.

A few obvious additions include starting pitchers Connor Prielipp, Andrew Morris and Kendry Rojas, all who could contribute next year. Prielipp, a lefty, was the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year. Morris likely would have debuted last season if not for a forearm injury, and Rojas was the prize in the Louie Varland trade with Toronto. C.J. Culpepper is another top candidate after posting a 2.43 ERA in 17 Class AA starts despite battling injuries.

Outfielders Gabriel Gonzalez, who had the sixth-most hits (159) and second-most doubles (38) in all the minor leagues last year, and Hendry Mendez are the two position players most likely to be added. Mendez was acquired from Philadelphia in the Bader trade, and he hit .299 with a .399 on-base percentage in Class AA.

The Twins haven’t revealed their new minority owners, who are expected to have a role in the budget process, but the baseball industry expects the Twins to lower payroll from last season. Expect trade rumors to swirl around Ryan, a frontline starting pitcher who is two years from free agency on a low salary, as well as Pablo López and Jeffers.

López is owed $21.5 million for the next two seasons, which is below market value for the ace of the Twins staff. Jeffers is a year from reaching free agency, which makes him a candidate, though the Twins lack catching depth in the upper levels of the minor leagues, and losing him would have a negative impact on their young pitching staff.

The Twins have the second-best odds (22.18%) of landing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 amateur draft, behind only the Chicago White Sox. Two teams with worse records, the Colorado Rockies and Washington Nationals, are ineligible for the lottery because there are penalties for teams that repeatedly miss the playoffs.