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Joey Gallo
First base
Age: 29
Base salary: $11 million
Gold Glove outfielder hoping for comeback after a nightmare 2022 season (.160 average, 163 K's in 126 games) with Yankees and Dodgers.
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Nick Gordon
Second base
Age: 27
Base salary: $740,000
Fifth-overall pick in 2014 finally broke through as a major leaguer, playing seven positions (including pitcher) and had surprising power.
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Carlos Correa
Shortstop
Age: 28
Base salary: $32 million
Returned to the Twins after free-agent agreements with Giants and Mets fell through. Swept the team’s major awards last season when he was clearly the MVP (.833 OPS).
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Jose Miranda
Third base
Age: 24
Base salary: $740,000
Lived up to billing after a great minor league career, leading the Twins in RBI and establishing himself as middle-of-the-order fixture.
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Trevor Larnach
Left field
Age: 26
Base salary: $740,000
Missed the final three months of the season. When healthy, the 20th selection in the 2018 draft gives the team a powerful lefthanded bat. Promising spring.
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Michael A. Taylor
Center field
Age: 32
Base salary: $4.5 million
A starter for KC the past two seasons, he’s a Gold Glove winner signed to play when Gold Glove winner Byron Buxton DHs.
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Max Kepler
Right field
Age: 30
Base salary: $8.5 million
Only 28 extra-base hits last season, fewest of his career, make that magical 2019 output (36 HR, 90 RBI) seem long ago. No-shift rules might benefit him.
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Christian Vazquez
Catcher
Age: 32
Base salary: $10 million
Caught the last out of the World Series for the champion Astros; strong defensive credentials and a decent bat for a free swinger (.261 career average).
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Byron Buxton
Designated hitter
Age: 29
Base salary: $15 million
Statistics say the Twins are a much better team when Buxton plays, but hip and knee injuries limited him to 92 games in 2022, when he was an All-Star for the first time.
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Willi Castro
Infield
Age: 25
Base salary: $740,000
After four years with the Tigers (.245 average) he was non-tendered and signed by the Twins. He replaces injured Jorge Polanco on the roster.
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Kyle Farmer
Infield
Age: 32
Base salary: $5.585 million
Acquired from Cincinnati in the offseason, the converted catcher was the starter at shortstop the past two seasons for the Reds.
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Ryan Jeffers
Catcher
Age: 25
Base salary: $740,000
A thumb injury hampered him as now-departed Gary Sanchez caught more games. Jeffers will try to improve on a .208 average.
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Donovan Solano
Infield
Age: 35
Base salary: $2 million
Picked up during spring training as a proven hitter. “Donnie Barrels” won a Silver Slugger at second base for the Giants in 2020.
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Pablo Lopez
Righthander
Age: 27
Base salary: $5.45 million
The Twins traded AL batting champion Luis Arraez for Lopez, who started 32 games for Miami (10-10, 3.75 ERA, 8.7 K/9).
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Sonny Gray
Righthander
Age: 33
Base salary: $12.7 million
Limited to 24 starts and 119 ⅔ because of a hamstring injury, but a 2.38 ERA after the All-Star break showed he’s back on track.
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Joe Ryan
Righthander
Age: 26
Base salary: $740,000
As a rookie, he was the team’s most effective starter, posting team highs in victories (13), innings (147) and strikeouts (151).
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Kenta Maeda
Righthander
Age: 34
Base salary: $3 million
Veteran is recovering from Tommy John surgery, but hopes to recapture magic 2020 (Cy Young runner-up after league-best 0.750 WHIP).
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Tyler Mahle
Righthander
Age: 28
Base salary: $7.5 million
After coming from the Reds in a midseason trade, he was able to pitch only four times because of arm weakness.
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Jorge Alcala
Righthander
Age: 27
Base salary: $790,000
A sore right elbow eventually needed surgery, limiting Alcala to two games on opening weekend after a promising 2021 (59 games, 0.972 WHIP).
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Jhoan Duran
Righthander
Age: 25
Base salary: $740,000
He’s expected to be the closer after only eight save chances in ’22. Hardest thrower in the majors struck out 89 in 67 ⅔ innings with a 1.86 ERA.
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Griffin Jax
Righthander
Age: 28
Base salary: $740,000
The Air Force captain proved himself as a big leaguer, leading the relievers in innings pitched (72 ⅓), and had a 1.051 WHIP.
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Jorge Lopez
Righthander
Age: 30
Base salary: $3.525 million
A trade-deadline pickup, he was an All-Star closer for Baltimore who struggled with the Twins (1.632 WHIP in 23 games).
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Jovani Moran
Lefthander
Age: 25
Base salary: $740,000
A 2.21 ERA in 31 appearances — some longer than an inning — was impressive considering he was up and down from St. Paul quite a bit.
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Emilio Pagan
Righthander
Age: 31
Base salary: $3.5 million
Given first crack at being the closer, he lost leads in key games to AL Central champ Cleveland and gave up 36 runs in 63 innings.
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Cole Sands
Righthander
Age: 25
Base salary: $740,000
A starter at St. Paul last season, he begins as the long reliever for the Twins. Roughed up in 11 games last season (5.87 ERA, 1.565 WHIP).
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Caleb Thielbar
Lefthander
Age: 36
Base salary: $2.4 million
Had 80 strikeouts in 59 ⅓ innings in his continuing comeback story.
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Jorge Polanco
Second base
Age: 29
Base salary: $7.5 million
Following a dynamite 2021 (33 HR, 98 RBI) the former All-Star’s knee tendinitis hampered production and eventually ended his season.
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Alex Kirilloff
Outfielder
Age: 25
Base salary: $740,000
Full of promise, but wrist problems and surgeries have derailed his early career. When healthy, he’ll be a starter at first or in the outfield.
STARTING LINEUP
RESERVES
STARTING ROTATION
RELIEVERS
INJURED LIST
Twins players in lead portraits, from left to right: Top row: Jorge Lopez, Byron Buxton; Middle row: Carlos Correa, Kenta Maeda, Max Kepler; Bottom row: Nick Gordon, Jhoan Duran, Jose Miranda.
Roster headshot photos courtesy of Major League Baseball.
