Twins set to begin spring training, but the offseason isn’t over

Many Twins players have reported to Fort Myers, Fla., ahead of the official start of spring training, but even when pitchers and catchers conduct their first workout Feb. 12, the offseason isn’t over.

Trade talks among front offices have continued to pick up over the past week, especially as a wave of free agents signed contracts leading into the start of camps.

“I do think that this is going to be a spring where you continue to have more trade conversations than you normally do during spring training,” Dave Dombrowski, the Philadelphia Phillies’ president of baseball operations, said during a media day conference call on Feb. 9.

Twins General Manager Jeremy Zoll, who is seeking to strengthen the bullpen and perhaps add an infielder, agreed with Dombrowski’s assessment of the trade market.

“We’ve seen this for a number of years now that free agency continues to bleed a little bit later and later,” Zoll said. “Obviously, there’s been a number of trades around the game in the last week or so. I feel like there’s continued active dialogue around the game, everyone trying to figure out how to finish up their rosters and get everything set, but definitely continuing a little bit longer than normal.”

The Twins are known for making moves throughout camp. Taylor Rogers, who the Twins signed earlier this winter, was traded the day before Opening Day in 2022. They signed Donovan Solano during spring training in 2023. They completed a deal for Manuel Margot after exhibition games started in 2024.

Earlier in the offseason, the Twins talked broadly about trade ideas with the Milwaukee Brewers, and there were versions that included All-Star starter Freddy Peralta, who was later dealt to the New York Mets. The Twins were one of the teams linked to free agent Framber Valdez before he signed a three-year, $115 million contract with Detroit.

“I know that in the past you would use the report date as, ‘We’re down in camp and ready to go,’” Zoll said. “I think we’ve become accustomed to knowing that things could pivot and change.”

The Twins have eight starting pitchers with big-league experience competing for spots in the five-man rotation, plus some additional Class AAA starting pitching prospects, so it’s likely one or two may transition to the bullpen. It’s one way to bolster the bullpen if the Twins don’t make an addition through a trade or free agency.

The plan, Zoll said, is to build them up as starters at the beginning of camp because it’s possible injuries will affect the rotation, before fully determining who may be pushed to a relief role.

“You want to find the right balance of giving them that exposure before doing it,” Zoll said. “For some of them, they might get transitioned but have time in St. Paul.”

Despite the possibility of any late roster moves, the Twins are set for their first camp under new manager Derek Shelton. Well, it isn’t his first camp with the Twins. He designed spring training schedules when he worked as a Twins bench coach under Paul Molitor and Rocco Baldelli from 2018-19.

“The biggest point, early on, is just getting to know each other and developing that trust within the group,” Shelton said. “Now, we are going to focus on some specific things, fundamentally, that we feel are important.”

When pressed for specifics about what fundamentals the Twins will prioritize during camp, Shelton smiled.

“Come down here and see,” he said.