Here are five questions as Twins spring training kicks off

At long last, spring training is upon us.

Pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers, Fla., officially on Thursday, though many are already there. Position players will follow, with the Twins hosting their first full squad workout on Monday.

The disappointing finish of the 2024 season is in the rearview mirror as the Twins look ahead to the 2025 season. With that being said, here are five questions for the Twins need to answer before the regular season starts March 27 at St. Louis.

Are there any more moves coming?

It took until February for the Twins to make a move impacting the major league roster, signing reliever Danny Coulombe and outfielder Harrison Bader last week. On Tuesday, the Twins finally addressed first base, agreeing to a deal with Ty France in a move that has not yet been made official.

Is more on the way?

It was long thought that the Twins might trade one of Chris Paddack ($7.5 million), Christian Vázquez ($10 million) or Willi Castro ($6.4 million), all of whom are free agents at season’s end, to create a little more payroll flexibility. All remain on the roster.

President of baseball operations Derek Falvey said last week that trade talks have slowed from where they were at near TwinsFest in late January, but this front office has shown it’s willing to make impact moves all the way up until Opening Day.

Who makes the cut in the bullpen?

The Twins are brimming with bullpen options for a group that should be a strong suit for the team.

They recently added Coulombe to serve as their left-handed option (Kody Funderburk and Brent Headrick were the only left-handed options on the 40-man roster before the move and Headrick was claimed off waivers by the Yankees on Tuesday). He will join a group that includes Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Cole Sands and, if healthy, Brock Stewart.

Stewart had shoulder surgery that ended his season prematurely last year and is expected to be slightly behind his teammates in his build up when everyone reports to camp.

Along with that group of five, Michael Tonkin, Justin Topa and Jorge Alcala have major league contracts, though the latter two have minor league options.

The Twins have not yet said what they plan to do with Louie Varland, though the most likely move would seem to be switching him to the bullpen, where he the right-hander has pitched at the major league level in each of the past two seasons. If they do that, Varland would be in the mix for a bullpen spot, as well.

Rule 5 selection Eiberson Castellano would need to be kept on the roster all season for the Twins not to lose him, which could earn him an extended look, as well.

What will the infield look like?

Carlos Correa will be the Twins’ starting shortstop. Around him, the Twins have all kinds of possibilities.

The Twins experimented with Royce Lewis at second base last season and he has taken some reps there this offseason, but it seems as if he’ll be back at third for the time being.

The Twins addressed first base by agreeing to a one-year deal with France on Wednesday. Jose Miranda and Edouard Julien are other options at first, as well, while Miranda could play some third and Julien some second. Each could be an option as designated hitter.

Brooks Lee also should see time at second base. The switch hitter could also fill in at shortstop when Correa is off, and can play third, as well. Utilityman Willi Castro will move around the infield (and can play some outfield, as well), as needed, and Austin Martin — who played infield and outfield last season — could do some moving around, as well.

Barring injury, there won’t be space on the active roster all of these names to make the team out of camp, which could squeeze a younger player like Martin to begin the year.

Do Chris Paddack and Joe Ryan look healthy?

By all accounts, Paddack and Ryan are doing well after season-ending injuries. Paddack was near a return at the end of the season, and at TwinsFest last month, manager Rocco Baldelli said Ryan’s arm felt “just the way he would want.”

Ryan’s season ended in August with a teres major strain. Paddack suffered a forearm strain in mid-July. Because of their absences, the Twins were rolling with a three-rookie rotation by the end of the season. Simeon Woods Richardson, who spent most of the year in the majors, was joined by fellow rookies David Festa and Zebby Matthews.

Their health — particularly Ryan’s — will go a long way toward determining how successful the Twins can be this season. The team looks poised to begin the season with a rotation of Pablo López, Bailey Ober, Joe Ryan, Paddack and likely Woods Richardson.

Do any of the prospects look ready to contribute?

The Twins will get a good look at their top prospects this spring, with a couple of them joining the group in major league camp.

That includes outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez, who is ranked No. 37 on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects list and is the Twins’ second-ranked prospect. Rodriguez, just 21, has dealt with his fair share of injuries on his path to the majors but made it to Triple-A last year and could be ready to make an impact sometime this year.

Rodriguez was slowed by a thumb injury last year and had surgery in the offseason to address that. It limited him to just 47 games across four different levels, during which he hit .280 with a 1.026 OPS.

Luke Keaschall, ranked No. 61 overall by MLB Pipeline, will be a non-roster invitee in major league camp and the infielder — the Twins’ 2024 minor league player of the year last year — could also make an impact soon. Keaschall, primarily a second baseman, had Tommy John surgery to end last season but before that climbed up to Double-A Wichita.

Matthews, who debuted last year, Andrew Morris and Marco Raya are among the top pitching prospects that should start at the upper levels of the minors.

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