KANSAS CITY -- The Twins’ Opening Day roster has appeared set for several days, but they finally made it official on Wednesday, locking in a group that largely remained as healthy as they could have hoped through Spring Training.
That is, of course, with the exception of Jorge Polanco and Alex Kirilloff, whose season-opening stints on the injured list didn’t stem from new incidents this spring, but instead, due to the lingering effect of pre-existing ailments. As will become evident in this roster breakdown, their absences will make the Twins’ roster more fluid than ever.
Catcher (2): Christian Vázquez, Ryan Jeffers
Vázquez will be the Opening Day catcher, but Jeffers has also had a very nice spring, noting that he feels more confident in his swing than ever before. Vázquez could be more of a factor in stopping the running game, something the Twins notably struggled with last season.
First base (2): Joey Gallo,Donovan Solano
It’s not entirely accurate to list Gallo and Solano solely under the first-base banner due to their versatility, but they could comprise the primary platoon at the position while Kirilloff continues to build up. Kyle Farmer could also slide over to first when needed.
Second base (2): Nick Gordon, Kyle Farmer
Though Polanco will eventually be a fixture here, he will start the season on the IL as he continues to build up the left knee that troubled him at the end of 2022. This should be another platoon, with Gordon starting against right-handed pitchers and Farmer against lefties -- though both will also appear elsewhere (Gordon will play center field, while Farmer will play all infield positions).
Shortstop (1): Carlos Correa
Not much more to be said here. Expect Farmer to be the primary backup.
Third base (1): Jose Miranda
Miranda had a monster spring, and the Twins’ intention has always been to give him consistent playing time at third base this season. He ramped up to the position slowly due to right shoulder soreness that prevented him from playing in the World Baseball Classic, but he made it into a pair of games at the hot corner by the end of Spring Training.
Outfield (3): Trevor Larnach, Michael A. Taylor, Max Kepler
With Kirilloff out, Gallo slides to first base, which opens left field for Larnach. Taylor will split time in center field with Gordon, while Byron Buxton starts the season at designated hitter. Gallo could also appear in the corner outfield spots depending on how matchups impact the lineup.
Utility (1): Willi Castro
The slower ramp-ups for Polanco and Kirilloff created an opening for Castro, who entered camp as a non-roster invitee and showed the swing-and-miss that has been prevalent throughout his career, but he still had a productive spring in aggregate. He likely got this final roster spot due to his versatility -- both in his positional ability to move nearly everywhere around the infield and outfield, and in his profile as a switch-hitter.
Designated hitter (1): Byron Buxton
Buxton will be held to only hitting to start the season, with the Twins hoping that additional time to ramp up his knee and mitigating any potential risks associated with the cold April weather in Minneapolis will better equip them to keep him in the lineup. Of course, they’d love for him to play 162 games in center field in a perfect world, but it’s simply not prudent to consider that realistic given his history -- and they’re adjusting their approach accordingly.
Starting pitchers (5): Pablo López, Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Tyler Mahle, Kenta Maeda
It’s a very good thing for the Twins that their top five starters all navigated a healthy camp despite the initial questions posed by Maeda’s return from Tommy John surgery and Mahle’s right shoulder uncertainty at the end of 2022. That means they have the luxury of having productive Major League starter Bailey Ober as their next man up -- but that was less fortunate for Ober, who was optioned at the end of a stellar camp.
Relief pitchers (8): Jhoan Duran, Jorge López, Griffin Jax, Caleb Thielbar, Emilio Pagán, Jorge Alcala, Jovani Moran, Cole Sands
Alcala is coming off a 2022 season that was lost to right elbow troubles, and Moran is still building strike-throwing consistency that will help him take the next step. But they both showed enough this spring to earn spots. Sands will be the first to take on the long relief role, which again figures to be a revolving door according to usage and need.