The acquisitions of Twins’ Eric Wagaman and Josh Bell put this veteran outfielder on thin ice

When the Twins signed Josh Bell to a one-year, $7 million dealMany speculated that he would be Minnesota’s leading first baseman in 2026 Minnesota’s recent trade acquisition of first baseman Eric WagamanBell will likely be the Twins’ primary designated hitter, a role he filled last season for the Washington Nationals.

Bell, a poor defender, will still get some starts at first base in 2026. However, Wagaman, who posted a .783 OPS against lefties last season, and Kody Clemens will most likely serve as Minnesota’s first basemen in a platoon system.

With Bell, Wagaman and Clemens expected to be the Twins’ primary first basemen and designated hitters, Minnesota could trade left-handed outfielder/designated hitter Trevor Larnach.

Twins should trade Trevor Larnach for bullpen help after acquiring Josh Bell and Eric Wagaman

Larnach played occasionally in left and right field last season, but he mainly served as Minnesota’s restricted hitter. In 142 games during the 2025 campaign, Larnach hit .250/.323/.404 (99 OPS+) with 17 home runs and 60 RBI. If he had been a good defender, he could have been a valuable player with those stats. Unfortunately, he was a poor defender in his limited time in the outfield last year, and as a primary design hitter, a 99 OPS+ isn’t great.

Therefore, the Twins should look to trade Larnach, preferably for a reliever. Larnach, 28, has shown he can be a force at the plate in a pinch, but his career 101 OPS+ suggests he’s just an average hitter in the league. The Twins also already have plenty of big-league outfielders (Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner, Austin Martin, James Outman and Alan Roden) and several promising outfielders (Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Gabriel Gonzalez) likely to make their MLB debuts in 2026, suggesting Larnach may be the odd man out.

A rebuilding team may want to take a flier on Larnach, a former first-round pick, and could be willing to give up a bullpen arm that Minnesota desperately needs to acquire the outfielder. The Twins probably won’t be worse for losing Larnach, but they would certainly be better for adding an established bullpen arm. If they can trade for a reliever in exchange for Larnach, they should do so.