Twins could lose outfielder Trevor Larnach for next season
This is not intended as an attack on Trevor Larnach. At this stage of his career, the former first-round pick belongs with an MLB team in some capacity. A team still in the early stages of a rebuild could use Larnach, or even a contending team in need of depth in the outfield could benefit from bringing a Flyer. But for the Twins, their outfield is pretty crowded right now, as outfielders go Byron BuxtonMatt Wallner, Alan Roden, James Outman and Austin Martin are on the roster, and Twins outfield prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodríguez will likely make their MLB debuts next season. Getting rid of Larnach would be a way for Minnesota to free up roster space while saving money, as the left-handed outfielder is eligible for arbitration for the first time this season.
Larnach has not lived up to his potential as the first pick in the 2018 MLB Draft. In parts of five seasons with Minnesota, Larnach was worth just 3.2 bWAR and 2.7 fWAR in 442 games. He is a below-average defender, which led to him serving as Minnesota’s designated hitter for much of the 2025 season. Additionally, his bat is mostly underwhelming, as he posted a .250/.323/.404 (99 OPS+) slash line last season and has hit .241/.323/.403 (101 OPS+) throughout his MLB career. If Larnach was a plus defender, his offensive stats would be fine. But since he’s not a great defender, Larnach isn’t very valuable as an average hitter in the league. Therefore, the Twins would be better off parting ways with their longtime corner outfielder.
Ideally, the Twins’ outfield next year will consist of Buxton, Jenkin, Wallner and Rodríguez, with all four taking turns as the designated hitter. Rodríguez likely won’t be on the opening day roster, so until then, Roden and/or Outman could consistently start in the outfield. Who knows, maybe one of them will break out and create a roster dilemma that every team is begging for. Martin proved that he also deserves playing time, and that he could also fill in at second base when needed. In conclusion, Larnach has no place on the 2026 roster.
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