The Minnesota Twins could soon re-enter territory the franchise has spent multiple winters avoiding. Instead of begging the franchise not to trade All-Stars Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan, or Pablo López to shed payroll, fans in Twins Territory learned that the Twins are looking at adding impact free agents to the big league roster. Specifically, an area where the team has spent years looking for answers.
Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports the team has been linked to three “mid-tier” free agent first basemen. Ryan O’Hearn, Josh Bell, and Rhys Hoskins were all mentioned by name in Hayes’ report as options the Twins have been linked to in some way.
Kody Clemens is Minnesota’s incumbent first baseman, and the front office has praised him. Still, the Twins recently said they need more “thump” in their lineup. Clemens can be a key contributor with a .782 OPS against right-handed pitching in 2025. However, his .482 OPS against lefties significantly impacts his ability as an everyday player.
All three would help out a lineup that was 23rd in runs last season. Each of them could likely sign a $10 to $13 million short-term contract in the territory if they were to sign with the Twins. With an estimated $20 million to play with this winter, all three players being in Minnesota’s price range means each of them will have their flaws.
While Bell doesn’t have a high ceiling, he brings an extremely reliable floor to his production level. He hit 22 home runs and recorded a .741 OPS over 140 games in 2025. The 2019 All-Star has already played for six teams over his 10 years in the majors, mainly with small-market teams on short-term contracts. Still, regardless of where he’s played, Bell has found a way to hit. He has a career .256/.341/.443 with 193 career home runs. No non-COVID season for Bell has ever been lower than a 101 wRC+ (MLB average is 100).
However, Bell’s .552 OPS against left-handed pitching is one issue with Bell’s production at the plate, a significant drop from his .751 career average against southpaws. While Bell is a solid hitter, other areas of his game aren’t as strong.
As a fielder, he owns a -4 outs above average. A 25.2 ft./second sprint speed lands him in the bottom seven percentile of all runners, along with a -6.1 baserunning score according to FanGraphs. The rougher edges of his game wiped out Bell’s production at the plate. Despite an above-average 107 wRC+ mark in 2025, he only produced 0 fWAR over the last two seasons.
Adding a player of Bell’s caliber immediately raises the floor of the lineup. However, the Twins may elect to go in a direction to find more power or a more rounded first baseman. Rhys Hoskins is the slugger with the most proven track record. The eight-year veteran has a .238/.344/.475 career slashline with 186 home runs over 888 career games. His success has mainly come from smashing fastballs, considering he’s posted a +7 run value or better against fastballs since 2021. Projecting forward, his 90.2 MPH average exit velocity is the highest in his career since 2021.
Adding Hoskins would give new Twins manager Derek Shelton a plug-and-play first baseman. A .238/.344/.475 slashline with 186 home runs and a 121 wRC+ over eight seasons. His .881 career OPS against lefties would be huge for the team. Even his .731 OPS against left-handed pitching in 2025 would help out.
The concern with Hoskins is that his two years in Milwaukee have been a noticeable decline from his play in Philadelphia. Hoskins recorded a 126 wRC+ and a 23.9 percent strikeout rate with the Phillies compared to a 104 wRC+ and a 28.4 percent strikeout rate the last two seasons with the Brewers.
Last year, he looked more productive than in 2024, considering his 0.9 fWAR in 90 games was already outpacing the 0.2 fWAR he built up in 131 games in 2024. That was until Hoskins missed 73 games due to a Grade 2 sprain in his left thumb in 2025.
If the Twins value a player’s recent production, they’ll prioritize Ryan O’Hearn. The 32-year-old was named to his first All-Star appearance last summer with the Baltimore Orioles before being traded to the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline. Hitting 17 home runs, recording an .803 OPS, and 3 fWAR in 144 games in 2025 were all career highs as a full-time player. O’Hearn is the best fielder out of the trio with a +5 OAA mark that would give the Twins much-needed help to their young infielders.
Career years typically aren’t sustainable, though. The Twins need to assess whether O’Hearn can replicate the high production. A 44 percent ground ball rate in 2025 by O’Hearn might not bring the thump the Twins are looking for in the lineup. And his 7.6 percent barrel rate last year was worse than the 8.3 percent league average.
The Twins can get first-base production at value this offseason
A fascinating look at Minnesota’s potential first base options involves making three different bets. Experience with Hoskins, consistent production with Bell, and O’Hearn’s continued ascending production.
Prioritizing Hoskins can help the Twins split two of the bigger issues at the position. It would be a step down defensively from Carlos Santana and Ty France, two Gold Glove first basemen. Still, Hoskins is a plus defender with a +1 OAA. The Twins could mitigate Hoskins’ dip in production over the last two seasons by platooning him with Clemens to maximize his matchups.
Interest in any of the three first basemen is a significant development for the franchise, and not just because they have signed only six major league free agents since slashing payroll after the 2023 season. Still, the Twins have looked for answers at first base, going back further than the payroll crunch. Since the 2023 season, Minnesota’s first baseman has ranked 17th in baseball with a .732 OPS and a 105 wRC+. The franchise has put 14 different players out at first base in that span. Just eight teams have played more first basemen in the last three seasons than the Twins.
This is also Falvey’s Minnesota Twins. They have a way of working out a trade out of seemingly nowhere, as they did in 2023 to add Kyle Farmer as an insurance plan at shortstop. Additions also include signings such as Donovan Solano and France in the early weeks of Spring Training. Minnesota has also shown interest in other unnamed first basemen. There’s no guarantee any of the three will end up in Minnesota, and the Twins have a secret option behind door No. 4.
Finding some path to adding any of the three won’t push the Twins into legit World Series contenders or guarantee they’ll make the playoffs. But it would signal that the team is taking steps toward winning back the fanbase after everything that’s crumbled around Target Field since the 2023 playoff run.
All three first-base options would be a significant improvement for a roster that needs proven pros. Rhys Hoskins should be at the top of the Twins’ free agency plans at first base. Bringing in a proven veteran would give Minnesota’s lineup thump, provide a legitimate answer at a position the Twins are looking to stabilize, and help build some positive momentum for the fanbase going into 2026, which is looking for something to be excited about. Nothing is imminent, but it’s a welcome sign to see the Twins in these discussions again for the first time in years.