As spring training enters its final stretch, roster decisions accelerate. For the Minnesota Twins, Monday brought further clarity as the club trimmed nine players from big-league camp.

The group included several names with at least some path to the Opening Day roster, as well as a few prospects whose strong springs made the timing a little surprising. With less than three weeks until the regular season begins, the Twins are now narrowing their focus to the players who will make the final push.

Among the pitchers sent out of camp, Connor Prielipp and Marco Raya were probably the closest to legitimate Opening Day roster consideration. Both pitchers have already reached Triple-A and could have potentially filled bullpen roles if the Twins wanted to bring a young arm north.

Prielipp, however, is still being stretched out as a starter and did not do enough this spring to earn more time in camp. Across three Grapefruit League appearances, he pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits, including two home runs. He also finished with six strikeouts and six walks. The raw stuff is still intriguing, but the command will need to sharpen as he continues building innings.

Raya’s outing this spring was even more difficult. Last season was already a challenging one as he posted a 6.02 ERA across 98 2/3 innings at Triple A. Now transitioning into a relief role, Raya allowed five runs in just 2 1/3 innings this spring while issuing five walks and striking out only two.

Both pitchers still appear likely to factor into the major league picture at some point during the season. For now, though, they will head back to the minor leagues to continue refining their roles and consistency before Minnesota calls again.

The same can be said for Andrew Morris and John Klein. Morris struggled during Grapefruit League action, giving up four runs on seven hits across 6 2/3 innings. He currently sits as the seventh or eighth starter on the organizational depth chart, so he will be in Minnesota at some point this year. Klein appeared in only a single game during camp, limiting his evaluation. However, the Twins added him to the 40-man roster this winter, making him a call-up candidate when the need arises. 

The most surprising move from Monday’s cuts was the demotion of top outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez. There was never a strong expectation that Rodriguez would break camp with the Twins, but the timing still stands out considering how well he performed during exhibition play. In 11 Grapefruit League games, Rodriguez slashed an impressive .421/.476/.789 (1.265). He collected a double and two home runs while drawing two walks and striking out nine times.

Rodriguez already has experience at Triple-A after posting an .853 OPS in 52 games there last season. Capable of playing center field, he continues to look like one of the organization’s most dynamic offensive talents. The next step in his development remains familiar. Rodriguez does an excellent job commanding the strike zone and has often produced walk rates north of 20 percent. The issue is that the strikeouts remain high as well, with the outfielder still striking out close to one-third of the time. If he can trim that rate while staying healthy, the Twins may not be able to keep him in St. Paul for very long.

Another hitter sent out at the same time was Gabriel Gonzalez, who also enjoyed an impressive spring. Gonzalez homered on Monday and finished camp 9-for-18 (.500 BA) with three doubles and a home run. If he can carry that momentum into the regular season, he could quickly put himself into the conversation for a corner outfield role. Hendry Mendez remains a bit further from the big league picture, while catcher Patrick Winkel profiles primarily as organizational depth behind the plate.

Kendry Rojas, however, is a name that could become important again this season. The left-hander is expected to serve as part of the starting pitching depth at Triple-A, a role the Twins leaned on heavily a year ago. Rojas was part of the reason Minnesota felt comfortable moving Louie Varland at last year’s trade deadline. A fringe Top 100 prospect at the time, the young left-hander flashed impressive velocity and the type of strikeout ability that caught the organization’s attention.

This spring, Rojas allowed seven runs on seven hits in Grapefruit League action, but the underlying numbers were encouraging. He recorded seven strikeouts compared to just one walk, continuing to show the swing-and-miss ability that has long made him intriguing. A strong start at Triple-A St. Paul could quickly put him back on the radar as a promotion candidate.

For the Twins, these latest cuts help finalize the Opening Day roster and strengthen organizational depth. Players sent down Monday are still key for 2026, and could return if there are injuries or new opportunities, making them important to follow in the coming months.