Assuming the Twins have their eyes set on competing in 2026, they’re probably four or five relievers away from having a shot. It’s a peculiar place for this regime to be, as their budget is likely limited and they’ve rarely invested in bullpen arms. The front office will be looking for affordable upside. Though they may not be shopping at the top of the free agent pile, plenty of names stand out as potential targets.

Jordan Romano
Romano is two seasons removed from being an effective reliever, but he’s shown enough to earn another bounce-back opportunity in 2026. There’s no sugarcoating his 6+ ERA in just under 60 innings pitched since 2023, but the Twins may be able to squint and see a path to Romano returning to his dominant ways.

Romano’s slider remains a dominant offering, and the pitch helped him maintain respectable strikeout and whiff rates. His fastball has been the problem: he’s lost a tick of velocity, and his heater has been crushed. Being a two-pitch pitcher, Romano will either have to get that velocity back at age 33 or make a fundamental change in how he throws his fastball. The Twins could help him with this, and the two parties can match up on a mutually beneficial bounce-back deal. If it pays off, Romano may earn himself another contract, and the Twins can get a high-end reliever at a bargain price.

Taylor Rogers
A Taylor Rogers reunion makes too much sense. The Twins could use an experienced left-handed reliever, and Rogers could benefit from a return to his roots.

Rogers has been solid since leaving Minnesota, but has lost some of the dominance we were accustomed to. He’s lost two miles per hour in fastball velocity, which may cap his ceiling. The reliance on his sinker to combat this loss of velocity has led to fewer swings and misses, but Rogers has continued to get outs and avoid the longball. He’s thrown 226 innings since the Twins dealt him in 2022, posting a 3.61 ERA and supporting peripherals. At the right price, anything resembling those numbers would provide a massive boost.

While the Twins need high-end relief help, Rogers doesn’t necessarily need to fill that need in 2026. Adding him to fill the primary left-handed relief role would be valuable and likely affordable. He’s still a plenty effective relief arm, and his experience and leadership may bring plenty of intangible value to a Twins bullpen that will likely require all the help they can get.

Ryne Stanek
The ship may have sailed on the 34-year-old Stanek making a much-needed adjustment to his pitch mix, but the Twins could give it a shot for minimal risk. His fastball still averaged 98.5 mph in 2025, but he appeared to have leaned on it too much, and that, paired with an ugly walk rate, led to an ERA over 5 with the Mets last season.

Stanek has a dominant slider and an effective splitter in his repertoire, and it’s worth wondering whether these secondary pitches should be his bread and butter, despite the velocity of his fastball. His pitch mix lends itself well to being able to retire hitters on both sides of the plate, and his raw stuff could be worth gambling on even after years of failing to break out fully. At the very least, it’s easy to see a path to a secondary setup man role, which he’s filled at times throughout his career.

The names may not be exciting, but the Twins will likely have to shop in this tier of free agency to fill the many needs in their bullpen. Are there any under-the-radar relievers you’d like to see them target in free agency? Let us know below!