{"id":615336,"date":"2026-03-09T18:34:24","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T18:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/615336\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T18:34:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T18:34:24","slug":"is-james-outman-playing-his-way-onto-the-twins-opening-day-roster-twins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/615336\/","title":{"rendered":"Is James Outman Playing His Way Onto the Twins\u2019 Opening Day Roster? – Twins"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tJames Outman<\/a> arrived in Minnesota under less-than-ideal circumstances. The Twins acquired Outman at last season\u2019s trade deadline during the organization\u2019s sweeping sell-off, sending reliever Brock Stewart<\/a> to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 1-for-1 deal. Among the moves the Twins made that week, that trade may have drawn the loudest criticism from the fanbase.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tStewart had been one of the most reliable arms in the Twins bullpen and, perhaps more importantly, he still had multiple seasons of team control remaining. Given the demand for high-leverage relief pitching at the deadline, many assumed Stewart would command a more substantial return. Instead, the Twins flipped him for Outman, another left-handed hitting outfielder who had struggled to replicate the success of his standout rookie campaign.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter bursting onto the scene in 2023 with the Dodgers, Outman has posted a sub-.700 OPS over the last two and a half seasons. To many observers, it felt like the Twins had simply added another corner outfielder to a roster that already had several.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tOutman\u2019s initial performance in Minnesota did little to quiet those concerns. Over the final stretch of the 2025 season, Outman got 104 plate appearances for the Twins and struggled mightily. He posted a .558 OPS, while striking out 45 times and drawing just eight walks. For a player already fighting the perception that his rookie season might have been a mirage, the numbers didn\u2019t help.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tBecause of that performance and his roster status, Outman entered spring training in a precarious position. He’s out of minor-league options, meaning the Twins cannot send him to Triple-A without first exposing him to waivers. In practical terms, that left the organization with a simple choice: either he makes the Opening Day roster, or he’s designated for assignment near the end of this month.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tComing into camp, it seemed fairly likely the Twins would take the attendant risks and end up cutting him. Given Outman\u2019s struggles over the past three seasons, it was reasonable to believe he might clear waivers and allow the Twins to stash him in Triple-A as depth. If he didn’t, it looked likely to be a palatable loss.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tSpring training, however, has a way of complicating things. In a very small sample, Outman has looked like a different player. Across just 25 plate appearances this spring, he has posted a 1.019 OPS while launching two home runs. He’s also showcased his speed on the bases, swiping five bags in six attempts.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tTwenty-five plate appearances alone are not going to force the Twins to completely rethink their roster construction. But Outman\u2019s strong start introduces a few new variables that could make the decision more complicated. The biggest, perhaps, is his waiver outlook. Earlier this spring, the Twins might have felt confident that Outman would pass through waivers unclaimed. After three disappointing seasons, the odds of another club using a roster spot on him didn\u2019t appear particularly high. But if he continues to perform well throughout camp, that calculation changes.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tOutman is still only 28 years old. He\u2019s fast; he plays a capable center field; and his rookie season remains recent enough to intrigue another front office. That year included a 114 OPS+ and meaningful postseason contributions for the Dodgers. Even after a few down seasons, it\u2019s hard to imagine every team passing on that profile if he\u2019s showing signs of life.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThe Twins also have alternatives for that left-handed outfield spot, but those alternatives come with roster flexibility that Outman does not. Alan Roden<\/a> entered camp as the presumed third outfielder behind Byron Buxton<\/a> and Matt Wallner<\/a>, with Trevor Larnach<\/a> expected to spend most of his time at designated hitter. Unlike Outman, Roden still has minor-league options remaining. That gives the Twins the ability to send him to Triple-A without risking losing him.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tIf the Twins decide they want to keep Outman in the organization, they could choose to open the season with him on the roster while using Roden\u2019s option.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tThere are also defensive considerations. Outman has extensive experience in center field and grades as a strong defender there. That should translate to an even more valuable glove in a corner outfield role. Perhaps just as importantly, he provides the type of true center field depth the Twins have often looked for behind Buxton. Roden has seen time in center this spring, but Outman is a proven option there.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tNone of this guarantees Outman a roster spot. Spring numbers can evaporate as quickly as they appear, and the Twins still have several weeks left to evaluate their roster. But the conversation has clearly shifted. What once looked like a straightforward DFA decision has turned into a legitimate roster question. If Outman continues to swing the bat well and showcase his athleticism, the Twins may decide the safer move is keeping him on the Opening Day roster, rather than risking losing him on waivers. Not bad for a player who entered camp looking like one of the most obvious roster casualties of the spring.\n<\/p>\n

\n\tWhat do you think? Has James Outman done enough to earn a spot on the Twins\u2019 Opening Day roster, or should Minnesota still take the chance and try to sneak him through waivers?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"James Outman arrived in Minnesota under less-than-ideal circumstances. The Twins acquired Outman at last season\u2019s trade deadline during…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":615337,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2388],"tags":[5899,5,4571,822,60,3190,4,148],"class_list":["post-615336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-minnesota-twins","tag-alan-roden","tag-baseball","tag-james-outman","tag-minnesota","tag-minnesota-twins","tag-minnesotatwins","tag-mlb","tag-twins"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@mlb\/116200660961957039","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/615336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=615336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/615336\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/615337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=615336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=615336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=615336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}