Minnesota Twins DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, the Philadelphia Phillies have signed free-agent outfielder Max Kepler to a one-year contract. Kepler has spent his entire 10-year MLB career playing with the Minnesota Twins. Last season, he saw his campaign cut short due to left-knee tendinitis he suffered in early September. Across 105 games in 2024, the veteran outfielder posted a .253/.302/.380 slash line with 21 doubles, eight home runs, 42 RBI and one swiped bag. Under the hood, he generated a below-average 36.8% hard-hit rate and 6.2% barrel rate. In addition, he posted a low .301 xwOBA, which was his lowest mark since the 2019 season. Fantasy managers should expect Kepler to operate as a depth outfielder in Philadelphia who will contend for a starting role in spring training.

The Minnesota Twins are unsure if right-handed reliever Brock Stewart (shoulder) will be ready for the start of spring training in February despite starting his throwing program in mid-November. Stewart was given a recovery timeline of five to six months after he had season-ending arthroscopic right-shoulder surgery in August. The 33-year-old has been very productive out of Minnesota's bullpen when healthy, but he might not be available to begin next season. Stewart had a 5.17 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in just 15 2/3 innings pitched in 2024, but the year before, he was lights-out with a 0.65 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, one save and 39 strikeouts in 27 2/3 relief innings for the Twins. He has good control and a high-velocity fastball that can rack up plenty of strikeouts as a high-leverage reliever. When healthy, he has the potential to be a nice target for holds.

According to Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribute, right-handed pitcher Matt Canterino is expected to operate out of the bullpen during the 2025 season. Canterino sat out during the entire 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery and then suffered a strain on his rotator cuff, which kept him out for all of 2024. However, before these two injuries, the former second-round selection was showcasing a high upside in the minor leagues and was approaching his major league debut. During the 2021 season, across 21 frames at High-A, Canterino posted a stellar 0.86 ERA and 0.67 WHIP with a 4:43 BB:K ratio. Then, across 34 1/3 frames at Double-A the following summer, the Rice product struck out 50 batters and held a 1.83 ERA and 1.14 WHIP. For now, he is a name to monitor in deeper formats, given his high-upside strikeout potential.

Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said at the MLB winter meetings on Tuesday that the club hasn't decided yet if third baseman Royce Lewis will shift from the hot corner to second base in 2025. Baldelli also said that Lewis has been taking ground balls at the keystone this offseason just in case, and the skipper is confident that Lewis has the skill set to be able to make a successful transition to second if the team asks him to do so. The 25-year-old made one start at second in 2024 but could play regularly there in 2025, depending on what the rest of Minnesota's roster looks like come spring training. The former first overall pick has some of the best pop from the right side in baseball, but he's already torn his ACL twice and hasn't played more than 82 games in his first three seasons in MLB. Lewis is a risk/reward power bat that could become a lot more attractive if he gains second base eligibility.

Minneapolis Star Tribune's Bobby Nightengale reports that the Minnesota Twins have received calls from teams interested in trading for shortstop Carlos Correa. The veteran shortstop is owed over $120 million over the next four seasons and has been limited to 221 games in the last two seasons due to various injuries, most notably with his feet. The 30-year-old Puerto Rican and three-time All-Star played in only 86 games in 2024 but swung the bat well when healthy, slashing .310/.388/.517 with a .905 OPS, 14 home runs, 54 RBI and 55 runs scored. Correa is recovering nicely in the offseason and should be ready for next year. He showed that he still has above-average power, but because of durability issues with his feet, interested teams aren't likely to offer much to Minnesota. There are also long-term concerns about his ankle, making him a pretty big risk in real life and in fantasy in 2025 and beyond.