What are the Twins going to do this offseason? Not to put the cart before the horse (the Twins still have to hire a manager), but there are some free agents who might catch the front office’s attention if they’re allowed to spend any money this winter.
MLB insider Jim Bowden put together a ranking of the top-50 free agents this winter and the potential best fits for those players. Minnesota was named as a best fit for just three of the 50 free agents, and all of them are a bit underwhelming.
Bowden listed the Twins as best fits for 29-year-old outfielder Trent Grisham, first baseman and outfielder Ryan O’Hearn, and veteran righty Nick Martinez.
Grisham is a lefty bat that Bowden describes as more of a “platoon outfielder against right-handers than an everyday center fielder.” He began his major league career with the Brewers in 2019, before playing four seasons with the Padres and the last two with the Yankees. He has had a .250 or higher batting average just once in his career (2020) and hit sub-.200 from 2022 to 2024.
Trent Grisham connects on his 26th homer of the season 💪 pic.twitter.com/zHfLyg78TK
— MLB (@MLB) August 27, 2025
Grisham bounced back with a productive season this year, slashing .235/.348/.464 while hitting 34 home runs and driving in a career-high 74 RBI. The home run total was also the highest of his career, double his previous best, which might’ve been a product of playing at Yankee Stadium.
Based on Bowden’s projected contract alone, we’ll rate this as highly unlikely. Bowden is predicting Grisham to fetch a two-year, $30 million deal. That contract would put his average annual value a little over Byron Buxton, and only behind Pablo Lopez on the Twins’ roster.
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O’Hearn, 32, spent time with both the Orioles and Padres in 2025, hitting .281 while clubbing 17 homers and driving in 63 runs. The veteran utility player’s production dropped off following the trade to San Diego. With Baltimore, he hit 13 home runs with 43 RBI on a .463 slugging percentage in 94 games. However, in 50 games with the Padres, O’Hearn only hit four home runs with 20 RBIs, and his slugging percentage dropped to .387.
Bowden projects O’Hearn, a first-time free agent, is likely looking for a shorter-term deal this offseason, and could probably get a two-year, $24 million deal. That would make him the third-highest paid player on the Twins’ roster. For a guy that Bowden describes as a “below-average defender” who has “solid hands but lacks range,” that’s probably too much for the Twins.
Sep 27, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Ryan O’Hearn (32) gestures after hitting a double during the second inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
Lastly, the 35-year-old righty Nick Martinez is entering the winter after his eighth major league season. He split time between the rotation and the bullpen for the Reds this season, making 26 starts and 14 relief appearances. Martinez finished 2025 with a 4.45 ERA, his highest since his 2017 season with the Rangers. He played four seasons in Japan following that 2017 season.
Bowden wrote that Martinez’s “best role” going forward is likely as a long reliever and occasional spot starter. He pitched last season on a $21 million salary, but Bowden says he’ll need to accept a “big pay cut” this winter. Martinez was predicted to earn a one-year, $11 million deal, which is more than any of the signings made by the Twins last winter.
