Minnesota Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey spoke to reporters at the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas, expressing optimism about adding talent without major subtractions. He discussed payroll uncertainties, potential roster moves, and the addition of Grady Sizemore to the coaching staff. Falvey also touched on the uncertain future of outfielder Trevor Larnach.
The annual General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas served as an unofficial start to the MLB Hot Stove season, where teams lay groundwork for offseason moves. For the Twins, progress may be gradual due to ongoing coaching staff assembly and payroll questions, but Falvey provided updates during a Wednesday afternoon session with reporters.
On payroll, Falvey avoided specifics for 2026, noting teams rarely disclose exact figures. Projections suggest it could range from $90-100 million to $120-130 million, with needs at first base, backup catcher, and the bullpen. He emphasized building around the current group without trading veterans.
"I hope that we can add around the group that we have," Falvey said. "We know we're going to be young. We know we're going to look different than we were a couple of years ago. And to me, that can be exciting, right? You can see a lot of young players that are growing and developing, and we saw some of that at the end of this year. ... So I think at this point, you're focused on the forward, as to how you grow a young team, how you add around it, and ultimately, hopefully, over time, we're in a position to really invest more in the future."
Falvey indicated no immediate plans to trade core players like Byron Buxton, who holds a no-trade clause but might waive it if necessary. Regarding coaching, he confirmed three-time All-Star Grady Sizemore will join manager Derek Shelton's staff, focusing on outfield defense and baserunning. Shelton previously served as Sizemore's hitting coach.
"Grady was always an excellent teammate," Falvey said. "He was always the kind of guy that went about investing in the group and being the guy that was there to support others. ... I think he's a learner. Think he's someone that can really help kind of build the group out. And obviously, he's had a ton of playing experience. I think he's experienced at the big league level, something we did seek to process in this cycle."
Outfielder Trevor Larnach's role remains unclear. Earning $2.1 million last season and arbitration-eligible again, the left-handed hitter offers league-average production but limited defense. With the Twins shifting toward speed and defense, and roster deadlines nearing, a trade is possible.
"I still think really highly of Trevor and his abilities," Falvey said. "And we're kind of at that stage now where we will acknowledge that we have a number of outfielders, a number of left-handed-hitting outfielders. So we're trying to balance, how do they all fit? What does it look like? Maybe that's an area of depth, so to speak, that we could move on, move from to maybe get another area of need, but we have to assess that whole group in aggregate, and some of that is trying to understand how the market sees all of those players in the event that any of them fit into conversations with other calls."