The Minnesota Twins are just a few days away from kicking off their 2026 MLB regular season, currently winding down their spring training slate. At this time of the MLB calendar, teams around the league are busy making roster decisions and finalizing their teams for Opening Day.
On Monday, the Twins continued that effort with some roster designations for three players, announcing on X, formerly Twitter, that they had optioned Ryan Kreidler, Alan Roden, and Eric Wagaman to Triple-A St. Paul ahead of the season.
Some fans were particularly puzzled by the Roden minor leagues designation, considering that he has ample MLB experience, having appeared in 43 games for the eventual AL champion Toronto Blue Jays last season before ultimately being traded to the Twins midway through the season.
Once he got to Minnesota, he slashed 158/.200/.263 with one home run before a thumb injury wound up putting him on the injured list and ending his season.
Of course, the initial minor league designation does not mean that these players will necessarily be staying there over the long haul.
Meanwhile, the Twins are looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Last year was a roller coaster of a season for Minnesota, as the team got off to a hot start, at one point nearly setting their for wins in a row with 13, before falling off a cliff as the season wore on.
With the writing on the wall, the team opted to trade many of their key veterans at the deadline and embrace a rebuild, a move that still remains controversial within the fanbase in the present day.
The Twins' season is set to begin on Thursday on the road against the Baltimore Orioles.
