What Happened To the Twins' Offseason Castaways?

There are plenty of returning characters in this year’s Twins club. Veterans Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan, Royce Lewis, and the like are back for more fun, joined by midseason additions like Taj Bradley and Mick Abel. In fact, there are only a handful of new names, and plenty of time for fans to “

We’ll surely dive further into these new members as the season progresses. Still, seeing the roster that broke camp this year got me thinking: what happened to some of the faces from last year that the club decided were dispensable over the winter?

They weren’t pegged to get a significant role on this year’s club, and many aren’t guaranteed much with their new teams, but it’s still interesting to look at where these familiar names ended up.

Here is a comprehensive rundown of players who ended the 2025 campaign with the Twins but found new homes this offseason.

Edouard Julien

An on-base machine coming up through the minor leagues, Julien couldn’t maintain that reputation past his rookie campaign in 2023. And for a team with ample left-handed depth ahead of him, the Twins decided to trade him to the Colorado Rockies in January, along with Pierson Ohl. Julien is 1-9 with his new club so far in 2026, and has been mostly relegated to bench duties.

Jose Miranda

Miranda was another post-hype prospect who couldn’t live up to his impressive minor league track record. Instead, the Opening Day third baseman for the Twins last year found himself on the chopping block over the offseason and signed a minor league deal with an invite to big league spring training with the San Diego Padres. He failed to make the club out of camp and is hitting .250 for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas.

Christian Vázquez

After completing his three-year $30 million deal with the Twins, the veteran backstop was able to showcase himself in the World Baseball Classic with Team Puerto Rico, which led to a minor league deal to return to the Houston Astros. He impressed enough to win their backup catcher job, where he’ll spell Yainer Diaz. Vázquez is off to a 2-10 start at the plate, with a home run to boot.

Mickey Gasper

Speaking of backup catchers, Mickey Gasper lasted just one season in the Twins organization after the club designated him for assignment in January. The Washington Nationals claimed him, but then waived him yet again just two weeks later. The Boston Red Sox scooped him up, and he’s on their Triple-A roster, playing mostly first base and hitting .400 in a small sample size.

Jhonny Pereda

Let’s keep talking about depth catchers -- why not? Pereda got plenty of time with the Twins down the stretch last season while Vázquez was on the shelf. However, he became superfluous when the club acquired Alex Jackson and, eventually, Victor Caratini. Pereda landed on the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers in the Seattle Mariners organization.

Carson McCusker

Big dude, but short Twins tenure. The 6’8" outfielder couldn’t hang at the big league level, where he hit .172 with a whopping 53% strikeout rate. But his excellent first half with Triple-A St. Paul helped him get an offer to play overseas with the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan.

He’s hoping to turn things around in this new chapter of his professional career, and hey, I’m willing to bet he’s one of the tallest people in Japan, so at least he has that going for him.

Ryan Fitzgerald

The journeyman infielder is now with the Los Angeles Dodgers after being waived by the Twins over the winter. He’s currently with their Triple-A team in Oklahoma City and hitting .455 in his first week.

However, his doppelganger, James Outman, is still with the Twins.

Anthony Misiewicz

The right-hander only played in five games with the Twins, pitching to the tune of an unsightly 9.64 ERA before they cut him early on in the offseason. Misiewicz latched on with the Cincinnati Reds and has yet to give up an earned run in three appearances with their Triple-A club.

Genesis Cabrera

You may remember him as one of the veteran reinforcements that came in to play out the string of the 2025 season after the big trade deadline sell-off. Your memories of him might not be pleasant. He had a brutal 7.98 ERA across 15 innings with the Twins, who were his fourth team of the campaign. He’s now with the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs in the Philadelphia Phillies system.

DaShawn Keirsey Jr.

DKJ was yet another victim of the organization's stockpiling of left-handed outfielders at the big league level or the upper levels of the minor leagues. Instead, he gets a new opportunity with the Atlanta Braves organization. He currently has three hits in six games played with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers.

Jonah Bride

Always the bridesmaid, never the, well, you know.

Bride had a tough go with the Twins, where he hit just .208 with two extra-base hits across 33 games played. Still, he showed promise at Triple-A with the St. Paul Saints, where he hit .281 with an .876 OPS. He relayed that performance into a new deal with the Texas Rangers after he was granted free agency in November, and he’s now with the Triple-A Round Rock Express.

As you can see with the number of times I wrote Triple-A over the last 900 words, many of these players were fringe big leaguers. The Twins are hoping that their fresh faces and top prospects can be notable improvements in 2026. If not, they could find themselves on a similar rundown in April of next year.