Are they still in the organization? Are they elsewhere? Let’s look at a few guys you may have forgotten about?
Every year there are some new faces when the season begins, but there are plenty of guys whose roster spot doesn’t change from one year to the next.
Here’s a look at players you may have forgotten were on the Twins 2024 Opening Day roster, where they are now, and how their 2024 season turned out.
Outfielder/first baseman Alex Kirilloff
A former first-round pick, Kirilloff made his major league debut in the playoffs against the Houston Astros in the shortened 2020 campaign.
Throughout his big league career, he showed flashes of potential and the ability to be an above-average hitter, having an OPS+ of 116 in 88 games played in 2023.
Kirilloff couldn’t shake the injury bug and surprised folks by retiring after the 2024 season.
He seems like a hard-working guy, so it’s a shame to see his career end like that, but we wish him the best of luck in whatever he chooses to do after baseball.
Alex Kirilloff has decided to retire from the game of baseball.
We thank him for his 9 years in the Twins organization and wish him nothing but the best on his future endeavors! pic.twitter.com/R7d1zQh8cD
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) October 31, 2024
Outfielder Manuel Margot
Margot was brought in as part of a trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a replacement player for Michael A. Taylor.
That is, a right-handed hitting outfielder who could spend some time in centerfield on the days Byron Buxton either had the day off or was in the designated hitter spot.
As you may remember, Margot set a record that no one wants to be known for, going 0-for-30 in pinch-hitting appearances in his lone year with Minnesota.
For the year, Margot was worth minus-0.9 bWAR and showed some signs of regression both at the plate and in the field.
He spent most of his time in the corner outfield, and didn’t hit or field well enough to be a desirable option at either spot too much.
He held his own against lefties (.713 OPS), but his lack of production elsewhere led the Twins to move on and pick up Harrison Bader during free agency to serve as the fourth outfielder behind the trio of Trevor Larnach, Buxton and Matt Wallner.
Right-handed pitcher Louis Varland
You may not have forgotten that Varland was on the opening day roster, but you may have forgotten that he was the fourth starter coming out of camp last year.
He struggled mightily over his first four starts, posting a record of 0-4 with a 9.18 ERA. He pitched in Triple-A for a large chunk of the year, and showed some upside but his results were just alright.
In 83.1 innings pitched in Triple-A, Varland struck out 96 batters, so that number is a cause for some optimism.
He pitched a bit better toward the end of the year, but because of how his 2024 season went, he will likely be a relief pitcher going forward.
Expect his pitches to play up a bit out of the bullpen, and he could emerge as a late-inning option for Rocco Baldelli and Pete Maki if things go as planned.
Left-handed pitcher Steven Okert
Okert was acquired from the Miami Marlins in a swap for former first-round pick Nick Gordon. He was brought in as a second or third lefty out of the bullpen, but his year didn’t exactly go as planned.
Okert threw 35.1 innings where he had mixed success, at best. He had a 5.09 ERA and a 5.12 FIP, which are not ideal for any pitcher.
The Twins designated Okert for assignment in August, ending his only year in Minnesota prematurely.
The Houston Astros signed him in the offseason, so we will have to wait and see if the Astros coaches can tweak things and make him into a weapon to be used out of the bullpen this year.
Jorge Alcala (-68.6%) had the #MNTwins worst single-game Win Probability Added total of the season for all of two days.
Steven Okert just knocked him off the top (or bottom?) spot by decreasing the Twins’ chances of winning by 72.1%.https://t.co/vmCWtTzzti
— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) August 21, 2024
Right-handed pitcher Jay Jackson
A journeyman reliever, Jackson was signed last offseason and was unable to repeat the success he showed with the Blue Jays in 2023.
He threw 26.1 innings in 20 appearances with the Twins with middling success and was released by the Twins in late July.
Jackson signed a contract to play in Mexico this year, so we will see if he can make his way back to the major leagues before the 36-year-old righty decides to hang it up, whenever that day is.
Left-handed pitcher Kody Funderburk
He was one of the lefty options out of the bullpen early in 2024, but he experienced ups and downs like many young pitchers.
He came out with his hair on fire and looked borderline unhittable after making his major league debut in 2023.
Hitters were able to make some adjustments in 2024, where he ended up throwing 34.1 innings and recording an ERA of 6.49.
Over his minor league career, Funderburk has a pretty solid strikeout rate, so if he can tap into that, he can still emerge as a bullpen option for the Twins going forward.
Expect to see him start the year with Triple-A St. Paul and likely receive a call-up at some point this season.
Right-handed pitcher Daniel Duarte
Duarte was first acquired via waiver claim from the Texas Rangers organization last February.
He had previous major league experience with the Cinicinnati Reds and secured a spot on the Opening Day roster for the Twins last year.
Unfortunately, Duarte had season-ending elbow surgery after throwing four innings for the Twins. He is still in the Twins organization but is expected to miss a large chunk of the 2025 season recovering from the elbow injury.
It’s possible he come back late in 2025, but maybe he will more likely serve as a depth option and, if healthy, vies for a bullpen spot come 2026 Spring Training.
