Pablo Lopez injury creates this dismal Twins payroll stat

The Minnesota Twins’ contending window is closing fast, and the latest setback for the team is about to make things even more difficult for a team that appears to be in decline. Coming off a season in which they won just 70 games, the Twins are likely to be without one of their best pitchers for the entirety of the 2026 season, with starting pitcher Pablo Lopez suffering a torn elbow ligament which is likely to require surgery.

If Lopez were to undergo surgery, then he would most certainly miss the entirety of the 2026 season — putting the Twins at such a tough spot, especially when it comes to resource allocation.

As pointed out by Nick Halter of Axios Twin Cities, the Twins are allocating nearly a third of their total player payroll to two players who won’t be playing a single inning for them in 2026 — Lopez, who’s making $21.8 million, and Carlos Correa, who they’re absorbing $10 million of his contract following their trade with the Houston Astros prior to last year’s deadline.

This is not something that teams with limited payroll budgets can afford to do, and the Twins, as a result, will find it all the more difficult to compete in the AL Central, barring huge star turns and breakouts from unexpected sources.

Twins to continue being sellers in 2026?

The Twins have a few quality pieces left on the roster, with Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan headlining that list. Buxton is coming off a season with 5.0 fWAR, while Ryan has emerged as the Twins’ ace, thanks to his 3.42 ERA, 3.1 fWAR season in 2025 across 171.0 innings of work.

It might be best for the Twins to fully lean into being a selling ballclub; Buxton, as frustrated as he may be that his name is being bandied around in trade rumors, will net the Twins a hefty return. That could be wise, considering that Buxton has an injury history and the last thing Minnesota needs at present is for him to suffer a lengthy absence.

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