Twins Decline Bell's $10M Option, Sending Slugger Into Free Agency

Josh Bell is heading back to free agency after the Minnesota Twins declined their side of his $10 million mutual option for 2027. The former All-Star will receive a $1.25 million buyout, ending a one-year arrangement that had guaranteed him $7 million last winter. Bell hit 21 home runs with a 106 wRC+ in 2026, but mutual options almost never survive both sides of the decision, and more than a decade has passed since one was last exercised by club and player alike. The 35-year-old will now compete for at-bats in a first-base and designated-hitter market that also features names such as Joc Pederson and Eugenio Suárez. The Twins also declined a $13 million mutual option on starter Joe Ryan, though that move is procedural: Ryan remains under team control through arbitration rather than heading to free agency. With free agents able to sign with other clubs from November 2, Bell's power bat should draw interest quickly — even with a widely expected labour lockout looming on December 2.