The Minnesota Twins should open 2027 with Kaelen Culpepper at shortstop. The Seattle Mariners told free agent J.P. Crawford they plan to move on. Crawford is the kind of veteran a team could sign to bridge a prospect’s first full season. Culpepper has made a case to take those starts himself.

Culpepper Has Earned the First Shot at Shortstop

Culpepper hit .271/.367/.478 with 14 home runs in 74 games for Triple-A St. Paul before his August promotion. He hit .274/.328/.393 in 33 games with Minnesota and started every one at shortstop. Giving him the job would let manager Derek Shelton stick with the alignment that moved Brooks Lee to third base after Culpepper arrived.

Culpepper made contact on 86.8% of his swings at pitches in the zone, according to Statcast. He also chased 42.8% of pitches outside the zone and struck out in 21.9% of his plate appearances. Pitchers can limit his ability to make contact by tempting him with breaking balls off the plate. Laying off more of those pitches could help him draw walks and get better pitches to hit.

Culpepper finished at plus-one Outs Above Average in 281 innings at shortstop. MLB Pipeline noted his arm strength and questioned whether his first step and range would let him stay at the position. A full run of starts would give the Twins a chance to see how often he gets to grounders on either side.

What the Twins Would Get for Paying a Veteran

Crawford hit .221/.335/.352 with 14 home runs and 64 walks for Seattle. His patience would help the lineup, while his minus-13 Outs Above Average at shortstop in 2026 makes him a risky choice to shore up the defense. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel projected a one-year, $11 million deal, a substantial commitment for an uncertain upgrade at the position.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa could cover shortstop, second and third. Statcast credited him with eight Outs Above Average overall, and he hit .242/.322/.311 in 66 games for the Boston Red Sox. Boston signed him for one year and $6 million last winter. A similar deal would buy experience in a utility role the Twins can ask Ryan Kreidler to cover.

Starting Culpepper on a pre-arbitration salary would leave more room to address catcher and left-handed relief. Ryan Jeffers is expected to decline his $23.15 million qualifying offer, and A.J. Minter could leave in free agency. Victor Caratini is under contract, and the Twins would still need someone to share the catching workload if Jeffers signs elsewhere.

Use the end of May as a checkpoint. If Culpepper is still chasing about 43% of pitches outside the zone and his strikeout rate approaches 30%, or if his first step consistently costs him outs, give him everyday work at Triple-A. Kreidler made 40 starts at shortstop in 2026 and could cover while Culpepper adjusts. Kreidler hit .218/.286/.379 last season, so if Minnesota needs more than a short-term fill-in, it should look for a shortstop with range on the trade market.