Kaelen Culpepper has done enough at Triple-A to earn a call-up to the majors.
The problem is that he’s not on the team’s 40-man roster.
That means the Minnesota Twins cannot call him up until they make a spot on the 40-man roster available. 40-man rosters throughout baseball are comprised of MLB players, guys on the 7-, 10-, or 15-day IL, and some minor leaguers.
So, what avenues can the Twins use to call up the 23-year-old infielder and show why he has been such a highly-touted prospect?
Culpepper deserves the opportunity
Kaelen Culpepper has been a constant presence throughout his minor league career. So much of one that it’s believed he could make an immediate impact with the pro team.
Just this season, he’s slashing .273/.377/.469 with 14 home runs, 37 walks, 50 strikeouts, and has 15 stolen bases with the St. Paul Saints, all of which are top three on the team.
Culpepper has earned a promotion based on his production in St. Paul, and he’d be joining an infield that could use an upgrade at shortstop. Even while Minnesota’s bats have started to heat up, the play on the field has been less than ideal.
Luke Keaschall and Tristan Gray lead the team in errors with seven apiece. Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee trail slightly behind with six and five, respectively, 73 games into the season.
In 61 Triple-A games, Culpepper has only committed four errors, three at shortstop and one at third base. That type of production suggests Culpepper could be the first of Minnesota’s new core – along with Walker Jenkins and Gabriel Gonzalez – to arrive in the majors for a team that could use an influx of young talent.
However, while Culpepper’s production indicates he deserves a 40-man spot, the team must make one available for him. That part may be more challenging than it seems.
Could a trade be on the horizon?
The Twins could make a trade to free up a spot for Kaelen Culpepper.
To make this work, the team would have to trade away someone who’s on the 40-man roster, likely for a prospect or two that the team doesn’t need to put on the 40-man roster.
The Twins would be looking for someone who can still play in the minors, either Single-A or Double-A. A young player who has some potential to work their way through the ranks and might make an impact in the majors in three or four years.
Who would be leaving the team?
People have included Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan as rumored trade candidates. However, Royce Lewis, Matt Wallner, and Trevor Larnach would be the names to watch for if the front office wants to be serious about being competitive throughout the 2026 season.
All three players have struggled this season, yet they could still earn a decent return given their potential.
A trade is one avenue the team could pursue. There is one other way, albeit an unfortunate one.
They could use the 60-day IL to open a spot
The 40-man roster includes players on the seven, 10-, or 15-day injured list. However, guys on the 60-day IL, like Pablo Lopez, are not.
Multiple Twins players have endured injuries and setbacks. If the team decides that one of those setbacks/injuries is severe enough to require extended time off or will end the player’s season, they could place that player on the 60-day IL to open a spot for Culpepper.
That then yields to the opening of a 40-man spot, which would be a positive in an unfortunate situation.
Kaelen Culpepper has proven his worth all season in Triple-A. It’s time for the Twins to see if the next generation of potential All-Stars is ready to compete at the big league level.
Whether it’s via a trade or moving an injured player to the 60-day IL, fans can expect a move to happen sooner rather than later to open an opportunity for the infielder. Either way, Twins fans should be excited as the next household name is on the horizon.
