The MLB is expected to go into a lockout as the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will expire on Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m. Essentially, this means that there will be no transactions until a new deal is put in place. So, how does this affect the Minnesota Twins?

Unlike last offseason, there have been a lot of early signings. The majority of the transactions have been pitchers, but we haven’t seen any of the top-tier free agents sign new deals. This is because these players will get paid regardless, whereas some of these middle-to-lower-end players might get pinched.

Minnesota is yet to make any moves this offseason.

They’ve released players and added some to the 40-man, but they haven’t signed anyone. If I had to make a prediction, the Twins will not make a move before Dec. 1. I think they’ll wait for the new CBA deal and take a long look at the free-agent class during the lockout.

Minnesota’s biggest needs are shortstop, starting and relief pitching. With the extended break, they can figure out what to do with some of their prospects. Maybe they get encouraging news from Royce Lewis or Jhoan Duran?

Both players were expected to help out in 2021 or 2022. Unfortunately, Lewis tore his ACL, and Duran dealt with some elbow pain.

There are still a handful of free agents on the market who could help the Twins next season. The upcoming lockout could benefit the Twins because it will give them extra time to decide the long-term plan. It’s likely their window to contend isn’t for another two-to-three years, which means they’ll want to find players on one-year deals. They can’t afford to block the window of their top prospects.