Max Kepler, Carlos Santana among 4 Twins to officially elect free agency

Kepler and Thielbar were two of the longest-tenured players on the team.

Jun 25, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Minnesota Twins outfielder Max Kepler against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Halloween 2024 will go down in history as the day that Max Kepler and Carlos Santana, along with pitchers Caleb Thielbar and Anthony DeSclafani, elected free agency, marking a possible end to their time with the Minnesota Twins.

All four were expected to elect free agency so the news of it happening Thursday was nothing more than a formality. But it likely means the end of Kepler in Minnesota after 10 seasos with the Twins. The 31-year-old debuted in 2015 and slugged 161 homers, which ranks 13th in Twins history.

Kepler finished the 2024 season on the injured list after playing in 105 games and slashing .253/.302/.380 with eight homers, 21 doubles and 42 RBIs.

Without him, the Twins have plenty of corner outfielder options with the likes of Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach and prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez. Will Castro can also play in right field if the Twins need him to.

Santana is again a free agent after one season with the Twins in which he's a finalist for a Gold Glove award at first base. The 38-year-old hit 23 homers and drive in 71 runs while slashing .238/.328/.420 this season.

DeSclafani was signed by the Twins last offseason and never pitched due to an injured arm.

Thielbar, the 37-year-old from Northfield, Minn., had his worst season as a pro with a 5.52 ERA in 59 relief appearances. His struggles were well noted after four consecutive seasons with earned-run averages between 2.25 and 3.49 from 2020 to 2023.

The Twins also said goodbye to outfielder Manuel Margot and utility infielder Kyle Farmer on Thursday, along with outfielder/first baseman Alex Kirilloff announcing his retirement.