Minnesota Twins Daily Dip: Signing Big Erv

Minnesota Twins Daily Dip, December 11th, 2017

Welcome to the December 11th edition of the Daily Dip, your daily piece of news and notes here on Puckett’s Pond, offseason edition. You’ll find the most recent news of the Minnesota Twins organization, stories from around the game, and links to any information you may want to know about the Minnesota Twins or baseball as we work our way through the hot stove season!

Minnesota Twins Organizational Scores

Australian Baseball League Update
The Brisbane Bandits played a double header on Saturday. Aaron Whitehead led off both games, going 0-3 in game 1, but then rebounding with a 1-3 performance in the second game with a double and a walk, also stealing a base and scoring two runs in the second game.

In Sunday’s game, Whitefield went 2-4, scoring 2 runs, adding a walk and a strikeout while playing right field. He’s currently hitting .321/.403/.472 with 5 doubles, a home run, 6 stolen bases, and a 8/14 BB/K ratio.

Dominican Winter League Update
No games were scheduled on Saturday or Sunday.

Venezuelan Winter League Update
On Saturday, Willians Astudillo played left field and went 0-3 for Caribes de Anzoategui in the first game. In the second game, he played left field and went 1-3.

Recent minor league signee Gregorio Petit played shortstop for Leones del Caracas and went 2-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI.

Leonardo Reginatto was recently resigned by the Twins, and he went 0-4 on Saturday for Bravos de Margarita.

Minnesota Twins news and notes

Twins ready to jump into pitching market
The Minnesota Twins have been active in the market for pitching already, and with some moves beginning to happen, the front office is primed to strike.

More from Puckett's Pond

• Minnesota Twins: After signing with the Mets, Correa spurns Twins again
• Minnesota Twins: You Spin Me Right Round, Right Round
• Minnesota Twins: What happens next at Shortstop?
• Minnesota Twins: Grading the Twins’ Joey Gallo signing
• Minnesota Twins: 4 Possible Trade Chips not named Kepler or Arraez

After not getting in on the BBWAA ballot,

made the Hall of Fame through the Veteran’s Committee on Sunday.

Notes from around baseball

• Stanton introduced as a Yankee
• Rockies pursuing Santana
• Astros pursuing top starters
• Trammell, Morris elected to HOF
• Cubs sign Morrow
• Didi says goodbye to Castro via Instagram
• Are Yankees a super power again?
• Today in history, Yankees traded for Maris
• Ohtani chooses new number

Next: Twins winter meeting primer

One Last Thing

On this day in 2014, the Minnesota Twins signed Ervin Santana to a guaranteed 4 year, $55 million contract. Santana will be on the last season of that deal in 2018, and if he happens to throw 200 innings in 2018, he will vest his 2019 option, which would make the deal in total 5 years and $69 million.

As the Twins embark on likely signing a deal that could double (or more) Big Erv’s deal, it’s good to look back and realize that not all long-term pitching deals turn bad. The Twins have received $60 million in value already from Santana on his deal in just the first three years of the deal (per Fangraphs).