Now that the winter meetings are over, what will the Minnesota Twins do with the rest of the offseason?
As the Minnesota Twins left the winter meetings on Thursday, they had a new starter, a new possible closer, and a Rule 5 pick for the bullpen. What more could be coming this offseason for the club?
First, let’s take a look at the moves that did happen!
The Minnesota Twins made two major league signings this week during the winter meetings and drafted one player in the Rule 5 draft.
Michael Pineda was signed by the Twins not for the 2018 season as much as for the 2019 season as he will miss most (if not all) of the 2018 season due to Tommy John surgery he underwent in mid-2017. Pineda could return late in 2018 to the Twins as a bullpen option to really boost a playoff run, but his primary focus is returning to the rotation in 2019, where he could be a significant boost at a very reasonable cost.
The Twins gave Pineda a two-year deal for a total value of $10 million. He will make $2 million in 2018 and $8 million in 2019.
On Thursday, the Twins signed veteran reliever Fernando Rodney to a one year deal. Rodney has plenty of experience as a closer at the major league level, and he could provide veteran leadership to what should otherwise be a young relief corps. The Twins were able to sign Rodney to a deal with a $4.5 million base contract and the chance to earn up to $6 million.
Also Thursday, the Twins made one selection in the Rule 5 draft, picking right-handed reliever Tyler Kinley from the Miami Marlins organization. Kinley has a big fastball and will be 27 before opening day this season, but has the type of raw stuff that could be excellent in the bullpen if he’s able to hone his control.
So what is left to do? We will look at things that have actually been reported to be in the works…
Minnesota Twins starters
While Pineda will bring a boost to the 2019 rotation, the Twins are likely not done pursuing options for their 2018 rotation, with many options still available both in free agency and trade that the team has expressed interest in.
Yu Darvish The Twins’ primary target appears to be Darvish, and they have made significant overtures to the top free agent arm in the class this season. Darvish’s previous relationship with general manager Thad Levine could carry some weight, as could reported positive discussions with catcher Chris Gimenez, who is a free agent, but did play with the Twins in 2017.
Jake Odorizzi and Chris Archer The Tampa Bay Rays are actively shopping two of their starters, primarily due to a significant amount of depth in their rotation and a hope to receive a significant return in exchange for both pitchers. Archer would cost more, though there are plenty who question whether that cost would be warranted. Odorizzi would be a more reasonable cost, but he doesn’t have the same level of ceiling as Archer does.
Gerrit Cole The Pirates have been publically non-committal about whether they will put Cole on the market, but the Twins have reportedly inquired and been quoted a high price in prospects, though to gain a pitcher that could be a front-line starter, prospects could be a minor price to pay.
Lance Lynn, Alex Cobb, Jake Arrieta The Twins have had reported interest in all three starters, but their focus has been heavy on Darvish in the free agent market, so there has been much less information out there on the other members of the top 4 starters on the market this season.
Danny Duffy The Royals made overtures during the winter meetings that they are now intending to go into a rebuild cycle, and Duffy could be a piece that they utilize to expedite that rebuild. While no real rumors have been out on any team in relation to Duffy, the Twins could certainly inquire on Duffy (and other Royals pitchers, but we’ll explore that on the next page).
Bullpen help
After the Twins signed Rodney, some fans assumed that was the last move the team would make. While that’s possible, the team has been involved in other discussions that could still bear fruit.
Raisel Iglesias The righty reliever for the Reds is reportedly in fairly high demand, and while the Twins were considered to be involved at one time, the demands from the Reds in trade are currently such that all teams have backed away. There is considerable reported interest from the Twins, so it would not be surprising to hear rumors of Twins involvement if the Reds decide to come down in their price.
Matt Belisle The Twins have had conversations with Belisle about a return after Belisle finished the season as the Minnesota Twins closer. He would likely be on a one-year deal for fairly cheap if he was brought back.
Brad Hand The Twins have talked with the Padres about Hand, a Minnesota native and likely the best reliever on the trade market, but the price for him at this time appears to be fairly significant.
Alex Colome Some discussion has come out that if the Twins were to target Odorizzi, it could be in a paired deal with Colome, which would likely cost as much as Archer alone, but would give the Twins a quality starter along with an elite bullpen arm as well. Colome led the American League in saves in 2017 as the Rays closer.
Justin Wilson Wilson is familiar to the Twins as a member of the Tigers bullpen, and he had a tremendous season in 2017 for Detroit, but once he was traded to the Chicago Cubs, he struggled down the stretch with the team, leaving his role for 2018 with the North siders in question.
Tony Watson The Twins had early interest in Watson, but there has been little news on that interest as the market has developed, but there has been little news on Watson in general from any team, which is interesting given his premium record of pitching over the last five seasons from the left-hand side. Watson is also a local guy, hailing from Iowa.
Kelvin Herrera As mentioned previously, the Royals indicated that they will be rebuilding, and one piece that they will be shopping heavily this offseason will be their former closer Herrera. Herrera lost the closing job in 2017 due to inconsistencies, but he recovered well and threw well in the middle innings after his demotion and would provide a power arm that can tough triple digits if the trade price was right.
Brad Brach, Zach Britton, Darren O’Day With the Orioles selecting three Rule 5 draftees in the major league portion on Thursday, including two that definitely profile as relievers and a third that likely fits a relief profile best in 2018, they could be looking to fill their bullpen with Rule 5 guys while trading off their relievers expected to make significant money.
O’Day is probably the one who would be most expensive relative to on-field value ($18 million owed between 2018-2019), while Britton and Brach are both free agents after 2018, so there’s some risk in each option, but they would all be quality bullpen arms in 2018.
A booming bat
While the Twins have a nearly-full roster coming back currently, they would like to boost the production from their DH spot. Whether that’s from internal sources or external ones, the Twins will be looking at boosting the power in their lineup.
Mark Reynolds The power-hitting first-baseman hit very well with the Colorado Rockies in 2017, posting a .267/.352/.487 with 30 home runs and drove in 97 runs for the Rockies. He does strike out plenty, but his power bat would be a welcome addition to the lineup.
Jose Bautista Bautista has enjoyed a very positive career hitting in Target Field during his Blue Jays career, putting up incredible numbers in the Twins ballpark. While he struggled to handle outfield and produce in 2017 with the Blue Jays, he could have one more season as a DH-only type of bat, especially in a park where he’s experienced such a high level of success previously. He should be able to be signed for a fairly reasonable amount as well.
Jayson Werth Werth is coming off a big contract with the Nationals where he was injured most of the last couple seasons of the deal. A consummate hard-worker and teammate, Werth is the type of clubhouse presence guy that would be ideal on the young Twins team. He’s also a guy who has significant right-handed power when he’s healthy, but the Twins would need to be comfortable that he would be healthy before making the move.
Mike Napoli Defensively limited, Napoli is basically a DH at this point in his career at 36 years old. He’s also not likely going to hit for a great batting average, but if power from the right side is what you want, Napoli will certainly give it to you, and he can give it to you for a reasonable price.
While he’s combined to hit just .219 the last two seasons, he’s also hit 63 combined home runs while earning roughly $15 million combined between the Indians and Rangers.
Bench enforcements
The team is still attempting to put together as many options as possible for manager Paul Molitor to put together the best bench feasible.
Catcher While names haven’t been leaked, the Twins have reportedly been seeking a backup catcher. One consideration is that Mitch Garver could be a prime trade target with his quality defense and power at the plate. Garver could also be utilized in a three-catcher system, getting multiple starts per week at catcher, first base, and designated hitter to get his bat in the lineup, making use of a third catcher as a backup on days when Garver is playing another position.
The Twins also have a need for catchers in the upper minors, so signing catchers willing to take a minor league contract would be advantageous to create system depth as well.
Infield The Twins have been grabbing multiple infielders on minor league deals to this point, and they were very happy with Ehire Adrianza last season in the role of backup infielder along with Eduardo Escobar, but if Escobar is forced into playing third base due to Miguel Sano struggling to return to the field from his leg injury, that could weaken the bench depth and require more than a minor league infielder.
So far talks have been for minor league deals with players, but the Twins could target players with more intent if Sano is showing issues in early February. Some players that could be of interest would be Stephen Drew, Darwin Barney, Jace Peterson, or Cliff Pennington.
