The Minnesota Twins lost out on the Yu Darvish sweepstakes. As the offseason continues on what should the Twins do to finish getting ready for 2018?
The Minnesota Twins entire offseason seemed to be centered about what would happen with one man, Yu Darvish. Darvish has spoken and he did not fulfill most Twins fans dreams of bringing his talents to Target Field. Instead, Darvish has chosen to go to Chicago as a member of the Cubs where he agreed to a contract of 6 years and a guarantee of $126 million dollars with the ability to make up to $150 million.
So that’s it. Darvish chose the Cubs and didn’t choose to go after an offer from the Twins which sounded to be in the 5 years and $100 million dollar range. Was it that 6th year that was the ultimate tipping point? Did Darvish just want to be a Cub that much and the Twins were simply a negotiating chip? We may find out later, but for now, we do not know. The next question to ask is what should the Twins do next?
Sign Lance Lynn or Alex Cobb
Recently I wrote a piece on the topic of if the Twins missed out on Darvish who should be their top target. I ultimately believe it should be Cobb, but Lynn would be a fine addition as well. They just need one of these two guys to help add some quality, stability, and right cost to the rotation. Even though Ervin Santana will be out for only a portion of the season, he will be leaving a hole that needs addressing.
One idea is that with the added payroll money that could have been used for signing Darvish that the Twins should now use that money to sign both Lynn and Cobb. With the questions marks both do have and the amount of money and years they would likely sign for I believe there are better ways to use the Twins resources.
Trade for a starting pitcher
The Twins have resources in their farm system and it is time to put them to good use. At this point, I am less zeroed in on exactly who the Twins should go after, but it just needs to be someone with some upside and mid to top of the rotation ability. Chris Archer is the big wish but depending on the price, his teammate Jake Odorizzi could be a good get as well.
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If you follow me on Twitter you saw this name thrown around the other day that intrigues me, Julio Teheran. Teheran has showcased top of the line potential in the past. He also seemed to be the victim of a rough start in the Atlanta Braves new stadium showcasing bad home stats and much better road stats. Like Archer, Teheran’s asking price may just end up being way more than he is worth but would look good with the Twins if they could acquire him.
Sign a bat
As mentioned above, Lynn or Cobb instead of Darvish means there will be extra payroll money available. The Twins should use that money to go and grab a power bat to help solidify the designated hitter/backup first base/backup corner outfielder positions. Whether that is Mike Napoli, Logan Morrison, or even someone like Melky Cabrera. It is a position that can be strengthened.
One of the above guys wouldn’t require a long-term contract either. That would leave money available down the road to still extend some of the younger players on the Twins that will be needing contracts soon. With Darvish, it seemed OK to roll with Robbie Grossman, Mitch Garver, and Kennys Vargas but without him, it would be nice to see those guys pushed a bit.
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Where are you at after the Darvish signing? What do you think should be the next move for the Twins before they hit the field in 2018?