Minnesota Twins: Erick Aybar agrees to Minor League deal
The Minnesota Twins made another minor transaction on Friday, signing a former All-Star to a Minor League deal. This small move has the potential to make a big impact on the 2018 season.
Erick Aybar has struggled over the last two seasons. However, he is not far removed from being a steady contributor in the Majors. The Minnesota Twins are hoping he can rediscover his All-Star form. However, if Aybar doesn’t improve it will cost the team very little.
He has appeared in 234 games for three different organizations over the last two seasons and had a meager .234 batting average. However, he is a career .271 hitter who still provides a steady glove in the field.
Will Aybar impact the Twins season?
The Minnesota Twins can always use more veteran presence in the clubhouse, and Aybar has been around for a long time. However, it will be an uphill battle for him to see any big league action early in the season.
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Aybar has a chance to push Ehire Adrianza for the final bench spot. Adrianza will be a solid utility player for the Twins and is younger than Aybar. However, Aybar brings more to the team than only what he does on the field.
With playoff aspirations through the roof in the Twin Cities, Minnesota can use all of the playoff experience they can get. This team made an improbable run to American League Wild Card in 2017 and look ready to take the next step.
Aybar is nothing more than a fill-in middle-infielder at this point of his career, so to expect more would be foolish. However, with a hot Spring Training, Aybar could find himself playing meaningful innings for Minnesota in 2018.
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