Minnesota Twins: Names and rumors after Day 2 of Winter Meetings

The Minnesota Twins have made it through two days of the Winter Meetings and here is an update of names that have been connected to the team.

The Minnesota Twins front office seems to be keeping pace with what they have done every offseason since Derek Falvey and Thad Levine took over the team. They are checking in with lots of free agents and leaving almost no stone unturned as they explore possibilities on how to improve the Twins roster going into 2019. Day 2 of the Winter Meetings provided us with some more names that the Twins are connected to.

DH Nelson Cruz

We wrote about the Twins interest in Nelson Cruz yesterday. The new development in the Twins pursuit of the 38-year-old designated hitter is that the race for his services may be down to the Tampa Bay Rays and the Twins.

A pair of Indians relievers

As the Twins are trying to dethrone the Indians atop the AL Central, the Twins have checked in on a few of their free agent pitchers Andrew Miller and Cody Allen as reported by LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune. Neal mentions that the Twins are more interested in Allen, the Indians long time closer. After a year full of struggles for Allen the Twins would look to provide him an opportunity to bounce back to his dominant closer form.

Miller would also be another bounce back candidate as he has struggled to stay on the mound the last couple of seasons due to injury. In 2018 he was able to pitch for 34 innings, 4.24 ERA, 3.51 FIP, and 11.9 K/9. Doesn’t hurt that Falvey has connections to both of these relievers from his time in Cleveland.

LHP Yusei Kikuchi

Neal also mentions that the Twins are interested in the left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. Kikuchi was recently posted by his Japanese club the Saitama Seibu Lions. The disappointing part of this report is that the Twins don’t feel confident that they can land him. If the Twins feel like Kikuchi would help the rotation, hopefully, that won’t stop them from making a bid for Kikuchi to become a Twin. 

Some Day One catch up

From Monday the Twins also reportedly checked in on catcher Wilson Ramos and pitchers Trevor Cahill and Joakim Soria. It doesn’t seem as though the Twins are too interested in Ramos and it would be quite the interesting move with Jason Castro and Mitch Garver still on the roster.

Cahill and Soria both could represent a way to bolster the Twins pitching. Cahill started 20 games for the Athletics in 2018 and put up a 3.76 ERA and 3.54 FIP. He also has experience working out of the bullpen. Soria factored into the Brewers bullpen during their playoff run as one of their setup men. Earlier in the season, he recorded 16 saves as a member of the Chicago White Sox.

There has been a lot of talks these first couple days of the Winter Meetings. Maybe Day 3 will mark some action as well.