The Minnesota Twins have done some major work already this offseason, but these free agents you might be thinking about could still help the team.
The Minnesota Twins have done some decent work by bringing in three significant additions to their roster in advance of the 2019 season. First baseman C.J. Cron, second baseman Jonathan Schoop, and now designated hitter Nelson Cruz will all add additional power to the roster.
While the 2019 roster is beginning to take shape, there are a few more question marks that could be addressed by free agent signings. While some bigger names are still weighing the offers that have been presented to them. There are some names you may be less familiar with that could help the Twins overtake the Cleveland Indians next season.
Here we will take a look at some of those players. They may not bring some of the same fanfare as Cruz has, but they could be the difference between the division championship and an early offseason. Advanced warning, there will be lots of pitching in this post because I think we all would like to see that pitching staff beefed up a bit.
LHP Tony Sipp
Tony Sipp has somewhat quietly put together some very good seasons as a MLB reliever. Sipp began his MLB career with the Cleveland Indians and he has now spent the past five seasons as a member of the Houston Astros.
Last season Sipp appeared in 54 games and finished with a 1.86 ERA and a 42/13 K/BB. He also held left-handers to a .191 batting average while holding right-handers to a .209 batting average. Proving last season that he has the ability to be a bit more than a pure lefty-specialist.
In seasons when Sipp has struggled one thing that has happened is an increased frequency of home runs. Something that Sipp has been able to keep under control at points in the past and might keep under control again in 2019.
The Twins aren’t in desperate need of a left-handed reliever with Taylor Rogers and Gabriel Moya in the bullpen mix. Sipp could prove still to be valuable as a bit of an upgrade over Moya or could even be a third lefty if the Twins would choose to use Moya again in an opener role more regularly.