Minnesota Twins: Could these three players come back?

Minnesota Twins fans know that the team has several needs to address this offseason, including starting pitching. Previously, we looked at some ways that the team could improve their rotation for 2022, and we also looked at the possibility of adding a big name at shortstop.

However, if the Twins do indeed want to improve their offense for next year, they may need to look no further than some former players who will be free agents this winter. Here, we look at three of them.

Minnesota Twins: Could these three players come back in 2022?

Nelson Cruz

If the Twins want some help at the designated hitter position, they may want to consider trying to bring back Nelson Cruz next year. Yes, he is 41 years old, but he proved this year that he can still hit some home runs, slugging 32 of them between the Twins and the Tampa Bay Rays.

He was having a great season with the Twins, posting an OPS+ of 148 in 85 games with them, before the trade to the Rays in July which netted the Twins Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman. However, he wasn’t quite as good in Tampa Bay, posting an OPS+ of 103 while batting just .226 in 55 games. Still, it might be worth trying to bring him back on a one-year deal.

Eddie Rosario

The Twins surprised a lot of people when, after two straight seasons of placing in American League MVP voting in 2019 and 2020, they declined to offer Eddie Rosario a contract for the 2021 season. The Cleveland Indians picked him up, and then they traded him to the Atlanta Braves in July. Rosario already has nine hits for the Braves this postseason.

Rosario, who is 30 years old, had several solid seasons with the Twins before his sudden departure this past winter. If the team thinks they need help in left field for next season, they might want to inquire about bringing him back for 2022.

Eduardo Escobar

Eduardo Escobar, who will be 33 next year, was a fan favorite before the Twins traded him to the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018 in a trade that netted them, among others, pitcher Jhoan Duran. A lot of fans would probably like to see him come back, and if he did come back, he could play a few different positions and give manager Rocco Baldelli some flexibility.

Escobar finished the season with the Milwaukee Brewers and played mostly first and third base for them. The Twins already have Miguel Sano and Josh Donaldson, respectively, at those positions, but Escobar could play third while having Donaldson DH. Or, Escobar could play second, moving Jorge Polanco to shortstop.