It was a busy first month of the offseason across baseball, with many free agents who would normally wait until February already inking big contracts before the lockout. The Minnesota Twins have made a couple of moves, extending Byron Buxton and adding Dylan Bundy on a one-year deal. Unfortunately, we haven’t seen a high-profile free agent acquisition yet.
It looks like a players’ market with a lot of money handed out thus far, and the Twins might not be comfortable giving away a nine-figure deal. But, with the non-tender deadline behind us, players were added to the free agent pool who won’t command such big contracts.
The list is a bit more shallow in 2022 than last season, as there’s no Kyle Schwarber or Eddie Rosario. However, there is still some talent that could make a big impact for a retooling Twins team.
Last offseason, the Twins brought in Hansel Robles on a one-year, $2 million deal after the Angels didn’t tender him a contract. He wasn’t great, posting a 4.91 ERA before being dealt to the Red Sox at the deadline. So it doesn’t always work out, but if you don’t try, you’ll never find those diamonds in the rough.
With several needs the Twins have to fill, the Twins can try and complete their roster with a few of those diamonds. Here, I highlight three non-tendered players that I believe can make the Minnesota Twins better in 2022.