Minnesota Twins: 3 Final Offseason Moves the Twins should make
By Otto Johnson
The offseason is drawing to a close, with all of the top free agents signed, most of the big trades completed, and new roster additions arriving at camp. The Minnesota Twins are no different from most teams, with most of their lineup complete and most of their rotation locked in.
All things considered though, there are a few more moves the team could make to be fully set to contend. After adding Carlos Correa, it’s clear the Twins are in win-now mode, and the pitching on this team could still use a little help before they’re considered true contenders.
There are a couple of players left on the free agent market who could really help the Minnesota Twins succeed, as well as one trade target the team should go after to feel really confident that they’re ready to give it their all in 2022.
Final Minnesota Twins Offseason Moves No. 1: Trade for LHP Sean Manaea
The Oakland Athletics are in full rebuild mode, and the Minnesota Twins have a chance to take advantage of this and add one of the team’s two starters that are available for trade. The Twins have already been linked to both Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, so imagining them trading for Sean Manaea isn’t far-fetched.
Both rotation options are absolutely stellar, but Frankie Montas is younger, has two seasons of control (compared to Manaea’s one), and he had a better year in 2021, so why should the Twins go after Manaea instead of his teammate?
For starters, Montas will be far more expensive. There are far more teams in on Montas than Manaea, and given that Manaea is a year older and will hit free agency in 2023, that makes sense. The Twins could get Manaea without having to give up Trevor Larnach, Jordan Balazovic, Royce Lewis, or Austin Martin, which should be the goal in these trade talks.
Manaea is also a left-handed pitcher, and given the fact that Sonny Gray, Dylan Bundy, Bailey Ober, and Joe Ryan are all righties, it would be nice to have at least one left-handed arm in the rotation.
Manaea is as consistent as they come and can go deep into games to avoid putting stress on a bullpen. Twins fans may want Montas, but if they end up with Manaea instead, that’s an excellent second starter for a playoff caliber team.