Minnesota Twins: Ranking the Top 10 Free Agent Shortstops Available
By Otto Johnson
Minnesota Twins Top Free Agent Shortstops: 6-5
- No. 6: Jose Iglesias (R)
- No. 5: Elvis Andrus (R)
The first group of shortstops really don’t move the needle for the Twins at all, but this second group has some real ability to play the position solidly and hold over for Royce Lewis. If things break right, they could even keep the job and allow Lewis to play his ideal role of utility man.
Jose Iglesias is the perfect example of a stopgap shortstop. His numbers from 2022 are right in line with where he’s been over the past three years, a time period where he’s slashed .292/.325/.408 and historically been an okay defender.
He can’t hit for power and rarely walks, but Iglesias also doesn’t strike out very often. He’d come cheap and would be very easily moved into a backup role while not sinking the team’s season. If the team spends big elsewhere, he’s a fine option.
Elvis Andrus is in the same boat. The two-time All-Star is still reliable with his glove, but it’s his bat that has been his calling card, and that was true late last season. Andrus slashed .271/.309/.464 with 9 homers in 43 games after joining the White Sox.
There’s no expectation that Andrus will post a similar stat line if he were to join the team, but for 60-70 games, he’d be a more than decent replacement. He only lands over Iglesias because Iglesias offers so little in terms of power.