Minnesota Twins: Holiday Wish List for the rest of the Offseason
By Otto Johnson
Minnesota Twins Holiday Wish List Item No. 4: Sign Nathan Eovaldi
I’ll start by saying this. The Twins don’t NEED a starter. Sonny Gray was near-elite last year. Tyler Mahle and Kenta Maeda are expected to be back fully healthy and very talented. Joe Ryan is a great fourth option. Bailey Ober was dealing last year.
Josh Winder, Simeon Woods Richardson, and Louie Varland are great depth. They have a good rotation, and some of the best depth available. The group is good enough to compete for a division title barring multiple major injuries. With that being said, there’s no true No. 1 guy.
Despite all the hopes and dreams of Twins fans, Carlos Rodon wasn’t going to come here unless the Minnesota Twins blew him away with a deal. Everyone knew that wasn’t going to happen, and with the Twins still lacking a true ace, it’s time to get creative.
There aren’t any true aces available on the market (Zac Gallen isn’t available and Pablo Lopez isn’t an ace), and with Rodon gone, the closest thing to an ace is former Boston Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi.
Eovaldi has been a very good pitcher over the last three years, including being a legitimate ace in 2021. He may not be on the same level as Gerrit Cole, but he’s still good enough to give a four-year, $80 million deal to and sit him next to Sonny Gray as two stellar playoff caliber starters. It also gives the team the added benefit of some security after 2023.
Gray, Mahle, Maeda, and Paddack are all free agents after this season, and while the rotation of Ryan, Ober, Winder, Woods Richardson, and Varland sounds great in the future, it might not be ready to compete in 2024. Adding Eovaldi just seems like too good of a deal to pass up, and with plenty of cash available, the Twins should look to spend it.