We're once again entering a winter in which the Hot Stove could be very cold for the Minnesota Twins. Fans have low expectations for potential moves the team might make, as ownership has essentially dropped the act and is being transparent with both its unseriousness and greed.
That combo makes it difficult for a front office to navigate offseason waters, but that's the task Derek Falvey and Jeremy Zoll will have this winter. It's one that will be tough but not impossible to overcome, especially since the mid-to-low end of the free agent market could settle in Minnesota's favor.
One guy who fits the bill as a potential bargain buy is Andrew Chafin, who would not only give the Twins a capital-D Dude in the personality department but a valuable arm out of a bullpen that badly needs some attention.
Andrew Chafin once again named a potential fit for the Twins in free agency
MLB insider Mark Feinsand went over some potential free agent fits for each team and floated reliever Andrew Chafin as a potential target the Twins. This isn't the first time winds from the rumor mill have whispered his name in the direction of Minnesota but perhaps this time will be the charm in terms of something finally happening.
The idea of the Twins adding Chafin has been floating around for a few years, going back as far as the 2023 offseason. It also highlights how far back the team has been trying to fine tune the bullpen, as Chafin made sense as someone who help step in and push things in the right direction.
Ultimately he signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks but has bounced around to three different teams since then. He was traded to the Brewers in 2023 and after signing with the Detroit Tigers last winter he was dealt to the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline.
In back-to-back years Chafin was flipped as a valuable bullpen arm that teams trying to make a playoff push coveted, which means the Twins signing him has no real downside. Ideally he'll become a key reliever and supplement guys like Griffin Jax, Jhoan Duran, Cole Sands, and Brock Stewart, but worst-case he can be used a trade currency.
Talk about a win-win move.
Chafin would help fill a need for left-handed pitching out of the bullpen as well. Minnesota posted an abysmal 5.31 ERA and .453 opponent slugging percentage from its lefties last year while Chafin finished the year with a 3.51 ERA and has a career 1.275 WHIP.
He's not going to be the bellcow of the bullpen, but he feels like the sort of addition the helps elevate a unit. Adding him into the mix with the other reliable arms Minnesota has makes sense, and it's a move that might end up falling within the team's price range.
Chafin has been sought after the last two years which indicates he'll once again have a market Minnesota will need to compete with. If they end up making a move this winter, though, spending money on Chafin could be a move that pays off one way or another down the road.
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