3 Twins free agents who remain unsigned and need to be brought back
Minnesota could save money but still bring in impact players the team is already familiar with.
A theme of the Minnesota Twins offseason has been a frustrating return to frugality.
Bally Sports North and its bankrupt parent company can be thanked for that, as the loss of television revenue caused the Twins to reduce the payroll this winter. The optics of that happening just a month after the most successful postseason run since 2002 weren't great and haven't aged well in the time since, but it means the team needs to get creative in how it adds meaningful pieces to the roster.
One potential path could be to bring some players back. As the market continues to settle, a handful of Twins free agents remain unsigned and it could make sense to bring them back on affordable deals.
3 Twins free agents who remain unsigned and need to be brought back
Michael A. Taylor
When the Twins traded for Michael A. Taylor last season, nobody knew the load he'd have to carry. The idea was that he'd provide some defensive depth but ended up becoming Minnesota's everyday centerfielder when Byron Buxton's health once again became an issue.
In his stead, Taylor put together a respectable season. He finished the year with a career-high in home runs and posted the second-highest OPS+ of his career. He was also a defensive gem throughout the year, and potentially saved the Twins season with a masterful play in the AL Wild Card series. Buxton didn't play a single game in the field, and Taylor accepted the burden in stride and played his way into what we all thought would be a nice free agent contract.
That still hasn't come, despite reported interest from the Mets, which means his market might be settling back to where the Twins could grab him to fill a need in center.
Why he might not be back: As great of a fit as Taylor would be coming back to Minnesota, money and circumstance could prevent it. The Twins are already strapped for cash, and Taylor's market value is around $7M AAV, which isn't that bad until you compare it to what Austin Martin would cost.
Martin is expected to make the Opening Day roster, and he fills the need for depth center at a fraction of the cost. Ideally Byron Buxton returns to being the everyday centerfielder for the Twins and Martin is able to platoon.
Lest we forget, there's already been interest from other teams and the Twins would not be a hard to outbid this winter.
Dallas Keuchel
If there's one thing we've learned about the Twins, it's that they love their restoration projects. Dallas Keuchel was a late addition t the garage but he fit the bill in every single way. After a career-making stint with the Houston Astros, the former Cy Young-winner fell on hard times and ended up signing a minor league contract with Minnesota in June before getting added to the Major League roster a couple of months later.
Keuchel got off to an uneven start, but tapped back into what made him special during his third start with the Twins. He threw six perfect innings against Pittsburgh in a start that he said was the reason he wanted to work his way back to the Majors.
From there he made three more starts -- two of which the Twins won, although he didn't get credit -- while getting bullpen work the rest of the season. That might be a role he settles into if Minnesota brings him back, which given how there's still a need for pitching couldn't hurt. He's not going to be replacing Sonny Gray or might not be on a Chris Paddack path, but there was value to having Keuchel and getting him to work with the pitching coaches through Spring Training and into the season might help him continue to get back on track.
Why he might not be back: While he gave fans one great start back in August, Keuchel finished the season with a 5.97 ERA and a slightly below average strike rate. He also ended the season on the 15-day IL and was replaced by Jorge Alcala, pitcher the Twins tendered and worked out a settlement with to bring back.
If money is an issue, the Twins might do well to bring Keuchel back and see what happens. The gamble didn't exactly hit big last season but there are far worse -- and more pricey -- risks to take.
Donovan Solano
Along the same lines as Michael A. Taylor, Donovan Solano was brought in for depth and ended up providing more than the Twins bargained for.
Solano joined the team in the spring and quickly found himself regularly filling in at first base. The same situation that brought Solano to Minnesota has presented itself again, as Alex Kirilloff might not begin the season healthy and the Twins lack first base depth. There are free agent options out there, but Solano is both a familiar face and someone who has expressed a desire to return next season.
It wasn't just first base where Solano proved his value. In addition to platooning with Kirilloff, Solano spent time at second base while Jorge Polanco dealt with injuries. Solano's glove was excellent, posting a .994 fielding percentage at first base which was just a .001 percent shy of league average, and he was well above league average at second.
He also finished the season with career-highs in hits, RBI, and walks. Some of that was due to him playing more than he ever has, but that was a nice litmus test for how impactful he could be as a near-everyday player.
Perhaps the biggest factor here is that Solano wants to come back. He told a publication in his home of Colombia that he wants Minnesota to offer him a contract, which likely means he won't hold the front office hostage for a big contract. That lines up with the goal to not spend a ton of money this winter but find impact players to add to the roster.
Why he might not be back: It's sort of hard to find reasons for why Solano won't be back outside of the Twins simply not wanting him. His market value is around $5 million and his desire to return could knock that down to make a deal work.
One thing that could complicate Solano's return is Jose Miranda moving back to first base. It seems Minnesota isn't ready to give up on him just yet, but with Royce Lewis over at third the only logical spot for Miranda to try and prove his worth is at first. A platoon with Kirilloff-Solano-Miranda might work, but at that point the Twins might try Edouard Julien in the Solano role if Jorge Polanco is still around and occupying second.
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