It seems the after waiting the whole winter for the Minnesota Twins to make a big move, the peak of the mountain was trading Jorge Polanco to the Seattle Mariners for four perfectly fine players.
Not great, not bad, just firmly “meh”.
The biggest piece it seems the Twins got back was Gabriel Gonzalez, who is the No. 79 prospect in baseball but is also not expected to make an impact until closer to 2026. He’s the fourth Top 100 prospect the Twins have in their farm system, but he doesn’t really help any of the more immediate needs the team needed to address.
Acquiring Anthony DeSclafani is the big pitching addition we’ve been waiting all winter for. If you weren’t immediately lit on fire by hearing that, you’re not alone. It’s a big a letdown after the constant teasing, but there’s upside to landing the veteran that goes beyond what he might be able to provide on the mound.
This is the second time DeSclafani has been traded this offseason, but that’s means the Twins have convinced two other teams to essentially pick up the tab on paying him. Minnesota revived $6M from Seattle, which was the money the Mariners got from San Francisco when they acquired DeSclafani earlier this winter.
Basically, by trading Polanco the Twins freed up around $6.5M to make other additions. That’s a nice chaser to the deal but what matters is how the team spends that money. It could be that they bring back a familiar face to help fill some roster holes.
Twins might bring back Donovan Solano after Jorge Polanco trade
According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, Twins might be motivated to bring back Donovan Solano in free agency.
After the Polanco trade, Twins may consider a return for Donovan Solano. Solano (.760 OPS) was really good for them last year. Minnesota is also looking at outfield help.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 30, 2024
Solano was added around this time last year and ended up being one of the best moves of the offseason for Minnesota. He posted a .760 OPS but was key in helping platoon around the lineup as the Twins battled injuries all season. He helped massage the situation at first base while Alex Kirilloff worked his way back, and played second as well while Polanco was injured. He added nice offense for lineups against left-handed pitching and even helped out as DH when needed.
He also won over fans, and his appreciated the throwback Piranha-type nature of his game.
Once again the Twins are in a similar position to where they were last year. Kirilloff is hurt and working his way back, there’s a need for depth at the corner infield, and Minnesota needs affordable options.
Solano checks all of those boxes, and he’s made it clear he’d like to come back. Earlier this offseason he noted to a local Colombian outlet that he was hoping the Twins would offer him a contract so he could return to a team he described as family. As if the Twins needed a sweeter or a cherry on top to bringing Solano back.
Minnesota will assess all of its options, including the potential for bringing back Michael A. Taylor, but re-signing Solano already made sense before the team came into some extra cash. Now that they have some wiggle room, it seems like an easy decision to make.