As the Minnesota Twins continue to sit on their hands and not make any meaningful moves this winter, frustration among fans continues to rise.
Minnesota has signed a few players but they’ve been nothing but lowkey minor league deals for players who may or may not even be on the roster after Spring Training. Fans expected the team to chase the most successful postseason since 2002 by actively trying to improve the roster, but instead have been handed news of a reduced payroll and word that players who helped make an impact last season are leaving.
Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda were the first to go, with Emilio Pagan following not long after. The Tyler Mahle trade officially turned to dust after he signed a two-year rehab deal with the Texas Rangers and rumors continue to swirl about a Jorge Polanco and/or Max Kepler trade.
No incoming moves have been made, even with the Twins being mentioned as potential landing spots for free agents. One of those players was Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Kiermaier — a player who made sense as a fit but is no longer an option due to Minnesota waiting too long.
Twins miss out on another rumored free agent target
According to Bob Nightengale, and later confirmed by the Blue Jays, Toronto gave Kiermaier a one-year, $10.5 million deal to take him off the market.
Center fielder Kevin Kiermaier has reached an agreement on a one-year, $10.5 million contract with incentives to return to the Toronto Blue Jays. The deal should become official today.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 26, 2023
It makes sense for the Blue Jays, they get a player who was productive last season back and add depth to the outfield. The move potentially has a dual impact on the Twins in that it might take Toronto out of the running for a Max Kepler trade, but the main takeaway is that a potential free agent target is off the board due to the Twins inactivity.
Maybe they weren’t that interested in him to begin with — something that clearly seems to be the case after Minnesota didn’t make a move for him. To be fair, as much sense as Kiermaier made as a MIchael A. Taylor replacement the price tag of $10.5 million is a bit rich.
Kiermaier was rumored to be a potential Twins target, though, and the optics of him heading back to Toronto without so much as a whimper from Minnesota probably won’t sit well with a fan base itching to see the team do something this winter.