Nationals sign former Twins starter to an incredibly cheap deal

It's been a slow offseason across the board in baseball, making the Minnesota Twins dragging their feet feels worse in our little echo chamber. The Twins weren't the only team to ease off spending this winter, and guys like Carlos Santana weren't the only ones to get cheaper deals than they might have in another year.

Twins fans have been frustrated with the lack of spending, but players are feeling the brunt of teams not being willing to spend like they used to.

Cody Bellinger is an example of that, as he was projected to get a $300 million deal and ended up returning to the Chicago Cubs after Spring Training had started on what amounts to a one-year, $30 million deal with options.

Blake Snell won the NL Cy Young but remains a free agent, and is watching his price plummet as teams gain leverage with Opening Day nearing. It's more than just top-line free agents who have been signed to deals that seem oddly low.

Nationals sign former Twins starter to an incredibly cheap deal

MLB reporter Daniel Álavarez-Montes reported on Wednesday that the Nationals had agreed to sign Eddie Rosario. The deal is worth just $4 million , with incentives, which is less than what Washington gave Joey Gallo despite him having a less productive season last year than Rosario did.

Aside from the comparrison to Gallo, that seems incrediby low for Rosario. He was a mid-tier free agent, but there has been an established need for outfield help across the league, something that the Twins were hoping to take advantage of by dangling Max Kepler as trade bait this winter.

Kepler didn't en up getting traded, and there wasn't a gold rush on outfielders either. Juan Soto was the biggest name to change teams, but outside of him things were relatively quiet. That was reflected in Bellinger not being able to land a deal until February despite being the top free agent on the market.

Rosario might have been an option for the Twins if he was a right-handed batter, as everyone has fond memories of his time in Minnesota. He slashed .279/.309/.479 across six seasons with the Twins, serving as a starter for the team alongside Byron Buxton in the outfield.

After leaving the Twins he spent time with Cleveland and Atlanta, with his production peaking in 2021 before taking a bit of a step back a year later. Last season he seemed to start moving things in the right direction and heads to Washington as excellent depth.

The fact that the Nats got him on such a dirst cheap deal feels like a steal and further illustrates that it's not just the Twins who are playing things safe with spending this offseason.

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