The Athletic gave the Twins an offseason award for doing absolutely nothing

It's been a quiet offseason, one that has driven most Minnesota Twins fans mad. We've officially reached the point where push is coming to shove, as the Twins continue to chase the hope they established in October by shrinking.

Everything is shrinking: the payroll, expectations, and the chances of truly building on the success the team had late in the year.

It's worth noting that while waiting might be the hardest part, it's typically paid off for Minnesota. Trades fo Sonny Gray, Pablo Lopez, and Kenta Maeda didn't happen until well into the offseason, with Carlos Correa's deal getting inked month after he hit the market.

Last year the Twins showed that even lower level moves are worth the wait, with Donovan Solano and Michael A. Taylor getting added around Spring Training rather than before Christmas.

It's a tough sell for fans fearful that sins of the past will be committed again in the future, but not everyone is down on what the front office is doing.

The Athletic awards Twins for how they've handled their offseason of nothing

Okay, saying the Twins have done nothing is a tad misleading. They haven't done anything major, with the only real addition being a deal for Josh Staumont. It's a classic low-risk deal, but one that could end up in the Solano/Taylor category this time next year.

It's that specific move, in addition to not rushing into things, that has The Athletic's Jim Bowden impressed. While handing out an updated batch of offseason awards, Bowden commended the Twins for serving up a giant plate of nothing.

Best job of standing pat: The Twins. The only noteworthy move Minnesota has made this offseason was signing reliever Josh Staumont. The defending AL Central champions can fill all their other needs by tapping their farm system and really don’t have to spend money in free agency or make trades to get better.

Stop this encouragement at once, Jim!

It's not what anyone in Twins Territory wants to hear, but he's not wrong. Part of the logic for standing pat at the trade deadline was the belief in what Minnesota already had in the clubhouse. That extended beyond players in the lineup and to guys like Chris Paddack, Byron Buxton, and Brock Stewart who the Twins were hoping would bounce back healthy.

Stewart got hurt before Derek Falvey could finish explaining the plan, but both Paddack and Buxton played in the postseason. More importantly, the youth movement helped surge the Twins into an October run, and there's more where that came from.

Minnesota still needs to add a Sonny Gray replacement, but they might not need to go overboard elsewhere. David Festa and Matt Canterino figure to be this year's Baily Ober and Louie Varland, with guys like Austin Martin and Brooks Lee expected to get called up as well.

Keep in mind this is typucally the time of year when the Twins cook. Rocco Baldelli expects something to happen soon, and this could all turn out with Minnesota winning another kind of award in October.

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