Weighing Twins' free agency preference between Paul Goldschmidt and Carlos Santana

The Minnesota Twins could benefit from a veteran at first base in 2025 and it could come down to a choice between Carlos Santana and Paul Goldschmidt.

Miami Marlins v Minnesota Twins
Miami Marlins v Minnesota Twins | Stephen Maturen/GettyImages

The Minnesota Twins need to find a first baseman for the 2025 season and while Jose Miranda and Edouard Julien are among the candidates to hold down the position, the Twins may be better off dipping into free agency to find a solution.

Two of the biggest names are Carlos Santana and Paul Goldschmidt. Both veterans are on the back end of their careers but have enough in the tank to help Minnesota next season. While Minnesota is reportedly operating with the same $130 million payroll they operated at last season, the front office should consider both players as they head into the heart of free agency.

The Minnesota Twins are reportedly interested in bringing Carlos Santana back

The Twins found a bargain last winter when they signed Santana to a one-year, $5.25 million deal. Santana was coming off his best season since making the All-Star team with Cleveland in 2019, hitting .240/.318/.429 with 23 homers and 86 RBI between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Milwaukee Brewers. But he also was an elite defender, ranking sixth among qualified first basemen with 11 defensive runs saved.

Despite entering his age-38 season, Santana’s biggest value continued to be in the field. Santana ranked second among first basemen with eight defensive runs saved and tied for the American League lead with Ryan Mountcastle of the Baltimore Orioles. The effort helped Santana win his first career Gold Glove and he backed that up by hitting .238/.328/.420 with 23 home runs and 71 RBI.

Santana’s offensive production was good overall but it came with a few rough patches. In 26 games between April and March, Santana hit just .190/.274/.347 with four homers and 13 RBI. Although he turned it around and hit .337/.396/.565 with four homers and 16 RBI in the month of June, he hit between June and August before hitting five homers in September.

Any team would take those numbers from a player about to turn 39 and the Twins have reportedly kept the door open for Santana’s return. But they’re also a concern if Santana slumps and can’t snap out of it. Mix in a raise on his $5.25 million salary and he could be too pricy for the Twins’ liking which could have them look somewhere else.

The Minnesota Twins should be interested in Paul Goldschmidt

There isn’t a concrete rumor to suggest the Twins are in pursuit of Goldschmidt but Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer suggested the 37-year-old as the Twins' most “realistic free agent signing” earlier this week.

Goldschmidt’s addition would be appealing just from a public relations standpoint. He’s two years removed from winning the National League MVP Award is a seven-time All-Star, a four-time Gold Glove Award winner and a five-time Silver Slugger Award winner. Adding him would at least create some excitement and a veteran presence in the clubhouse but like Santana, his age is a red flag.

While Santana had one of the best years of his career in 2023, it represented a drop-off point for Goldschmidt. In addition to hitting .268/.363/.447 with 25 homers and 80 RBI, his wins above replacement dropped from 7.7 in his MVP season to 3.4 in 2023.

Goldschmidt followed his disappointing 2023 with an even worse 2024 campaign, hitting .245/.302/.414 with 22 homers, 65 RBI and 1.3 wins above replacement. Although he still has his durability with 154 games played, he’s also become an average defender with no runs saved last season.

Are the Minnesota Twins better off with an internal option?

Like many decisions, whoever plays first base could be another payroll decision. If Santana is priced out of what they want to spend for a 39-year-old, they can pivot to the name value and upside of Goldschmidt. If they think Goldschmidt is washed, they can turn to their internal options of Miranda or Julien.

Miranda had the best season of his career, hitting .284/.322/.441 with nine homers and 49 RBI last season but was an average defender in 100.1 innings at first base. The Twins could also lean on Julien, but he might not be trusted after a sophomore season that saw him hit .199/292/.323 with eight homers and 21 RBI last season.

Both players are young enough to figure their shortcomings out but would benefit greatly from a veteran who can guide them at this stage of their careers. That may be a luxury the Twins can’t afford at the moment but something they should consider in the coming weeks.

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