Twins Make Arbitration Decisions; Moran, Henriquez Non-Tendered (Updated Article)

[Seth Stohs]

By Friday at 7:00 pm, MLB teams will need to offer their pre-arbitration and arbitration-eligible players a contract for 2024. The Twins have already made their official decision on two arbitration-eligible players and have to make their decisions on seven more players. And those decisions come with several question marks. 

(Article updated Friday, 7:40 pm after roster decisions announced)

Image courtesy of Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports

Article Update (7:40 pm): On Friday night, the Twins announced that they have tendered 2024 contracts to all seven arbitration-eligible players. It was also announced the Jovani Moran is expected to be having Tommy John surgery in the near future and miss the 2024 season. The Twins are trying to get him to sign a two-year minor league deal. In addition, the Twins did not tender a 2024 contract to RHP Ronny Henriquez.

With Moran and Henriquez coming off of the 40-man roster, the roster is now at 36 players. There are 17 pitchers, three catchers, eight infielders and eight outfielders. 

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When the offseason began, the Minnesota Twins had nine players on their roster that were arbitration-eligible. Since then, the Twins made quick decisions on two of them. Soon after their playoff run concluded, Jordan Luplow and Jose De Leon were designated for assignment and became free agents. 

That leaves seven players that the Twins still need to make decisions about their 2024 status. Below, I will run through these seven players and make some notes on each. Several of them may involve answering some difficult questions. A few are pretty easy decisions. 

Please feel free to ask questions and discuss these decisions in the Forum below. Also, generally-speaking not many pre-arbitration players are non-tendered, but it has happened. We aren't going to try to project which, if any, of those players will be non-tendered on Friday. 

(Players sorted by MLB Trade Rumors Projections) 

2B/OF Nick Gordon
Service Time: 2.136 (two years, 136 days, Super 2)
Arbitration Year: 1 of 4
Age in 2024: 28 
MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $1.0 million 
Deadline Decision: Tendered

2023 Season: If this decision had to be made after Gordon’s 2022 breakout season, it would have been simple. However, Gordon’s 2023 season started out very slow, but just when he started playing well, he broke his leg and was out the remainder of the season. However, he was an impressive teammate and cheerleader for the team in October! 

Potential 2024 Role: Gordon can play second base and performed well in left field and centerfield over the previous year. In a pinch, he can play shortstop and third base as well. He could be the left-handed side of platoons or a more traditional utility player, capable of playing at least five positions if needed. With the emergence of Edouard Julien, Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis, and the likes of Austin Martin and Brooks Lee potentially ready in the near future, playing time may be more and more limited. 

Biggest Question Marks: Gordon has had several injuries in his career. And while his 2022 season was just as good as Willi Castro’s 2023 season, Castro is the better defensive player at each spot on the field. Gordon is also out of options, so he couldn’t be sent to the minor leagues by the Twins without going through waivers. 

Prediction: The dollars are low and Gordon should have value to teams, including the Twins. I would predict that he will be tendered a 2024 contract, although I would think that the Twins front office might be looking to trade him to a team looking for a solid utility option. A trade could happen before Friday’s deadline, or anytime after Friday (assuming he is tendered).  

RHP Jorge Alcala
Service Time: 4.014 (four years, 14 days)
Arbitration Year: 2 of 3
Age in 2024: 28 
MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $1.0 million 
Deadline Decision: Tendered

2023 Season: After pitching just twice in 2022, Alcala made the 2023 opening day roster. However, after 10 games and 15 innings, he went on the Injured List in mid-May and didn’t return until the final game of the season. However, in that game, he was displaying a fastball between 97 and 99 and a sharp slider. 

Potential 2024 Role: The “potential” for Alcala has been the same each of the past five offseasons. When healthy, he has a big fastball and quality secondaries that are inconsistent but have big… potential. He has the potential and talent to be the top set up man, joining Griffin Jax and Brock Stewart in getting the ball to Jhoan Duran. I’d like to see what he can do in a fully healthy season. 

Biggest Question Mark: Health. That’s it. Yeah, he can work on pitches too and become more consistent, but the only way to do that is to stay healthy and get the innings.  

Prediction: This should be a very easy decision. The Twins should absolutely tender him a contract. If it’s $1 million, that’s fine. A year ago, he avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $790,000 deal, just $70K over league minimum. With his limited pitching the last couple of seasons, I would think he would happily sign a one-year, $900,000 deal, or something in that range. Sure, the team can still look to trade him if someone sends a quality prospect. However, Alcala hasn’t been optioned in the past, so he’s got three years worth of options remaining which might allow him to work on things and get innings if he’s not with the Twins. 

1B Alex Kirilloff
Service Time: 2.141 (two years, 141 days, Super 2)
Arbitration Year: 1 of 4
Age in 2024: 26 
MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $1.7 million
Deadline Decision: Tendered 

2023 Season: Because of ongoing wrist pain, Kirilloff’s 2022 season ended after just 45 games. He had a surgery which involved shaving bones in his wrist to help alleviate the pain. The Twins brought him back slowly early in the 2023 season. He missed some time, but generally speaking, his wrist was not an issue. He played in 88 games and posted a .793 OPS with 14 doubles and 11 homers. He struggled in the playoffs and was removed from the roster in the ALDS series against the Astros due to a shoulder injury. He had surgery shortly after the Twins playoff run came to an end.  

Potential 2024 Role: When healthy, Kirilloff will be the primary first baseman. While his surgery turned out to be much more minor than feared, he could still miss some time early in the season. When he’s healthy, he is potentially an All Star bat. Can he still reach that level? 

Biggest Question Mark: That is the question. He will get healthy in time, though that has certainly become his biggest issue so far. He was pretty strictly platooned in 2023 due to some horrific numbers versus southpaws. Can he put up decent-enough numbers against same-siders to be an everyday player? 

Prediction: Easy decision. He will be tendered a contract. Can they negotiate a deal with him and his agent (Boras) to sign a deal for below the projection? Maybe. 

C Ryan Jeffers
Service Time: 3.089 (three years, 89 days)
Arbitration Year: 1 of 3
Age in 2024: 27
MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $2.3 million 
Deadline Decision: Tendered  

2023 Season: After hitting a combined .203/.277/.384 (.661) in 152 games between 2021 and 2022, the Twins brought in veteran backstop Christian Vazquez on a three-year deal. Early in the season, Vazquez was playing approximately two out of three games. However, Jeffers started playing much better behind the plate and at the plate. In 96 games, he hit .276/.369/.490 (.858) with 15 doubles and 14 home runs. His OPS+ was 134! The Twins played six playoff games in 2023. Jeffers caught all six of them.    

Potential 2024 Role: Aside from “normal” catcher bumps, bruises and pain, Vazquez and Jeffers remained healthy throughout the 2023 season. The two should continue to split time, with Jeffers getting the start in two out of three games. If he’s hitting like he did in 2023, he could get more DH opportunities too. 

Biggest Question Mark: He’s a catcher. That alone comes with inherent risks of injury. That shouldn’t be a consideration in this discussion. So the big question for Jeffers in 2024 will be if he can replicate his 2023 success as opposed to revert to his 2021 and 2022 levels. 

Prediction: Another easy decision. In fact, these two sides should spend time this offseason working on a four or five year deal to keep him in a Twins uniform for a long time. 

LHP Caleb Thielbar
Service Time: 5.131 (five years, 131 days)
Arbitration Year: 3 of 3
Age in 2024: 37 
MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $3.0 million
Deadline Decision: Tendered 

2023 Season: Since returning to the Twins before the 2020 season, Thielbar has been remarkably consistent, and remarkably effective as a setup man for the Twins. 2023 was the first time in his career that he missed significant time due to injury. He strained his oblique, probably came back too quickly, strained it again and then took longer to return the second time. So, he only pitched in 36 games, but in his 30 2/3 innings, he had 36 strikeouts and just six walks. For the first time since his 2013 rookie season, he had a WHIP of under 1.00. 

Potential 2024 Role: More of the same from Thielbar. Yes, he will be 37, but he hasn’t lost velocity, and his curveball continues to be a great pitch. He should continue to get crucial spots anywhere from the sixth through ninth innings. He can also continue to be a mentor in the bullpen.  

Biggest Question Mark: Can he stay healthy throughout most of the season? And obviously can he remain effective for another year? And on some level, how much longer does he want to continue pitching? 

Prediction: Sure, there are questions, but this is another easy decision for the Twins’ brass. Thielbar will be tendered a contract for 2024. And I would like to see the two sides come together and discuss a longer-term deal. Maybe it’s a series of options. $3 million for 2024, then an option for 2025 at $3 million that vests with 50 innings. If he is between 40 and 49 2/3 innings in 2024, the option vests at $2.5 million. If he’s under 40 innings, there could be a club option at $2 million but if they decline it, there could be a player option at $1.5 million. And, of course, Thielbar would have the right to retire at any point. The lawyers could get involved to creatively work through a one-year deal with a couple of options that would keep Thielbar pitching for his hometown team until he retires. 

UT Willi Castro
Service Time: 4.017 (4 years, 17 days)
Arbitration Year: 1 of 2
Age in 2024: 27 
MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $3.2 million
Deadline Decision: Tendered  

2023 Season: Following the 2022 season, Castro had accumulated just over three years of service time with the Tigers. He was projected to make $1.7 million in his first year of arbitration, so Detroit non-tendered him. The Twins pursued him aggressively and he quickly signed a minor-league deal with the Twins in which he would make $1.8 million if he was with the Twins all season. Because of injuries and more, Castro made the Twins Opening Day roster, and after not playing for the first several games, he found a way to spend the entire season as a very valuable role player with the Twins. He was fantastic defensively at three infield positions. He did a nice job filling in left and center field as well. In his parts of four seasons with the Tigers, he accumulated 0.4 bWAR. In 124 games with the Twins in 2023, Castro ranked third among Twins hitters with 2.6 bWAR. He played strong defense. He hit .257/.339/.411 (.750) with 32 extra base hits. He stole 33 bases in 38 attempts, an element the Twins haven’t had for a long time. 

Potential 2024 Role: His role in 2024 should be very similar to what it was in 2023. He can play three to five times per week all over the diamond. The fact that he is a switch hitter allows him to give guys off at different spots regardless of that day’s starting pitcher.  

Biggest Question Mark: He was well worth the $1.8 million in 2023, and we can all picture him continuing to be valuable, but his 2023 production was significantly better than it had been the two previous seasons when he played over 110 games. Won’t the real Willi Castro please stand up? And, how does the front office see the combination of Castro and Gordon in the organization? Can they both be on the roster and provide value? Castro is a year younger. 

Prediction: This is really the first one where I’ve had to think about how much I buy into Willi Castro’s 2023 season. That said, I think the Twins will tender him a contract, try to come up with a little lower than projected number, and use his switch-hitting and defensive versatility in 2024.

IF Kyle Farmer
Service Time: 5.129 (five years, 129 days)
Arbitration Year: 3 or 3
Age in 2024: 33 
MLB Trade Rumors Projected 2024 Salary: $6.6 million
Deadline Decision: Tendered  

2023 Season: Farmer came to the Twins after the 2022 season from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for RH RP Casey Legumina. At the time, he was technically the Twins starting shortstop. As you all know, after a long and winding road, Carlos Correa came back to the Twins which meant it was back to the bench for Farmer. That said, Rocco Baldelli kept his bench active all season. Farmer got extended time at second base early in the season when Jorge Polanco was out. He got quite a bit of time at third base in between the Jose Miranda demotion and the return of Royce Lewis. And late in the year, he played shortstop most every day when Correa was resting his plantar fasciitis. In between, he was a platoon player, often splitting time with, and mentoring, Edouard Julien at second base. Solid defense around the infield. Fantastic leader and teammate. Generally mashes left-handed pitching. Took a fastball to the mouth and went through multiple surgeries.  

Potential 2024 Role: It would be the same general role for Farmer in 2024. Depending on how the right side of the infield shakes out this offseason, he could platoon at first and/or second base. He can pinch hit, DH, and even be that emergency catcher. Depending on health, it is likely his playing time would decrease. 

Biggest Question Mark: Payroll. Just what will the Twins payroll be in 2024. We know it’s going to drop, so can the Twins afford to pay a utility player over $6 million? Unfortunately that is the reality because my sense is that everyone associated with the Twins would love to bring Farmer back. 

Prediction: This is by far the most difficult decision for the Twins front office. As noted, if payroll remained the same, he would very likely be tendered, but with payroll down, we can’t assume that. We know his value to a big-league roster. You would hate to non-tender him and lose him for nothing. So, I don’t think they’ll do that. I do think that they will try hard to trade him for something over the next 24-36 hours, but if they can’t before Friday’s deadline, I would guess that they will tender him a contract and continue to try to deal him throughout the offseason. 

There are quick glimpses at the seven remaining arbitration-eligible cases that the Twins front office have to make decisions on before Friday evening. Will they tender all seven? How many do you think they will, or they should tender? Could they be looking to make a trade or two, either of these players or of some pre-arbitration players to make additional room on the roster? How many of these players should be considered for multi-year contract extensions? Feel free to discuss below. And again, check back over the next couple of days to find out what the Twins decided to do. 

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[jorgenswest]

I think they all have value that exceeds the projected salary making them an asset to the team or in trade. Tender them all.

[PatPfund]

Guess I'd tender all of the seven not traded to keep the trade options open. Not just that you might trade these players, but that you would need the depth to fill in if others are traded (Polo? Miranda? Wallner? Julien? Larnach? Kepler? Lee? Trade almost any of them, or more than one for a pitcher, and the depth chart shuffles.) Most are also pretty cheap, and if you waive someone (like Gordon), and someone claims them (and their pay) you are no worse off than if you non-tender.

[Jocko87]

I don't look at Farmer as $6m for a utility player.  It's $2m for the utility player, $4m for the insurance policy around the field.  I've said many times he's the most important guy to bring back of this group, even if everyone is healthy and productive he gets in 120-130 games as a plus factor replacement.  I would also expect to see him fool around in left field at some point in the spring.

He makes perfect sense for a team in this position and veteran dollars can't be spent much better.

[Doctor Gast]

Thanks Seth for another interesting & well explained article. My hope is that they bring all of them back but with lower than expected salaries. I think all of them would want to return. 

Gordon has proven to be a good OF that can produce out there but his INF leaves something to be desired & his production drops there. Keep him in the OF. He might get traded because Castro can do things better than him defensively & be redundant.

Farmer impresses me. To get hit in the face with a FB & return w/o missing a step, WOW. We need him not only his bat & glove but also his presence, even if we don't trade Polanco but especially if we do. He can adequately sub SS, 3B, 2B, 1B & catcher in a pinch

[roger]

Great analysis of the situation, Seth.  Thanks.

I don’t see both Gordon and Castro on the roster come opening day.  My guess is Gordon goes.  How, is anyone’s guess.

Expect their veteran depth is gonna take a hit this winter.  Makes sense to me to keep Farmer.

[DJL44]

I agree, pretty easy decision to tender all of these players a contract.

I also think buying out Jeffers through arbitration is a good idea but am hesitant to extend him more than a 4 year contract. He's turning 27 next year and catchers don't age well. 4 seasons $24M plus a $10-12M option would be best for the Twins and guarantee Jeffers his first big payday.

[Mike Sixel]

I think they deal Gordon, but it is possible they deal Castro....but I think Castro has more defensive versatility.....speaking of that, I'd like to keep Farmer, since he can actually play SS.....but I don't know what they'll do. The did show, last year, how much they value depth......

[Cory Engelhardt]

I hate looking at it this way, but for pairing down to a roster of 26, I don't know that I

A) See BOTH Castro and Gordon on the team AND

B) See both Farmer and Polanco on the team.

I think two of those 4 are still on the team opening day 2024, barring injuries of course.

Thanks Seth!

[Fire Dan Gladden]

Tendering them a contract and expecting them to be on the roster in 2024 are two totally different things.  The Twins already showed their hand with Luplow and DeLeon, expect all of these players to be tendered (or signed/traded).

[Nashvilletwin]

3 hours ago, Cory Engelhardt said:

I hate looking at it this way, but for pairing down to a roster of 26, I don't know that I

A) See BOTH Castro and Gordon on the team AND

B) See both Farmer and Polanco on the team.

I think two of those 4 are still on the team opening day 2024, barring injuries of course.

Thanks Seth!

Agree - one of Gordon or Castro and one of Farmer or Polanco are still with the organization on Opening Day.  

If I were a betting man, I’d say Farmer (with his ability to play short and $4MM less in salary) stays and Polanco (who with his extra year of control, switch hitting and overall infield versatility means his trade value may be higher) is dealt. If Lee has a good start to the year, Farmer could then be dealt by the deadline.

Likewise, Castro probably has the edge on Gordon.  But, assuming Castro is kept (which he deserves to be), then Gordon, Larnach and presumably Martin will be battling for two of the final four bench spots (Farmer and Vasquez have the other two). So there still is a path for Gordon, particularly if no new CFer is signed.

Boy, I like all four of those players though - and I really like all four at their projected arb $’s.

[DocBauer]

If there's any way possible to afford Farmer and keep him, I'm doing it. Nice player, great teammate. Can play across the INF, is really solid against LHP, and provides not only depth but a possible platoon partner for Julien at 2B, were Polanco moved. 

I just don't know that the payroll will allow keeping both Polanco AND Farmer, so I think one probably goes at some point. 

Like the idea of an extension for Jeffers as well as rolling 1yr offers for Thielbar.

I just don't know that I see room for Gordon, especially with no options left. But at only $1M, he's probably kept for now as depth/insurance if Kepler, or someone else, is moved. I just want to know who the real Gordon is; the 2nd half warrior of 2022 or the average player he was at the begining of that season/unplayable performer at the begining of '23. I think they make the offer, but he and a couple pen arms are at the top of DFA possibilities if the Twins start getting active and need 40 man spots.

 

 

[Fatbat]

I’m sure they will all be tendered but I doubt they will all be on the opening day roster. So many questions to be answered by the start of training camp. With them all tendered, the salary total will be around $120M. We could literally do nothing more than sign a couple pitchers in FA and roll into April‘24 looking just like Sept ‘23. I’m not sure thats a good plan but we have had way worse teams in recent years.  

[Nashvilletwin]

58 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

I’m sure they will all be tendered but I doubt they will all be on the opening day roster. So many questions to be answered by the start of training camp. With them all tendered, the salary total will be around $120M. We could literally do nothing more than sign a couple pitchers in FA and roll into April‘24 looking just like Sept ‘23. I’m not sure thats a good plan but we have had way worse teams in recent years.  

Agree. Tender them all. Trade Polanco. Now we are at $110MM. Top of the range budget is $140MM. Use $30MM on starting pitching.

Your 13 position players are:

Starters (9): Lewis (3B, R), Correa (SS, R), Julien (2B, L), Kiriloff (1B, L), Jeffers (C, R), Wallner (LF, L), Castro, (CF, S), Kepler (RF, L), Buxton (DH, R).

Bench (4): Vasquez (C, R), Farmer (IF, R), and two of the following three: Gordon (OF/IF, L), Martin (OF/IF, R) and Larnach (COF, L).

If Buxton plays some CF, then all the better, But if not, Castro, Gordon and Martin can cover (in fact, Gordon and Martin could theoretically platoon against lefties and righties if Castro has to cover an infield position).

If the $30MM is spent properly on starting pitching, this lineup, healthy, would be projected to win the division and compete for the AL pennant.

This is certainly one strategy.

 

 

[Fatbat]

@Nashvilletwin don’t forget to pay the salary of the polo trade roster spot or is that assumed to be pitching and included in that theoretical $30M?

[Blyleven2011]

I like Polanco  , I like Farmer,  which one will be here come spring is everyone's guess  ...

Castro over the energetic  Gordon , really both haven't proved who they really are but the defense and versatility by Castro  is  better than Gordon ... 

Kiriloff  , Jeffers  and theibar will definitely be on the roster come april if healthy  ...

Acala  I'm sure will be tendered  since he has options  and we need drpth if hes pitching well in AAA  ...

Two players need to go , 1 could be non tendered ( Castro  , Gordon  ) or 1 of these  two could be tendered but traded ( Farmer,  Polanco  ) ...

Stay tuned for Friday's deadline  ...

[jorgenswest]

I think the most likely player to be non-tendered is Farmer if they can’t make a trade prior to Friday. There are no great shortstop options in free agency but there are plenty of stop gap options and I think that is how Farmer would be viewed. Rosario, Kiner-Falefa, Anderson and Mondesi are younger options. Crawford, Andrus and Hernandez are other stop gap options. Mateo may be non-tendered and is likely available in a trade for a marginal prospect. If they don’t find a trade partner by the deadline, non-tender might be the best option.

Farmer has been non-tendered previously. The Reds resigned him in free agency.

[Heiny]

I would definitely tender all of them, cuz the dollars are right for each of them.  But then there would have to be some trades of at least a couple players.  I think that Gordon for his money should draw some good interest.  I think Polanco and Larnach(hate giving up on Larnach) would also draw interest.  Throw in some prospects for SP.  So many ways this could go, but this is the speculation season.

[Doctor Evil]

Castro Gordon Farmer = a good bench.

[stringer bell]

Seth Stohs wrote: Biggest Question Marks: Gordon has had several injuries in his career. And while his 2022 season was just as good as Willi Castro’s 2023 season, Castro is the better defensive player at each spot on the field. Gordon is also out of options, so he couldn’t be sent to the minor leagues by the Twins without going through waivers. 

Rather than quoting the entire article, I want to disagree with this statement that I bolded. Castro and Gordon hit similarly in the years Seth mentioned, but there is no comparison in their overall seasons--Castro was the  superior defender and capably plays more positions and Willi also provided much more value due to his base running ability. 
 

[DocBauer]

34 minutes ago, Doctor Evil said:

Castro Gordon Farmer = a good bench.

I can't disagree with you, IF, Gordon rebounds and looks like his 2nd half in 2022.

BUT, I think the bench is better with a RH bat to replace Gordon and bring a little more balance to the roster. I'm not sure who that might be, it's still very early to speculate, but I'm just not sure if the Twins can add a BIG bat when they have to sort out CF, and address a rotation addition.

I may be reaching, but I keep hoping someone like Helman might be added who can play everywhere and provide a little bit of everything with his offensive game.

[DocBauer]

4 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Seth Stohs wrote: Biggest Question Marks: Gordon has had several injuries in his career. And while his 2022 season was just as good as Willi Castro’s 2023 season, Castro is the better defensive player at each spot on the field. Gordon is also out of options, so he couldn’t be sent to the minor leagues by the Twins without going through waivers. 

Rather than quoting the entire article, I want to disagree with this statement that I bolded. Castro and Gordon hit similarly in the years Seth mentioned, but there is no comparison in their overall seasons--Castro was the  superior defender and capably plays more positions and Willi also provided much more value due to his base running ability. 
 

I'd like to add that I'm a bit confused when I read comments, from various places, that Castro is better in the OF than the INF. (Not everyone, but I've read it various times). I thought he looked good to great at 3B. I can't recall getting to watch him much at 2B, but he looked solid the few games I did. And while I certainly don't want him to play a lot of SS, and would prefer Farmer there if possible, I saw a handful of games late in the season when he was there and he looked just fine to me, even made a couple tough plays. I think he's undervalued in the INF by some.

[minman1982]

I agree that Farmer is probably the hardest choice of this bunch. The payroll question does become big. I certainly think having Farmer and what he brings to the table is worth $6M for the season. The key question is does this $6M come out of the pot to get a playoff caliber starting pitcher to replace Gray. 

I also think if both Castro and Gordon accept offers, one of them will probably gets traded. There is certainly a team out there that would make a deal for one of these guys at these prices. Could one of these guys be in a deal that brings a pitcher over?

A bench of Castro, Gordon, and Farmer for about $10M? Three guys that can play solid defense almost anywhere on the field and can contribute to offense. If the payroll is there, why not keep all three? 

[Doctor Wu]

7 hours ago, Doctor Evil said:

Castro Gordon Farmer = a good bench.

Yes, a good bench and a versatile one too. I like the fact that all three of those guys can play multiple positions, plus the speed of Castro and Gordon. I'd love to have them all on the roster in April and see what we can get for Polanco in a trade. 

[stringer bell]

2 hours ago, Doctor Wu said:

Yes, a good bench and a versatile one too. I like the fact that all three of those guys can play multiple positions, plus the speed of Castro and Gordon. I'd love to have them all on the roster in April and see what we can get for Polanco in a trade. 

Not really trying to rip on Gordon, but he isn’t fast. He is a 50 percentile runner (Sprint speed of 27.3). 

[mikelink45]

I keep Castro - Kiriloff and Jeffers are no brainers - Thielbar one year at a time.  He is aging and could lose value quickly, Gordon we can lose - I prefer Farmer,   Alcala is another we can lose, but it does not hurt to keep him around.

It is a shame this happens early because trades really will determine value. 

[Trov]

Farmer is the only one I think they DFA as he will be redundant with Castro and hopefully Lee coming up during season.  

[DJL44]

14 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I just don't know that I see room for Gordon, especially with no options left. But at only $1M, he's probably kept for now as depth/insurance if Kepler, or someone else, is moved.

He's probably worth $1M even as a AAA stash. They may try to get him through waivers later in the offseason.

[Jeff K]

20 hours ago, Jocko87 said:

I don't look at Farmer as $6m for a utility player.  It's $2m for the utility player, $4m for the insurance policy around the field.  I've said many times he's the most important guy to bring back of this group, even if everyone is healthy and productive he gets in 120-130 games as a plus factor replacement.  I would also expect to see him fool around in left field at some point in the spring.

He makes perfect sense for a team in this position and veteran dollars can't be spent much better.

Fully agree with your comments.  I would also add that i think Polanco is very likely to be traded.  While that won't bring a starting slot for Farmer, it makes his role even more critical.

[Jeff K]

15 hours ago, DocBauer said:

If there's any way possible to afford Farmer and keep him, I'm doing it. Nice player, great teammate. Can play across the INF, is really solid against LHP, and provides not only depth but a possible platoon partner for Julien at 2B, were Polanco moved. 

I just don't know that the payroll will allow keeping both Polanco AND Farmer, so I think one probably goes at some point. 

Like the idea of an extension for Jeffers as well as rolling 1yr offers for Thielbar.

I just don't know that I see room for Gordon, especially with no options left. But at only $1M, he's probably kept for now as depth/insurance if Kepler, or someone else, is moved. I just want to know who the real Gordon is; the 2nd half warrior of 2022 or the average player he was at the begining of that season/unplayable performer at the begining of '23. I think they make the offer, but he and a couple pen arms are at the top of DFA possibilities if the Twins start getting active and need 40 man spots.

 

 

I agree on your Polanco/Farmer comments.  I would add that polanco has a higher salary AND is a stronger trade piece.  I think that makes him more likely to be traded.