Twins Expending a Ton of Effort to Avoid Just Giving Isiah Kiner-Falefa 5 Million Dollars

[Greggory Masterson]

Image courtesy of © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

 

After 3,000 man-hours and nine transactions, the Twins' front office feels that they are halfway to finding a backup shortstop. In an offseason defined by the gaping holes in the bullpen, the Twins have been single-minded in their pursuit of a backup shortstop who is not Twins legend Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the only backup shortstop on the market.

Kiner-Falefa spent 19 hours as the Twins' starting shortstop in March of 2022, and they're determined not to make that mistake again.

"It seems straightforward to add IKF to backup Brooks Lee," an unnamed executive told Twins Daily. "But, ultimately, sometimes, the most obvious thing is the most obvious wrong thing."

Instead of paying Kiner-Falefa the five million dollars it would take to purchase his services for the year, the team would prefer to spend that money on [unclear].00

Since the end of the season, the Twins have added significant depth at the position, including recent trade acquisition Tristan Gray, waiver claims Ryan Kreidler and Vidal Bruján, and minor league free agent Orlando Arcia. The cost? Pretty modest:

1. Backup shortstop candidate Ryan Fitzgerald (claimed by Los Angeles)
2. Utilityman Mickey Gasper (claimed by Washington)
3. $500,000 owed to Vidal Bruján if he’s in the minor leagues
4. Catching prospect Nate Baez (traded to Boston for Gray)
5. Backup shortstop candidate Vidal Bruján (traded to New York)
6. Lefty relief prospect Kade Bragg (traded for heretofor unmentioned backup third base candidate Eric Wagaman)
7. Many very original comments from Twins fans like "Plan the parade" or "This will get me to renew my season tickets" or "Wagaman? I hardly Knowaman"

The offseason is still young, and the Twins have many other levers to pull. They have active feelers out on former shortstop Andrelton Simmons, general nuisance Jeff Frye, and local businessman Alex Rodriguez, hoping to add at least two of the names to their pile of backup shortstops who are not Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The list is now longer than the team’s bullpen hierarchy.

Other options who have been bandied about:

• Joe Pohlad, who has a lot of free time on his hands to learn new skills. Putting him on the roster would mean $780,000 of the payroll would stay in Pohlad hands
• Nick Punto, though this was suggested by your mother. Yes, you, the person reading this. Your mom loved Little Nicky, didn't she?
• JJ Hardy, finally righting that wrong
• Ryan Fitzgerald
• Trevor Larnach
• Clyde Sneavly, a 34-year-old kindergarten teacher with a glove and a dream
• A man in a Groucho Marx mask named "Kisiah Finer-Alfalfa"

At the time of publication, Kiner-Falefa is still available for five million dollars, but the Twins’ most recent unsuccessful attempt was to trade for a mysterious Rockies shortstop named Ryan Ritter. I’ve never heard of him, and neither, apparently, had the Twins until 11 minutes ago.

 

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[TJSweens]

Maybe the Twins should focus on a starting SS rather than a backup.

[Brandon]

Maybe all of these moves are designed so that by the end when they do sign IFK we are so excited and relieved that we buy millions of tickets to home games in show of support.

[LA Vikes Fan]

I hope they bring IKF back so I can get some use out of that jersey I bought in those heady 19 hours he was the Twins starting SS. Speaking of which, anybody in the market for a gently used Twins Vidal Brujan jersey? Sure to be a collectors item.

[old nurse]

They finally labeled their story correctly. The irony is that this story is more correct than mot have been. 

[IndianaTwin]

Holding out for a Pablo Sanchez signing. 

[Danchat]

1 hour ago, IndianaTwin said:

Holding out for a Pablo Sanchez signing. 

I didn't know the "Secret Weapon" was a free agent... 

[ashbury]

On 1/22/2026 at 5:47 PM, Greggory Masterson said:

• A man in a Groucho Marks mask

Which is itself a disguise for the Groucho Marx mask that lies underneath.

[Greggory Masterson]

7 minutes ago, ashbury said:

Which is itself a disguise for the Groucho Marx mask that lies underneath.

Conflabbit

[ashbury]

1 minute ago, Greggory Masterson said:

Conflabbit

Dagnarn yeah.

[David HK]

Heh...  "local businessman"  

Tbh, though, he could probably still provide better D than Brooks.

[David HK]

While SS is settled with the pennant-fever additions of Arcia and Brujan, we at least got a jump start on putting the BP band back again with Taylor.  We missed out on the Genesis Cabrera sweepstakes, and better hurry, Liam Hendricks, Danny C, and Jorge Lopez aren't gonna stay out there forever!  

Or, maybe, they will... 🤔

[saviking]

This article is the result of a slow news cycle

[ashbury]

13 hours ago, David HK said:

While SS is settled with the pennant-fever additions of Arcia and Brujan

You blink, you miss a pennant-fever roster move that swaps in Tristan Gray.

[Greggory Masterson]

5 hours ago, saviking said:

This article is the result of a slow news cycle

Slow? The Twins have added or subtracted a backup shortstop candidate 7 times this offseason to avoid giving Isiah Kiner-Falefa 5 million dollars and you’re calling it slow?

[Parfigliano]

13 hours ago, David HK said:

While SS is settled with the pennant-fever additions of Arcia and Brujan, we at least got a jump start on putting the BP band back again with Taylor.  We missed out on the Genesis Cabrera sweepstakes, and better hurry, Liam Hendricks, Danny C, and Jorge Lopez aren't gonna stay out there forever!  

Or, maybe, they will... 🤔

I think Brujan is a NYM now.