59 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

Budget aside... and you really can't throw the budget aside. 

Yes

We need a big bat

24% K Rate with those numbers

The answer is absolutely Yes

However... He must play in the field. 

We will need the DH spot for rotation. 

Agreed. He has to be able to play the field. JD Martinez is great but his inability to play the field would severely handcuff the Twins especially with the uncertainty of Buxton playing the field.

51 minutes ago, pierre75275 said:

Couple of things. Kepler isn't going to be an option to play center. Soler can't play center or first base.  The Twins currently have other options for center ( Castro and Gordon) and first base ( possibly Julien, Farmer, and Vazquez and Miranda) all of which come with question marks.

I would prefer Adam Duvall, who also mashes lefties, could be had on a one yr deal, would be cheaper, and can play all 3 outfield positions plus first base.

I have no issue with Soler, but I would fear he would take away at bats from Wallner and I think, based on what the front office has said, Duvall would be a better fit.

Duvall just doesn't have the same optimistic outlook in his batting profile. His StatCast page is very underwhelming. They can make it work with a part time center fielder. Maybe Austin Martin even gets added to the mix out there. One thing they do need is an impact bat and Soler will be that and I'm not convinced Duvall will be.

37 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

DH against righties - 2/3rds of starts.  Can spell Wallner or Kepler against lefties (depending on who is swinging a hotter bat) - so Wallner won’t lose that many AB’s. Btw, Castro probably starts in CF against lefties (to give Buxton’s legs a rest) and Buxton gets DH time in those cases (so opposite Soler).

Agree with this. The flexibility it gives the team is clear. Soler is the best available option in my opinion and I think the Twins can make it work if they really want to, which they should.

31 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Wow, I’m just thinking about turning Polanco into Soler, Topa, DeSclafini, Gonzalez, and Bowen - all essentially from the Mariners.  Even I’d have to give the FO credit for that 3D chess.

Soler was with the Marlins, but yes, in my opinion, this would put the offseason at a B+. Only knock is come playoff time they could really use a second horse in the stable to pair with Pablo Lopez. That could be acquired at the deadline though. As it stands, the rotation is plenty good enough to win in the regular season.

3 minutes ago, MMMordabito said:

I'm on board with this only if Buxton is either regular CF or on the IL.   

A regular outfield of Soler - Castro - Wallner or, slightly less so, Soler - Castro - Kepler with Gimpy Buxton at DH,  while either Wallner or Kepler rides the pine, would be a defensive disaster for our flyball prone pitchers.

Soler OF 241 Innings (-3 OAA, -22.1 UZR/150)

Castro CF 261 Innings (-1 OAA, -19.1 UZR/150)

Wallner OF 487 Innings (-4 OAA, -0.4 UZR/150)

Kepler RF 972 Innings (4 OAA, 6.3 UZR/150)

 

Oh yes, I agree. I didn't talk too much about it but Soler is certainly not a great fielder. His bat is what you are paying for. He's still good enough to play there part time while being the team's primary DH. One can't say the same about JD Martinez, which is why I prefer Soler. That and Soler strikes out less frequently while providing similar on-base and power abilities.

4 minutes ago, jorgenswest said:

He wants three years. He probably isn’t getting that offer yet.

Should we expect that his age 32-34 season will be as productive as his age 29-31 seasons? Some work ethic freaks like Cruz and Martinez defy expectations and play better in their 30s. Is that Soler’s reputation?

Over 1488 plate appearances ages 29-31 he slashed 230/322/457 for an OPS+ of 109. All of his RF defensive metrics over the three years are well in the negatives without a single positive number in any year any metric.

Is it reasonable to expect the OPS+ of 109 to decline some? Will he be playable in the outfield?

I think JD Martinez is the better hitter next year. I would prefer him and try to get him to a contract similar to the one they gave Cruz. I want the better hitter and would give up the occasional flexibility of the poor RF Soler can offer. 

Martinez is a great hitter, he just doesn't provide an option for flexibility like Soler does. When healthy, Soler has always been really good, especially since he cut down on his strikeout rate. No he doesn't have a great glove but there's far worse defenders. I don't know that it's fair to expect a drop off from Soler when there's really nothing to indicate an upcoming regression. Actually, wouldn't you be more worried about regression coming from the guy who will be 37 by the end of the season? I think there's a far better track record of hitters maintaining power at Soler's age than Martinez'.

1 minute ago, EGFTShaw said:

First, I loved Polanco.

Second, we don't necessarily have a hole because we traded Polanco. Stop with this storyline.  We needed a right-handed bat last year and we had Polanco.

That said, if we can find Cruz type DH with the ability to produce on the field and be a leader in the dugout, let's do it.  

But I am also on board in giving every opportunity to our young guns and for once we seem to have a fully loaded system of young guns.

I don't think we will get Soler on our budget.

I do NOT want a Joey Gallo 2.0 either.

We have a hole. There's no DH. You can't go into the season relying on Jose Miranda to be your every day DH and having to play Willi Castro there handcuffs the lineup. There's the hole. Yes they need a right handed bat. Soler is not Joey Gallo 2.0. I actually compared the two's numbers right above if you care to read about it. Soler strikes out at only a 24% rate compared to Gallo's almost 43%.

Adding a guy like Nelson Cruz as you suggest does very little to help the issue with outfield flexibility. If they sign a guy, lets just say JD Martinez, who can only DH, and Buxton decides he can't play the field, you're in some trouble. At least if you sign Soler, he can play in the outfield. In my opinion you won't find a better fit for the Twins than Jorge Soler.

2 minutes ago, EGFTShaw said:

It is not a hole caused by the Polanco trade.  Polanco has never been our everyday DH and there were no plans to make him our everyday DH.

 

No, but with Polanco, they had an extra bat they could use at DH every day. Whoever wasn't playing the field would rotate in at DH and still supply a good bat to the lineup. Without Polanco, the options are no longer there. The only bench guy left that isn't a utility or catcher is Jose Miranda. As I mentioned, you can't trust him until he proves you can.

I agree Polanco was never going to be the everyday DH but without him, they have 8 trustworthy every day hitters. Adding Soler would give them 9.

11 minutes ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

As DJL44 indicated, you have other candidates here (Soler, Pham, Duvall, Martinez, Merrifield, Grichuk, Solano).  I like Soler, but not at that price.  I think that the FO should prioritize this list and wait this out some more to get a favorable deal.

Soler's just so much more valuable than every player on that list and won't require a super long-term commitment. If the Twins sign him to a two or three year deal, they will have both Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins knocking on the doors of Target Field by the time his contract expires. He solves many problems and gives them much more production and flexibility than anyone else on the list you mentioned. This is why I think he's the perfect fit.

17 minutes ago, RpR said:

Minnesota Twins Suddenly Eager to Spend in Free Agency and Falvey is Eyeing Up Outfielders

Minnesota Twins Suddenly Eager to Spend in Free Agency and Falvey is Eyeing Up Outfielders (msn.com)

Following the departure of longtime 2nd baseman Jorge Polanco on Monday, the Minnesota Twins suddenly find themselves with even more financial flexibility this offseason; $6.5 million to be exact. The Twins have already said they plan to take that money and put it back into the roster.

Minnesota Twins looking to spend… on Adam Duvall?

According to Dan Hayes (the Athletic), the Twins may be eyeing some free agent names that baseball fans might actually recognize. Among the speculated targets is 35-year-old outfielder, Adam Duvall, and others.

 

Adam Duvall emerges as one of the top free agents this offseason. Despite being 35 years old, his impressive track record includes being a former All-Star (2016) and Gold Glove winner (2021). Last season, he showcased his productivity in 92 games for the Red Sox, tallying 21 home runs, 58 RBIs, and an .834 OPS.....

 

I personally would be pretty disappointed if the Twins went with Duvall over Soler just to save a couple bucks. These should speak for themselves:

Adam Duvall: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/adam-duvall-594807?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb

Jorge Soler: https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/jorge-soler-624585?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb

3 minutes ago, RpR said:

Soler is a gaping hole in the outfield.!

Duvall is not much better in the field if at all, and Soler is a much better hitter.