Handbook Sampler: Bollinger on Key Offseason Decisions

By Rhett Bollinger:

The 2018-19 offseason is set up to be one of the most interesting ones in years for the Twins, who have plenty of payroll flexibility with several contracts coming off the books, including Joe Mauer ($23 million) and Ervin Santana ($13 million).

With roughly $70 million in payroll commitments in 2019, the front office should be able to target roster holes via free agency even with 10 players eligible for arbitration raises. Here’s a look at how the offseason could go for the Twins.

Who to protect from Rule 5 Draft

After the typical roster cleaning in October, the Twins have to decide who to protect from the Rule 5 Draft by Nov. 20. The Twins have a few no-brainers such as infielders Nick Gordon and Luis Arraez, outfielder LaMonte Wade and right-handed reliever Jake Reed, while several others are worth a look such as right-hander Nick Anderson, infielder/outfielder Zander Wiel, catcher Brian Navarreto and left-hander Tyler Jay. Anderson and Jay are both close to the Majors, so they’re worth protecting, while Wiel and Navarreto are both interesting decisions.

With the emergence of Willians Astudillo at catcher and as a utilityman, the Twins can afford to leave Wiel and Navarreto off the 40-man.

Who to non-tender

The Twins have 10 players eligible for arbitration: infielders Miguel Sano and Ehire Adrianza, outfielders Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler, Byron Buxton and Robbie Grossman, right-handers Jake Odorizzi, Kyle Gibson and Trevor May and left-hander Taylor Rogers. Of that group, only Adrianza and Grossman are non tender candidates but I’d tender contracts to both and let them compete for jobs in Spring Training. Adrianza has versatility and Grossman finished the year strong, so I’d give them another look. I’d also consider trading Sano this offseason, but his value is so low it doesn’t make as much sense.

Want to read the rest of this story, and 70 pages of in-depth analysis of the offseason about to get underway? Download your copy of the 2019 Offseason Handbook and dig in. Also, make sure to follow Rhett on Twitter.