Can Jorge Mateo and Gregory Soto Fill Key Gaps for the Minnesota Twins?

Here at Twins Daily, we have written extensively about Willi Castro and the other arbitration eligible players that the Twins need to make a decision on over the next 24 hours. I specifically have been a proponent of non-tendering Castro and using that money elsewhere to improve the roster. That said, if the Twins go that route, they will need to find another utility piece to replace the 2024 Twins Most Valuable Player’s production. In addition to potentially needing utility depth, they absolutely need at least one more left-handed arm in the bullpen.

Shifting our focus to the Baltimore Orioles, super-utility Jorge Mateo is blocked by a large and very good young core that are still in their pre-arbitration years. Acquired at last year's deadline, Gregory Soto is a hard-throwing lefty that MLB Trade Rumors suggests the Orioles could move on from via trade or non-tender. Let's dive into each of these players and see how they would fit on the 2025 Twins roster.

INF/OF Jorge Mateo
From a versatility perspective, Mateo would be a near-perfect replacement for Castro at a cheaper cost. Non-tendering Castro and acquiring the Orioles 29-year-old would allow the Twins some additional funds to spend elsewhere. Cot’s Baseball Contracts ($$) predicts Mateo to earn $3.3 million in his final year of arbitration, about half the projection for Castro. Although his production at the plate would be a downgrade, he’d be an upgrade on basepaths and in the field. After a career year in 2022, Mateo has been a bit lackluster with 67 and 87 wRC+s in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Last season, he carried a .668 OPS with five home runs and 13 stolen bases across 68 games before his season ended with a UCL injury in his non-throwing arm. He may not be fully ready by the start of the 2025 season, but he is expected to be available for most of next year. His plate approach and quality of contact leave something to be desired, with above-average whiff rates and below-average hard-hit and barrel rates. That said, he has posted a positive UZR/150 rate at second, shortstop, and center throughout his career and also has the ability to play in both corner outfield spots. While his production at the plate may be lackluster, the Twins would greatly benefit from adding his glove and speed which makes him a really good fit for this roster.

LHRP Gregory Soto
As the roster sits now, Kody Funderburk is the Twins' only left-handed reliever, and looking at the top levels of their farm system, there aren't any names that stand out as candidates to fill the need of another left-handed arm out of the bullpen. Like Mateo, Soto is also entering his final year of arbitration and Cot’s predicts him to earn $4.5 million. While Soto has plenty of experience as a high-leverage reliever throughout his career, he has now posted back-to-back seasons with an ERA greater than 4.00—although his sub-4.00 FIP would suggest some positive regression is possible.

The 29-year-old is an extreme groundball pitcher who is really good at missing bats and inducing weak contact. He features a plus sinker with above-average arm-side movement and a slider that produced a 49.4% whiff rate in 2024, the latter of which he uses to put away hitters. He also has a 98-mile-per-hour fastball but poor location—mostly sitting middle-middle with it—resulted in a .333 opponent batting average. While the Twins don’t necessarily need him in a high- or even medium-leverage role, fixing his fastball location could unlock another level that the Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies and Orioles haven’t been able to do.

The Twins were a playoff-caliber team for more than two-thirds of the season in 2024 so, while these two players may not be top-end additions to the roster, they are relatively cheap depth pieces that fill needs and fit on this roster nicely. Moreover, if you believe in the team’s ability to develop players, these two players could turn in more meaningful and productive pieces for a team that will look to compete for the AL Central title in 2025.

Do you think the Twins should pursue Mateo and Soto? Are there other non-tender candidates that you think they should look at?