Twins Video
What's leadership worth? How do you quantify the value of a veteran player who is well-liked in the clubhouse – someone the younger guys can look to for advice and guidance? These feel like impossible questions to answer, but at the same time, they need to be asked as we assess the front office's team-building strategy.
As guests at the Twins Daily Winter Meltdown last month, Louie Varland and Matt Wallner were asked about the veteran teammates who made a difference for them in 2023 as rookies learning the ropes. Both quickly named Emilio Pagán, who was frequently commended throughout his Twins tenure as an approachable and helpful presence in the clubhouse. It's striking that even Wallner, an outfielder, felt impacted by a relief pitcher with such a different role and routine.
Many fans wondered why the Twins felt so attached to Pagán after a rough 2022 campaign, bringing him back last year as one of their highest-paid relievers. I suspect his intangible qualities played a part, and the club's bet paid off on both fronts. Pagán's value clearly went beyond his 2.99 ERA in 70 innings, leaving Minnesota's front office with more than just quality innings to replace.
Through this lens, we look at the signing of 36-year-old veteran Jay Jackson, made official Wednesday. It's a fascinating contract, given the circumstances: not just a guaranteed MLB deal for a 36-year-old who'd never had one before, but one worth $1.3 million, with a club option and $200,000 buyout for 2025. If that's exercised, Jackson will earn $3 million (plus incentives) in 2025. (For context, Caleb Thielbar is their highest-paid reliever in 2024, at $3.2 million.)
The total risk here for Minnesota is only $1.5 million, so it's not some high-stakes gamble. But the contract shows there was a real market for Jackson, who spent years pitching in Japan and has no meaningful track record of major-league success. Meanwhile, the relatively lucrative team option suggests the front office envisions a future for this partnership.
Not to downplay their belief in Jackson's on-field ability–his slider can be a weapon–but this signing seems to be about more than that. The well-traveled reliever will bring a unique and valuable perspective to a team largely reliant on youth and inexperience. This represents a common theme in how the Twins have invested their scarce resources this offseason.
The decision to tender a contract to Kyle Farmer back in November, despite known budgetary constraints, was striking. His $6-million salary has to be considered a luxury given his on-field role, but again, the Twins recognize an impact beyond the OPS+ and WAR. Farmer was another player quickly named as a veteran influence in the Winter Meltdown interview.
The signing of free agent Carlos Santana, also announced on Wednesday, carried a similar undertone as Jackson's: late-30s vet who's been around the block, and might add as much to the locker room as the lineup in a part-time role. “This is a guy who is a leader, a tremendous teammate who shows up every day to play,” Derek Falvey said in describing Santana.
The Twins suffered some key losses to free agency in terms of veteran personalities. The front office has been more committed to mitigating that aspect this offseason than replacing the on-field production. Honestly, it may well be a smart strategy. Anyone who spent time around the team last year can tell you how infectious the energy was and how much that seemed to lift everyone. Pagán and Farmer (and another offseason loss, Jorge Polanco) played big roles in that. But it all routes back, of course, to Carlos Correa.
The Minnesota Twins signed Correa to a $105-million contract, and then after scrapping that, to a new $200 million contract. These accurate historical statements would have felt so funny to write in the not-so-distant past. This organization pushed well past its comfort zone when the opportunity to lock up Correa arose last winter, and there is zero question the decision was motivated by much more than his production and performance in games.
Even coming off his worst season statistically, I'd bet the Twins felt he was worth his $35-million salary last year, and are glad to have him for the same this year, financial restrictions and all. Miraculously pivoting from Josh Donaldson to Correa was perhaps Falvey's crowning achievement, and certainly reshaped the clubhouse dynamic in fundamental ways.
Given the connotations about analytics-driven front offices, one might consider it ironic that the Twins have leaned into intangibles and leadership qualities as predictors of success. But Falvey, Thad Levine, and the rest of Minnesota's decision-makers are not ignorant to the human element. If they ever were, they sure aren't now, having lived through the Donaldson era, and having seen the effect of disgruntled mercenaries like Lance Lynn.
Despite those hiccups, you could argue that this emphasis can be traced to Falvey and Levine's very first year at the helm, when they used the No. 1 overall draft pick to select Royce Lewis, whose exceptional makeup and character elevated him above others at the top of a much-debated 2017 class.
We're seeing the payoff now, with Lewis becoming an integral part of the clubhouse culture that the front office has built, and that Rocco Baldelli spearheads as manager. Baldelli runs as committed and harmonious a clubhouse as anyone in baseball, but it helps that he and the front office have been so intentional about what kind of people they enfold into that group.
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now