Cody Pirkl

The Twins have played the free agency game quite well in recent years as evidenced by their in season success. This offseason is already looking a bit different however, and it may take some aggressiveness to come out successfully on the other side.2020 was the weirdest season of baseball we’ve ever seen and it’s led into what may be one of the weirder offseasons. So many questions remain including whether the NL will again adopt the DH and how many games will be played in the regular season. Unfortunately as players search for jobs and teams look to fill their openings, the uncertainties are clearly slowing the market. One change teams are expecting to see however is the expanded playoff format, and this expectation may be having early effects on the market that the Twins should keep an eye on. The Royals paid decently for Carlos Santana and Mike Minor, both of whom were discussed as fallback options for the Twins. The Giants signed Anthony Desclefani, a Statcast star in 2019 fallen on hard times in 2020. He looked to be a perfect example of a possible Twins pickup. The Mariners picked up recently DFAed Keynan Middleton, a hard throwing high spin reliever coming off of Tommy John. While not top tier free agents, all of these players were intriguing in their own way and would have slotted in nicely as complementary pieces on contenders. All of these players however went to teams who missed the playoffs in 2020, something that we may see more and more. More playoff spots means the bar to clear for October has gotten a bit lower. Teams that aren’t surefire contenders may be spending more money to give themselves that extra push to bring their fanbase more excitement as well as the income added of making it to the playoffs. While good for baseball, this new development may be bad for the Twins. This year they have a ton of needs including a few starting pitchers, a utilityman and multiple high leverage bullpen pieces. They also seem to be in the same staredown as the rest of the obvious contenders are with free agents, as they’ve done little to make impact acquisitions. Meanwhile some nice options have surprisingly gone to teams who never would have considered such signings in years past. The Twins likely have their targets they want to bring in this winter, but this front office has a price point in mind where they’re more than willing to pivot to other options. The market for those other options however could be more shallow than it has been in recent years, and the free agent market could explode so quickly that the Twins could miss out on effectively filling their many needs. It’s still earlyish in the offseason and there’s certainly plenty of talent left to bring in. That being said, it’s not just one or two spots the Twins need to fill. This front office has always “zigged” while others have “zagged”. Doing so now by breaking the apparent stalemate between teams and free agents gives them their pick of the free agent market and eliminates the risk of running out of backup options later this winter. The small premium they may pay in doing so should be worthwhile for a team in the middle of a competitive window. The early moves we’ve seen by apparent non contenders may not hold up throughout all of free agency. That being said, with expanded playoffs this assumption becomes a bit of a gamble for a competing team with roster spots to fill. Obviously everybody wants to see the Twins make some notable moves, but should we be more concerned with the lack of free agent signings so far? — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email — Follow Cody Pirkl on Twitter here Click here to view the article

In the last week, people have seemed to grow impatient with the Twins prized DH remaining on the free agent market. “Just sign Nelson Cruz and get it over with” they say. The Twins front office however is likely playing things the right way.Reports have surfaced saying the MLB has informed teams to “operate as if there is no DH in the National League”. For what it’s worth, that’s not a definitive statement, but it was likely one that Cruz wasn’t excited to hear. The MLB suggested that as Cruz approaches likely the last payday of his career, the pool of teams in need of his services has been greatly decreased from what he would have come to expect after much of the NL struggled to fill that role in 2020. Furthermore, as Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic suggested earlier this week, the pool of possible teams for Cruz in the AL isn’t the strongest either. Not only does a team need an opening at DH to slot Cruz in, but they would likely need to be in contention to justify the risk of paying a significant salary to a 41 year old. So what exactly does this mean to Cruz? It was reported that Cruz had an offer from the Twins back in October which has since been pulled along with the NL DH announcement. The price has not been reported, but we could suspect that it was for one year guaranteed and a significant sum to reflect the NL being in competition for Cruz. The fact that talks haven’t heated back up suggests Cruz is prepared to wait this out, banking on the MLB Players Association bargaining to bring the DH to the NL. He has little to lose by doing this, whereas the Twins stand to lose plenty by jumping the gun. At this point in time, the Twins would be bidding against themselves in the Cruz market it seems. Cruz seems intent on waiting for 15 more suitors for his services to be announced later this winter, which means the Twins would have to pay that price right now without the assurance that announcement is ever even made. The difference in price may be $5m+ and likely a second guaranteed year. It’s easy enough for fans to say “quit being cheap, just do it”, but the Twins have significant needs elsewhere on their roster, and the front office simply isn’t going to handcuff themselves over a position that they already have in house options to fill. Signing Cruz right now likely costs the Twins a formidable utility man or high leverage bullpen arm, as well as flexibility in the 2021 offseason. On top of all of this, the Twins have never been ones to want to be left “holding the bag” so to speak. Cruz finished 2020 poorly, missing much of the last month with injury and struggling upon his return. Twins fans may think Cruz can do this forever, but at 41 it’s not unlikely that one of these years the bottom falls out. While projection systems still put Cruz at 14% above league average for 2021, several other free agents hover around this mark such as Kyle Schwarber and Michael Brantley. The front office may consider pivoting to the younger, less risky options that can fill in at other positions in a pinch. Cruz is still a star hitter until he shows he isn’t, but his last 2 years in Minnesota hide how likely it is that this revelation is right around the corner.We all want Cruz back, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of the rest of the Twins needs. While it’s frustrating to watch one of the most exciting players in Twins territory in recent years sit out in free agency, keep in mind that there’s a much larger plan at work. Nelson Cruz’s return in 2021 will likely only happen under the terms of the front office trying to construct a team rather than Cruz who’s trying to secure as big of a payday as possible. — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email — Follow Cody Pirkl on Twitter here Click here to view the article

The Twins saw plenty of their star hitters struggle in 2020, and the offense was a shell of itself as a result. With Eddie Rosario out of the picture and Nelson Cruz’s status up in the air, it’s more important than ever to see some rebounds. Some rebounds are more important than others however.There were several disappointments in Twins territory in 2020, but nothing let us down quite like the offense. Three hitters in particular really ate most of the regression, and their rebounds will be key for the Twins to remain a juggernaut in 2021. 3. Mitch Garver Garver had one of the weirdest seasons of any of the Twins in 2020. We heard reports of Garver dominating summer camp after his .995 OPS and 155 wRC+ in 2019. Instead of an encore, Garver cratered to a .511 OPS and 41 wRC+ mark. He showed the same game changing skills when it came to plate discipline and exit velocity, but struggled to make consistent contact. We may never know what happened to Garver in 2020, but he did go down with an oblique injury mid season that some hypothesize may have been an issue for longer than reported. We’d love to see Garver perform even at 80% of his 2019 level, but his doing so isn’t of the utmost importance on this list. The Twins have a great defender and solid young bat behind the plate in Ryan Jeffers. The best case scenario is a fantastic catching tandem, but Garver’s 2021 worst case scenario may not quite leave the Twins hands completely tied. 2. Max Kepler The main thing weighing down Kepler’s 2020 was his success against left-handed pitching. His .880 OPS and 129 wRC+ in 2019 against southpaws dropped to a putrid .378 OPS and 5 wRC+. Lefties typically struggle against left handed pitching to some extent, but Kepler’s 2020 marks were simply a disaster. This could probably be attributed to the small sample size of 60 games, as Kepler has had multiple seasons of performing better against same handed pitching and looked to heat up to end 2020. That being said, Kepler was a huge reason for the Twins struggles against left-handed pitching last year at the top of the lineup. He’s going to continue to be relied upon heavily and his ability to even put up respectable splits would go a long way in helping the Twins offense as a whole. In terms of his career success, Kepler needs to return to his 2020 ways to become the superstar we’ve hoped for. No matter how athletic he is in the field and how hard he hits righties, an inability to hit lefties will hold him back. Here’s hoping Kepler readjusts in 2021. 1. Jorge Polanco If Kepler’s splits were a disaster, Polanco’s 2020 offensive performance has no fitting definition. The 2019 All Star shortstop was one of the worst regulars in the Twins lineup with a .658 OPS and 80 wRC+. Polanco appeared to avoid strikeouts at all costs in 2020. His career low K rate was accompanied by a career low walk rate and slugging percentage. The good news is that this change at the plate may not have been a conscious adjustment by Polanco. The bad news is that it may have been a result of Polanco’s ailing ankle that required his second ankle surgery in as many years. Polanco is a player the Twins need to contribute. Short of signing a free agent, there’s no immediate contingency plan at shortstop with Royce Lewis’ timeline in question. A return to All Star form would be welcomed, but even a rebound to league average offense at the bottom of the order for Polanco would make all the difference. Jorge was a plenty valuable hitter even before the 2019 breakout. His 2021 may be completely dependent on his health. 2021 will be an interesting season when it comes to seeing what we really have as a core. After several disappointments in 2020, the Twins ceiling of success may ride heavily on some bounce backs. Do you agree with the top three players listed? Do you feel confident about rebounds from all or any of them? Let us know below! — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email — Follow Cody Pirkl on Twitter here Click here to view the article

My point of writing the article is this: People clamor for the big names as they should, they're big names. Big names cost you however, whether its money, prospects, or the window shortening as a result of those prospects. The Twins just traded a reliever last winter for a solid starter with a good contract and got the best case scenario of giving up some of our best prospects for a name like Blake Snell. That should inspire confidence that the front office can do something like this again. The value they got from that trade when it comes to cost and return was far higher than any trade they can make for Snell or any of the pitchers already deemed aces. The Twins shouldn't stand pat, they have some improvements to make as contenders. They just may be able to make those improvements without mortgaging their future for a big name. We've already seen them do it.

Exactly. Think of it from an objective business point of view from the front office. They have a young up and coming team that can be in the picture for years. If they sell off the future for one player and don't win anything, thats the kind of decision that costs people their jobs. I'm not saying we shouldn't take chances, but I think trading for someone like Snell is about the riskiest move you can make and doesn't even guarantee you a title assuming he holds up his end of the bargain.

I've seen some trade scenarios proposed by some pretty sharp baseball writers that say itd be a haul. For example Eno Sarris at the Athletic wrote an article just today with a few trade proposals. For example he had the White Sox parting with Andrew Vaughn, Michael Kopech and Jonathan Stiever. Thats a solid prospect, a generational talent in Kopech whos already debuted, and one of the best hitters in the minor leagues in Vaughn. Thats a painful price for whoever decides to pay it.

There’s an influx of high end pitchers becoming available on the trade market from Blake Snell to Sonny Gray this offseason and it’s natural to dream of the Twins landing the big fish in the trade market. While it’s fun to consider the Twins acquiring a ready made star pitcher on the trade market, they would likely be better off not doing so.The Twins Aren’t “One Pitcher Away” The headline says it all. As much as the Twins struggles in the postseason are blamed on a lack of starting pitching, to pretend one starting pitcher brings them from first round exit to World Series winner is a pipedream. 2019 was a fluke and likely lesson learned from the front office. That year above all others the Twins would have benefitted from a trade for a starter at the deadline. They got dinged with bad luck when Pineda tested positive for performance enhancing substances and left them starting a rookie in game 2 at Yankee stadium. Even still, the team was clearly overmatched in all aspects of the game during that series. The Twins scored two runs en route to getting swept by the Astros in the playoffs in 2020. Maeda and Berrios both pitched more than well enough to win at least one of those games. Their future in the rotation looks far from problematic with Maeda, Berrios and Pineda returning. Pitching reinforcements never hurt, but to completely sell out for one arm won’t remedy all of their woes. Their Window is Far From Closed The Twins have been legitimate contenders for two years now and despite possible departures from players such as Rosario and Cruz, they’re far from nearing the end of the line. It’s easy to watch the on field product and completely forget that one of the more exciting waves of prospects in Twins history is on the brink of joining the already great roster. Some of the pitchers on the market such as Snell and Gray are still young, controllable, and have a resume that would warrant an arm and a leg in return on the trade market. The Twins arguably have the farm system to depart with one top 5 prospect, but parting with two would be aggressive, which is likely what these pitchers would bring back. The top of the Twins farm system includes both pitchers and position players that they’re relying on in the near future and for years to come. The postseason can be random to an extent, and these young players should allow the Twins to be October regulars for years to come. Is it worth shortening that timeline for an addition that only factors in every 5th day? They Can Build Their Own Ace If there’s one reason to believe that the Twins shouldn’t waste the resources on acquiring a ready made ace, it’s that they can make one themselves. The front office has earned their reputation for identifying and maximizing strengths when it comes to pitching. Kenta Maeda was the definition of an ace in 2020, and while they acquired him for an exciting pitcher in Brusdar Graterol, the cost of a power reliever for an ace is an absolute steal. This serves as a perfect example of how the Twins can get more for less. They also have had great success in reclaiming pitchers like Pineda, Wisler, and even had Martin Perez to an extent. For every ace starting pitcher available on the market, there are likely a handful of younger controllable options that are capable of breaking out but just haven’t done so yet. There’s enough of a track record from this group of evaluators to have faith that the Twins can find these players and acquire them for cheaper than your name brand ace. It’s completely normal to hope for a big splash from a team that’s been so frustrating to watch in the postseason recently. That being said, rash reactions won’t solve any problems, and the Twins are well aware of this. For the reasons stated above, it’s likely they maintain their conservative operation and stick to their low risk, high reward style of talent acquisition, and you should be okay with that. I’d be a liar if I said I’d be disappointed to read a headline of the Twins acquiring Blake Snell, but if that headline never comes, Twins fans shouldn’t be disappointed either. — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email — Follow Cody Pirkl on Twitter here Click here to view the article

Sometimes it’s fun to look back into baseball’s past and consider alternate timelines. Drafts are often a different story, as for every team that hits on a superstar, it feels like four or five teams completely whiff. This was especially true for the Minnesota Twins in the early 2010s.For this painful trip down memory lane, I decided to look at the Twins first round draft picks between 2011-2015. This timeline looks to be a sweet spot of players that would likely still be with the team in the present day. We’ll take a look at the Twins picks, the pick that they should have made, and other top players drafted during that year, all being displayed with their fWAR next to their names just to drive the point home. Brace yourselves Twins fans, this is going to get ugly. 2011: Twins Pick: Levi Michael (0) The Redraft: Mookie Betts (40.2) Other Options: Trevor Story (17.9), Joe Musgrove (8.2), Blake Snell (11.6), Josh Bell (3.5), Mike Clevinger (11.8), Tyler Glasnow (4.0), Marcus Semien (18.6) I told you this would be painful. Michael never made it to the majors and is no longer with the organization. Meanwhile, Mookie Betts just signed a nine-figure extension with the Dodgers and will get MVP votes for years to come. In this case it’s fair to point out that every team whiffed on Mookie multiple times, as he was drafted in the fifth round. Even with the Twins stockpile of outfield talent, I’m pretty sure we could have made room for Mookie Betts. The same can be said for any other name on this list. Terry Ryan and company were one of those teams that flat out missed in the first round in 2011. 2012: Twins Pick: Byron Buxton (8.7) The Redraft: Corey Seager (20.1) Other Options: Max Fried (5.1), David Dahl (2.9), Lucas Giolito (6.8), Corey Seager (20.1), Marcus Stroman (15.8), Joey Gallo (9.5), Lance McCullers (10.9), Edwin Diaz (7.3), Josh Hader (6.3) This one was tough for me, as I wanted to stand by the Twins draft selection here. They took the most athletic player in this draft, and we’ve seen it play out when Buxton has been on the field. The issue is Buxton remaining on the field. He could easily be leading the entirety of the 2012 draft in fWAR if not for injury. That being said, it’s hard not to dream on a franchise shortstop like Corey Seager. He may not be a gold glover, but Seager would be the face of a franchise if not for playing in a lineup full of other stars. That being said, it’s hard to fault the Twins for taking Buxton, who’s been one of their more successful recent draft picks. 2013: Twins Pick: Kohl Stewart (.2) The Redraft: Cody Bellinger (16.7) Other Options: Austin Meadows (4.0), Tim Anderson (9.9), Aaron Judge (18.8), Sean Manaea (7.8), Jeff McNeil (8.4), Luke Voit (5.7) Another yikes here. While Stewart did make it to the majors, what else can you say? He was released last offseason and picked up by the Orioles who also had no role for him. While Judge has been the more valuable player, Bellinger hasn’t had the injuries and is an athletic player who can switch between 1B and OF. For what it’s worth, the Twins were interested in Bellinger in the trade market when dangling Brian Dozier. If only they had shown their interest a bit earlier. 2014: Twins Pick: Nick Gordon (0) The Redraft: Trea Turner (17.1) Other Options: Aaron Nola (19.2), Michael Conforto (16), Matt Chapman (16.7), Alex Verdugo (3.7), Spencer Turnbull (4.7), John Means (3.3) Gordon could still carve a nice career out for himself. Unfortunately that probably won’t play out with the Twins after injuries have buried him in the depth chart. Again we see plenty of options here, but for the sake of the Twins getting a franchise shortstop, it would have worked out nicely to grab the speedy Turner in the first round. Matt Chapman being a slugging all world defensive 3B wouldn’t have hurt either, but he recently had a significant hip surgery that ended his season. You’re starting to see the trend here, nailing a draft pick isn’t an exact science. 2015: Twins Pick: Tyler Jay (0) The Redraft: Walker Buehler (8.4) Other Options: Andrew Benintendi (8.5), Ian Happ (6.7), Mike Soroka (4.9), Triston McKenzie (.6), Brandon Lowe (5.8), Harrison Bader (6.5) Another swing and a miss here, as the Twins gave Tyler Jay away to the Reds for cash considerations a few years back. This is at least a draft where missing wasn’t uncommon, as the list of slam dunk picks after Jay is thinner than a lot of the others we’ve seen. Buehler is in contention for the ace of the Dodgers who just won the world series which makes this choice pretty simple. Buehler is also another player the Dodgers refused to move in Brian Dozier talks a few years ago. So as you can see, not a ton of success from the front office in the first round during these five years. Worth noting however is that Derek Falvey took over shortly thereafter and the early returns have been promising. At the very least the Twins look like they’ll avoid complete whiffs like we saw all too often in the past. There’s not much we can do about past decisions, but it’s interesting to dream on what could have been if the Twins made a few different decisions. Do you agree with the redraft decisions? Would you have chosen anyone else? Let us know below! — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email — Follow Cody Pirkl on Twitter here Click here to view the article

As pointed out earlier this week at TwinsDaily, transaction trees can connect players in unimaginable ways.There’s one transaction in particular however that isn’t often talked about. In a different age of baseball, one series of moves kicked off in 1997 continues to benefit them to this day.The Draft: In 1997, Minnesota had the No. 9 overall pick. Terry Ryan and company had strong interest in a three-sport standout from Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Virginia. Eventually they decided to draft Michael Cuddyer as a shortstop and pitcher in the first round. Looking back, it’s easy to say the Twins got it right on draft day, however their choice teetered on being irrelevant. Cutting the Check: The Twins found themselves at a standoff with their first round draft pick, as Cuddyer committed to playing at Florida State as a result of the Twins coming nowhere near his requested signing bonus. The Twins were well on their way to the peak of their penny pinching at this point and very well could have declined Cuddyer’s request and simply been compensated in the next year’s draft. Instead however, the Twins bridged the tremendous gap in their dollar amounts and increased their offer from $700,000 to $1.3m. The Twins got their man. Peak Performance: As we know, Cuddyer would find his way to the Major League club and eventually became a great everyday player for the Twins. In his 11 years in Minnesota, Cuddyer put up a .272/.343/.451 line, slugging 141 homers and posting a 111 OPS+ along the way. He made the All Star team in 2011, his last season in Minnesota. He was a fan favorite at the time and it was difficult to accept the Twins not signing him back. However, it may have been a good thing that they didn’t pony up as they did when they first drafted Cuddyer. Rather than attaching draft picks to free agents via the qualifying offer like we do currently, 2011 used a “Type A and B” system. For hitters like Cuddyer, the league weighed things like plate appearances, batting average and on base percentage to determine what tier a free agent was. The top 20% were type A and netted a first-round pick for the team losing the player, while the top 21-40% were type B and netted a pick in between the first and second. Cuddyer’s free agency came at the perfect time for all parties involved except the Rockies who would sign him to a three-year $31.5m deal. While the Twins did attempt to re-sign him, Cuddyer’s departure netted them the Rockies 2012 first-round draft pick due to his strong 2011 placing him firmly into the “Type A” pool. Cuddyer would go on to perform admirably in Colorado, even winning a batting title which stung for Twins fans. Minnesota however holds the last laugh in this signing. Full Circle: The Twins picked second overall in 2012 and chose Byron Buxton. They found themselves with Colorado’s first-round compensation pick as well which they used to draft a right handed pitcher out of Puerto Rico by the name of José Berríos. In 1997, the Twins front office made the correct choice on draft day. Try as they may have, they couldn’t bring themselves to shortchange their new draftee and risk another team snatching him up down the road. After a long and fulfilling career in Minnesota, Cuddyer topped it off with an All Star season which ensured a healthy payday. While the Twins attempted to sign the 32 year back, Colorado just wanted him a little bit more. All of these decisions and perfect circumstances tied together to net the Twins their current franchise pitcher in José Berríos. One small change along the way leads to a very different looking Minnesota Twins team despite the fact that this chain of events began nearly a quarter century ago. For many, the Cuddyer/Berríos connection is old news. For others you may be hearing about it for the first time. In any case, I know it’s fun for me to look at a current Twins starting pitcher and be reminded that he’s tied to one of my all time favorites in Michael Cuddyer. For more trips down memory lane, continue to tune into Twins Daily this offseason! — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email — Follow Cody Pirkl on Twitter here Click here to view the article

I don't think either would really be part time. If Kirilloff is up I think he's the everyday left fielder. Rooker may not be quite full time but Id bet he gets at least 4 starts per week. He's also 26 and looks like he can hit in the big leagues. If they won't work to make a role for him now, they might as well trade him. I don't agree that Eddie was the lineups 2nd best hitter at all. If that were the case he wouldn't be discussed as a non tender candidate. He was our 5th best regular by wRC+ in 2020 and our 9th best in 2019. I don't think its a lock that Kirilloff can emulate that right away but its not out of the question.

Rooker is by all accounts a bad outfielder, and I'd expect a good amount of his ABs to come at 1B/DH. Thats why Kirilloffs future is tied more closely to Cave and Wade. If he's playing, one of those two need to go.I also don't think Kirilloff will be the second best hitter in the lineup, just that its very possible that he can be better than Eddie.

Actually yes, I've heard the Twins are quite impressed with Kirilloffs abilities at 1B. The issue right now which you've alluded to is Sano. Kirilloff could get some innings there when Sano DHs but I assume he mans LF primarily. I don't blame you for talking about trading him. I love Sano but if a team will give up some valuable pieces, I say do it and use that money elsewhere. I feel good about the guys we have to take his place. Rooker may play there a bit as well, but for whatever reason the Twins really didn't play him there during his last minor league season.

I don't think it will (or rather should) come down to Kirilloff vs Rooker. I don't think the Twins need 2 starting OFs to be LH as well as their 2 bench bats. As we saw last year, teams will just stack lefties to close out games and a majority of the lineup and bench will be helpless. I think its time to stop letting Cave and Wade hang around and just pick one. Both can play a role on another team and while they won't net some huge return, I think the Twins could at least get something. Roll into 2021 with Rooker and Kirilloff in my opinion.

I think Rosario being non tendered is a formality at this point. Strictly speaking statistics, its not hard to imagine Kirilloff besting what we've seen from Eddie the last 2 seasons. Its no sure thing, but its possible. I also don't believe Rooker and Cruz are intertwined, but rather Rooker and Cave or Wade.

I certainly agree, Rooker should be up. It sounds like he's a bit challenged in the OF though and may fit more as an occasional fill in with a lot of ABs coming from 1B/DH. Wouldnt be surprised to see them go this route though!

Perhaps you’ve heard, but MLB teams have a funny way of manipulating service time when it comes to their most coveted prospects. They’ll openly field an inferior team and strain relationships with their future cornerstones for one extra season of control before free agency. With Alex Kirilloff on the horizon, the Twins need to look to deviate from this practice.With a likely opening in LF for 2021, the front office has a decision to make. They have no shortage of options at the position, and in a payroll crunching year across baseball, a full time free agent just may not make sense. The way I see it, there are a few different options we’ll see them choose from: The Bench Platoon: Jake Cave, Brent Rooker, and LaMonte Wade Jr. all look to be Major League caliber LF options, but the Twins showed their hand in 2020 whether they admit it or not. In an elimination game, Alex Kirilloff became the first player in MLB history to debut by starting a playoff game. While Rooker was injured, Wade could have been added to the roster in Buxton’s absence or Cave could have simply come off the bench. Instead they showed confidence in one of their best prospects, whose minor league track record clearly outweighed the MLB experience of the alternative options when it mattered most. Pandora’s Box is open. Kirilloff is the best OF option in the eyes of the Twins. It’ll be hard to dismiss claims of service time manipulation if they try to claim otherwise on Opening Day, and their team may be worse off. Don’t do it Twins. Save Money, Just Bring Him Up: Maybe the Twins don’t want to spend any more money than necessary this winter. Kirilloff on a league minimum salary leaves a lot of value to be had with a ton of payroll flexibility. It also won’t tie him to the Major Leagues if he struggles and needs to get sent down. In this scenario, Kirilloff gets the full share of LF from day one, Brent Rooker’s big bat can often still be in the lineup at 1B or DH, and Cave/Wade remain as bench depth where they’re better suited. While this sounds ideal, it’s worth noting that front offices rarely follow this thought process when it comes to top prospects as it costs them a year of team control. Extend Kirilloff: This is a tactic we’ve seen a few times lately, most recently with the White Sox. Before 2020, they extended Luis Robert for 6 years, $50 million, ensuring 6 years of control of their #1 prospect for a price that already looks to be a steal. While this move takes a lot of confidence, the Twins already showed a great deal of it by bringing Kirilloff up for an elimination game. In this scenario, Kirilloff is happy and starting in left field on opening day for relatively low risk. It eliminates the ugly arbitration process and likely even buys out a year or two of free agency for a player who looks to be a cornerstone in the very near future. Even in a year of reduced payrolls, this is a gamble that won’t break the bank. Alex Kirilloff represents a lot of unknown, but by now Twins fans should have come around to the idea that this front office knows their stuff. The confidence they showed in him in 2020 should have Twins territory excited and looking to have him playing at Target Field ASAP and for as long as possible in my opinion. That being said, 2021 is going to be a weird year and things may not be so cut and dry. Which scenario would you like to see the Twins pursue for Opening Day? Is there one you’d like to see that isn’t listed here? Let us know below. — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email — Follow Cody Pirkl on Twitter here Click here to view the article

The Twins struggled to field a full five-man rotation for much of 2020 due to injury and have even fewer options headed into 2021. Lucky for us, more and more pitchers seem to become available by the day. It may be time to take a look at some of the rebound arms the Twins could take fliers on this offseason.Robbie Ray Based on 2020 alone, Ray may be about the lowest any team could buy on. Ray has always struggled with walks (4.28 BB/9 in his career) and entered 2020 with a new delivery to try and curb his strike throwing issues. Well his 7.84 BB/9 as well as 6.62 ERA and 6.50 FIP in 2020 may suggest it didn’t work out. He was at least not a full on disaster in the second half with 4.74 ERA and 5.06 FIP. So why would the Twins want Ray considering his best of 2020 was still pretty mediocre? Ray is super talented and has shown it for long periods throughout his career. His career 4.26 ERA includes seasons like his 2017 where he completed 162 innings with a 2.98 ERA. He has a career 28.6% K rate which is pretty darn good for a starting pitcher. Many have suggested he has ace-like stuff and it’s often been floated that he’s a small tweak away from fully unlocking it. While a long shot given what we saw in 2020, the Twins may find it worth the time and price tag to take a shot on returning the talented 29 year old Robbie Ray to at least a quality starting pitcher. Mike Leake Mike Leake is a stretch when it comes to the “buy low” label. Leake opted out of the 2020 season due to the pandemic and as a result has become a bit of a forgotten man. There’s no trick the Twins can pull to make Leake a more impressive pitcher. What you see is what you get. Leake’s pitching style is that of the early 2000s. He barely strikes out hitters (career 5.80K/9) and keeps his walks to a minimum (1.98 BB/9). He’s also avoided home runs and has been a gold glove caliber pitcher for much of his career. What makes Leake more valuable is his health and durability, averaging over 180 innings per season across his 10-year career. While the Twins may not be able to plan on Leake being quite the same innings eater he was after a year off, I’d bet he can still provide a solid floor. Don’t be surprised if the Twins see a cheap opportunity to pencil in a reliable starting pitcher that many teams have forgotten about after a lost 2020. Chris Archer I advocated for the Twins to trade for Archer around this time last year and got royally burned. It’s time for round two. Archer was downright bad for Pittsburgh after infamously getting traded for Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows. 2020 was the worst year of his career with a 5.19 ERA before going down with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. As we’ve seen previously with Phil Hughes, this can be a tough injury to return from. That being said, Archer should be on track to be at full strength in 2021 and has fantastic pedigree. He could be toast considering it’s been years since his numbers have reflected his talent. I feel strongly however that the Pirates pitching coaches were to blame for Archer’s dropoff after he reduced the usage on his slider which was the pitch responsible for his success early in his career. The combination of Archer’s 2020 performance as well as injury should not only get him bought out of his $11m contract with the Pirates, but should make him a reasonably cheap gamble to take. The Twins may not be able to return Archer to his low 3s ERA days, but they may be able to find some value left in the 32 year old’s arm. Are they the most exciting names? Certainly not, but the Twins front office is always looking for value on their returns. This offseason Falvey and company will likely be craftier than ever in their pickups as they try to minimize spending on a free agent pool that may be as full as ever. Did any of these buy lows send you into a full on rage? Are there any other buy low starting pitchers you’d like the Twins to look at? Let us know below. — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email — Follow Cody Pirkl on Twitter here Click here to view the article