Nash Walker

Over $100 million worth of contracts were handed out Friday. The Yankees re-signed arguably their best hitter and a two time Cy Young winner.DJ LEMAHIEU RE-SIGNS WITH YANKS FOR SIX YEARS, $90 MILLION The Twins were engaged on LeMahieu two winters ago but never made him an offer, according to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson. The Twins instead signed Jonathan Schoop while the Yankees inked LeMahieu for two years and $24 million. Since joining the Bombers, LeMahieu ranks sixth in the A.L. in fWAR (7.8), wRC+ (146) and wOBA (.388). He finished fourth and third for MVP while helping the injury-plagued Yankees to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. As one of the best pure hitters in baseball, LeMahieu leads the league in batting average (.336) since 2019. This deal guarantees the 32-year-old $15 million per year through 2026, his age-37 season. COREY KLUBER JOINS GERRIT COLE IN NEW YORK FOR $11 MILLION Kluber entered free agency with more than one question mark. He’s coming off two injury-plagued seasons at 35 years old. The upside, however, is dreamable. Kluber is one of this generation’s very best. He is deserving of a lucrative one year, “prove it” deal and he got it with the Yankees. According to Mark Feinsand, the deal is worth $11 million guaranteed. The Twins did offer Kluber a contract, per Wolfson. Even with Kluber gone, there are plenty of options remaining on the starting pitching market. Top dog Trevor Bauer continues to survey while Jake Odorizzi, Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton also wait patiently to sign fresh contracts. Outside of New York... KURT SUZUKI SIGNS WITH ANGELS FOR ONE YEAR, $1.5 MILLION Suzuki has been really solid at the plate since leaving the Twins after 2016. He hit .272/.337/.475 (111 wRC+) with 50 home runs in 304 games for Atlanta and Washington. The Angels seem to have a knack for former Twins catchers, also signing Jason Castro last year for one year and $6.85 million. Castro was then traded to the Padres midway through the shortened season. TWINS ADD INTERNATIONAL SHORTSTOPS Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com reported that the Twins signed Danny De Andrade of Venezuela for $2.2 million and Fredy LaFlor, of the Dominican Republic for $1.1 million. Both are shortstops and were among MLB Pipeline's Top 30 International Prospects. Sanchez also reported that the Twins signed catcher Giovanny Rivero. 13 PLAYERS FAIL TO AGREE ON ARBITRATION DAY Carlos Correa, Walker Buehler, Jack Flaherty, Shohei Ohtani, and Ian Happ, among others, failed to agree on contract figures with their respective clubs. The Twins signed José Berríos ($6.1M), Taylor Rogers ($6M), Byron Buxton ($5.125M), Tyler Duffey ($2.2M), Mitch Garver ($1.875M) and Caleb Thielbar ($700,000) over a month ago, allowing them to avoid arbitration altogether. SEE ALSO Why You Shouldn't Be Mad About "Losing Out" On [insert Top Reliever Here] Free Agent Faceoff: Kiké Hernández vs. Tommy La Stella Running Down the Hall (of Fame Ballot): 2021 Edition Comparing the Twins and White Sox Projections Click here to view the article

A pair of pitchers came off the free agent market Thursday, signing one-year deals. Could Corey Kluber be next?RHP ARCHIE BRADLEY JOINS PHILLIES ON ONE-YEAR, $6 MILLION PACT Among 48 relievers with at least 200 innings pitched since 2017, Bradley ranks 10th in FIP (3.19), 17th in opponent OPS (.651) and was tied for ninth in ERA (2.95). His 18.3% strikeout-to-walk rate is tied for 21st with Sergio Romo. The 28-year-old was drafted by the Diamondbacks with the seventh overall pick in 2011. He spent his first five and a half years in Arizona before being dealt to Cincinnati at the 2020 trade deadline. He allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings for the Reds. Bradley figures to immediately assume an important role in Philadelphia. The Phillies’ bullpen produced negative-0.9 fWAR with a league-worst 7.06 ERA in 2020. The Twins are presumably in the market for another right-handed reliever but according to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson, they never had much interest in Bradley. The top remaining relievers on the market include Brad Hand, Alex Colomé, Trevor Rosenthal, Shane Greene and Joakim Soria, among many others. LHP ALEX WOOD AGREES TO ONE-YEAR, $3 MILLION DEAL WITH GIANTS Twins Daily's Nick Nelson wrote last offseason that Wood was the most intriguing free agent on the market. Wood was coming off an injury-wrecked 2019 but sported a career 3.40 ERA and 3.49 FIP. He signed a one-year, $4 million contract to return to the Dodgers. He threw just 282 pitches during the regular season due to shoulder inflammation. There's certainly upside here for the Giants. The crafty lefty was an All-Star for Los Angeles in 2017, pitching to a 2.72 ERA and 25% strikeout rate in 150+ innings. He took a step back in 2018 before multiple injuries limited him to only 48 1/3 innings combined between 2019 and 2020. Wood's contract contains incentives that can push the total value to $10 million, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. OLNEY: COREY KLUBER COULD SIGN WITHIN DAYS After impressing with 30 pitches for 25 teams Wednesday, Kluber’s market is hot and ready. Buster Olney of ESPN reported today that Kluber’s free agency “will likely reach a conclusion by this weekend.” Kluber posted a sterling 2.85 ERA, 2.83 FIP and 28% strikeout rate in five consecutive 200+ inning, top-10 Cy Young campaigns from 2014 to 2018. His last two seasons have been derailed by a broken forearm, an oblique strain and most recently a muscle tear in his right shoulder. If Kluber returns to form in his age-35 season, one team is promised a ridiculously good value. MLB LOOKS AHEAD TO FRIDAY’S ARBITRATION FIGURE DEADLINE Predicting arbitration values has never been more difficult. Given the shortened season and limited counting stats, it’s expected that this process will not be smooth for most teams and their players. The Twins can keep their attention on adding to the club, however. The team locked up José Berríos ($6.1M), Taylor Rogers ($6M), Byron Buxton ($5.125M), Tyler Duffey ($2.2M), Mitch Garver ($1.875M) and Caleb Thielbar ($700,000) over a month ago, allowing them to avoid arbitration altogether. SEE ALSO Twins Expected to Be Aggressive As 2020-21 International Signing Period Opens Twins Hinting at a Huge Month Free Agent Faceoff: Kiké Hernández vs. Tommy La Stella Running Down the Hall (of Fame Ballot): 2021 Edition — Follow Nash Walker on Twitter here Click here to view the article

Francisco Lindor has exited the American League Central. What does this mean for the Twins and the cost of a trade for Trevor Story or Javier Báez?BLOCKBUSTER EMERGES News broke Thursday that the New York Mets would be acquiring Lindor, the electric 27-year-old whose best baseball is seemingly ahead of him. This move was inevitable. Cleveland shopped Lindor to the Dodgers last offseason but couldn’t strike a deal, spurring the 2020 World Series Champions to acquire Mookie Betts from the Red Sox. This time around, Cleveland wouldn’t be denied. There was no chance they were going to pay Lindor an estimated $19.5 million in his final year of arbitration after a year with lost revenues. It was equally implausible for the pocket-clenching Indians to extend the face of their franchise for what he believes he’s worth. Twins fans can first breath a sigh of relief. Since his debut in 2015, no player has more hits against Minnesota than Lindor (112). He’s hit 17 homers off the Twins, tied for second-most with Josh Donaldson. He ranks second in runs created (64.6) to only teammate José Ramírez (65.8). In the most polite way possible, see the door, Mr. Lindor. COOKIE CLEARS OUT Lost in the galore of Lindor is the other player heading to Queens. Carlos Carrasco, who posted a strong 3.59 FIP and 29% strikeout rate in 2020, will join Jacob deGrom, Marcus Stroman and eventually Noah Syndergaard atop the Mets’ rotation. Cleveland cut their 2021 payroll to a dwindled $40 million. Ramírez, the A.L.’s 2020 MVP runner-up, is their highest paid player at $9.4 million. Cleveland has flipped Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, Mike Clevinger and now Lindor and Carrasco within 18 months. The Mets sent four players with a combined 20 years of team control in return. Perhaps the most exciting of the bunch, shortstop Andrés Giménez projects as a glove-first starter, if not an offensive liability. Amed Rosario, once a top prospect, will look to discover in Cleveland what made him so desirable as a youngster. 20-year-old righty Josh Wolf will enter Cleveland’s mad pitching lab that seems to create aces on call. The youngest player in the deal, 19-year-old Isaiah Greene projects as a centerfielder with some upside at the plate. Simply, Cleveland received two major-league ready middle-infielders in Giménez and Rosario and two younger prospects in Wolf and Greene. MLB Trade Simulator says it was an equally valuable deal. The idea that Lindor could join the Twins was always far-fetched. Cleveland would have to be blown away by an offer to surrender such talent to their divisional foe. There are other shortstops, though, who could shift Jorge Polanco to a utility role in 2021 before Royce Lewis hopefully fills the position permanently in 2022. Among free agents: Marcus Semien, Andrelton Simmons and Didi Gregorius. For trade targets... EL MAGO Cubs star Javier Báez. The brother-in-law of José Berríos also has only one year left before free agency. Báez is projected to make just under $11 million, a very reasonable price for his upside. The Puerto Rican slugger is also one of the best defenders in the game. Báez has saved more runs (33) than any shortstop in baseball over the last two seasons. Among 30 shortstops who’ve spent at least 200 games at the position since 2016, Báez ranks 3rd in slugging (.490) and home runs (108) and 6th in bWAR (18.0). Even with a poor 2020 season, Báez has an extremely favorable outlook. He isn’t as good as Lindor but also costs nearly $10 million less. His price in a trade would likely require one of the Twins’ top five prospects or a slew in the 6-15 range. STORYBOOK ENDING Trevor Story's fate is easier to predict. The Rockies aren’t competing and would probably love to save $18.5 million for 2021. Story is a premium athlete with a huge bat. He’s slugged a monstrous .585 in five years with Colorado while saving 45 runs defensively, good for third among shortstops during that span. MLB Trade Simulator is much more realistic on his value in a trade than they are on Báez’s. One year of Story is valued as almost the same as six-plus years of Alex Kirilloff or four-plus of Max Kepler. In a quantity-over-quality deal, the Rockies or Cubs may seek a package with 18-year-old OF Misael Urbina, who hit .279/.382/.443 in the Dominican Summer League in 2019. Joining Urbina could be Keoni Cavaco, the toolsy shortstop picked 13th overall in the 2019 draft. Maybe RHP Blayne Enlow is involved, too. The Twins' seventh, 10th, and 20th best prospects, plus perhaps one more piece could be enough to pry one of these expiring stars loose. This is simply framework speculation. THE DIVISION The Twins won seven of 10 games against Cleveland in 2020. Lindor hit .317/.341/.488 while scoring or driving in eight of the 26 runs scored (31%). Cleveland won't replace Lindor's production but it's not all doom and gloom. Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac and their never-ending growth of starters will keep them relevant. Franmil Reyes has undeniable power and Ramírez is a Twins-killing star. The outfield remains a mess, accumulating negative-1 fWAR in 2020, the second lowest in the A.L. The rotation is strong but won't make up for their massive flaws in lineup and roster depth. Cleveland has officially waved the white flag on their divisional dominance. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

I always appreciate your kind words. Go Twins!

KSTP 5 Eyewitness News reporter Darren Wolfson joined the Locked On Twins podcast Tuesday with juicy news on the Twins’ offseason pursuits.“The Twins haven’t even come close to being as aggressive for Nelson Cruz as other teams.” If the Designated Hitter is not expanded to the National League, Cruz’s list of suitors shrinks considerably. It’s not a surprise, then, that both the Twins and Cruz are hesitant to move forward on a deal. Wolfson acknowledged that the Twins want their heartbeat back and Cruz’s “number one choice” is to return in a Twins uniform. Wolfson said the Padres have shown interest in the 40-year-old masher. “The Twins have brought Marcell Ozuna’s name up.” Similar to Cruz, Ozuna has very little incentive to sign a contract until the DH rules are finalized. Ozuna bet on himself after a down 2019 season, signing a 1-year, $18 million deal with Atlanta for 2020. This move replaced the also-right-handed Josh Donaldson in Atlanta’s lineup after he signed with the Twins. Ozuna responded by hitting a monstrous .338 with a 1.067 OPS and an NL-leading 18 home runs. His 179 wRC+ ranked behind only Juan Soto and Freddie Freeman among MLB-qualifiers. MLB Trade Rumors projects Ozuna, who just turned 30, to receive a four-year, $72 million deal. Wolfson “would be surprised” if the Twins traded for Cubs’ Javier Báez The Yu Darvish trade spurred speculation that the Cubs could sell off more of their expiring contracts. Báez fits that bill. He has one more year of arbitration at a projected $11 million. The superstar defender struggled mightily at the plate in 2020, hitting .203 with an OPS more than 40% below league average. Báez was one of many usually good hitters who struggled in the truncated season. The electric brother-in-law of Twins starter José Berríos has the fourth most home runs (108) among qualified shortstops since 2016. Báez is also a terrific defender, saving more runs (33) than any shortstop in baseball over the last two seasons. "The Twins have had dialogue with Andrelton Simmons" Wolfson said, along with Marcus Semien, the Twins have at least inquired on the former Angel. Simmons is entering free agency after playing only 30 games in 2020 due to a left ankle injury. The 31-year-old ranks 10th among all position players in bWAR (36.8) since his rookie season in 2012. Simmons is perhaps the best defender in all of baseball. He’s saved 191 runs in his career, more than any player at any position during that time. The difference in DRS between Simmons and the second-placed Kevin Kiermaier (69) is the same as the difference between Kiermaier and the 32nd-placed Byron Buxton. Simmons is no pushover at the plate either. He’s hit a respectable .281/.329/.401 (99 wRC+) with 129 extra-base hits in 437 games since 2017. The Twins talk parameters of varying contracts with RH RP Joakim Soria Even after signing Hansel Robles to a 1-year, $2M deal, the Twins are seemingly in the market for another right-handed reliever. Wolfson said the Twins offered Soria a one-year deal for “more than Robles got” but not signficantly more. Wolfson went on to say the Twins also talked a two-year deal with Soria, albeit with less average annual value. It remains to be seen whether the two sides strike a deal. I pegged Soria as a strong fit for the Twins earlier this offseason. The Twins have inquired on “almost every” top free agent Wolfson made sure to say that inquiries are much different than offers. It sounds like the Twins are doing their due diligence, surveying the market and looking for ways to extract value. Wolfson says he believes the Twins have asked about “70-plus” free agents. The Twins have “100%” called on Sonny Gray and Joe Musgrove Wolfson believes the Twins are also exploring the trade market for upgrades. Reports have addressed the availability of both Gray and Musgrove. Gray has more pedigree with two top-10 Cy Young finishes and a career 117 ERA+. Musgrove is coming off a year where his strikeout rate ballooned to 33%, enticing many that he could thrive away from the rebuilding and less-progressive Pirates. "The Twins will move; it’s just a matter of when" This offseason has been slow for most teams, including the Twins. That doesn’t signify that significant additions aren’t on the way. Wolfson says the Twins have the payroll flexibility to make impact moves. In simple terms, hang tight. LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE AND SUBSCRIBE TO LOCKED ON TWINS. FOLLOW THE SHOW ON TWITTER HERE MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Darren Wolfson confirmed rumors Saturday night on KSTP 5 Eyewitness News that the Twins are eyeing former Oakland Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien.It's well known that the Twins will need to fill at least one utility spot this offseason. Creative minds have wondered whether Jorge Polanco could be the answer, opening up the possibility that Minnesota signs a starting shortstop this winter. Maybe the Twins believe the same. Darren Wolfson confirmed Saturday that the Twins have "real interest" in Marcus Semien. A replay of the news segment is available at KSTP's Twins page, Semien is discussed around the 45-second mark, but here is the clip below. Semien put together a truly tremendous 2019 season, hitting .285/.369/.522 with 33 home runs, 43 doubles and seven triples. He finished third for AL MVP behind Mike Trout and Alex Bregman. No matter which way you cut it, that miraculous season looks to be an outlier. Semien hit just .250/.312/.407 in the four years prior to his 2019 explosion. A down 2020 season seemed to add fuel to that fire. This inconsistency and the slow market has seemingly muddied his contract outlook, leading Ken Rosenthal to mull whether he'll get just a one or two year deal. Could this be an opportunity knocking for the Twins? Could Semien thrive as a right-handed hitter at Target Field after years in foul-heaven Oakland? Would Polanco, with his ankle and all, be better served in that utility role? It seems we'll find out soon enough. SEE ALSO Should Jorge Polanco be the Twins Utility Man? Reacting to Twins Blockbuster Trade Speculation Twins Future Position Analysis: Shortstop MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The Twins will need to fill at least one utility spot via free agency or trade this offseason. Given the injury histories of Jorge Polanco, Luis Arraez, Byron Buxton and Josh Donaldson, this role has started a ton of games over the last two years. Let’s debate a few options.Kiké Hernández THE BAT: Hernández clearly sticks out on this market. His recent playoff heroics pushed Twins fans to focus on his fit with the hometown club. The 29-year-old has hit .240/.312/.425 (97 OPS+) since 2015 for the Dodgers. He owns a career 120 wRC+ against lefties, a matchup in which the Twins oddly struggled in 2020. He’s a right-handed hitter, allowing him to spare Luis Arraez or Jorge Polanco, who is much better as a lefty. His on-base ability is a concern, however. Hernández owns just a .296 OBP over his last 608 plate appearances. In another area the Twins seem to value and lack at times, Hernández has great energy. He’ll call out his team publicly for lacking juice on the diamond and in the dugout. Another infusion of life and edge wouldn’t be the worst thing for Rocco Baldelli’s group. Hernández could provide that postseason boost he’s supplied to the Dodgers, finally helping to push the Twins over the top. THE GLOVE: Hernández is a plus-plus defender at second. Only the back-to-back Gold Glove winner Kolten Wong has saved more runs at the position since 2019. The emergence of Corey Seager has limited Kiké’s time at short over the last few years. In over 530 career innings there, Hernández has saved three runs defensively. His ability to back up Polanco is key. Do the Twins believe he can play regularly in the hole? Kiké is intriguingly solid in centerfield. He’s played 1,000-plus innings out there, saving four runs. Similar to Seager, 2019 N.L. MVP Cody Bellinger has kept Hernández away from center in recent years. He’s also played third, left, right, first and even got an out on the mound in 2018. He’s the definition of super-utility. The Twins seem to agree: Jurickson Profar THE BAT: Profar was ranked as the No.1 prospect in baseball in 2012. He was largely a disappointment, hitting just .229/.309/.329 (71 OPS+) through the first seven seasons of his career. Now into his late 20s, Profar has been much better since 2018. His OPS+ has jumped 30%, now placing him slightly above league average. His walk rate remained a solid 8.9% and he’s laced 47 homers and 65 doubles over the last 341 games. He had a career year in 2020. He hit .278/.343/.428 (113 OPS+) in 56 games for the Padres. His bat looks good enough to start, which may be an issue for the Twins’ chances of signing him. THE GLOVE: Profar’s metrics paint him as quite poor on the dirt. He’s cost his teams 20 runs at second base, six at short and four at third. He hasn’t played shortstop since 2018 when he tied for third worst in outs above average (negative-7) at the position. He was absolutely brutal at second base in 2019 with negative-15 defensive runs saved, the worst among all second baseman. He’s been much better in the outfield in a more limited sample. He saved three runs in left field in 34 starts in 2020. THE BOTTOM LINE Given the Twins’ need for a solid back-up infielder, Hernández makes a lot more sense. Profar’s defense isn’t much of an upgrade over Polanco, even if he can still play short. Hernández can seemingly fill-in for Byron Buxton in center as well. Given Hernández’s struggles at the dish in recent years, though, one must wonder if shooting higher in free agency is a more desirable option. There’s also the trade market, where someone like Ketel Marte may reside. What do you think about filling the utility role? Comment below! Click here to view the article

Trade for Lindor, sign him to a 10-year, $300 million deal. Buck is a free agent after 2022, move Royce to center, Polo utility and Arraez at second. Hello: 1. Lindor SS 2. Donaldson 3B 3. Kepler RF 4. Cruz DH 5. Kirilloff LF 6. Lewis CF 7. Arraez 2B 8. Sano 1B 9. Jeffers/Garver C

After hitting the most home runs by a catcher with less than 100 games played in 2019, Mitch Garver flopped at the plate in a limited 2020 sample. By some prominent data, though, his approach actually improved.1. He chased less balls Garver was already excellent at laying off, chasing only 17.4% of pitches in 2019. That number dropped to a stellar 16.1% in 2020. Part of that is his overall passiveness in the shortened season. Garver swung at only 6.2% of first pitches, down 14.5% from his world-beating 2019 campaign. This suggests he never quite had his timing right. The plate discipline remains elite as he enters 2021. There was a belief that pitchers had adjusted to Garver. That really isn’t the case. He saw the exact same % of pitches in the zone over the last two years (48.3%). Pitchers threw him an almost equal amount of fastballs, actually slightly more. The problem was Garver’s contact rate. His ability to make contact on pitches in the zone dropped 14.6%. Stunningly, even though he barely chases, his contact rate on those pitches dropped nearly 25%. Those two numbers, in-zone contact rate and chase-contact rate, are usually positively correlated. 2. He still bopped with authority Garver’s fly-ball rate plummeted over 13% from 2019. More encouragingly, his average exit velocity jumped up to 92.4 mph, which would’ve ranked in the 91st percentile had he accumulated enough batted ball data to qualify. His hard-hit rate remained elite at 50%, which again would’ve placed him in the top 10% of the league. Garver’s average launch angle dug deeper into the “barrel zone” at 19 degrees. His swing was dialed to replicate 2019 in seemingly every way. He just couldn’t catch and size up pitches and consistently find his groove. 3. He continued to whoop lefties Analyzing platoon data after 81 plate appearances is the epitome of small sample size. We’ll do it anyway. Garver, amid all of his whiffing and lack of production, found a way to punish southpaws. He hit .304/.385/.435 off lefties, solidifying Rocco Baldelli’s confidence in him in those matchups, even when he’s struggling mightily. This, however small the sample, is an important development for 2021 with Ryan Jeffers emerging as one of the better young catchers in the game. Having two right-handed catchers isn’t ideal, but Garver has shown that he should be starting every time a left-handed starting pitcher is on the mound. A (hopefully) full spring training and (hopefully) more clarity on the schedule should help Garver regain his timing again in 2021. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

This year's edition of the Winter Meetings is virtual due to the pandemic. That didn't stop movement and rumors Monday.LANCE LYNN TRADED TO WHITE SOX FOR DANE DUNNING AND AVERY WEEMS The lede was buried Monday as Jeff Passan reported late that the White Sox have traded for Rangers starter Lance Lynn. The burly right-hander has finished in the top-6 for the A.L. Cy Young in each of the past two seasons. The Rangers pulled away six years of promising right-handed pitcher Dane Dunning, who impressed in his debut with the White Sox. Dunning pitched to a 3.97 ERA, including a seven-inning masterpiece against the Twins in September. Avery Weems is reportedly the second player heading back to Texas. Weems is a 23-year-old left-hander who was drafted in the sixth round out of Arizona in 2019. This is a clear win-now move for the South Siders, inching them even closer to their goal of taking the American League Central from the Twins. OTHER HEADLINES FROM MONDAY: UNIVERSAL DH NO MORE? Ken Rosenthal reported that MLB sent a memo to teams telling them to "proceed under the assumption that the DH will not be used in the National League in 2021." This impacts the Twins perhaps more than any other team as they remain in a "staring contest" with their (for now) departed DH Nelson Cruz. ANGELS TRADE FOR SHUTDOWN CLOSER The Angels, in need of arms of any type, traded for Reds closer Raisel Iglesias Monday. Iglesias ranks 16th in fWAR among qualified relievers since 2016. The flame throwing right-hander carries a $9.125 million price tag for 2021 in his final year before free agency. In return, the Reds received right-hander Noé Ramirez and a PTBNL or cash. Ramirez is a 30-year-old reliever in his first of three years in arbitration. The California-born righty owns a career 4.18 ERA in 211 innings. He's set to make an estimated $1.1 million next season. GEORGE SPRINGER UNLIKELY TO FOLLOW LYNN TO SOUTH SIDE After early speculation that the White Sox could pursue top free agent George Springer to replace the non-tendered Nomar Mazara in right field, Jeff Passan cooled those jets Monday. Passan noted in his article that the White Sox are "extraordinarily unlikely" to pay Springer a center field amount of money to play right field. The Sox have their center fielder of the future in rookie Gold Glove winner Luis Robert. TREVOR BAUER TO METS PICKING UP STEAM? Trevor Bauer, the top free agent pitcher this winter, isn't rushing to choose his next destination. Still, his agent told Deesha Thoshar of the New York Daily News that the Mets are a desirable location for her client: “New York is... Well, he likes where the organization is going,” Luba said, “It can definitely be a landing spot.” SONNY GRAY DRAWING EXPECTED INTEREST Jon Heyman reported Monday that "several teams" are showing interest in the Reds right-hander. This comes days after Joel Sherman wrote that Cincinnati is "working hard" to trade Gray, who posted a stellar 3.07 ERA and 3.33 FIP in his first two seasons with the Reds. INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE Tomoyuki Sugano, a starting pitcher from Japan's NPB, and Ha-Seong Kim, a shortstop from South Korea's KBO, were both officially posted today (as reported by Jon Morosi here and here). The Minnesota Twins have needs in their rotation and infield, might they be suitors for either of these international stars? Twins Daily's Tom Froemming shared some highlights and thoughts about both players in the video below. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

After a projected team record-setting $142 million payroll in 2020, the Twins are expected to cut back spending with the rest of the industry… but what if they don’t?It’s been an assumption that with losses related to the pandemic in 2020, the Twins would almost certainly reduce their payroll 10 to 15%. That may not be the case. What if they jump the market and make serious splashes outside of the top tier? Here’s my wish list: 1. Re-sign Nelson Cruz for 1-year, $17 million w/ a 2022 team option, $15M The Twins’ desire to keep Cruz is well-known. In a scenario where their payroll is around $145 million, slightly more than it was before the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, keeping Cruz at a premium is a much less painful task. With more spending room for next season, the Twins can load Cruz on a one year deal and avoid a multi-year commitment to the 40-year-old heartbeat of the team. 2. Re-sign Jake Odorizzi for 3-years, $39 million The Twins also have interest in bringing back Odorizzi, per MLB Trade Rumors. This move makes too much sense. Odorizzi can slot right in as the Twins’ fourth (or third) starter, a perfect spot. What makes Odorizzi more desirable is the stunning lack of top-tier options on the free-agent market after Trevor Bauer, whom the Twins aren’t expected to pursue.Odorizzi has produced 6.9 fWAR since 2018, ranking 33rd among starters and one spot behind Kenta Maeda and Lucas Giolito. 3. Sign LHP James Paxton for 2-years, $22 million Paxton’s injury history is riddled, but from 2016 to 2019, he still averaged 142 innings per season. That’s far from ideal and his 2020 was disastrous, reducing his price and raising questions all over the board. His upside remains dreamable. Among starters who’ve pitched at least 750 innings since Paxton’s debut in 2013, he ranks 12th in FIP (3.31), 13th in strikeout rate (26.5%), 19th in opponent OPS (.676), and 27th in ERA (3.58). He’s a top-of-the-rotation arm at full strength. Then why so cheap? Well, who knows if you’ll ever get him at full strength. That’s a risk the Twins should be willing to take at this point in their contention window. 4. Sign RHPs Joakim Soria and Tyler Clippard for $8 million combined Clippard and his changeup were a welcomed addition to the 2020 Twins. He struck out 26 in 26 innings with a 2.77 ERA. Of note, Clippard has never been placed on the injured list in his storied 14 season career. Soria is another veteran relief addition who could solidfy the back of the bullpen. With adjustments he made in Oakland, Soria unlocked a new gear. Clippard on a slight raise at $3 million and Soria at $5 million would quickly make up for some of the loss provided by Trevor May, Sergio Romo, and Matt Wisler. 5. Sign SS Marcus Semien for 1-year, $15 million This would be where the Twins pounce this market. Guys like Semien will likely take pillow contracts as teams are cutting payroll. Pushing Jorge Polanco into the utility role fills another vacancy, and the Twins would add the fourth most valuable shortstop in baseball over the last three seasons. 2021 26-MAN ROSTER AND PAYROLL: 3B Josh Donaldson - $21.75 million DH Nelson Cruz - $17 million SS Marcus Semien - $15 million 1B/DH Miguel Sanó - $12.33 million OF Max Kepler - $6.5 million OF Byron Buxton - $5.125 million SS Jorge Polanco - $4.33 million C Mitch Garver - $1.875 million C Ryan Jeffers - $575,000 2B Luis Arraez - $575,000 OF Jake Cave - $575,000 UTIL Travis Blankenhorn - $575,000 SP Jake Odorizzi - $13 million SP James Paxton - $11 million SP Michael Pineda - $10 million SP José Berríos - $6.1 million SP Kenta Maeda - $3.125 million (w/ incentives) SP Randy Dobnak - $575,000 RP Taylor Rogers - $6 million RP Joakim Soria - $5 million RP Tyler Clippard - $3 million RP Tyler Duffey - $2.2 million RP Caleb Thielbar - $700,000 RP Jorge Alcalá - $575,000 RP Cody Stashak - $575,000 RP Ian Gibaut - $575,000 *Projected above moves 2021 26-MAN ROSTER PAYROLL - $148.6 MILLION 2020 26-MAN ROSTER PAYROLL - $142 MILLION What do you think? Comment below! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The 2020 Twins played at a 97-win pace and won their second straight division title. Still, the offense was nothing short of a disappointment, driven by three rules all year.1. Score early and don’t score again In innings one through four, the Twins hit a strong .261/.329/.481 with a 118 wRC+, the second highest in the American League. The Twins also posted an A.L. leading .934 OPS with runners in scoring position over their first four innings. The team’s OPS dropped a staggering 252 points in innings five through nine with the fourth lowest wRC+ in the A.L. (85). The Twins scored nearly 45% of their runs in the first three innings during the 2020 campaign. Part of this is the growing number of fire-breathing relievers in baseball. More guys than ever are throwing 100 with devastating sliders. Stringing hits together and creating rallies in the late innings has become nearly impossible. The Twins aren’t exempt from that reality. Still, compared to the rest of the league, the Twins were great early and terrible late. 2. Refuse to hit left-handed pitching After posting the highest single-season OPS against lefties since the 1998 Rangers, the Twins fell flat in 2020. Losing C.J. Cron and Jonathan Schoop, two lefty mashers, certainly hurt. The Twins certainly expected better health from Josh Donaldson, who ranks fourth in OPS (.972) against LHP since 2013 (min. 1,000 PA). Mitch Garver still crushed the platoon despite his overall ineffectiveness. Miguel Sanó was inconsistent, Jorge Polanco is a much better left-handed hitter, and Max Kepler struggled mightily after mashing lefties in 2019. This all added up to a severe disadvantage. Nelson Cruz was an exception to just about every Twins offensive trend in 2020. He was consistently dominant and crushed lefties. Cruz slugged .907 with a 283 wRC+ against southpaws, ranking second to only Tim Anderson (300). Pretty scary to think about where the bats would’ve been if Cruz wasn’t a Twin, isn’t it? 3. Dial back the aggression that worked so well in 2019 There were a few keys to the Twins’ 2019 offensive breakout: Hit the ball in the airBe uber aggressiveCrush fastballsThe Twins swung at just under 71% of pitches in the zone in 2019, ranking fourth in baseball. In 2020, that number dropped to 67.6%, good for 16th in baseball. Even worse, they barely improved at chasing pitches. Ultimately they swung less at strikes and about the same at balls. They swung and missed at almost an identical rate but made soft contact much more. The team ranked 28th in soft contact rate in 2019 (15.7%) and fourth in 2020 (18%). They dropped from second to 20th in hard contact rate (-8.7%). The team still hit the ball in the air at a high rate but saw less of them leave the park. They ranked 5th in home run-per-flyball in 2019 (17.7%) and tied for 9th in 2020 (16.6%). Perhaps most alarming, they stopped crushing fastballs. A Fangraphs metric that measures pitch value (wFB/C) says the Twins hit fastballs better than any team in 2019 (0.93). In 2020, 16 other teams hit fastballs better than the Twins (0.02). These offensive trends all contributed to a sharp decline in production in 2020. Recognizing these is vital to figuring out how to bounce back in 2021. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

T-LACK

The Twins have more wins than any other team in the American League over the last two seasons. They have no playoff wins to show for it. How can they get better via the trade market? Here are three propositions.TRADE NO. 1: MINNESOTA RECEIVES: SS TREVOR STORY COLORADO RECEIVES: MLB Pipeline No. 81, Twins No. 4 prospect RHP JORDAN BALAZOVIC Why the Twins would accept: The Twins have to ask themselves whether Jorge Polanco would be better suited in a utility role. Royce Lewis is seemingly on his way, but Polanco’s ankle and 2020 production cast doubt over the position for 2021. Enter Trevor Story and his one year, $18.5 million contract. Story has the 10th most fWAR in baseball since 2018. He’s hit an outstanding .292/.355/.554 over that span. Before you point to the Coors Field factor, consider that Story’s OPS+, a ballpark adjusted stat, says he is a 22% above league average hitter. Story has also saved 20 runs over the last three seasons, the seventh most among shortstops. The Twins could add one of the best players in the game with no long-term commitment while also protecting arguably their top pitching prospect in Jhoan Duran. Story’s $18.5 million salary in this market will seem hefty to a lot of teams. The Twins can take advantage. Why the Rockies would accept: There is no team that has more trouble signing, developing and producing starting pitching than the Colorado Rockies. Balazovic would instantly become their top pitching prospect and a key to the future. They aren’t competing anytime soon and will almost assuredly lose Story to free agency after the season. They would be dumb not to move him. The question is whether just Balazovic will be enough. Perhaps the Twins would throw in one more piece to encourage them, but the up-and-coming Canadian right-hander should be really enticing. TRADE NO. 2: MINNESOTA RECEIVES: RHP BRANDON WOODRUFF, LHP JOSH HADER MILWAUKEE RECEIVES: MLB Pipeline No. 77, Twins No. 3 prospect OF TREVOR LARNACH, Twins No. 10 prospect RHP BLAYNE ENLOW, Twins No. 14 prospect OF MATT WALLNER, Twins No. 24 prospect RHP DAKOTA CHALMERS Why the Twins would accept: Brandon Woodruff has three more years of team control with a projected $3.4 million pricetag in 2021. That’s incredibly cheap for a pitcher who ties Justin Verlander with a 3.31 FIP since 2017. Woodruff averages over 96 mph on his four-seamer with an underused and underrated slider. The Twins would love to add the 6-foot-4 righty to what would be a world-class rotation. Josh Hader ranks first in strikeout rate (44.1%), strikeout-to-walk rate (34.6%) and bWAR (tie, Felipe Vázquez - 7.1) among relievers since 2017. His slider remains one of the nastiest pitches in baseball and he’s due just $5.65 million in 2021 with three years of team control remaining. He would join Tyler Duffey and Taylor Rogers in a devastating bullpen. The Twins have a very deep farm system, especially in outfielders. Losing Larnach and Wallner would no doubt hurt, but adding three full seasons (and one extra with Woodruff) of this tandem would be hard to turn down. Why the Brewers would accept: This side is tougher to justify. Woodruff is their ace and Hader carries the bullpen. On the other hand, Milwaukee owns the worst farm system in baseball. They would add their second best prospect in Larnach, a nearly MLB ready bat. Enlow owns a 3.36 ERA in the minors, Wallner is another young and exciting outfielder, and Chalmers throws gas. This package is filled with both certainty and upside. The Brewers could spark an inevitable rebuild by loading their brutal system. TRADE NO. 3: MINNESOTA RECEIVES: 2B/SS/CF KETEL MARTE ARIZONA RECEIVES: Twins No. 7 prospect SS KEONI CAVACO, Twins No. 11 prospect RHP MATT CANTERINO, Twins No. 26 prospect OF EMMANUEL RODRÍGUEZ Why the Twins would accept: The 27-year-old Marte finished fourth for N.L. MVP in 2019 after hitting a nutty .329/.389/.592 (150 wRC+) with 32 home runs. He took a massive step back in 2020, but was it really? If you take out his 2019 campaign, Marte has hit .266/.324/.391 over 447 games. This was almost exactly on par with his .287/.323/.409 line in 2020. His bat fits the mold of a really solid utility player. Marte’s value lies in his ability to play shortstop, second, center and an occasional third base. He’s a plus-20 runs defender at second in his career, a plus-4 runs defender at short, and a plus-5 defender in center. He also crushes left-handed pitching, owning a .294/.344/.495 (121 wRC+) slash against southpaws. The Twins could use that. Marte’s contract is also incredibly favorable: 2021: $6.4 million guaranteed 2022: $8.4 million guaranteed 2023: $11 million club option ($1 million buyout) 2024: $13 million club option ($1.5 million buyout) If the Twins believe Marte’s 2019 explosion is even close to re-attainable, this could be an absolute steal. Why the Diamondbacks would accept: Many picked the D-Backs as their surprise success in 2020. It couldn’t have gone worse. They finished dead last in the N.L. West and watched the young Padres establish themselves while the Dodgers won the World Series. Arizona isn’t close to October. They do have a very strong farm system and could add to it with two high-upside teenagers in Cavaco and Rodríguez. Canterino is a polished, projectable middle-to-back of the rotation starter as well. They already traded Starling Marte and Archie Bradley. Why not Ketel too for this return? What do you think of these deals? Which would you accept as Derek Falvey and Thad Levine? Which would you decline? Who says no? Why? Comment below! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article