Theodore Tollefson

I know I left Gordon out of this article when considering him as a back up and that is because with Cave likely to be on the MLB roster Opening Day, I don't see Gordon as the main back up in center. I still see him more as an infielder than an outfielder, but I would not rule him out at all as still seeing playing time in center if needed.

Byron Buxton is officially locked up in a Twins uniform for the next seven seasons. As exciting as the news is, there is still the question on who will be Buxton's back up to start this extension year in 2022 as his injury history will still have to be considered each season. Twins Territory can finally take a sigh of relief as late Sunday afternoon multiple sources announced Byron Buxton’s seven-year, $100 million extension with the Minnesota Twins. Buxton’s extension ensures that the Twins will not have to worry about pursuing a new starting center fielder for a long time. However, there is still the likelihood Buxton could miss playing time with an injury in 2022. With Buxton’s injury history still a concern for many, even after this contract extension, the Twins will be weighing their options on who will get the most playing time in centerfield when Buxton is not playing. Right now the Twins have three possible internal choices to back up Buxton when he is not playing in centerfield whether due to injury or a day off from the field. The first option is Max Kepler. Kepler has totaled 84 games in centerfield since 2019 and both he and the Twins front office are looking for him to spend less time in center and more time at his primary position, right field. This does not rule out that Kepler won’t play center field at all in 2022. It’s just more likely that another player will be seen there more often. The next likely player to see playing time in center field behind Buxton is Jake Cave. The majority of Cave’s 281 career games have been played in center field and now that the Twins have signed him to a Major League contract for the 2022 season, there could be an increase in his playing time. Cave’s 2021 season was abysmal at best and one that both he and Twins fans want to put behind them. It is likely, at this time, that Cave will be the primary backup to Buxton in centerfield to start 2022. One other option within the Twins organization, and on the 40-man roster, that could see playing time in center field for the team in 2022 is Gilberto Celestino. Celestino’s brief time with the Twins in 2021 did help the team defensively in Buxton’s absence. Yet Celestino showed he is not ready to face major-league pitching. In his time with the club last season, he had eight hits in just 59 at-bats. Celestino will still need time to develop his hitting with the St. Paul Saints in 2022. If his hitting continues to improve, as it did in Triple-A in 2021, it could provide another chance for him to play in center for the Twins in 2022. There is a fourth option currently in the Twins minor league system that is hopeful to make his MLB debut in 2022 and could see playing time in center field if he does get called up. That is Austin Martin. The timeframe on when the Twins second-best prospect could make his MLB debut is still uncertain. Martin split time between center field and shortstop following his trade to the Twins organization near the July deadline. He played 46 games in center and 43 at short for the Wichita Wind Surge. Martin’s primary position may be tweaked by the Twins following the Buxton extension, but if he does get called up in 2022, that won’t rule out any playing time he could see in center field with the Twins. Buxton’s extension with the Twins doesn’t dismiss the fact that the Twins won’t try to add more depth to the outfield either. A utility player like Danny Santana or super-utility player such as Chris Taylor could be options for the Twins to still pursue. Taylor and Santana are examples of players who aren’t primarily center fielders yet can still fill in holes for the Twins at other positions where they’re needed such as shortstop. Taylor would be the perfect fit for the Twins because he can play shortstop and back up Buxton in center. Santana, not so much. Santana has only played 12 games at shortstop since the start of the 2016 season and many more games at almost every other position, including center field. The great take away from the Buxton extension is that the Twins organization can be comfortable with a star centerfielder once again playing out his career with the Twins. Buxton’s injury history does warrant a need to have depth in center field. The Twins have solid options to work within the organization, but they could still pursue options outside their system to help ensure Buxton has the right players supporting him in center field when he isn’t playing. View full article

Glad to see the differing opinions here from everyone. I would love to see Nellie return but realistically, he likely won't. Seattle is the top American League team in need of Cruz at DH, and almost any NL team could take him on when the DH is implemented for the National League. Of course, being where he is in his career, I am sure Cruz also wants to get with a team that will be competitive and make it into the postseason this next season.

Adding offensive help may not be the highest priority for the Twins this offseason. Still the Twins may want to pursue one option for DH, and not just any option; a reunion with Nelson Cruz. Over the last two-and-a-half years, Nelson Cruz quickly became a fan favorite for Minnesota Twins fans and a leader both on and off the field for the Twins. Upsetting as it was for Twins fans to see him be traded to the Tampa Bay Rays in July, it was not unexpected. And so far, the return for Cruz from the Rays with Joe Ryan has looked promising for the Twins. Cruz once again joins the free agent market for the third time in the last four offseasons. The largest difference with this offseason compared to the previous when Cruz was a free agent is the possibility that 15 more teams could be in contention to sign him if the designated hitter is added into the National League in the next Collective Bargaining Agreement. Until the results of the next CBA are announced, the Twins do remain one of the top American League teams in contention to go after Cruz. The other two AL teams that are looking to be contenders to sign Cruz this offseason are former teams of his as well; the Rays and Seattle Mariners. With these contenders in consideration for Cruz, the question that remains for all of them is who will be the most committed to offering Cruz the salary he deserves? Over the last three seasons, Cruz’s salary has ranged between the $12-$14 million range. MLB Trade Rumors has Cruz listed on their top 50 free agents with the prediction he will earn $12 million on his next contract. Spending wise, the Twins likely could afford Cruz for $12 million while still having the budget to pursue high-end free agent starting pitchers. Last offseason the Twins re-signed Cruz to a one-year $13 million contract. Not counting Cruz’s 2021 salary, the Twins also have $37.5 million freed up from players no longer on the roster. This includes players who were on one-year deals as well as the expiration of Michael Pineda’s contract. Affordability of Cruz is not a question for the Twins like it is for the Rays. The larger question for the Twins with re-signing Cruz, is if they still see him as a stronger presence for the team both inside the clubhouse and in their lineup? Cruz’s power numbers showed no sign of regressing in 2021 as he turned 41 in July. He hit 32 home runs, drove in 86 runs, and posted a .832 OPS. Cruz’s overall batting average dipped below .287 for only the second time since 2015, however, he only hit .226 in 55 games with the Rays. That may be a concern for some, but for someone going into their age 41-42 season, Cruz is still seen as an elite hitter. Even if Cruz does show some signs of regression, there is still hope that in the Twins lineup Cruz could hit anywhere from 25-30 home runs and drive in 75-90 runs with an OPS over .800. As a presence in the clubhouse, Cruz has unquestionably been the leader for many Twins players since he first arrived in Minnesota in 2019. Many players floated to him for advice over his two-and-a-half seasons in Minnesota. His bond with Miguel Sano has been crucial to Sano’s own success as a hitter. So much so that Cruz is the godfather of Sano’s first daughter. With the majority of starting position players from 2019-2021 still on the Twins, it may make sense for everyone’s benefit to reunite Cruz with his former teammates. Ruling out National League teams for now as they have not officially earned the DH role for the 2022 season, the Twins biggest competition to re-signing Cruz is Seattle. The Mariners have only four guaranteed contracts going into 2022 and their highest paid player is Marco Gonzalez at $5.75 million. The Mariners young up-and-coming players certainly could use the leadership of Nelson Cruz, and their offense would improve greatly toward another 90 win season with Cruz in it. The Twins top priority in free agency should remain starting pitching. However if they are to go after one batter this offseason, it should be a reunion with Cruz. The main thing currently that could keep the Twins from resigning Cruz is the Mariners having more payroll flexibility. If the Mariners or a National League team end up signing Cruz, the Twins still have plenty of DH options to work with, most notably Josh Donaldson as he saw more time there in 2021. Still, a reunion with Cruz would be a treat all around for the Twins clubhouse and their fans. What do you think? Should the Twins bring back Nelson Cruz in 2022? Comment below! FOR MORE TWINS CONTENT: — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Aside from pitching, the position for the Twins with the biggest question mark on who will start there Opening Day is shortstop. The Twins are among free agency rumors in seeking a short term shortstop to fill the position, yet they have many options within the organization that could also play shortstop on Opening Day. What is the best option for the Twins to pursue? With the World Series having concluded, fans of teams that have been sitting out most of October have already begun their prediction lists for the upcoming free agent class. Minnesota Twins fans are a part of this yearly “tradition” and rumors have speculated that the Twins will once again be going after a shortstop in free agency to improve the left side of the infield’s defense. As nice as it would be for the Twins to land a player like Javier Baez or Trevor Story from the stacked 2021-22 free agent shortstop class, they don't necessarily need to pursue a shortstop. There are several reasons why the Twins should not pursue a shortstop this offseason, and the lessons learned from signing Andrelton Simmons last offseason is an example why they should not. As always, the top priority that the Twins need to pursue this offseason is top quality starting pitching. Going after another high-cost shortstop will take away needed funds for the Twins to get a top free agent starter, such as Marcus Stroman or Kevin Gausman, within their budget. Even a one-year, $10 million deal offered to the likes of Jonathan Villar or Chris Taylor could easily take away needed money for one starting pitcher. Another reason for the Twins not to pursue any free agent shortstops is that they already have enough shortstops within the organization to work with. Jorge Polanco is likely to be the everyday second baseman in 2022. There will be some days where Polanco might see action at shortstop. There are also a couple of top prospects that could be the long term shortstop for the Minnesota Twins; Royce Lewis and Austin Martin. Now, the timeframe in which either Martin or Lewis could be called up for their MLB debuts is still uncertain, yet the likelihood of them making their debuts in 2022 seems high. With the two top prospects in the Twins system (according to TwinsDaily) being shortstops, why would the Twins bother looking into signing a new one? On top of all these other factors, the infield depth for the Minnesota Twins is fairly stable as is without signing any of the shortstops in this year’s free agent class. Nick Gordon, finally made his MLB debut in 2021, proved he may be worthy of some starting time in 2022. Gordon was limited to 200 at bats this season, but if the Twins need someone to platoon at the position prior to calling up Martin or Lewis. The 2021-22 offseason is still in its infancy and there will be many transactions made between now and the hopeful Opening Day of 2022. One thing that the Twins could still do between now and then is sign another shortstop from free agency. The Twins have players from within the organization that could help fill the role of an everyday shortstop however, most of these players are not ones who are used to playing there every day anymore. As discussed before, Polanco looks to be the new everyday second baseman for the Twins, and Gordon a super utility player in training that looks to improve in 2022. MLB is now in the era of baseball where no player has the guarantee of remaining at one position for their entire career, let alone an entire season. Polanco is a perfect case of that along with Luis Arraez. Martin too could be seeing a role similar to Arraez where he could be platooning multiple positions when called up, and a position such as center field could take priority for Martin over shortstop. For the Opening Day roster (as of right now), the best move for the Twins might be to find a player within the organization that can start at the position. With Polanco set to be at second base every day and Arraez at third when Josh Donaldson DHs, the guy to go with at shortstop is Nick Gordon. The Twins first pick from the 2014 MLB Draft has put in years of work to finally make the big leagues, almost seven years after being drafted. It’s only fair that the Twins give him a chance to start his first Opening Day when their top priority isn’t finding a new shortstop this offseason. If the Twins do not decide to go with Gordon, there is one man who has been in the minor leagues much longer that is just as deserving as Gordon to deserve a spot on the Twins Opening Day roster in 2022; Drew Maggi. 11 seasons in the minors and getting the callup in September by the Twins only to not play a single game. It’s only fair that Maggi gets some consideration for Opening Day 2022. Of course, he is currently a minor league free agent, but the Twins could certainly bring him back. Do you agree? Should the Twins hand the starting shortstop job to an internal candidate such as Nick Gordon, or bring back Drew Maggi and give him an opportunity? Or, should they get a mid-tier shortstop? Or, should they just pony up and add an elite shortstop and forget about adding pitching? MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook, or email View full article