John Bonnes

After freeing up additional payroll flexibility with the Jorge Polanco trade, the Twins have finally waded into the free agent waters in February, agreeing to a deal with free agent slugger and longtime division rival Carlos Santana to a one-year contract for $5 million. Image courtesy of USATSI_21488781_168390264_lowres Per Doogie Wolfson on Twitter, the Twins have agreed to a one-year contract with 37-year-old free agent Carlos Santana, who spent last season playing with the Pirates and Brewers. He's a first baseman who can plug in at that position and designated hitter, bringing impact depth and a respected veteran bat to Minnesota's explosive yet relatively inexperienced lineup. In a couple of key ways, Santana replaces what the Twins lost in Jorge Polanco. He's a switch-hitter who can factor into the middle of the lineup. Santana consistently gives tough at-bats and has been an amazingly consistent producer when on the field. In 14 seasons, he has posted an above-average OPS in 12, including 2023 (103 OPS+). He spent 10 of those seasons with Cleveland, who acquired him back in 2008 as a minor-leaguer from the Dodgers in a deal that included former Twin Casey Blake. Our Lou Hennessy wrote recently about what a smooth fit Santana is for the Twins, noting his strong production against southpaws, which makes him a nice platoon fit for Alex Kirilloff and the team's various DH options. Santana slashed .266/.354/.453 against LHP last year, and .276/.375/.443 in his lengthy career. Functionally, the Santana addition is not unlike the Donovan Solano signing from a year ago. Then, the Twins were seeking a low-cost but legit veteran bat capable of adding clubhouse leadership and providing depth at first base alongside a recovering Kirilloff. Solano ended up making 64 starts at first, and it the plan is probably to allocate a similar share there for Santana, alongside a rotational role at DH. The ultra-durable Santana made 603 plate appearances last year, and has eclipsed 600 in 11 of the last 12 one (non-COVID) seasons. But if he approaches that number this year, it would likely mean something went wrong elsewhere or Santana really surpassed expectations. Early in the offseason, I wrote about how Santana exemplified a player who could help change the Twins' offensive identity as an end-to-end strikeout factory. "Santana is a guy who can hit for power without striking out a ton, which is a combination the Twins would welcome," I suggested. "The veteran switch hitter has long been renowned for his discipline, with a 14.8% career walk rate alongside a 16.8% K-rate. His age (38 next April) means he'll likely be available on a one-year deal, but also increases the concern of steepening decline." Indeed, Santana has long been renowned for his patience. He posted a career-low 10.5% BB rate last year, but that still would've tied Polanco for fifth on the Twins. Santana's career 14.8% BB rate would've ranked second behind Edouard Julien (15.7%) and ahead of Joey Gallo (14.5%), who was also lost this offseason. The plate approach is not in doubt. The big question is if "Slamtana" can still hit. The Twins have struck gold with this type of late-career signing in the past (see: Nelson Cruz), but that's certainly not the norm. Santana, who turns 38 in April, showed serious decline in some key hitting metrics last year, going from a .372 xwOBA in 2022 (88th percentile) to .305 in 2023 (23rd percentile). His exit velocity, barrel rate, and hard-hit rate all fell off the table. Thus he was available at this price, at this stage of the offseason. Santana has question marks but he's an extremely accomplished hitter who brings some much-needed attributes to the table for the Twins. They're taking a gamble that he's got more in the tank, but it's not a terribly high-stakes gamble. Stay tuned to Twins Daily for more details and analysis of their first significant free agent signings of the offseason. For now, let's hear your thoughts on the move! View full article

We have some good news and some bad news. Image courtesy of © Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports As part of the effort to emerge from bankruptcy proceedings, the owner of Bally Sports North, Diamond Sports Group, asked the court to approve a one-year deal to broadcast the Minnesota Twins on TV in 2024, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic. If that is approved, t would be good news for Twins fans hoping to watch the team on TV, but bad news for in-market fans hoping to stream the games: for another year, streaming would be limited to out-of-market households. The request is part of a plot twist that has proved to be a game-changer for the offseason saga surrounding the Twins' television and streaming rights. Last month, Diamond Sports, which had previously been faced with shutting down after 2024, reversed course, in part due to a partnership with Amazon. As a result, there was renewed interest in one-year, TV-only deals with several MLB teams, including the Twins. However, since Diamond wants to drive customers towards their TV channels, those deals preclude the Twins from distributing their games via streaming except to out-of-market customers. It is unknown just how much those TV rights are worth, though Drellich revealed earlier this week that similar one-year deals with MLB teams have been worth about 85% of the previous agreed-upon rate. The Twins admitted last year that they had been making $55M annually for the TV and streaming rights from Diamond. All of that revenue was in question this offseason, leading to a $25M-$30M cut in anticipated Opening Day payroll. As a result, the Twins have had a very quiet offseason, arguably getting worse, including trading away veteran second baseman Jorge Polanco to help free up payroll dollars. Conceivably, the Twins could have an additional $40M in gross revenue that wasn't fully expected before this latest pivot. Could that mean a late addition from a free agent market that still has several big names available? If so, there are no indications that is the case yet. The Twins have announced they'll refrain from publicly addressing the TV deal until the deal is approved by the court, which is scheduled for Friday, February 9th. View full article

Aaron and John talk about the Twins' five-player trade with the Mariners for Jorge Polanco, potentially big news on the ongoing local television drama, Joe Mauer officially being a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and a great Winter Meltdown event thanks to Matt Wallner and Louie Varland. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

After making the second round of the postseason for the first time in 20 years, the Twins' offseason goal was to improve. This trade makes them worse. We can save our praise until (if?) it leads to something more. Image courtesy of © David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports The optimist's view of Monday night's trade (which sent Jorge Polanco to the Mariners) is that, for a somewhat expensive, potentially redundant, oft-injured but talented veteran infielder, the Twins are getting: A top 100 High-A prospect, An effective, high-to-medium-leverage reliever, A banged-up but formerly solid starting pitcher, and An intriguing throw-in prospect arm. That is solid value. That is the kind of value levelheaded front offices get for a player one or two years away from becoming a free agent. It is the move a smart front office makes. It is also the move a front office makes when "Plan A" goes out the window. There are numerous positive impacts. It allows them to ensure that Edouard Julien will play every day. The Twins will gain payroll room to spend on other players. If Byron Buxton can play in center field, it opens up a spot at designated hitter for a further signing. These are all positive effects, which is why the deal was made. The problem was that "Plan A" was to "make the 2024 team better." Finding a deal that made next year's team better has been Derek Falvey's repeatedly stated goal this offseason. It was the correct goal, given that this team showed they are already the cream of the AL Central, winning the division by nine games last year. After snapping an 0-18 postseason loss streak, the next step was to become a team favored in an ALDS matchup. That wasn't going to be easy. Losing Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda to free agency would be tough enough. Losing another $30-40 million in payroll due to a TV-and-streaming clusterfunderburk made things considerably harder. A slow-moving free agent market hasn't helped. Nor has the fact that some of the better trade candidates belong to other AL Central teams, who are cautious about making deals within the division. Finally, there have also been some unforced errors, like offering Kyle Farmer about $6 million via arbitration in the hopes he would still be in demand on the trade market after being tendered. Given all that, it isn't surprising that the Twins have fallen short of their stated goal this offseason. Still, given the objective of improving the team, this deal is a detour--a circumbendibus. It may be a deal a rebuilding team makes. It may be a deal that a re-shuffling team makes. It may be a deal that gives an organization the flexibility it needs in a tough situation to find deals that do make the team better. Maybe this is the one step backward before the two steps forward. I'm assured by Twins' sources that is the plan. Given this management team's knack for making big moves late in the offseason, they deserve that benefit of the doubt. But we can heap praise on those moves when they happen; there's no need to pre-celebrate any more than we need to pre-commiserate. This trade just made the 2024 Twins worse. What's your temperature about the deal this morning? What next step could make you feel better or worse about it? View full article

Aaron and John are joined on Twins Daily's 2024 Winter Meltdown stage by Minnesota Twins Louie Varland and Matt Wallner. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

This year, Twins fans from anywhere can grab some of the unique items at the Diamond Awards' Silent Auction. Here are our favorites. Every year, the night before Twins Fest – which is this Thursday night, the 25th – the Twins, the BBWAA, and the U of M Foundation throw the Diamond Awards, one of the highlights of the offseason. Everyone gets all dressed up, Twins players get awards from BBWAA writers, we celebrate the previous season, look forward to the next one, and contribute to fighting some really crummy neurological diseases. One of the features of the Diamond Awards is the silent auction, which includes some unique items for bidding, especially for Twins fans. But this year, you can bid on the items even if you’re not at the event! Here are a few that caught my eye. St. Paul Hotel and St. Paul Grill I mean, talk about doing St. Paul in style! You get a staycation night at the Executive King Guest Room at the St. Paul Hotel and a dinner at the St. Paul Grill. The rest of the day is yours. Maybe a Saints game? A Wild game? Opera at the Ordway? I trust you’ll figure something out. Twins Greats of the 60s Autographed Ball If you have an older Twins fan in your life, imagine giving them this treasure. Harmon Killebrew, Jim Kaat, Mudcat Grant, Zoilo Versailles – and plenty more. Talk about a great conversation starter. Weber Smokefire Stealth Edition and Cover I know baseball and grilling hot dogs go together, but this blacked-out wood pellet bad boy is just MADE – literally – to smoke briskets. Also, roast, steam, and even stir-fry. But if you want to stick with grilling some dogs, I’m not going to kink-shame you. Royce Lewis Autographed Jersey Are you on the Royce Lewis bandwagon? Of course you are, and given that he’s one of the players receiving an award at the event, most of Twins Territory is. But all of Twins Territory doesn't have an autographed jersey, do they? Aren’t you the savvy one? Champions Club Tickets Be closer to the action than the pitcher is. Literally. The front row of the Champions Club sits at field level and is just 50 feet from home plate - 10 feet closer than the mound. Plus, the comped buffet and drinks and luxury. Every Twins fan should do it once. That’s just a taste, and for the complete list, just follow this link. But hurry – the bidding stops when dinner is served, which is 7 PM CT on the 25th. You’re going to get some great stuff, support a great cause, and be a part of one of the premier events on the Twins’ calendar. Go get ‘em. View full article

We’ll have a couple of veterans and a rookie sponsor at this year’s Meltdown. Anyone who has attended any Twins Daily parties likely knows Sotastick. They’ve been providing unique designs revolving around Minnesota sports for the better part of a decade. Landon, Sotostick’s owner, will be at the Winter Meltdown with a booth of some our your favorite designs to ogle and purchase. They’ll also be providing giveaways for our raffle, for those who complete the Six of a Kind Baseball Trading Card challenge. You probably also know Fan HQ, either for their assortment of sports memorabilia or their memorable autograph signings. They’re also donating a gift for our social media giveaway, and it couldn’t be more timely: a Joe Mauer signed picture! We’ll also be joined by a newcomer: DJ’s Glove Repair. Its owner, Jimmy Lonetti, will have a table to provide minor repairs to baseball gloves or you can drop off your gloves to pick up at their South Minneapolis shop later. He’ll also have a nice selection of used gloves for sale and some vintage gloves for display. He’ll also be providing a $85 give certificate (the cost of a full re-lace) and a fully restored Tony Oliva glove for the raffles. The whole thing takes place over Twins Fest weekend, on Saturday, January 27th, 5-9 PM, at The Pourhouse, just three blocks from Target Field and Twins Fest. Every guest will get the brilliant 2024 Winter Meltdown pint glass, two complimentary Forgotten Star craft beers, and a Twins Daily matchbook. Besides our sponsors booths, guests will have activities like the Six of a Kind Baseball Trading Card game and the Last Fan standing game. But of course the big draw is going to be Louie Varland and Matt Wallner, our first ever active Twins players, stopping by for an interview and meet-and-greet with attendees. If that all sounds almost too great to be true, you’ll understand that tickets are limited and going fast. They are available exclusively to Twins Daily Caretakers, who get one ticket free and can also purchase up to three extra tickets for just $20 each. (Retail price is $60 apiece!) You can become a Twins Daily Caretaker for as low as $4 per month and enjoy exclusive content and benefits while supporting our writing team and community. Sign up here! Or, if you're already a Caretaker (or if you become one), look for your link and promo code at the end of this message. But don’t delay in grabbing your tickets as we may still run out! We still have one big announcement to make: who our special guest will be this year. So follow us on Twitter and Facebook for that big news, or stop by Twins Daily to hear all about it! View full article

The highlight of Twins Daily’s Winter Meltdown is undoubtedly the interviews with our special Twins’ guests, Louie Varland and Matt Wallner. But we’re going to keep you busy throughout the event. Today, we can announce two of our favorite activities will return. Six of a Kind Each attendee will receive six retro baseball cards when they enter. The goal is to trade with friend and strangers to get six players who have something in common: same team, same position, same pose, they all have facial hair, etc. Once they do they can trade them in for a raffle ticket. Especially difficult ones will get two raffle tickets. The raffle tickets will let you qualify for various prizes throughout the event, ranging from gift cards to bobbleheads. Last Fan Standing Every attendee will get a red and green card when they enter the event. Midway through the event we’ll play a trivia game in which each question has a true or false answer. As long as the attendee gets the answer correct, they get to keep standing and playing. If they get it wrong, they have to drop out. We keep going until we have a last fan standing to win a special prize. This is not a passive event. We’ll be mixing and mingling and talking Twins and hot stove all night long. It’s the one time our readers and writers and other local media members can all come together, so we want to make the most of it. You won’t want to miss it, so here are all the details: The event takes place Twins Fest weekend, on Saturday, January 27th, 5-9 PM, at The Pourhouse, just three blocks from Target Field and Twins Fest! Every guest will receive two complimentary Forgotten Star craft beers, including our Twins Daily/Forgotten Star Ale Central Champs Pale Ale! Every guest will get the brilliant 2024 Winter Meltdown pint glass designed by Brock Beauchamp. Every guest will get a Twins Daily matchbook. For the first time our special guests will be active Twins players! We’ll have special appearances by Louis Varland and Matt Wallner and other notable guests for Q&A sessions and handshakes. This year, we have limited tickets available, only 250 in total, and for now, they are exclusively for Twins Daily Caretakers. Caretakers get one ticket free and can also purchase up to three extra tickets for just $20 each. (Retail price is $60 apiece!) Become a Twins Daily Caretaker for as low as $4 per month and enjoy exclusive content, benefits, and support for our writing team and community. Sign up here! If you're already a Caretaker (or if you become one), look for your link and promo code at the end of this message. But don’t delay in grabbing your tickets as we may still run out! We’re STILL not done. Besides the activities and camaraderie, we’ll have some booths set up for sponsors that sports and especially baseball fans will want to visit. We’ll talk about those tomorrow, so follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more news, or stop by tomorrow to learn more. View full article

Aaron and John talk about Amazon getting involved in the Twins' uncertain TV situation, the clock ticking on an extremely inactive offseason, Joe Mauer on the verge of the Hall of Fame, the 2024 international prospect class, and revealing this year's Winter Meltdown guests. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. View full article

This year’s Winter Meltdown has yet another “first.” For the first time ever, our special guest isn’t going to be a Twins alum; we’ll have a current Twins player. In fact, we’ll have TWO of them. Two guests for the price of one. Plus, they’re current Twins. Plus … they’re homegrown! Yep, North St. Paul’s Louie Varland and Forest Lake’s Matt Wallner will be our special guests at the Winter Meltdown. Varland debuted with the Twins in September of 2022, starting versus the Yankees in Yankee Stadium, no less, and got his first strikeout versus Aaron Judge. (SMDH) Just 26 years old, he’s started 14 more games for the Twins since then, posting a 4.40 ERA and tallying 92K in 94 IP so far in his career. Wallner also debuted with the Twins last September, oddly enough in Varland’s second career start. He got his first hit in that game when he homered off of Shane Bieber. (SMDHv2) He’s also 26 years old, and has homered an additional 15 times since, with an OPS of 842. Both will be on stage and available to meet our guests on Saturday, January 27that The Pourhouse, just three blocks from Target Field and Twins Fest. Every guest will also get the brilliant 2024 Winter Meltdown pint glass, two complimentary Forgotten Star craft beers, and a Twins Daily matchbook. Plus, all the Hot Stove camaraderie you expect from a Twins Daily event. But there’s bad news, too. These tickets, which we hoped to sell for $60 apiece, will not be sold to the general public. We’ve given our Caretakers first shot, and they’re almost all gone already. However, you can still get them if you become a Twins Daily Caretaker, which will get you get one ticket free AND you can also purchase up to three extra tickets for just $20 each. It’s easy. Just sign up here for as low as $4 per month and enjoy exclusive content and benefits while supporting our writing team and community. Or, if you're already a Caretaker (or if you become one), look for your link and promo code at the end of this message. But don’t delay in grabbing your tickets as we may still run out! And get this – we’re STILL not done. Next week we’ll announce other activities and prizes for our Meltdown guests. So follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more news as it’s released. Plus, stop by Twins Daily for more stories next week! View full article

The potential deal between Amazon and Diamond Sports (which owns Bally Sports North) could mean more options for Twins fans this season and more money for the front office to spend this offseason. Image courtesy of © Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports What implications might the potential partnership between Amazon and Diamond (also known as Bally Sports Networks) hold for the Twins? While the full extent of the impact remains somewhat uncertain, it has the potential to be a game-changing development, benefiting both fans and the team's offseason plans. Let's delve into the backstory and engage in some informed speculation. First, a bit of background: The Twins had a $55-million-per-year TV/streaming agreement with Diamond that recently expired. However, the real issue was Diamond's financial instability, due to mishandling their plan to stream MLB teams' games within their markets. They initially restricted others from broadcasting the games, but then encountered problems while attempting to do so themselves, effectively preventing anyone from streaming the Twins' games. Consequently, many teams, including the Twins, sought to terminate Diamond's streaming rights. On the other hand, Bally Sports Networks, while willing to pay for TV rights, recognized the growing significance of streaming. This left the Twins without a suitable TV partner, with limited alternatives. The Twin Cities lacked another sports network, and over-the-air channels were bound by contractual obligations to network programming. While the Twins, MLB, or other local teams could potentially establish their own channel, Comcast was reluctant to charge subscribers for it, making it a very limited revenue source, relying only on advertising, a lot of which the Twins already enjoy with their broadcasts. Enter the informed speculation. The Amazon deal, in theory, serves two critical purposes. Firstly, it could alleviate Diamond's financial woes, taking them out of bankruptcy. Secondly, and perhaps more significantly, it brings in a minority owner with the expertise and resources needed to handle streaming successfully. This opens up the possibility of in-market games being available on Amazon Prime, making Diamond a viable partner once more for both TV and streaming rights. However, there's still one hurdle to overcome. Unlike most MLB teams, the Twins no longer have an existing agreement with Diamond, given that it expired this year. But it's reasonable to assume that negotiations for a new deal may have already been part of the discussions during this process. How soon that is all resolved is the biggest remaining question. In summary, it appears likely that the Twins will find a home on Bally Sports Networks next year, and their games in-market could become accessible via Amazon Prime - with a subscription, of course. This arrangement might also pave the way for the team to recoup a significant portion of the $55 million in revenue that seemed lost. This, in turn, could translate into a potential increase in payroll. Time is not on the Twins' side, but there's a window here. In fact, it raises the intriguing possibility that several notable free agents, including starting pitchers like Jordan Montgomery (who played for the Rangers, who were also affected) and Blake Snell (who played for the Padres, ditto), may have been patiently waiting for this development to bolster some teams' offseason payroll plans. View full article

You already have plenty of reasons to join us all at the Winter Meltdown: the camaraderie, the free brilliant pint glass, the Twins Daily/Forgotten Star collaborative beer, and the special guest that we’ll announce soon. I mean, tickets are nearly sold out already. So why did we add a book of matches as a giveaway? To be honest, I'm not totally sure. Maybe it's because we get excited, sometimes? Maybe it's because old-school stuff, like matchbooks and The Metrodome, seem cooler as we get older? Whatever. In any case, every attendee will also get a free Twins Daily matchbook, and attending The Meltdown is the ONLY way you’re going to be able to get them, so let’s go through the details again. We’ll rally on Saturday, January 27th, 5-9 PM, at The Pourhouse, just three blocks from Target Field and Twins Fest! Every guest will receive two complimentary Forgotten Star craft beers, including our Twins Daily/Forgotten Star Ale Central Champs Pale Ale! Every guest will get the brilliant 2024 Winter Meltdown pint glass designed by Brock Beauchamp. Every guest will get a Twins Daily matchbook. We’ll have special appearances by Twins alumni and other notable guests for Q&A sessions and handshakes. This year, we have limited tickets available, only 250 in total, and for now, they are exclusively for Twins Daily Caretakers. Caretakers get one ticket free and can also purchase up to three extra tickets for just $20 each. (Retail price is $60 apiece!) Become a Twins Daily Caretaker for as low as $4 per month and enjoy exclusive content, benefits, and support for our writing team and community. Sign up here! If you're already a Caretaker (or if you become one), look for your link and promo code at the end of this message. But don’t delay in grabbing your tickets ASAP as we may still run out! But even the matchbook doesn’t finish the reasons to join us. There are still more to come as we inch towards announcing our special guest! So follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more news as it’s released. Plus, stop by Twins Daily for more stories later this week! View full article

It’s been a big year for our team and for Twins Daily, so we’re celebrating by brewing our first-ever beer! We collaborated with Forgotten Star on a Ale Central Champ Pale Ale. That’s right – you can now drink a Twins Daily beer! It’s a classic American Pale Ale brewed with a traditional West Coast hop profile, featuring a slightly bitter taste with a hint of honey sweetness.It’s perfect for counting down the days until Pitchers and Catchers report. (30 days.) You’ll be able to drink it as one of your two free beers at the Winter Meltdown, but you don’t have to wait that long. It’s available NOW at Forgotten Star! Forgotten Star is also providing another beer for the Winter Meltdown, their Northstar Cream Ale. You can sip them out of your free Winter Meltdown Pint Glass, while rubbing elbows with Twins alumni and special guests, or just talking Hot Stove with hundreds of other Twins’ fans. This is THE event of the offseason for Twins fans and we want you there. Here, again, are the details: We’ll rally on Saturday, January 27th, 5-9 PM, at The Pourhouse, just three blocks from Target Field and Twins Fest! Every guest will receive two complimentary Forgotten Star craft beers, including our Twins Daily/Forgotten Star Ale Central Champs Pale Ale! Every guest will get the brilliant 2024 Winter Meltdown pint glass designed by Brock Beauchamp. We’ll have special appearances by Twins alumni and other notable guests for Q&A sessions and handshakes. This year, we have limited tickets available, only 250 in total, and for now, they are exclusively for Twins Daily Caretakers. Caretakers get one ticket free and can also purchase up to three extra tickets for just $20 each. (Retail price is $60 apiece!) Become a Twins Daily Caretaker for as low as $4 per month and enjoy exclusive content, benefits, and support for our writing team and community. Sign up here! If you're already a Caretaker (or if you become one), look for your link and promo code at the end of this message. But don’t delay in grabbing your tickets as we may still run out! We’re still not done, by the way. Tomorrow, we’ll announce a new free giveaway for anyone who attends. So follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more news as it’s released. We’ll see you tomorrow! View full article