Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey and basic supervisor Thad Levine have been in place for six years now. The workforce has a successful document beneath their management, however the final two seasons have resulted in disappointment, with the Twins lacking the postseason by a large margin regardless of heading into the 12 months as projected contenders. They’ll enter the offseason with a considerable amount of payroll area, although that’s due partly to final winter’s marquee signing opting out of his contract.
Assured Contracts
- Byron Buxton, OF: $90MM by means of 2028 ($15MM base wage can improve to $23MM yearly based mostly on MVP voting)
- Max Kepler, OF: $9.5MM by means of 2023 (consists of $1MM buyout of $10MM membership possibility for 2024)
- Jorge Polanco, 2B: $8.5MM by means of 2023 (consists of $1MM buyout of $10.5MM membership possibility for 2024; contract additionally accommodates $12MM membership possibility for 2025)
- Randy Dobnak, RHP: $7.75MM by means of 2025 (consists of $1MM buyout of $6MM membership possibility for 2026; contract additionally accommodates $7MM membership possibility for 2026, $8.5MM membership possibility for 2027)*
- Kenta Maeda, RHP: $3.125MM by means of 2023 (can earn as much as $10MM of incentives based mostly on video games began, innings pitched)
*=Dobnak is within the group however not on the 40-man roster
Complete 2023 dedication: $35.625MM
Complete long-term outlay: $118.875MM
Choice Choices
Arbitration-Eligible Gamers (service time in parentheses; projections by way of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
Free Brokers
The Twins’ first order of enterprise will likely be figuring out whether or not they have a legit likelihood to retain Carlos Correa, who’s already stated he’ll decide out of the remaining two years and $70.2MM on his contract. The one long-term dedication of notice on the books is Byron Buxton’s $15MM annual wage by means of the 2028 season, leaving loads of room for the Twins to place forth a market-value provide with what can be the primary $30MM+ annual wage in membership historical past.
The query, after all, is whether or not the entrance workplace feels it’s smart to take action and whether or not proprietor Jim Pohlad will green-light that franchise-record expenditure. For his half, Correa has effused reward for the Twins since day one. He’s since stated on document a number of occasions that his household enjoys residing there and that he personally “loves” supervisor Rocco Baldelli and the clubhouse atmosphere.
Pleasantries are all properly and good this time of 12 months, however Correa has additionally made clear that he’s looking for a long-term deal and can once more turn out to be a free agent if the 2 events can not conform to an extension. Falvey has stated on document that the Twins have talked contract with agent Scott Boras because the season ended, additionally expressing a willingness to “get inventive” on a deal. Cynics would counsel that’s corporate-speak implying the Twins aren’t ready to supply an easy long-term pact, but it surely was a considerably “inventive” provide that introduced Correa to Minneapolis within the first place. He nonetheless appears more likely to take a look at the market, however the Twins have one other couple weeks to persuade him to remain.
If Correa certainly opts out and indicators elsewhere, the Twins will likely be left with a gap at shortstop but in addition a heaping quantity of payroll area. All 4 of their membership possibility choices are straightforward to decipher. Miguel Sano, Dylan Bundy and Chris Archer will likely be purchased out, and all are more likely to signal elsewhere. Sonny Grey’s $12.5MM membership possibility is a no brainer to train. In a state of affairs the place Correa departs and Grey is picked up, the Twins can have round $50MM dedicated to subsequent 12 months’s books.
There are arbitration-eligible gamers to think about, however that’ll solely add one other $30MM or so to the ledger. The Twins opened the 2022 season with a payroll within the neighborhood of $142MM, however even with Grey returning and solely a handful of non-tenders, they’ll clock in round $80-82MM in commitments. Even when 2022’s Opening Day mark is about as a agency ceiling — which it doubtless will not be — the entrance workplace has loads of monetary freedom this winter.
The place can the Twins reallocate these sources? Frankly, nearly wherever. The lineup has few ensures, although that’s usually as a consequence of flexibility afforded by key younger gamers.
Luis Arraez spent a big chunk of time at first base this season and gained a batting title within the course of, however he can play second base, third base and even some left area if wanted. Rookie Jose Miranda additionally hung out at first base, however he rose by means of the system as a 3rd baseman and will man the recent nook if the Twins want to commerce Gio Urshela and go together with Miranda/Arraez on the corners. Doing so might carry again some bullpen assist or a good minor league asset and unencumber one other $9MM or so.
If Correa doesn’t return, the Twins can flip shortstop over to former No. 1 general choose Royce Lewis, although he’s rehabbing a second tear of his proper ACL and thus shouldn’t be thought of a lock to deal with shortstop from the soar (if in any respect). Lewis is one other candidate to play a number of positions in some unspecified time in the future and will achieve this as quickly as subsequent 12 months, relying on which course the Twins chart.
If Minnesota isn’t prepared to pay top-of-the-market cash for the marquee shortstop they already know and love, Correa, it stands to motive that fellow free agent Trea Turner will likely be out of their consolation zone. However each Xander Bogaerts and Dansby Swanson will likely be free brokers this winter, and whereas each determine to command nine-figure contracts, they’ll doubtless be cheaper than Turner and Correa. Barring one other splash within the deep finish of the free-agent pool, the Twins might look to a shorter-term veteran like Elvis Andrus or Jose Iglesias to assist ease Lewis into a bigger position.
There’s related flexibility and uncertainty within the outfield. Byron Buxton stays one of the proficient gamers in MLB on a per-game foundation but in addition one of the oft-injured. He hit 28 homers in simply 92 video games however missed time with a hip pressure earlier than present process season-ending knee surgical procedure in September. Max Kepler has been a stalwart in proper area, and his pull-happy method might make him a beneficiary of the forthcoming limitations on infield shifts. Nonetheless, Kepler has by no means replicated the fly-ball charges (and subsequent energy output) he confirmed within the juiced-ball 2019 season that noticed him membership 36 residence runs. With only one assured 12 months to go on his contract (plus an possibility), he may very well be a commerce candidate because the Twins look to open area for youthful gamers.
Amongst these youthful choices are snakebitten nook outfielders Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach. Each are former first-rounders and consensus top-50 prospects within the league, however each have seen their early careers waylaid by damage. Kirilloff, who’s twice undergone wrist surgical procedure, was significantly touted. That duo can play the corners, and Kirilloff has loads of expertise at first base as properly, additional including to the aforementioned infield flexibility. Twin Cities native and former No. 39 general draft choose Matt Wallner is one other proper area possibility who made his massive league debut in 2022 and will issue into subsequent 12 months’s group.
If the Twins do commerce Kepler, there’s an argument that they ought to usher in a unique veteran to stabilize/complement the in-house group — ideally a right-handed hitter. Probably the most wide-eyed dreamers amongst Twins followers can level to the payroll area and final March’s beautiful Correa deal as justification for an “something is feasible” mentality, however Aaron Choose is scarcely price a point out right here. Nonetheless, a short-term veteran might at the very least be in play as an occasional left fielder and designated hitter, relying on what occurs with Kepler.
Behind the plate, the Twins stay excessive on Ryan Jeffers’ receiving and his energy, however Falvey has particularly talked about bringing in one other backstop to once more make the most of a “co-catcher” technique that divides enjoying time extra evenly than the standard starter/backup pairing. As Falvey plainly famous, Jeffers was significantly adept towards left-handed pitching.
The Twins haven’t labeled the still-25-year-old Jeffers a pure platoon possibility, however they’ll need somebody who will help out towards right-handed pitching. This 12 months’s free-agent class isn’t a fantastic one in that regard, although Omar Narvaez has a pleasant monitor document towards righties regardless of a down displaying in 2022. Willson Contreras, the market’s high catcher, would bolster the offense towards righties and lefties alike, and the Twins at the very least have the payroll capability to make them a dark-horse touchdown spot. The commerce market can have choices starting from clear starters (Oakland’s Sean Murphy, Toronto’s Danny Jansen) to out-of-options fliers (the Angels’ Matt Thaiss).
The depth on the pitching workers is extra suspect. Twins starters ranked twentieth within the Majors with a 4.11 ERA and twenty seventh with 782 2/3 innings in 2022. A few of that was by design, at the very least early on. For example, Minnesota inked Chris Archer to an incentive-laden deal that allowed him to spice up his wage based mostly on video games began and outings of three or extra innings in size. The plan was to ease him into the 12 months with brief outings and construct him up, however Archer by no means constructed as much as the workload the workforce envisioned. Rotation-mate and fellow offseason signee Dylan Bundy had averaged beneath 5 1/3 innings per begin from 2019-21 and averaged beneath 5 innings per begin with the Twins in ’22. He doubtless was by no means seen as a possible workhorse.
That method positioned undue stress on a bullpen that, past breakout arms Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, had few alternate options for a lot of the season. The Twins swung what appeared like one of many higher offers of the deadline, bringing in All-Star reliever Jorge Lopez from the Orioles, however Lopez struggled enormously along with his command following the swap and wasn’t in a position to replicate his Baltimore kind.
We don’t want a full breakdown of what went fallacious for the Twins’ workers for the needs of outlining the forthcoming offseason. The tip-of-season outcomes — twentieth in rotation ERA/twenty seventh in innings; fifteenth in bullpen ERA/third in innings — are telling. For the Twins to treatment issues in 2022, they’ll want extra innings and extra high quality from the rotation and/or a deeper and extra proficient bullpen to assist offset the dearth of innings from the beginning workers.
Returning to the 2022 rotation would be the aforementioned Grey and right-hander Joe Ryan, who dubiously led Twins pitchers with 147 innings. Each have been robust mid-rotation arms, although Grey was hampered by hamstring accidents that restricted him to 119 2/3 innings. Kenta Maeda may also be healed from Tommy John surgical procedure, and Minnesota will hope for higher well being from deadline acquisition Tyler Mahle, for whom they surrendered three prospects in a take care of the Reds.
Mahle, like Grey, was an above-average starter with the Reds previous to his acquisition and was significantly efficient away from the homer-happy confines of Cincinnati’s Nice American Ball Park. He hit the injured record with a “minor” shoulder pressure in July, returned to make two stable outings previous to the deadline, and landed in Minnesota as a hopeful rotation increase down the stretch. As a substitute, he twice went again on the injured record with shoulder troubles and made solely 4 whole begins as a Twin. Falvey has stated because the season ended that Mahle “has been evaluated past the standard MRI” and that the workforce believes the pressure led to some weak spot in Mahle’s rotator cuff. The expectation is that he’ll be wholesome in 2023.
A wholesome quartet of Ryan, Grey, Mahle and Maeda can be a stable begin to any workers, and the Twins have some in-house choices to affix them. Righties Bailey Ober, Josh Winder and Simeon Woods Richardson have all pitched within the Majors — Ober extensively so, relationship again to a quietly stable rookie effort in 2021. Winder missed time in 2022 as a consequence of shoulder troubles however was a top-100 prospect previous to this 12 months’s debut and at occasions appeared fairly spectacular. Woods Richardson had a promising 12 months within the higher minors and made his MLB debut within the season’s closing week. Prime prospect Jordan Balazovic had a misplaced season, spending a month on the shelf with a knee pressure and struggling for almost all of the Triple-A marketing campaign thereafter.
Twins followers will name for the workforce to pursue a front-line starter, however the actuality is that consecutive poor finishes makes that a much more troublesome job. Veterans Justin Verlander and Jacob deGrom will doubtless prioritize signing with extra clearly outlined contenders. Lefty Carlos Rodon can be a extra possible goal if the Twins are prepared to dole out their first nine-figure pitching contract in franchise historical past, however he ought to clear the Kevin Gausman (5 years, $110MM) and Robbie Ray (5 years, $115MM) contracts — maybe by a large margin.
Proper-hander Kodai Senga, ace of Nippon Skilled Baseball’s SoftBank Hawks, will pursue MLB alternatives this offseason, too, however the competitors for him will likely be fierce. The market does function plenty of stable second-tier choices, with Chris Bassitt, Nathan Eovaldi, Mike Clevinger, Noah Syndergaard and Tyler Anderson amongst them.
Within the bullpen, the Twins will hope Duran, Lopez and Jax can pair with lefties Caleb Thielbar and Jovani Moran to anchor the late innings. Onerous-throwing righty Jorge Alcala missed practically the entire season with an elbow situation however is anticipated again in ’23. It’s a proficient group that appears much better than the unit that they had early in 2022, however after usually eschewing veteran additions a 12 months in the past (save for a one-year flier on Joe Smith, who was launched over the summer time), the Twins ought to place extra of an emphasis on including stability. Minnesota’s lack of depth was uncovered in 2022 when Tyler Duffey declined and commerce pickup Emilio Pagan recurrently proved unreliable, regardless of persistent alternatives (due largely to stated lack of depth). The latter now appears more likely to be traded or non-tendered following a disastrous 12 months.
The one multi-year free agent deal the present entrance workplace has given to a reliever is Addison Reed’s two-year, $16.75MM deal, and that was six years in the past. In truth, so far as I can inform, that’s the one multi-year deal given to a free-agent reliever by the Twins because the flip of the century (although they’ve prolonged in-house star closers like Joe Nathan and Glen Perkins).
In different phrases, don’t count on this workforce to interrupt the financial institution for Edwin Diaz. If the Twins need to break that multi-year development, the highest names with an opportunity at three- and two-year offers embrace Robert Suarez, Kenley Jansen and (extra quietly) Rafael Montero. Extra realistically, the Twins will bide their time and wait out the marketplace for relievers open to one-year offers. That technique has backfired just lately (Smith, Alex Colome) however paid off at occasions prior to now (Tyler Clippard).
Few groups in baseball have as a lot cash coming off the books because the Twins this winter, and so they might additional add to that stockpile of sources by buying and selling a veteran they really feel they will substitute internally (e.g. Kepler, Urshela). That ought to give the Twins the monetary latitude to pursue nearly any endeavor they select, and at the very least so far as the lineup goes, they’re deep in younger choices.
This model of the Minnesota entrance workplace has usually eschewed long-term commitments in free company, with Josh Donaldson’s four-year deal marking the one time they’ve signed a free agent for greater than three years. Given the clear payroll outlook, a robust free-agent class and mounting strain to return to competition within the AL Central, it’s debatable that this offseason is the time to deviate from that risk-averse method.