How Would a Cancelled 2020 Season Impact the Twins?

[Nash Walker]

There seems to be hope between MLB and the MLBPA that there will be a season in 2020. At this point, with millions of Americans on lockdown and or staying home to combat COVID-19, there is still the real fear of a cancelled season. How would that impact the Twins?Thad Levine and Derek Falvey went out this offseason looking for “impact” players to add to a 101-win, division winning club from 2019. It began with courting free agent starting pitchers and finished with the signing of Josh Donaldson and trade for Kenta Maeda.

 

The general focus was on veterans that can help right now. Tyler Clippard, 35, was inked for one season. Sergio Romo, 37, is set to return on a one-year deal with a club option. Alex Avila, 33, replaced a slightly younger Jason Castro. Donaldson, 34, signed the largest contract in franchise history. Maeda, who turns 32 in April, has pitched in 24 postseason games. Homer Bailey could’ve just signed his last major league contract as he nears his 34th birthday.

 

The outstanding 40-year-old Rich Hill says he signed with the Twins because he believes he can help them win the World Series right now. Those pieces, added to a roster that contains soon-to-be fellow 40-year-old Nelson Cruz, suggest that the Twins have built themselves for this October.

 

MLB and the MLBPA have agreed that if there is any form of a season in 2020 that players will be granted a full year of service time. For example, if only, say, 60 games are played, Cruz, Clippard, Avila, Hill, Bailey, Jake Odorizzi, Marwin González, Trevor May, and Ehire Adrianza will still become free agents after the season.

 

But what happens if the season is cancelled? Well, the same thing. Ken Rosenthal reported that the agreement says players will receive the same amount of service time they gained in 2019 in the event of a cancelled 2020 season. So that list of Twins free agents will still hit the market next winter. The core will be mostly intact, but the supplementary pieces will have a chance to test the market.

 

You don’t have to look far to see how this hurts the Twins. This is perhaps the best lineup they’ve ever assembled. After hitting a major league record 307 home runs a season ago, they added another premier slugger and star in Donaldson. The 2019 bullpen ranked first in fWAR (4.8) after the All-Star break and brought aboard Clippard, who has pitched well against both righties and lefties for 13 years. The rotation, while still the weakness of this loaded roster, figures to be solid once again with All-Stars José Berríos and Odorizzi welcoming Maeda into the mix. The stars have aligned.

 

A cancelled season would be catastrophic to the economy, popularity and growth of baseball. It would also strip a peaking Twins team of their chance to bring the World Series trophy back to Minneapolis. The Twins are set up to have sustained success for hopefully many years, but the 2020 club is special right now. The window is open, and with the improving White Sox coming soon, now is the best time for that special run. Let’s hope the Twins get the opportunity to do it.

 

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

[Bandit34]

Right now it looks very likely that the season will be cancelled. 

[strumdatjaguar]

A more optimistic but realistic view would have the virus becoming seasonal and under control by May, and then the season starting sometime around Memorial Day. I would suggest starting the season with the All-Star Game on Memorial Day. Add a memorial for health care workers who died fighting this pandemic. During the usual All-Star Break, add some regular season games to balance schedules (priority to evening out home and away games). Otherwise, play put the season as scheduled. Some teams will have easier schedules, by that happens in Big Ten Footbsll every year.

[jjswol]

A year with no baseball hurts everyone from the fans, players, stadium and concession workers and ownership but the teams that have a shot to win it all are probably the most severely impacted. Teams like the Twins were built for a serious run in 2020 and if no baseball is played the FA's move on and the other players get another year older. Baseball careers are relatively short anyway and losing a year is a serious blow. Teams that had no shot don't walk away unscathed either as the players that they are counting on to improve by playing the game will be sitting and watching. It will be a lose/lose for everyone but life is not always fair and we have to play the cards we are dealt. We will have to wait and see what the future brings.

[Doctor Gast]

I believe there will be a season this year. When the weather become warmer the COVID 19 will become weaker & can be fought off by those that are most susceptible. Treatment will be soon approved by the time it get cold again.  The season must go on even if they control attendance from limited to none, becoming mainly dependent on TV revenues.  I stated before how the schedule could be adjusted to accommodate the delay

[Mr. Brooks]

I believe there will be a season this year. When the weather become warmer the COVID 19 will become weaker & can be fought off by those that are most susceptible. Treatment will be soon approved by the time it get cold again. The season must go on even if they control attendance from limited to none, becoming mainly dependent on TV revenues. I stated before how the schedule could be adjusted to accommodate the delay

As far as I've read/heard, they don't know yet whether the summer weather will affect Covid19.

[LeatherAntenna]

Warm weather and the virus- what I’ve read is that some viruses don’t seem to be hurt by warm weather, and they don’t know about this one yet.  But it is generally believed that all viruses swell in warmer air which can then hamper transmission to a host.  

[twinstalker]

Well, if the treatment is as efficacious as what we've come up with for the flu and pneumonia, I wouldn't pin your hopes it making a big difference.  We'll all be lined up in September 2021 for our vaccine.  Let's hope, anyway.

[SomeGuy]

Offseason trades are an interesting topic if the season is cancelled.  Teams acquiring major league talent with the intention of winning in 2020 got hosed (luckily the Twins had multiple seasons in mind with their big trade).

 

Remember when the Red Sox were laughed at for the Betts trade. It is looking like an absolute steal now.

 

If the season is canceled, The Dodgers gave Alex Verdugo, Jeter Down, Conner Wong and took on about 75M for the 35 and 36 year old seasons of David Price.