Notebook: How Food Was a Factor In Cruz's Re-Signing; What's Next After Colomé?

[Matthew Taylor]

It was an eventful day in Minnesota Twins Territory after the signing of Alex Colomé. What’s next? Which former Twins pitcher ripped the team's signings today? Find out in today’s Twins Daily Notebook.Twins Sign Colomé

 

The biggest news item of the day today was the Minnesota Twins signing former Chicago White Sox closer, Alex Colomé to a one-year, $5M deal with a mutual option for a second year.

 

 

Minnesota Twins fans were all over Twitter voicing their excitement for the move, such as Twins Daily writer, Ted Schwerzler, who gave the Twins an “A” for their offseason after adding the right hander:

 

 

Be sure to check out Twins Daily’s story on the Alex Colomé signing and watch the Offseason Live show with Nick Nelson, David Youngs and myself when we broke down the signing and discussed much more.

 

What’s Next?

 

After making two giant additions in Nelson Cruz and Alex Colomé, the thing that all Twins fans want to know is ... what’s next?

 

 

Currently the Twins have ~$125M in committed salaries, right around the payroll that we expected them to have heading into the season. Are the Twins done making moves or should they sign someone else?

 

Darren Wolfson says that they are done making splashes, but potentially the door could still be open to bring back Jake Odorizzi.

 

 

Dan Hayes thinks they still have some payroll to play with to add a reliever and potentially a fifth starter

 

 

What moves would you like to see the Twins make next?

 

Selling Point for Nelson Cruz Re-Signing with Minnesota was ... the Food?

 

 

While the $13M and the comfort with Minnesota was enticing for Nelson Cruz, the final selling point in bringing back Cruz ended up being the Twins adding Cruz’s personal chef to the gameday staff.

 

Maybe the Twins can add Jake Odorizzi’s butler to the gameday staff and lockdown a deal with the former Twins right hander as well?

 

Former Minnesota Twins Pitcher Slams Minnesota’s Offseason Additions

 

 

Casey Fien pitched out of the bullpen for the Minnesota Twins from 2012-16 before being DFA’d by the Twins in May of 2016. Fien fired off a few different tweets criticizing the Twins today, most notably this tweet calling out the Twins for signing players who were suspended for performance enhancing drugs.

 

Evidently Casey Fien did not leave the Twins on great terms and has burned some bridges since leaving Minnesota.

 

Joakim Soria Signs with Arizona

 

Prior to signing Alex Colomé, many thought that Oakland A’s reliever, Joakim Soria, could have been a good fit for the Twins. It was announced today that Soria signed a one-year deal for ~$4M. Though the Twins had some interest in Soria, the right hander was committed to signing with the D-Backs.

 

 

Twins Get Approval for Fans at Spring Training

 

 

We heard there was a good chance that there would be Twins fans able to attend Spring Training games this year, now we have confirmation as Seth Kaplan confirmed that Hammond Stadium will be at 28% capacity for Spring Training for the Twins. Depending on how things go, that could be a primer for limited capacity games at Target Field this summer.

 

SEE ALSO

 

2021 Winter Meltdown Pint Glasses on Sale Now

Did Nelson Cruz Start To Decline at the End of 2020?

BREAKING: Twins Agree with DH Nelson Cruz on One-Year Deal

 

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[flpmagikat]

Granted, I'm biased because the steroid issue isn't that important to me. But what point is he trying to make by pointing out the Twins players that have been suspended for PED's? I mean, yes they were suspended, and served the suspensions and dealt with the repercussions that are written in the rules. Is this another unwritten rule, that any player ever suspended for PED's be blacklisted? 

[Seansy]

Hoping for Clippard at ~3M and would be thrilled if Odo came back.

[h2oface]

-Michael Pineda 2yr-20M (still has 39 games left on his suspension)

 

Was it steriods though? No. It was Hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic. And I guess Casey missed last season altogether. It was a strange season, but Pineda served his suspension. But yeah, Casey, most teams don't really care about the past suspensions, and the Twins are one of them, if the man has proven character, and they can perform. 

 

Twitter is the plague. 

[rv78]

Sign Paxton and push Dobnak to long reliever. Maeda, Berrios, Pineda, Happ and Paxton would be great!

[HrbieFan]

I believe Pineda was suspended for a weight loss drug, not roids.

 

Great couple day for the Twins and I'm shocked they got Colome at that price. Wonder if they could still get a SP with good upside for $6-8m?

[srlarson]

guessing if they can get Odo for 10mil would keep salaries manageable...and lock in another started.  1 yr deal....maybe a mutual option.  

[Trov]

Adding personal chef to staff will go down as one of those odd contract requirements.  We see things all the time, but that being the deciding factor will be odd one.  I get it, for someone at his age to have the right food to stay in playing shape is needed.  Not every person is the same, and the sports have learned that over the years.  

[4twinsJA]

Would love to see another quality SP and affordable RP, can't have too much pitching. Twins should have some pitchers ready to contribute in minors, looking forward to seeing who steps up and breaks through.

[saviking]

If Colome was final piece I'm okay with that ..

[LanceJS]

If there is nothing else, this was a good offseason.  Hoping to bring back Odorizzi to top it off...

[se7799]

Great news about spring training. Really hoping to get tickets. Been going 8 years now. Best time of the year.

[Shaitan]

 

Granted, I'm biased because the steroid issue isn't that important to me. But what point is he trying to make by pointing out the Twins players that have been suspended for PED's? I mean, yes they were suspended, and served the suspensions and dealt with the repercussions that are written in the rules. Is this another unwritten rule, that any player ever suspended for PED's be blacklisted? 

 

Apparently he endorses collusion.

[nicksaviking]

I hope like last year there's a trade coming for another starter; this team still has too many corner bats and most of them have good to great value. I'd be willing to say a painful farewell to some prospects for a German Marquez or Luis Castillo, neither of whom have contracts the Twins can't still afford to fit into the budget. 

 

If there's no trade, I still bet they follow last year's pattern and get an under-the-radar free agent arm or two to add depth and compete with Dobnak. Leake, Samardzjia, Hamels, Cahill, Porcello, Arrieta or Fiers probably will be getting pretty small contracts and would play the Hill and Bailey roll from last year. Of course those moves are always met with mixed reactions. Some fans like to have that depth, others would prefer to just give the 5th spot to someone already on the roster.