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On the latest Gleeman and the Geek Parker Hageman noted that, in talking with a Twins official, the feel in the clubhouse is decidedly different in 2019. It’s one thing for that to be the case when you have the best record in baseball, but the reality for this team is that this is how things have been from the beginning. In constructing this roster Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were both calculated and decisive, but maybe there was more to it than a talent overhaul.
From an internal standpoint the two linchpins have long been Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. Buxton was the guy who put in all the effort and had plenty of hurdles placed in his way. Sano was the talented slugger that looked to rely on that alone. Byron went home and got his confidence back. Miguel put in work and looked to commit for the first time in his career. From the two guys most necessary on the roster, the front office got the buy in they desperately needed.
In looking at the external additions there seems to be a common theme. Blake Parker was non-tendered by the Angels as was Brewers second basemen Jonathan Schoop. C.J. Cron was DFA’d by the Rays. Ryne Harper was a 30-year-old minor league journeyman, and Matt Magill was an unproven commodity. All five of these players began the 2019 season on the 25-man roster, and it seemed to lead to the desired outcome.
The trio of former big leaguers had all seen previous success. Parker worked in a high leverage closer role the season before, Cron was coming off a career high in homers, and Schoop was once an All-Star at an offensively starved position. Feeling snubbed could be a motivating factor for each of them, but it would be coming through the lens of a team that believed in their resurgence and wanted them on board.
A season ago Minnesota was able to land veterans Lance Lynn and Logan Morrison on friendly pacts with the market scrutinizing their value. The snub there likely had the players feeling a level of frustration toward potential suitors, all while missing out on valuable ramp-up time in Spring Training. Those emotions of discontentment spilling over into the clubhouse or regular season would be an understandable thing to grasp. In a free agency redo prior to 2019, the group brought in represented a different narrative and could likely feel an immediate sense of buy-in regarding their individual abilities.
There’s plenty of reason to be weary of unproven commodities, and both Magill and Harper represent that category. Neither of them had seen a high level of big-league success, and in a bullpen that was going to include question marks, counting on both was a big ask. That again was a level of buy-in shown by the front office that could certainly be responsible for fueling the 2019 production. Both have been backed by vocal support and have been put in position to succeed.
In recent seasons it has been hard to tab the “leader” of Minnesota’s clubhouse. Paul Molitor wasn’t seen as that presence and Joe Mauer wasn’t necessary cut of that cloth. Brian Dozier was always the guy, but it wasn’t ever a role for which he seemed destined. Now it’s hard to examine that clubhouse from afar and not assume that the room is made up almost entirely of leaders. Nelson Cruz is a strong veteran presence, and perspective is offered by some of the acquired talent. Kyle Gibson has done important work to take a stand, and the developed talent are all carrying their individual loads.
Juggling a room of personalities is never going to be an easy ask in any situation and creating the right infrastructure will always be the desired goal. Rocco Baldelli appears to be the empowering leader, and his staff looks to play the part of a collaborative group. From the day the front office was changed over, it is that collaboration word that became a tag line. Although it took a couple of years for them to reinvent the wheel in the organization it appears now that we’ve come full circle.
The Twins are winning and it’s a ton of fun, both for fans and those in the room. We can sit here and assume that the cohesiveness and leadership followed the results, or we can assume that, more than likely, it’s a driving factor in getting the ball rolling.
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