Twins

On March 19th, the Twins officially announced the signing of reliever Joe Smith to a one-year deal. It was the quintessential Derek Falvey acquisition. The team ignored declining velocity, instead choosing to bank on Smith’s historic consistency—a consistency that stems from his unique traits that fly in the face of the modern velocity obsession—to carry him for one more season. It may be only one move, but the signing, on top of a handful of other moves by the front office, signals a divergence away from the general baseball consensus and may define the team’s future.

More than any season in recent memory, this one strikes me as the most unpredictable when it comes to the Opening Day roster. That’s partly because another pitching move should be coming, and the rosters have expanded, but the suitors for bench roles remain up in the air.

In an offseason that saw the Twins reel in their biggest-ticket free agent ever, the most important move they made came from within: extending Byron Buxton long-term and securing the most talented, athletic player in franchise history.

Center field is in good hands, with the usual caveats.

Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr, Chipper Jones, Bryce Harper, Joe Mauer, Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis. What do all of these players have in common? They were all first overall picks in the MLB Draft. Of this group, there is one Twins legend, one current Twin superstar, and one Twin of the future.

Despite rumors linking Johnny Cueto to the Twins last week, Minnesota pivoted to former Tampa Bay Rays starter Chris Archer. Inking him to a one-year pact, the Twins now have numerically rounded out their rotation... at least for now.

Minnesota's Opening Day roster has shifted dramatically since spring training began. Now, the team is honing in on the 28 players that will come north with the club. 

One year ago, the Twins decided to move on from their longtime fixture in left field, Eddie Rosario. The team's first season in his absence did not feature much stability at the position.

In 2022, the Twins will try to clarify the future in left, which remains fairly murky at the moment – albeit with some quality options in place.

The Twins may have put the finishing touches on their rotation on Monday, agreeing to terms with veteran right-hander Chris Archer on a one-year deal.

Can the two-time All-Star rediscover his game?

The Minnesota Twins selected Trevor Larnach with the 20th overall pick in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. He was coveted for his big bat with noted exit velocity surplus. That’s played in the minors, and we got just a glimpse last season. Now, it’s time for the real thing to show itself.

Aaron and John recap all thing Carlos Correa, wonder if help is still coming for the Twins' rotation, and discuss other notes from spring training. You can listen by downloading us from iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, iHeartRadio or find it at GleemanAndTheGeek.com. Or just click this link. 

Twins fans want to see Byron Buxton, Jorge Polanco, and Carlos Correa as much as possible. All three figure into the team's plans for the top of the order.

In the beginning, there was nothing. Then, there was everything.

So goes the story of the shortstop position in Minnesota over the course of the past offseason. It was a barren void until the Twins stunningly filled it with one of the biggest superstars in the game. The definition of a game-changer.