Twins

If you've been following mock drafts at all over the last couple of the months, Jacob Berry, a switch-hitter from LSU, is a name that you're familiar with. Let's take a look at both why the Twins might draft him and also why they might not.

The Twins Injured List continues to grow as the season rolls on as they’re now missing several important contributors who hopefully haven’t made their last marks on this 2022 Twins team. Some absences however weigh a bit heavier than others.

It's no secret: The top imperative for 2023 is a healthier season that enables the Twins to keep their best players on the field more often.

Unfortunately, several of this year's injury concerns will spill over into the next thanks to a series of ambiguous, challenging situations afflicting key fixtures in the team's planning. 

It's no secret that Max Kepler is on the trading block this winter, entering his final guaranteed season under team control while growing redundant on the Twins roster.

In sizing up possible trade partners for Kepler, there is one team that stands out to me as a particularly intuitive fit: an AL West club with whom Minnesota may find itself competing for a playoff spot next year.

The calendar turns to February this week, which means pitchers and catchers are close to reporting to spring training. TwinsFest allows fans to refocus on the Twins and increases the excitement for the 2023 campaign.

As of writing this article on April 5th, the year of our Lord 2022, the Twins bullpen is far from set. Some prominent names have established themselves, while other, darker horses rode a hot spring into the opening day roster. But the pitching staff generally is a name salad of “whos” and “whys;” players with little star power at the moment but who are still guys potentially capable of carrying a team. The Twins this year will be flexible, and that is a good thing.

Even the double negative of injury and demotion failed to slow the Twins this past week, and conversations in the TD forums kept pace.

Promising young pitchers worked toward ending their seasons on strong notes and a top prospect debuted as the Twins search for silver linings in playing out the final days of a disappointing season – now guaranteed to conclude with a sub-.500 record.

If the Twins miss out on Carlos Correa, they can pivot to the other top free agent still on the market. However, Dansby Swanson lacks some traits the Twins have already seen in Correa.

The Twins Winter Caravan made one last trip after Twins Fest to southeast Minnesota and Iowa to finish out the team's winter events. 

Earlier, Ken Rosenthal reported that the Minnesota Twins were "closing in on" agreement on a contract extension with Byron Buxton. Now, Jeff Passan is reporting that an agreement is in place for over $100M and will keep Buxton under team control through the 2028 season. 

Buxton represents one of the biggest pivot points of the Twins’ offseason and perhaps several seasons into the future. When healthy, he’s performed at an MVP level, most recently posting a 1005 OPS in 235 AB in 2021. However, his career with the Twins has been uneven, and not just because of the usual hype around a #1 overall prospect.

In 2008, the Tampa Bay Rays selected Tim Beckham with the first overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft out of Griffin High School in Georgia. Today the Minnesota Twins signed the now-32-year-old Beckham to a minor league deal with an invite to Spring Training.