Pending Free Agents to Keep an Eye on the Rest of the Postseason

Starting Pitchers:

With Kenta Maeda, José Berríos, and Michael Pineda due back for the Minnesota Twins in 2020, the Twins’ starting pitching situation is in a lot better shape than it was at this time last season. The Twins have a decision to make on pursuing Jake Odorizzi and have guys in the system (Dobnak, Duran) who will surely be a part of the 2021 rotation, but if 2020 showed us anything it’s how valuable starting pitching depth is. The Twins will definitely need to dip into free agency at the starting pitcher position for a back-end starter or two.

Mike Minor - Oakland Athletics

Coming off of an excellent 2019 season in which he finished the season 8th in Cy Young voting, Mike Minor struggled from start to finish in the 2020 season. Although he saw an uptick in strikeout numbers in 2020, he struggled with his command for much of the season on his way to a 5.56 ERA. At just 32 years old, there’s reason to believe that Minor could still turn back to his old self. Over 588 innings from 2014-2019, Minor owned a 3.90 ERA and 117 ERA+.

Mike Fiers - Oakland Athletics

While he is mostly known for being the whistleblower in the Houston Astros cheating scandal, Mike Fiers is also a quality pitcher in his own right. Since 2018, Fiers owns a 3.85 ERA and 112 ERA+. At 35 years old, Fiers isn’t likely to garner a huge contract and could be a back of the rotation free agent signing for the Minnesota Twins this offseason.

Garrett Richards - San Diego Padres

Garrett Richards has struggled with injuries for a large portion of his career, but when he’s healthy, he has proven himself to be a really good starting pitcher. Richards owns a career ERA of just 3.62 and is still just 32 years old. The injury history of Richards is certainly a concern (hasn’t pitched 150 innings in a season since 2015), but could also mean a steep discount for a really good MLB pitcher.

Relief Pitchers:

As with starting pitching, depth in the bullpen will be huge for the Minnesota Twins next season. Currently, the Twins will have a decision to make on Sergio Romo ($5M team option for next season), as well as Trevor May and Tyler Clippard entering free agency. While the Twins may try to retain all three of these pitchers, the Twins could still use a top-end relief pitcher that they trust in big spots of big games. The Twins bullpen has been burned in big spots in each of the past two bullpens, but this year’s crop of relief pitchers touts some big time names the Twins could acquire.

Liam Hendriks - Oakland Athletics

A name that Minnesota Twins fans should remember, Liam Hendriks pitched with the Minnesota Twins for three seasons as a starting pitcher, posting a 6.06 ERA and 5.8 K/9 over that time. Over the past two seasons, though, Hendriks has completely reinvented himself and turned himself into arguably the best relief pitcher in baseball. Since the start of 2019, Hendriks leads all MLB relievers with a 1.66 ERA and 5.2 fWAR. Using his upper-90s fastball, Hendriks strikes out an absurd 13.2 batters per 9 innings. Given his ability, he will certainly go for big time money, but Hendriks would be an excellent fit in the Minnesota Twins bullpen and immediately slot in as the high leverage arm with a proven track record in the biggest moments.

Blake Treinen - Los Angeles Dodgers

In 2018, Blake Treinen posted one of the greatest seasons out of the bullpen that we have ever seen, putting up a 0.78 ERA over 80 innings with the Oakland Athletics. After a down season in 2019 riddled by injury, Treinen signed a 1 year deal with the Dodgers this season and has gotten back on track, posting a 3.86 ERA with a more favorable FIP of 3.15. Treinen still owns a fastball in the upper-90s, though his strikeout numbers have dipped in consecutive seasons. Treinen will go for less money than Hendriks but still has the upside to be a big-time contributor for the Minnesota Twins.

Trevor Rosenthal - San Diego Padres

An incredible comeback story, Trevor Rosenthal rebounded from Tommy John surgery in 2018 and a 13.50 ERA in 2019 to become one of the more lethal relief pitchers in baseball in 2020. Between his time in Kansas City and San Diego this season, Rosenthal combined for a 1.90 ERA and a 14.5 (!!!) K/9 in 23.2 innings in 2020. Rosenthal can hit triple digits with his fastball, and at the ripe age of 30-years old, is a good bet to continue his dominance into next season and beyond if the Minnesota Twins decide to pursue him in free agency.

Position Players:

Barring a major trade of a key player, the Minnesota Twins starting lineup is pretty much set for 2021 with their returning players or their farm system (hello, Alex Kirilloff!). Where they have a major need to fill, though, will be in a utility role with Marwin Gonzalez and Ehrie Adrianza both impending free agents and the Twins unlikely to re-sign both. The Twins will need a utility man who can play all over the infield to fill in for injuries that will pop up to oft-injured Josh Donaldson and Miguel Sanó, with a bonus for shortstop ability.

Tommy La Stella - Oakland Athletics

Tommy LaStella has been an adept-hitting utility man in this league for a long time and is putting up the most productive season of his career in 2020. La Stella has put up back-to-back seasons with an .800+ OPS and at just 31 years old, could warrant a multi-year contract at an affordable rate. La Stella plays solid defense at first, second and third base, though does not possess the chops to play shortstop. The other strike against La Stella is that he is a left handed bat, where the Twins struggled to hit left handers all season in 2020.

Kiké Hernández - Los Angeles Dodgers

A name that baseball fans have gotten to know over the past handful of seasons thanks to his constant postseason presence, Hernández is an impending free agent who could certainly bring postseason experience to the Minnesota Twins. Hernández can literally play all over the diamond, including the shortstop position with an average right handed bat. Over the past three seasons Hernández owns a .749 OPS, as well as a .750 OPS in the postseason.

Jurickson Profar - San Diego Padres

Profar was a top prospect prior to making it to the Majors, but he struggled initially after arriving. Profar has made strides at the plate over the past few seasons, though, posting a .755 OPS over his past three seasons as a switch hitter. Profar mostly plays corner outfield and second base, but has prior experience playing third base and shortstop. Profar’s glove isn’t exactly elite, but at just 27 years old he has a lot of room to improve in his all-around game and could become an asset for the Minnesota Twins off the bench, should the Twins decide to pursue him this offseason.

Which of the above players do you think the Minnesota Twins should pursue this offseason? Leave a comment below and start the conversation!

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