Simmons to the Twins is the Perfect Match

The Twins found themselves in a sort of middle ground this winter after an injury hobbled season from Jorge Polanco was topped off by a crippling error in the first round of the playoffs. Their former second base prospect turned Major League shortstop was pencilled in to undergo his second ankle surgery in as many years and had a particularly loud question mark attached to his future throughout the fanbase. So much so in fact that some have called for former number 1 overall pick Royce Lewis to get the call to start the 2021 season. The problem is Lewis hasn’t seen official competition in over a year, and didn’t look ready when he had.

The Twins hit what appears to be a jackpot when Andrelton Simmons was willing to sign for only a single year to fill in this gap. While I believe there's no such thing as a bad one year deal, Simmons was brought in for $7.5m less than his fellow shortstop Marcus Semien. The Twins got their “Hired Gun”, a free agent role often occupied by talented yet often unexciting options.

Andrelton Simmons is different. After the Twins brought in plenty of contributors on one year deals recently such as C.J. Cron or Jonathan Schoop, Simmons brings the type of talent that could make him our most valuable player in 2021 and it wouldn’t be a complete surprise.

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In addition to the level of talent Simmons brings, he may be particularly inclined to reach that ceiling. Andrelton Simmons is a man on a mission in 2021. Next offseason at 32, he’s set to re-enter free agency and compete for what he would likely prefer to be a long term contract. His competitors at shortstop include the likes of Trevor Story, Carlos Correa and Francisco Lindor. In 2021.

Effort isn’t something I question a whole lot at the MLB level unless we’re talking about Lance Lynn, but Simmons in particular has a lot to work for. He’s playing for a sizable contract in one of the most incredible shortstop markets in years. At 31, he’s also fighting to show that his all world talent at shortstop can defy the aging curve often seen at the position.

The main point goes beyond “Andrelton Simmons will play hard for the Twins”. Both sides are in very particular situations that make this a win-win. On the Twins side, they bring in a bridge to Royce Lewis which would often be occupied by a player much less talented than Andrelton Simmons. On Simmons’ side, he can pair up with a contender in the Twins for one year and use them as a springboard to his next contract. Both sides always want a one year deal to work out, but in this case, it can’t get much better.

If there’s one positive to come from this suppressed free agent market, it’s that Twins Territory will get to watch what one of the best defensive shortstops in history can do first hand. I expect Simmons will be everything we expect and then some. If this one year pact goes south, it won’t be for lack of effort from either side.

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