What Does Donovan Solano Mean for the Twins

UPDATE: Jon Heyman has reported the terms of Solano's deal with Minnesota.

This offseason, the Twins probably needed to be in the market for a right-handed outfield bat. Solanco doesn’t play the outfield, and even pushing Kyle Farmer there would be a weird fit given his four total Major League innings in the grass. Solano did boast a .309/.380/.568 slash line against southpaws last year.

Last year the Twins rotated through a plethora of designated hitter options. That could again be the way to go this year as Byron Buxton, Polanco, and plenty of others may need time off their feet. Nick Gordon, while he will play multiple positions this spring, is primarily an outfielder. Solano brings a level of redundancy with Farmer, but given that Minnesota acquired him as a baseline shortstop option, regular at bats are something he probably expected.

The deal is pending a physical, and until we see what the financials are, it's hard to understand what level of significance this move takes on. Solano made $4.5 million with the Reds last year but his OPS+ was below league average. It would make sense for the number to check in somewhere around half of that in Minnesota. It's not a bad thing to add this type of depth, and the ability to hit left-handed pitching is something the roster could use more of.

It still stands to reason that there is more to come with this move. Solano may have been a pivot from Yuli Gurriel for the Twins, but his addition to the roster probably pushes outfielder Trevor Larnach down to Triple-A on Opening Day. That's a disappointing reality given he'll be 26-years-old on Sunday and has yet to establish himself in the majors. No injury to Polanco or Kirilloff has been made public, but it has also been notable that the Twins are slow-playing the latter. For now, the Twins have made an addition that certainly changes the roster construction for Rocco Baldelli.

This is yet another reminder that the Twins front office never sees the offseason as over until Opening Day commences. Last season we saw Taylor Rogers and Brent Rooker flipped for Emilio Pagan and Paddack. Maybe another bullpen addition is in the cards, and there is no telling as to whether a team meets the Kepler ask or not. For now, there is more talent in Fort Myers than there was at the beginning of the week and Minnesota continues to spend money. Neither of those things are a negative.