Matthew Taylor

After a rough string of injuries to open the season, the Minnesota Twins have needed to dip into their depth. They may have unearthed a player who is ready to contribute.When Josh Donaldson was injured on his first plate appearance of the 2021 season, it suddenly shifted the entire plan for the Minnesota Twins roster. Suddenly Luis Arraez was thrust into an everyday role leaving behind a hole in the utility spot for the Twins. Enter La Tortuga. Now as the lone utilityman on the Minnesota Twins roster, Willians Astudillo was called to fill in mid-game for Luis Arraez on Monday afternoon, before starting at 3rd base on Tuesday. Since getting real playing time, Astudillo has appeared locked in at the plate. The utilityman went 3-for-4 with two doubles on Monday before backing it up with a 2-for-4 performance on Tuesday. Astudillo has racked up hits with some oomf, too, connecting with 3 balls deemed as “hard hits” of 95+ MPH, including two of them over 107 MPH. Where there is always the most hesitation with Astudillo comes in the field, as he is able to play a multitude of positions, however you really aren’t super comfortable with him playing most of those positions. To this point, Astudillo has primarily played at third base, which suits his game well as 3rd base doesn’t require as much range as some of the other positions. Thus far, Tortuga has more than held his own at the hot corner, making the plays that he should make up to this point, and yet to look over-matched. Further, Astudillo’s ability to play catcher has allowed Rocco Baldelli the flexibility to use his catchers as pinch hitters on Monday and Tuesday, knowing that he has a third catcher he can utilize in a pinch, if needed. Willians Astudillo burst onto the scene with the Minnesota Twins in 2018 as a July call-up, slashing .355/.371/.516 in 29 games. In the 66 games in which he has appeared since, though, Astudillo has posted an OPS of just .684. Astudillo has shown that he can make contact with the best of them, however his lack of patience at the plate has consistently prohibited him from putting together quality at-bats and capitalizing on pitches that he can drive. As a result, Astudillo was no slam-dunk to make the roster. Through his first handful of at bats in 2021, the Venezuelan utilityman has found pitches he can drive and shown the pop that he possesses when he gets pitches in the zone. As with any article written 5 days into the baseball season, small samples are extremely dangerous to put any stock into. The very, very initial returns on Willians Astudillo at the plate, though, have been promising. Championship teams are built on depth, and while at full strength the Minnesota Twins will not need Astudillo, the first week of the season has shown us just how important depth can be. What has been your first impression of Willians Astudillo in 2021? Do you think he could come into play as a key depth piece for the Minnesota Twins? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Josh Donaldson was forced to exit Thursday’s game following what was called a pulled hamstring. While we do not yet know the severity of the injury or how much time (if any) the former MVP will miss, let’s look at potential replacements.Opening Day for the Minnesota Twins reminded us just how real the risk of injury is in baseball each and every day. On just the second at-bat of the game, Josh Donaldson pulled his hamstring rounding first base and was forced to leave a 0-0 ballgame. After the game, manager Rocco Baldelli didn’t give out too much information regarding the severity of Donaldson’s injury saying, “Obviously there has to be some concern, but we’ll wait and see until we know a bit more to comment further.” While we do not yet know if Josh Donaldson will go to the injured list or not, it’s clear that a contingency plan needs to be in place. Let’s look at the four minor league call-up options should Josh Donaldson land on the injured list. Brent Rooker When Brent Rooker was surprisingly left off of the Opening Day roster, the primary reason given was that Baldelli did not want Rooker to be up with the Twins if he was not going to get every-day at bats. If Donaldson were to hit the injured list, and Luis Arráez were converted over to be the every-day third baseman, there would be a full-time opening at left field, with Jake Cave then able to act in his usual fourth outfielder role. Brent Rooker has always had the bat to compete in the Major Leagues, however his outfield glove is a major question mark. Additionally, with Kyle Garlick already up with the Big League club, Rooker’s right-handed power bat would be a bit redundant. Alex Kirilloff The controversial decision to start Alex Kirilloff at the alternate site was similarly made with the primary reason being that Kirilloff would need to get consistent work. A decision that fans were largely disappointed by, could be corrected here, calling up Kirilloff to cover the void in left field caused by Donaldson’s injury. This decision would cause Alex Kirilloff’s service time clock to start earlier than ownership may like, and his readiness for the Majors is still a question mark after his troublesome Spring. Extra Infielder Calling up a fifth outfielder to replace an injured infielder might not make the most sense. Calling up a replacement infielder for Donaldson, might be the most prudent decision as currently, Willians Astudillo would be the only backup infielder on the roster. Under this line of thinking, infielders Travis Blankenhorn, JT Riddle or Tzu-Wei Lin would give the Twins more defensive flexibility and allow them to not need to rely as heavily on La Tortuga as a backup infielder. Of the three mentioned infielders, Blankenhorn is the only one currently on the 40-man roster. One other option would be Nick Gordon, who is also on the 40-man roster, but it’s not totally clear how Major League ready he is at this time. Extra Reliever The final option for the Twins would be to not call up another bat, but instead call up an extra arm for Josh Donaldson’s roster spot, should he hit the IL. Heading into the season, some thought that the Twins should roster 14 pitchers, however they opted for 13. With this injury, the Twins could bring up another reliever such as Shaun Anderson or Lewis Thorpe who are both on the 40-man roster. The Twins could then roll with Arráez as the everyday third baseman, a Garlick/Cave platoon and left field, with Astudillo filling in as the utilityman across the diamond. This option would give the Twins much more flexibility with their pitchers in a season in which pitchers will need to be handled with care, however having Astudillo as the lone utilityman isn’t the most ideal option. Which call-up option do you think the Twins should go with should Josh Donaldson be forced to go on the injured list? Is there a fifth option not mentioned above? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins blew a 5-2 lead in the ninth inning and lost in extras. The game got off to an ominous start, as Josh Donaldson suffered a hamstring injury in the top of the first inning. Read all about it in today’s game recap.Box Score Maeda: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K Home Runs: Buxton (1) Bottom 3 WPA: Colome -.455, Dobnak -.355, Garver -.104 Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs): Download attachment: chart.png In an emotional roller coaster of an opener for Minnesota Twins fans, the coaster ended in a valley as the Minnesota Twins blew a three-run ninth inning lead and lost in extra innings to their border rivals. Let’s take a ride: Kenta Maeda had a solid, yet not spectacular start for the Minnesota Twins as the Opening Day starter. While he only allowed one earned run, Maeda was only able to go 4 1/3 innings and allowed six hits, two walks and a hit batter over his start. Maeda flirted with trouble throughout his start, stranding a total of seven batters in the four complete innings that he pitched. The right hander did show increased velocity, tossing his fastball at an average of 92.8 MPH, 1.2 MPH above his average in 2020. At the plate, the Minnesota Twins kicked off the scoring with two runs in the third inning on a Woodruff wild pitch and a Max Kepler RBI single. After trading runs in the middle innings, the game seemed like it was sealed in the seventh inning when Byron Buxton blasted a 114 MPH two-run home run into left-center field. This gave the Minnesota Twins a three-run lead with Rogers, Robles and Colomé set to close out the game. After two perfect innings from Taylor Rogers and Hansel Robles in the seventh and eighth innings, newly acquired Alex Colomé gifted the game away by allowing two hits, a hit batter and three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to force extra innings where the Brewers walked off the Twins on a walk-off single by Avisail Garcia to give the Brewers a 6-5 victory. Donaldson Injury While a loss is never fun, the most important development from Opening Day was the injury to Josh Donaldson. Donaldson injured his leg in the top of the first inning running to second base on a double. At first glance, it appeared that Josh Donaldson re-injured the calf that has plagued him throughout his career. As more information came out, though, it was revealed that the injury was a hamstring pull. We still don’t know the severity of the injury or how much (if any) time Donaldson will miss, but after an injury-riddled 2020, this is just about the worst way to begin the 2021 season for the former MVP. Rocco Baldelli indicated that the team would re-evaluate Josh Donaldson tomorrow on the team’s off day. Poor Defense While defense was a priority in the offseason for the Minnesota Twins, Opening Day was not the best showcase of their gloves. The Minnesota Twins made two official errors with a third error not being officially called as such. The first error came in the fifth inning from newly-acquired shortstop, Andrelton Simmons. Simmons dropped a Miguel Sanó throw that should have been a double play. That runner later went on to score in the inning. The second error of the game came from Alex Colomé when he tried throwing out the lead runner at second base rather than taking the easy out at first in the ninth inning. Additionally in the ninth inning, Max Kepler dropped a fly ball off the bat of Christian Yelich in right field that should have been out number two, but instead turned into a run-scoring single. Better days will surely be ahead for the Minnesota Twins defense, but it was disappointing watching a unit that was supposed to be a strength struggle so much. Big Day for Max Kepler After a miserable Spring Training in which he went 3-for-43, Kepler matched his Spring hit total in today’s opener, going 3-for-5 and just a home run short of hitting for the cycle. Kepler is in a prove-it year in 2021 after a down season in 2020 and is already showing that his Spring struggles are behind him and he is primed for a bounce-back season this year. Up Next The Minnesota Twins have an off-day tomorrow before facing off against Milwaukee again on Saturday where José Berríos will make his season debut. Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet Download attachment: Bullpen.png MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Injuries and suspension have kept Michael Pineda from putting together a full campaign since coming to Minnesota. With those issues behind him, Michael Pineda is primed for a big 2021 season.When the Minnesota Twins acquired Michael Pineda in 2018, he was entering into a season of recovery from Tommy John surgery, due to miss the entire season. In 2019, coming off of his recovery, Pineda was a revelation for the Minnesota Twins, arguably performing as the team’s best pitcher down the stretch of the season. In a 14-start stretch from June 13 to Sept. 6, Pineda posted a 2.96 ERA, allowing opponents to hit just .234. Unfortunately for the Twins, his momentum was halted when he was suspended in September for the use of a diuretic and his season ended, keeping Big Mike from pitching in the 2019 postseason. Last season, the breakout for Pineda again didn’t happen. Though the 2020 season was shortened by nearly two-thirds, the remainder of Pineda’s suspension was not, and he was forced to miss a much greater proportion of the 2020 season than if the season were its regular 162-game length. As a result, Pineda was only able to start five regular season games for the Minnesota Twins in 2020 and was again unable to pitch in the postseason as the Twins were knocked out after just two games. While he has not been a pitcher who throws big time velocity or misses lots of bats, Pineda has been the king of consistency for the Twins by limiting walks, eating innings and avoiding disaster. In his 31 starts since coming to the Minnesota Twins, Pineda has allowed more than four runs in an appearance just three times, and just once in his last 25 starts. While he has done it quietly, Pineda has produced excellent numbers in addition to providing consistency — since July 1, 2019, Pineda owns an ERA of just 3.03. Now heading into the 2021 season, Big Mike is healthy and free from the need to serve any suspension handed down by Major League Baseball. Pineda has the opportunity to put up an entire season’s worth of production and will hopefully be afforded the opportunity to pitch in the postseason for the first time in his career. Pineda will benefit from being in the shadow of Kenta Maeda and José Berríos as the team’s #3 pitcher, and free from the lofty expectations given to his starting counterparts. The Minnesota Twins have an incredibly deep pitching staff with potential aces at the top and promising prospects hoping to get a chance down the roster. In the middle, though, is maybe the most consistent and underrated starter of all. Could 2021 be the season that Michael Pineda puts it all together? Don’t sleep on Big Mike. What are your expectations for Michael Pineda heading into the 2021 season? Do you think he’s primed for a breakout? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Tuesday marked the first day of full-squad camp for the Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers. On their first day the Twins announced another signing, a new voice was announced to be joining the TV booth, and Josh Donaldson showed off some dance moves.Though many members of the team arrived at Hammond Stadium last week, today marked the first day of full-squad workouts — signifying that Spring Training is officially here. There were stretching sessions, infield drills, and live batting practices. Baseball is back, baby. Let’s dig into everything that happened in Twins Territory in today’s notebook: Twins sign Utilityman, Andrew Romine to Minor League Deal The Minnesota Twins announced this morning that they have signed 35-year old utilityman, Andrew Romine, to a minor league contract. Romine joined the club today in Fort Myers. In his 10 year Major League career, Romine has spent time with the Angels, Tigers, Mariners and Rangers, spending time all over the diamond in the field. In fact, in 2017 Romine became just the fifth player in Major League history to play all 9 positions in a single game. With a career OPS south of .600, Romine doesn’t figure to make the big league club out of camp, but should provide some flexible depth in AAA St. Paul. Twins Release Spring Training Broadcast Schedule There will be plenty of opportunity for fans to follow the Minnesota Twins this Spring, as the Twins announced today that 13 of their 19 Spring Training games will be televised on Fox Sports North, with an additional 3 games being broadcast on the radio. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the announcement, though, was that former Twins Cy Young Award winner, Johan Santana, would be making his debut in the booth. On March 26, Santana will act as the co-color commentator with LaTroy Hawkins on March 26, while acting as the lone color commentator alongside Dick Bremer on March 27. Majority of the Spring Training games will pull in the audio from the radio feed of Kris Atteberry, Dan Gladden and Cory Provus. The Bringer of Dance Moves Filed under the category of “things you love to see” was a video sent out by Minnesota Twins Communications Director, Dustin Morse, of Josh Donaldson dancing during morning workouts. Donaldson didn’t know he was being filmed until he turned around and saw Dustin standing there with his phone. Based on the slick dance moves, it appears Donaldson’s calves are in great shape. Baldelli Feeling Optimistic In his introductory press conference, Rocco Baldelli didn’t shy away from the expectations that he is placing on the 2021 Minnesota Twins team. According to the manager, “We again have everything we could possibly want to go out there and win a World Series frankly.” It’s a long season, but setting clear goals and expectations for the team and fans alike sets the tone for what’s truly a World Series-contending season. Hammond Stadium COVID-19 Precautions In addition to Tuesday being the first full-squad day at Hammond Stadium, it was also the first time that the media was in attendance for Spring Training. One nugget that came out of this was a look into how Hammond Stadium will handle fans in attendance. With zip tied seats and drawn rectangles enforcing social distancing, it’s clear that the Minnesota Twins will be doing everything they can to provide a safe return for fans to the stadium. Expect the same precautions to be followed at Target Field this Spring when fans return as well. See Also: The Twins Should Make Alex Kirilloff the Opening Day Left Fielder Twins Daily 2021 Top Prospects: #3 Trevor Larnach AL Central Rundown: Left Field MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

It was an eventful day in Minnesota Twins Territory after the signing of Alex Colomé. What’s next? Which former Twins pitcher ripped the team's signings today? Find out in today’s Twins Daily Notebook.Twins Sign Colomé The biggest news item of the day today was the Minnesota Twins signing former Chicago White Sox closer, Alex Colomé to a one-year, $5M deal with a mutual option for a second year. Minnesota Twins fans were all over Twitter voicing their excitement for the move, such as Twins Daily writer, Ted Schwerzler, who gave the Twins an “A” for their offseason after adding the right hander: Be sure to check out Twins Daily’s story on the Alex Colomé signing and watch the Offseason Live show with Nick Nelson, David Youngs and myself when we broke down the signing and discussed much more. What’s Next? After making two giant additions in Nelson Cruz and Alex Colomé, the thing that all Twins fans want to know is ... what’s next? Currently the Twins have ~$125M in committed salaries, right around the payroll that we expected them to have heading into the season. Are the Twins done making moves or should they sign someone else? Darren Wolfson says that they are done making splashes, but potentially the door could still be open to bring back Jake Odorizzi. Dan Hayes thinks they still have some payroll to play with to add a reliever and potentially a fifth starter What moves would you like to see the Twins make next? Selling Point for Nelson Cruz Re-Signing with Minnesota was ... the Food? While the $13M and the comfort with Minnesota was enticing for Nelson Cruz, the final selling point in bringing back Cruz ended up being the Twins adding Cruz’s personal chef to the gameday staff. Maybe the Twins can add Jake Odorizzi’s butler to the gameday staff and lockdown a deal with the former Twins right hander as well? Former Minnesota Twins Pitcher Slams Minnesota’s Offseason Additions Casey Fien pitched out of the bullpen for the Minnesota Twins from 2012-16 before being DFA’d by the Twins in May of 2016. Fien fired off a few different tweets criticizing the Twins today, most notably this tweet calling out the Twins for signing players who were suspended for performance enhancing drugs. Evidently Casey Fien did not leave the Twins on great terms and has burned some bridges since leaving Minnesota. Joakim Soria Signs with Arizona Prior to signing Alex Colomé, many thought that Oakland A’s reliever, Joakim Soria, could have been a good fit for the Twins. It was announced today that Soria signed a one-year deal for ~$4M. Though the Twins had some interest in Soria, the right hander was committed to signing with the D-Backs. Twins Get Approval for Fans at Spring Training We heard there was a good chance that there would be Twins fans able to attend Spring Training games this year, now we have confirmation as Seth Kaplan confirmed that Hammond Stadium will be at 28% capacity for Spring Training for the Twins. Depending on how things go, that could be a primer for limited capacity games at Target Field this summer. SEE ALSO 2021 Winter Meltdown Pint Glasses on Sale Now Did Nelson Cruz Start To Decline at the End of 2020? BREAKING: Twins Agree with DH Nelson Cruz on One-Year Deal Click here to view the article

You may have missed out on investing in GameStop or AMC over the past week, but there are three Minnesota Twins players worth investing in right now, while their values are at their lowest.Over the past week the stock market has dominated the national conversation and terms like “hedge fund” and “short squeeze” have entered the mainstream vocabulary. While many of the skyrocketing stocks on the market have already reached their peaks, there are three Minnesota Twins players worth investing in right now. These players' values are at their lowest, but figure to be in for big years in 2021. Buy now and ride these players to the moon! Randy Dobnak Randy Dobnak had an excellent start to the 2020 season, posting a 1.78 ERA through his first six starts and looking like a real piece in the Minnesota Twins rotation. The wheels started to fall off for Dobnak, though, as he posted an ERA of 8.27 over his next four starts and was eventually removed from the Minnesota Twins rotation. Though 2020 ended on a sour note for the right hander, his arrow is pointing up for the 2021 season as a result of the offseason changes made by the Minnesota Twins and the all-world infield defense that the Twins front office has assembled. Randy Dobnak is an extreme ground ball pitcher and excels the most with a great infield behind him. The Minnesota Twins improved their infield defense in a big way this offseason with the addition of Andrelton Simmons and shifting Jorge Polanco over to second base. Those changes combined with a (hopefully) healthy season from Josh Donaldson and Miguel Sanó could bode extremely well for the 26 year old heading into his third season as a big leaguer. It remains to be seen whether or not the Minnesota Twins will acquire another starting pitcher this offseason, but as things currently stand Randy Dobnak will begin the season as Minnesota’s #5 starter, and he’s one you should invest in now. BUYBUYBUY! Taylor Rogers The Minnesota left hander is coming off of the worst Major League season of his career in 2020. Rogers posted a career-high ERA of 4.05 with a 1.50 WHIP and opponent batting average of .302. Rogers repeatedly failed to come through in big moments for the Minnesota Twins and some thought he could be a non-tender candidate this offseason as a result. Rogers ultimately came to a deal with Minnesota this offseason for $6M. After such a poor season in 2020, why should Twins fans invest in him for the 2021 season? Although Rogers’ statistics last season were poor, his underlying numbers point to him being unlucky rather than bad last season. Although his ERA was a career-high 4.05, Taylor’s FIP (fielding independent pitching) was actually better in 2020 than it was in 2019. Further, Rogers posted a BABIP of .400, the sixth-highest mark of all MLB pitchers with at least 20 IP in 2020, indicating that he was extremely unlucky all season and balls were just finding holes in the field time and time again. After a season of bad luck in 2020, regression figures to flip back in a positive direction for the southpaw in 2021, especially with a season 2.7x longer than the shortened season last year. BUYBUYBUY! Josh Donaldson The 2020 season was nothing short of a lost year for the Bringer of Rain, who was only able to play in 28 games for the Minnesota Twins and was held out of both postseason games due to an injury to his calf. Because of the lost season for Donaldson, it’s easy for Twins fans to forget just how key of an addition he is to this club at the plate, and just how impactful he can be at the hot corner. The former MVP has posted an OPS of .900 or higher in each of his four healthy seasons since 2015, and even in his disastrous 2020, still posted an excellent OPS of .842. Though health is never a guarantee in the game of baseball, the load that Donaldson will need to shoulder in 2021 figures to have been reduced with the increased infield flexibility that came with the Andrelton Simmons signing. Now with Luis Arráez at the super utility position, the Twins can give Josh Donaldson routine days off without needing to suffer in the lineup. This figures to reduce the load on Donaldson’s calves, and keep him healthy for what should be a massive bounce-back season in 2021. BUYBUYBUY! Which Minnesota Twins player stocks are you investing in prior to the 2021 season? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email — Follow Matthew Taylor on Twitter here Click here to view the article

Keith Law released his annual top 100 prospect rankings, a free agent pitching target came off the market and a former Twins pitcher found a new home. Read about all that and more in the latest Twins notebook.Alex Kirilloff

On Tuesday evening, the Minnesota Twins agreed to a one-year, $10.5 million deal with free agent shortstop Andrelton Simmons. Within are the five biggest takeaways from the massive offseason addition for the reigning AL Central Champs.1. Andrelton Simmons Drastically Improves the Minnesota Twins Infield Defense The biggest asset that Andrelton Simmons brings to the table for the Minnesota Twins is the all-world defense that he provides from the shortstop position. Through the first nine years of his career, Simmons has taken home four gold gloves and shown that he has the reaction, range and arm to be one of the best defensive shortstops of all time when his career is all said and done. Defensive statistics typically aren’t always the most reliable metric, but the amount of separation that Simmons has put between him and every other shortstop in the league shows just how talented he is at the “6”. From 2015-2020, Andrelton Simmons has saved a total of 123 runs from the shortstop position, this is 44 more runs than second place Nick Ahmed and 78 more runs than fifth place Trevor Story. Simmons brings a defensive prowess to the shortstop position that Twins fans have never before seen and will be a massive improvement over the shortstop defense that Twins fans have grown used to with Jorge Polanco over the past handful of years. The addition of Andrelton Simmons not only improves the Twins’ shortstop defense, but figures to improve their defense at second base as well. For all of Jorge Polanco’s struggles at shortstop, his hands and athleticism were never the issue. Polanco’s issues have mostly come as a result of his shaky arm. At second base, where Polanco played much of his career in the minors, Polanco won’t be stretched with his arm and will be able to utilize his range and soft hands to upgrade the defense over Luis Arráez who had repeatedly been stretched from that spot as the everyday second baseman over the past two seasons. 2. Royce Lewis is Now Set to Take the SS Baton in 2022 It was not by accident that Andrelton Simmons was signed to a one year deal. By signing Simmons for just the 2021 season, the Twins were able to fill their shortstop/utility need for the upcoming season, without clogging up the shortstop position for future seasons. By doing this, the Twins were able to perfectly set up the Royce Lewis era in Minnesota in 2022. The Twins can now allow their top prospect time to learn and develop in the minors for the 2021 season without the pressure of needing to call him up early or force him into a starting role before he is ready. Further, both Royce Lewis and all of Minnesota Twins Territory all know that the shortstop position will be Royce’s for the taking for 2022 and beyond and there should be no shortstop controversy this time next winter. 3. Re-Signing Nelson Cruz is Now Even More Imperative While the signing of Andrelton Simmons drastically improves the Minnesota Twins’ defense, his signing only further solidifies their need to acquire a big bat, something Simmons does not possess. Over the course of his career, Simmons has only once eclipsed 15 home runs in a season and has posted an OPS of just .730 over the past 4 seasons. With Simmons most likely headed for a bottom of the order spot in the lineup, the Twins need to replace the middle of the order bat left behind by Eddie Rosario and (potentially) Nelson Cruz still has yet to be addressed. The easiest path for the Twins to fill that middle of the order spot in the lineup is simply by bringing back Cruz. The Twins still have ~$20M in payroll money to play with, allowing room to bring back Cruz and still sign a lower level pitcher to fill out their roster. 4. Andrelton Simmons spells good news for Randy Dobnak Many benefitted from the Minnesota Twins signing of Andrelton Simmons, but perhaps no player benefited more from the move than Minnesota Twins pitcher, Randy Dobnak. In his rookie season, Dobnak utilized his sinker to induce ground balls at an absurd rate of 62.1%, the most in all of baseball. With such a high ground ball rate, Dobnak relies on excellent infield defense behind him who can convert those ground balls into outs. With improved defense at the shortstop and second base positions, combined with the great defense at the hot corner from Josh Donaldson, it’s fair to expect some good numbers from Randy Dobnak in 2021, who is currently slated to be their #5 starter heading into the season. 5. Falvey and Levine Again Show they Aren’t Afraid to Mix Things Up Last offseason, the Minnesota Twins front office showed they weren’t afraid to mix things up with the Twins’ roster when they made the decision to shift Miguel Sanó to first base and sign Josh Donaldson. Falvey and Levine did the same thing again this offseason, by bringing in a shortstop and shifting their all-star caliber players in Jorge Polacno and Luis Arráez into new roles. This move again showed us that the Twins front office is willing to pivot in any number of directions and will always drift towards where there is value to be found. This offseason with three great shortstops on the market, they found the value at shortstop and didn’t let roster construction hinder their opportunity to capitalize on that value. In a sport like baseball where so many are hesitant to change or put players in new positions, it’s refreshing to see a Twins front office with an open mind to make whatever move improves their team. What were your biggest takeaways from the Minnesota Twins signing of Andrelton Simmons? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! MORE ANDRELTON SIMMONS COVERAGE — BREAKING: Twins to Sign Andrelton Simmons — Offseason Live Replay: Twins To Sign Andrelton Simmons — Simmons Down, 1 to Go: Securing the Middle Infield MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email — Follow Matthew Taylor on Twitter here Click here to view the article

Hi Mike — I linked the other 3 Faceoff stories at the top of my article right after the photo. So far, none have signed, but it sounds like Kiké Hernández is close to signing with the Red Sox.

Although relief pitchers have been flying off the market over the past week, there are still some intriguing names available. Would Brad Hand or Trevor Rosenthal be a better fit for the Minnesota Twins?Before reading the final entry of the “Free Agent Faceoff” series be sure to check out the previous three installments: Designated Hitter: Marcell Ozuna vs. Nelson Cruz Utilityman: Kiké Hernández vs. Tommy La Stella Starting Pitching: Jake Odorizzi vs. James Paxton Brad Hand Contract Estimate: 2 years, $14M The Case For: Brad Hand has been one of the best relievers in baseball over the past half decade. Since the start of the 2017 season, Hand ranks 5th among all relievers in ERA (2.61), 8th in K/9 (12.60) and 7th in fWAR (5.5). Hand is coming off of the best season of his career, posting an ERA of 2.05 and leading the American League with 16 saves in the abbreviated 2020 season. Hand is still just 30 years old and has been tremendously durable over the course of his career, throwing at least 50 innings in every season since becoming a full time reliever, and throwing at least 70 innings in all but one. As has been well documented within Twins fan circles, Brad Hand is a Minnesota native, playing his high school ball for Chaska High School. Bringing Hand home to play for his hometown ball club in front of friends and family would be a poetic next step in the all-star closer’s career. The Case Against: After deciding to bring back Taylor Rogers and Caleb Thielbar via arbitration earlier this offseason, the Minnesota Twins set themselves up well with left handed arms in their bullpen. Adding in another high-leverage left handed arm might be a bit of overkill, as their biggest need is to replace the right handed bullpen arms that they lost in Trevor May, Matt Wisler, Sergio Romo and Tyler Clippard. The other reason against bringing back Brad Hand is the philosophical approach the Minnesota Twins have against spending money on relievers. The reliever position has been proven to be extremely volatile over the years, and the Twins have shown repeatedly that they would prefer to get the most out of waiver claims and sign veteran relievers than to sign the top tier arms on the free agent market. Signing Hand would likely require a sizable monetary investment, and the Twins have shown time and time again they are unwilling to do so, especially as a third left hander in a bullpen that’s starving for righties. Trevor Rosenthal Contract Estimate: 2 years, $14M The Case For: Trevor Rosenthal was an elite closer in baseball for a long time, repeatedly finishing top-10 in the majors in ERA and strikeout numbers. After struggling with injury and undergoing Tommy John Surgery in 2018, Rosenthal struggled on the mound. In 2020, though, Rosenthal proved that his injury issues were behind him as he posted the best season of his career, throwing up a 1.90 EAR with a career-best K/9 of 14.5. Rosenthal re-gained his top-notch velocity, repeatedly hitting triple digits on the radar gun throughout the 2020 season. Trevor Rosenthal would slot in perfect as a replacement for Trevor May as a fireball-throwing right handed pitcher who generates plenty of swings and misses and strikeouts. Rosenthal would instantly be thrust into the high-leverage spot of the bullpen and allow everyone in the bullpen to slot down a rung in the bullpen pecking order. The Case Against: Rosenthal has by no means been a man of clean health over the past five seasons, as he hasn’t pitched more than 48 innings in a season since 2015. If the Minnesota Twins were to commit money to an elite reliever, it would be hard to do so for a reliever that has not proven that he can stay healthy for an entire season. To bring in an injury risk to a bullpen that will already be struggling with depth after losing Trevor May, Matt Wisler, Sergio Romo and Tyler Clippard would be an enormous risk for this Twins club. Additionally, Rosenthal proved over 23.2 innings that he can be effective out of the bullpen, but it hasn’t been since 2017 that he has pitched more than 40 innings and proven to be effective. Should the Minnesota Twins sign Rosenthal they would be taking a big bet that he can be both healthy and effective for a long stretch for the first time in a long time. The Verdict Although the health and consistency concerns with Rosenthal are very real, Trevor would make a lot of sense as an addition for this Minnesota Twins bullpen and is the winner of this free agent faceoff. After losing out on nearly 100 innings of right-handed bullpen arms from 2020, the Minnesota Twins need to be able to replace that right handed production. To be able to do someone with the elite upside of the former Padre makes a lot of sense. Rosenthal being able to lock down the back of the bullpen and being able to replace the velocity and strikeout ability of Trevor May would allow younger players like Jorge Alcalá and Cody Stashak the ability to thrive in lower leverage situations. Although Brand Hand makes sense in a lot of ways, it’s hard to envision the Twins committing money to a third left hander in the bullpen. Hand making more money than even his contract prediction would not be a surprise, and it’s difficult to see the Twins get into a bidding war for the southpaw. Which of these two relievers would you like to see the Minnesota Twins sign? Are there any other relievers on the market you’d like better? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! 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The Minnesota Twins have a need to sign another starting pitcher this offseason. Jake Odorizzi and James Paxton are two of the biggest names left on the market. Which would make for a better fit for the Minnesota Twins this offseason?If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the first two editions of “Free Agent Faceoff”: Designated Hitter: Nelson Cruz vs. Marcell Ozuna Utilityman: Kike Hernández vs. Tommy La Stella For the third edition of “Free Agent Faceoff” we will be evaluating two starting pitchers with a high ceiling, but coming off of an injury-riddled 2020: Jake Odorizzi and James Paxton. Jake Odorizzi Contract Estimate: 3 years/ $39M The Case For: When healthy, Jake Odorizzi has pitched like a top level starter with the Minnesota Twins. The 2019 season was a breakthrough year for Odorizzi, when he reached his first career all-star game, tossed a 3.51 ERA and threw the best playoff start for any Twins starter in the 2019 ALDS. At his best, Odorizzi has been a #1 pitcher for the Twins and at the age of 30, might still have more untapped potential in that right arm. Throughout his career, Odorizzi has been a durable pitcher, tossing at least 140 innings in 5 straight seasons from 2014-2019. 2020 was a difficult season for Odo in terms of health, but the injuries he sustained were much more fluky in nature than injuries that should be of concern heading into the future. Odo has clearly taken a liking to the coaching staff in Minnesota and has embraced the analytics that unlocked a career best 10.1 K/9 in 2019. The familiarity that comes with Odorizzi makes bringing him back an easier decision and removes a lot of the uncertainty that comes with bringing in a free agent arm. With three years of team control, the Twins would be able to lock down a top starter to pair with Kenta Maeda and José Berríos for the foreseeable future, a position that has been in flux for the Twins over the past handful of seasons. The Case Against: 2020 was nothing short of a lost season for Jake Odorizzi, who struggled with injury all year. In the end, Odorizzi pitched in just 4 games, tossing 13.2 innings to the tune of a 6.59 ERA. Committing 3 years to Jake Odorizzi with him not having fully shown himself in 2 years would certainly be a risk for the Minnesota Twins. Although Odorizzi has been effective during his time with the Twins, his effectiveness has come in short stints. Over the course of 66 starts in Minnesota, Odorizzi has averaged just over 5 innings/start, rarely ever pitching into the 7th inning of games. After the past 15 months for Jake Odorizzi in a Minnesota Twins uniform, it could just be best for the two sides to move on. From the Twins boxing in Odorizzi with the qualifying offer last winter, to the injury issues all season, to not utilizing Odorizzi out of the bullpen in the playoffs, the last year has played out more like a couple ready to separate rather than renew their vows. James Paxton Contract Estimate: 2 years/$30M The Case For: Since breaking into the league in 2013, James Paxton has consistently been one of the better starting pitchers in all of baseball. Over the course of his career, Paxton owns a 3.58 ERA and a K/9 of 9.9, numbers that would qualify him as a #1 or #2 pitcher on most MLB teams. Stuff-wise, Paxton is about as good as they come, posting statlines like his 16 strikeout game or no-hitter in 2018. Paxton owns a fastball velocity and whiff percentage that are both in the top-25% of baseball. Though Paxton is 32-years-old, he has just 750 innings of mileage on his arm, signaling that there should still be plenty of juice left in him. Given the contract estimate and that the Twins would only need to commit two years to him, the Twins could get an ace-quality pitcher in his prime without dolling out exorbitant dollars or committing to him into the back end of his 30s. The Case Against: Unfortunately for James, Paxton has become more known for his injury history than for his pitching ability throughout his career. In each of his seven full seasons in the Majors, Paxton has spent time on the injured list including injuries to his middle finger, back, knee and most recently, his forearm. Paxton has only thrown 100 innings in a season 4 times, and 160 innings just once. Another argument against signing Paxton is the fact that he is left handed. Just down highway 94, the Chicago White Sox have assembled a team of right handed hitters that absolutely crush left handed pitching. The White Sox lineup, headlined by righties Tim Anderson, José Abreu, Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert, combined to post the second-highest OPS against southpaws in Major League Baseball history in 2020 with a mark of .887. With the Twins and White Sox sure to battle all season for the division title, throwing a left handed pitcher out there against the White Sox could spell trouble for the Twins. Two of the other rivals of the Minnesota Twins in their pursuit of an American League pennant, the Astros and Yankees, are 2nd and 3rd respectively in OPS against LHP since the start of 2019. As a left handed pitcher, acquiring James Paxton could prove trouble for the Twins when the games matter the most. Twins Twitter’s Take: The Verdict: Upon review of the cases of the two starting pitchers, Jake Odorizzi fits the bill as the better fit for this Minnesota Twins ball club. In addition to being two years younger, Odorizzi has the experience with the Twins clubhouse and coaching staff to where the fit between the two sides is undoubtedly a good one. Being just 30 years old, Odorizzi could still have some untapped potential to take his game up yet another level, especially given the increased velocity that he showed during his short time on the mound for the Twins in 2020. In signing Odorizzi, the Twins would finally gain some stability on the mound to pair with Maeda and Berríos and would be able to do so at an AAV lower than what it would take to bring in James Paxton. James Paxton would certainly be a notable consolation prize should Odorizzi be ready to move on from the Twins given the reasons previously noted, but the risk that comes with his injury history is just too great for the Twins to seek him out as the man to solve their hole in the rotation. Would you rather the Minnesota Twins go out and sign James Paxton or Jake Odorizzi this offseason? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! Be on the lookout for the conclusion to the “Free Agent Faceoff” series later this week at Twins Daily! 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With Marwin González and Ehrie Adrianza both free agents, the Minnesota Twins have a massive hole at the utility spot this offseason. There are many names available, but two names make a lot of sense as options for the Twins.“Free Agent Faceoff” is a multi-part series where I will be pitting two free agent targets against each other and determining which would be a better option for the Minnesota Twins. In case you missed it, be sure to check out part 1: Marcell Ozuna vs. Nelson Cruz. While the Minnesota Twins are looking to sign a utilityman, they are not looking to sign a bat off the bench who will appear in 60 games over the course of the season. Because of the way that the Twins have suffered injuries, as well as their tendency to rest their players, the utilityman position for the Twins has become an everyday starter. Take Marwin González for example — in the two seasons that he was with the Minnesota Twins, Marwin appeared in 75% of the team’s possible games. With that being said, the decision of who to sign in this role will certainly be a big one. The two utility men that will be squaring off in the second edition of “Free Agent Faceoff” will be two of the biggest names on the market, Kiké Hernández and Tommy La Stella. Kiké Hernández Contract Estimate: 2 years/$12M The Case For: Kiké Hernández’s biggest asset for the Minnesota Twins would be his versatility in the field. Unlike any other free agent utilityman on the market, Hernández has the rare ability to play all 9 positions in the field. For a Minnesota Twins team that has been ravaged with injuries over the past two seasons, having a utilityman who can play anywhere is a big deal. While defensive runs saved isn’t a fail-proof metric for defensive performance, the fact that he produced a positive number in that metric at each position shows that he can bring some serious juice to the field for a Twins team that began to pride themselves on that skill in 2020. Hernández is known more for his ability in the field than his ability at the plate, as he has been pretty much an average hitter over the course of his career. What Kiké has shown at the plate, though, is his ability to hit left handed pitching. Over the course of his career, Hernández owns a .820 OPS against southpaws, which would certainly help out a Minnesota Twins club that struggled mightily against lefties in 2020. Finally, what Hernández brings as a free agent is something that doesn’t show up in box scores — big game experience. Playing with the Dodgers over the past 6 seasons, Hernández has had his fair share of postseason experience. In total, the former Dodger has appeared in 58 postseason games in his career, and now owns a World Series title. For a team like the Twins that has struggled so much in the playoffs, acquiring players with playoff pedigree who have won on the big stage before isn’t a bad idea. The Case Against: As previously mentioned, with the primary utility position the Minnesota Twins will be signing an everyday player expected to amass between 450-500 plate appearances. With that in mind, the Twins cannot afford to sign a player who is going to be a minus at the plate, which Hernández has been in recent seasons. While Kiké Hernández has been a league average hitter over the course of his career, over the past two seasons he has been downright poor at the plate. Since the start of the 2019 season, the utilityman has hit just .235 with a meager .707 OPS. His numbers against left handed pitching haven’t been much better, posting an OPS against southpaws of just .739 over the same time frame. Outside of a breakout season in 2018, Hernández has never posted an OPS above .730 in a season in which he amassed more than 225 plate appearances, a number that he will surely eclipse in 2021. While the fielding flexibility is a huge plus, the Twins showed in 2020 how challenging it is to compete in games when struggling at the plate, and Hernández’s downside at the plate might just be too steep. Tommy La Stella Contract Estimate: 2 years/$14M The Case For: Though he doesn’t have the name recognition of other great players around the league, Tommy La Stella has been excellent at the plate for a really long time. Since the start of the 2017 season, La Stella has hit .284 and posted an OPS of .800. Focusing in on more recent seasons, La Stella has been even better, posting a .827 OPS since the start of the 2019 season — a mark better than sluggers such as Francisco Lindor, J.T. Realmuto and José Altuve. In addition to hitting for a high average and showing power, La Stella has proven himself to be one of the smartest hitters in baseball, as his 5.3 K% in 2020 was the lowest strikeout rate in all of baseball. La Stella can play 1st, 2nd and 3rd base, and his left handedness presents the opportunity to spell Josh Donaldson and Miguel Sanó against right handed pitching. As two of the more injury-prone players on the team, the ability to get each of them consistent rest without suffering a huge dropoff in production at the plate would be an enormous opportunity. The Case Against: The biggest strike against Tommy La Stella as an option for the Minnesota Twins this offseason is his inability to play shortstop or play in the outfield. The Minnesota Twins are extremely thin at the shortstop position, with Ehrie Adrianza a free agent and Jorge Polanco undergoing ankle surgeries in back to back seasons. Signing a backup shortstop is one of the greatest needs for the Twins, and La Stella would not be able to fill that need. Additionally, La Stella’s left handedness wouldn’t do much in addressing the clubs biggest weakness at the plate in 2020, hitting against left handed pitching. Since the start of the 2019 season, La Stella owns just a .662 OPS against left handed pitching, so would only further cement the issues that this team has against southpaws. Twins Twitter’s Take: The Verdict: While Kiké Hernández brings plenty of big game experience and championship pedigree, Tommy La Stella is the better option for this Minnesota Twins team. With the offseason departure of Eddie Rosario and the uncertainty surrounding Nelson Cruz, the Twins cannot afford to give 500 plate appearances to an average or below-average bat in 2021, which is what Kiké Hernández would bring. In Tommy La Stella the Minnesota Twins would be bringing in an excellent bat who has hit baseballs at the rate of much better known stars in the league. Further, the fact that he has an opposite handedness of Josh Donaldson and Miguel Sanó is a huge advantage, as 1st and 3rd base have been the two positions in the diamond where the Twins have most needed to utilize their utilityman position. While the fact that La Stella can’t play shortstop isn’t completely ideal, the Twins still have a second utility spot to fill where they could bring back Ehire Adrianza or call up any of their minor league glove-first infielders they have signed this offseason to eat innings at shortstop. Tommy La Stella has played with 3 different franchises in the Cubs, Angels and Athletics and proven at every stop that he can be an excellent hitter. La Stella was an all-star 2019, and possesses all the tools to be an all-star with the Twins, should he be the man they ink as their utilityman this offseason. Do you think the Minnesota Twins should sign Kiké Hernandez or Tommy La Stella this offseason? Is there another utilityman you would prefer over these two options? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! Be sure to continue to check back to Twins Daily this weekend for another edition of "Free Agent Faceoff"! MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email — Follow Matthew Taylor on Twitter here Click here to view the article