Matthew Taylor

The Minnesota Twins have a clear need for a designated hitter this offseason, and the free agent market has some intriguing names. Nelson Cruz and Marcell Ozuna are the top designated hitters available. Which would make for a better fit for the reigning AL Central Champs?“Free Agent Faceoff” will be a multi-part series in which I will pit two free agent targets against one another, examining their candidacy as a free agent for the Minnesota Twins. Ultimately I will decide the winner of the faceoff as the better fit for the Twins. The first faceoff, two designated hitters: Marcell Ozuna vs. Nelson Cruz Marcell Ozuna Contract Estimate: 4 years/$72M The Case For: Marcell Ozuna finished 6th in MVP voting in 2020 after leading the National League in both home runs and RBI and posting a massive 1.067 OPS in 60 games. Ozuna’s numbers were no fluke, either, as the free agent finished in the mid-90s percentile for both exit velocity and barrel %. Ozuna possesses elite power and contact skills and is also extremely smart at the plate, posting a BB% of 14.2 in 2020, good enough for the top-12% of baseball. Further, Ozuna will only just be entering into his age-30 season in the Majors in 2021. He is right in the middle of his prime, and figures to have many seasons of crushing baseballs ahead of him over the next half-decade. In addition to being a designated hitter, Ozuna also possesses the ability to play the outfield. Since entering the league in 2013 Ozuna has over 8,000 innings of experience in the outfield, playing all three outfield positions. Ozuna hasn’t been super effective in the field, but the flexibility that he provides by being able to chip in on defense makes him extremely valuable. The Case Against: While Ozuna undoubtedly put up elite numbers in 2020, his career has been wildly inconsistent over the years. Since entering the league full-time in 2014, Ozuna has posted more seasons in his career with an OPS under .775 (4) than over .775 (3). If the Minnesota Twins were to sign the former Atlanta Brave this offseason, they would be acquiring him at his absolute highest value, paying top dollar after a great performance for 60 games. The small sample size could easily be more of an outlier for Ozuna’s career, where his realistic production expectation might be closer to the .816 OPS that he had averaged for the four seasons prior to his 2020 breakout. Because the Minnesota Twins would be acquiring Ozuna at his peak value, the contract to sign him would need to be quite generous, likely requiring 4 years and somewhere in the range of $72M, handicapping the Twins payroll for years to come and making additional moves harder to come by. Further, with Ozuna’s spot as the team’s designated hitter on the payroll for the next four years, the Twins could find themselves in a tough spot should players like Miguel Sanó or Josh Donaldson decline enough in the field to necessitate becoming designated hitters themselves. Nelson Cruz Contract Estimate: 1 year/$16M The Case For: Nelson Cruz requires little introduction for Minnesota Twins fans. In two seasons with the Twins, Cruz has posted a combined OPS of 1.020, leading the team in home runs in both seasons. Off the field, Cruz has been a leader in the Minnesota Twins clubhouse and become a fan favorite for those in Twins Territory. While it’s natural to be fearful of Nelson Cruz’s production dropping off in his age-41 season, the same could have been said for Cruz going into his age-39 and 40 seasons, when he defied historical precedent and provided the Twins monstrous numbers at the plate. Cruz has made it clear year after year, that past age-related production precedent does not apply to him. Signing Nelson Cruz would allow the Minnesota Twins a tremendous amount of flexibility. First, signing Cruz would allow the Twins to fill their designated hitter spot without tying up their future payroll, as Nelson’s age will likely only require a 1-year contract, or potentially a second year that would kick in if certain incentives are met in the first year. In addition to the financial flexibility, the shortened Cruz contract would also provide the Twins with roster flexibility. Given the injury history of Miguel Sanó and Josh Donaldson, the Twins could certainly find themselves in a spot over the next two seasons where they might need to shift Sanó or Donaldson to the designated hitter position, and signing Cruz this offseason wouldn’t inhibit them from being able to do so. The Case Against: Sure, Nelson Cruz has defied all past precedent when it comes to age-related production, but at the same time ... he’s going to be 41 years old next season! There is certainly an imminent drop off coming for Cruz, and that drop off could certainly be coming next season. Teams constantly make the mistake of moving on from their aging stars a year too late rather than a year too early, and there is a very real chance that the Twins could be moving on from Cruz a year too late, should they decide to bring him back in 2021. Down the stretch of the 2020 season, Nelson Cruz began to suffer from knee soreness, and his production took a dip as a result. After posting months with an OPS greater than 1.000 in both July and August, Cruz saw his OPS dip down to a more modest .844 OPS in September and October, perhaps hinting at a larger-scale production drop off in 2021. Twins Twitter’s Take The Verdict Looking at the cases for both designated hitter free agents, Nelson Cruz makes much more sense as a target for this Minnesota Twins ball club. While the Twins have shown the willingness to open up their pocketbooks and spend money under this front office regime, this club is still a middle-market team that can only afford so many high-dollar contracts on their books. Signing Ozuna, a designated hitter, to a high-dollar deal for four years would simply hamper the Twins books too much and hamper them on such a replaceable position like designated hitter. Additionally, the Twins have multiple players in the pipeline who could fill the designated hitter position down the line, whether it is for an aging player declining in the field like Sanó or Donaldson, or a current prospect needing a roster spot like Brent Rooker or Aaron Sabato, the Twins simply can’t afford to tie up a roster spot on a designated hitter for the next four seasons. In Nelson Cruz, there is definite risk with his age and likely dip in health and production, but his upside on this Twins team has been seen in each of the past two seasons on and off the field. The likely commitment of just one season greatly minimizes Minnesota’s risk and leaves the Twins with clear books to go out and sign players in future seasons while this contending window is still wide open. Do you think the Minnesota Twins should go after Nelson Cruz or Marcell Ozuna at their likely price points? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! Be sure to check back to Twins Daily throughout this week for more editions 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

Monday night the San Diego Padres traded for starting pitcher, Yu Darvish. While the deal closed the door on a potential trade target for the Minnesota Twins, it might have opened up the door for a new trade target.After trading away Yu Darvish to the San Diego Padres, the Chicago Cubs signaled to the baseball world that they were open for business and ready to begin a rebuild, especially after team president Theo Epstein stepped down earlier this year. Players such as Kyle Hendricks, Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant are now likely on the table, as well as all-star shortstop, Javier Báez. Much has been made this offseason about the Minnesota Twins pursuing a shortstop and reports have confirmed that this is a direction that the Twins are, indeed, exploring. Names such as Marcus Semien, Andrelton Simmons and Trevor Story have been discussed, but Javier Báez now instantly becomes the most intriguing name of the bunch. Over the past half-decade, Javy Báez has been one of the best shortstops in baseball. From 2016-2019, Báez posted a .822 OPS, earned two all-star bids, and finished second in MVP voting in 2018 after posting a .290/.326/.554 slashline from the shortstop position. Báez has flashed serious power at the plate and absolutely mashes left handed pitchers. 2020 was admittedly a tough season at the plate for Báez (.203 AVG in 59 games), however his overall body of work points to this 60-game sample size being an outlier rather than a trend for the Chicago Cub. When Báez isn’t mashing at the plate, he has shown himself to be a whizz in the field, leading the league in outs above average in 2019 before taking home the Gold Glove trophy in 2020. Baez has the range, arm, and flashy tagging ability to turn the hole between second and third base from a liability to a strength for the Minnesota Twins in 2021. Javier Báez will be playing in his final season of arbitration in 2021 before becoming a free agent in 2022. The “expiring” contract would allow the Twins to acquire a bridge shortstop while Royce Lewis prepares to take the shortstop baton for the future. The singular year of team control would also bring with it a suppressed cost, likely allowing the Twins to hang onto their top-tier prospect capital in a hypothetical trade for the Puerto Rican. Of course, one cannot discuss a connection with Javier Báez and the Minnesota Twins without bringing up the kindred relationship between Báez and his brother-in-law, José Berríos. While Berríos’ wife and Báez’s wife being sisters doesn’t necessarily give the Twins a leg up in any trade discussion, bringing family together on the diamond would certainly bring a smile to the faces of the brothers-in-law and give Dick Bremer plenty of talking points during Twins broadcasts in 2021. What would you think about the Minnesota Twins pursuing a trade for Javier Báez this offseason? How much would you give up to acquire him? 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

Since joining the Minnesota Twins after the 2016 season, Derek Falvey and the Twins front office have signed 22 MLB free agents. What can those 22 prior free agency signings tell us about who the Minnesota Twins might sign this offseason?While it’s fun to speculate on which free agents we think the Minnesota Twins should sign this offseason, it might be more worthwhile to use recent history as an indicator of who the Minnesota Twins are most likely to sign. To do this, we will take a look back at the prior four offseasons for the Twins under the Derek Falvey regime and the archetypes of players that Falvey & company have signed. Then using that history, we can see which types of players in this free agency class match that archetype and could be a realistic free agent for the Twins this offseason. Archetype #1: Veteran Relievers on 1 Year Deals Prior examples: Zach Duke, 1 year/$2.15M (2018)Fernando Rodney, 1 year/$4.5M (2018)Tyler Clippard, 1 year/$3M (2020)Sergio Romo, 1 year/$5M (2020)2021 possibilities:Joakim SoriaSean DoolittleDarren O’DayTyler ClippardLike most teams, the position that the Minnesota Twins have attacked most frequently in free agency over the past four seasons has been relief pitcher. Upon looking at those reliever free agency signings, there is one singular theme that binds them together — they are largely veteran on one-year deals. Over the past four years the Twins have signed 8 relief pitchers. Seven of those eight relief pitchers have been signed on one-year deals (only Addison Reed’s two-year deal being the outlier), and the average age of those seven relief pitchers has been 37 years old. So, while it’s fun to speculate on the Twins going out and signing a top-tier free agent reliever like Liam Hendriks or Brad Hand, chances are the Minnesota Twins are going to stick with what has worked for them, and sign another aging veteran on a one-year contract. Players like Joakim Soria (36), Sean Doolittle (34), Darren O’Day (38) or Tyler Clippard (35) definitely fit the archetype for a Falvey-like free agent more than Liam Hendriks and are the names we should expect to see the Minnesota Twins go after this offseason. Archetype #2: Starting Pitchers Recovering from Injury Prior examples: Rich Hill, 1 year/$3M (2020)Michael Pineda, 2 years/$10M (2018)2021 possibilities:Cole HamelsCorey KluberAnother archetype that we have seen the Falvey-era Minnesota Twins sign in free agency has been starting pitchers recovering from injury. This is a category of player that typically comes with a built-in discount due to the inherent risk of pitching injuries, and the Twins haven’t shied away from capitalizing on that discount. The previous names that we have seen the Twins sign under this archetype have been Rich Hill, who was originally scheduled to miss half of the following season due to elbow surgery, and Michael Pineda who was signed with the understanding that he would miss the entirety of the first season of his contract due to elbow surgery. Teams like the Minnesota Twins might not be able to compete for the Gerrit Coles of the world, but if they hit on a discounted pitcher due to injury, they could acquire a top-flight pitcher for a fraction of the cost. This offseason there are two starting pitchers that fit the bill for a starting pitcher recovering from injury, Cole Hamels and Corey Kluber. Hamels signed with the Atlanta Braves last offseason, only to pitch 3 1/3 innings and ultimately be shut down with shoulder fatigue. Kluber was another starting pitcher with a new team last season only to struggle with injury, pitching just one inning for the Rangers before being shut down with a shoulder tear. Both of these players would make a lot of sense on the Minnesota Twins on reclamation projects, and there has already been buzz of the Minnesota Twins showing interest in Kluber. Archetype #3: Veteran, Frame-Savvy, “Clubhouse Guy” Catchers Prior examples: Jason Castro, 3 year/$24.5M (2017)Alex Avila, 1 year/$4.25M (2020)2021 possibilities:Alex AvilaJason CastroWith Alex Avila becoming a free agent, the Twins have a backup catcher spot to fill on their roster this offseason. Under the Falvey regime, the two catchers that the Twins have signed (Castro and Avila) have both been veteran, frame-savvy, “clubhouse guy” catchers. They have been field-first catchers who excel in making pitchers look better, while being high character guys in the clubhouse. With a hole at backup catcher, the Twins could certainly go out and acquire another framing specialist behind the plate, with the two most likely names, ironically, being Alex Avila and Jason Castro. The most likely path for the Twins, though, will be to not sign either of those names as they have their own frame-savvy catcher within their organization in Ryan Jeffers. Jeffers might not be a 10-year veteran in the Majors like Castro and Avila, but he showed last season that he is an adept pitch framer, and by all accounts has what it takes to be the backup catcher, if not ultimately the starting catcher for the Minnesota Twins in 2021 and beyond. Archetype #4: Top-Tier, Superstar Free Agent Prior examples: Nelson Cruz, 1 year/$14M + $12M second year option (2019)Josh Donaldson, 4 years/$92M (2020)2021 possibilities:Trevor BauerMasahiro TanakaMarcell OzunaNelson CruzThe final archetype of free agent that the Falvey-era Twins have shown that they are capable of signing is the top-tier, superstar free agent. While the Twins have looked to find discounts on the reliever market or by signing starting pitchers coming off of injury, they have also shown that they are capable of ponying up and signing a star when the opportunity presents itself. They somewhat showed that in 2019, when the Twins signed Nelson Cruz to a nice contract, but they really proved it last offseason, when they signed Josh Donaldson to a franchise record $92M deal. Twins fans might still cry “Pohlad Pocket Protector”, but this front office has shown that when the right player is out there, and the need presents itself, they will spend big-time money to bring in talent. Because they have shown in the past that they are willing to spend, no free agent should be thought of as completely off the table for this Twins front office. The big time players this year are Trevor Bauer, Masahiro Tanaka, Marcell Ozuna and Nelson Cruz. Look for the Twins to explore deals with all of these free agents, and potentially ink a deal. Which archetype of free agent do you think the Twins are most likely to sign this offseason? Is there another theme of free agent that was missed? 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

Great question. They have not. It's just an educated guess given the state of the economy of baseball. I usually prefer to be conservative when I estimate payroll numbers. Twins could definitely spend more than I'm thinking.

While free agency has been slow-moving for the Minnesota Twins to begin the 2020 offseason, the Twins have plenty of moves yet to make and plenty of funds yet to spend. How the Twins will allocate those funds, though, is another question.Now that the team option and arbitration deadlines have passed, the Minnesota Twins payroll picture has become much clearer. Currently, the Minnesota Twins have ~$84.5M guaranteed to 14 of its players. That leaves anywhere from $5M to $65M in room for Derek Falvey to go out and sign free agents. Where exactly the Minnesota Twins will land in that range of offseason spending is impossible to know for sure, but scaling back the payroll 10% to a $125M opening day payroll in 2021 remains the most likely path. Could the Twins surprise fans and take advantage of their open window by outspending rival teams? Absolutely. As we plan for the Twins spending, though, it’s best to be conservative and realistic and assume a $125M payroll, or $40M in spending room this offseason. Below is an illustration of where the payroll sits now: Download attachment: current payroll.png Each of the blue spaces are areas that the Twins have yet to solidify for next season. Whether it is through free agency, through trade, or through their own 40-man roster, each of those blue spaces will need to be filled by Opening Day 2021. How the Twins choose to fill those spots remains to be seen, but with the remaining $40M in our proverbial “budget” let’s lay out different ways that the Twins could choose to do so. (Check out last offseason's version of "Choose Your Own Path" where the Twins ended up following one of the plans very closely"). Plan 1: The Bauer Plan Download attachment: bauer.png As you can see, with a $125M budget, there is next to no way that the Twins would be able to bring in Trevor Bauer and still field a competitive ball club. Signing Bauer at a $30M/year price tag (likely conservative estimate), would leave the Twins with essentially no room to sign anyone else on the free agent market to fill out their roster. The Twins would be forced to roll with rookies and minimum salary players up and down the roster to make the money work, negating any of the value that would be added by signing Bauer. It could still be possible that the Twins go out and spend on Trevor Bauer this offseason, but increased spending past what anybody expects would have to come along with it. Plan 2: The “Elite Pitching” Plan Download attachment: pitching.png While signing Trevor Bauer might not be realistic, the Twins could still acquire top end pitching talent this offseason. The additions shown above would not only give the Twins the best pitching rotation in the American League central, but put them in the conversation for the best rotation in the American League. With this plan the Twins would add Masahiro Tanaka, a multi-time all-star as well as Alex Wood. In the 4 seasons of his 7 year career in which he has been fully healthy, Wood has posted ERAs of 2.78, 3.84, 2.72 and 3.68. Additionally with this plan, the Twins would bolster their bullpen by adding 100+ MPH flamethrower Trevor Rosenthal and bring back Tyler Clippard who was excellent in 2020 for the Twins. Going all-in on pitching would admittedly leave the Twins thin at the plate, but the hope would be that they could get Eddie Rosario-type production from Alex Kirilloff in left field, while a Rooker/Cave platoon at DH would produce above average numbers. Plan 3: The “Elite Offense” Plan Download attachment: hitting.png In 2020, the Minnesota Twins finished second in the Majors in pitching fWAR, so maybe the strategy for the Twins going into 2021 should be to sure up their offense, as they finished 15th in baseball in terms of OPS last season. Attacking the offensive side of the plate with their payroll dollars could definitely put together a scary offensive attack for the Twins in 2021. Under this plan, the Twins would bring back Nelson Cruz and his back-to-back Silver Slugger Awards. Additionally they could bring in Yasiel Puig, a proven slugger, as a 4th outfielder to fill in for Alex Kirilloff against left-handed pitching. The Twins don't have to stop there, as Minnesota could still bolster their bench by signing utilitymen Tommy La Stella (.800 OPS from 2017-2020) and Jonathan Villar (20+ home run power with great speed). Plan 4: The “Spread it Around” Plan Download attachment: spread.png For those who don’t want the Twins to spend too much on a specific area of the Twins roster, the “Spread it Around” plan might be of most interest to you. In this plan the Twins would spend ~$17M on their batters and ~$20M on their pitchers, forming a well-rounded team, while staying under our self-imposed $125M budget. We were able to do this by substituting in Kyle Schwarber for Nelson Cruz, which still provides a potent bat while saving on the money needed for Nelson Cruz. Additionally, the Twins would sign a mid-tier free agent starting pitcher, in Jake Odorizzi, while signing Trevor Rosenthal who has the ceiling of a top-tier reliever with a more reasonable salary than someone like Liam Hendriks. Plan 5: The “Run it Back” Plan Download attachment: bring back.png The final strategy that the Minnesota Twins could employ this offseason would be to simply run it back. After all, the Twins are coming off of back-to-back AL Central titles and 100-win pace teams, why mess with what has been working? The Twins obviously won’t be bringing back Eddie Rosario or Trevor May, but they could bring back Cruz, Marwin, Adrianza, Odorizzi, Romo and Clippard and still come in under budget. It wouldn’t be the flashy offseason that Twins fans are hoping for, but could running it back actually make the most sense? Which of the above offseason plans do you think makes the most sense for the Minnesota Twins? Leave a comment below and start the conversation! Want to create your own plan? Head over to www.TwinsPayroll.com and share your own! 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

I'm starting to come around on Kluber as a 1-year flyer similar to Rich Hill. Also a big fan of your bullpen options. Think Bradley on a 2-year deal would be really solid. Nice work!

I posted this on Twitter, but think it's worth posting here as well:

Much has been made this offseason about what the Minnesota Twins should do at designated hitter. Should the Twins bring back Nelson Cruz? Should they make a big offer for Marcell Ozuna? What about Yasiel Puig? What if, though, the best DH option for the Minnesota Twins is no DH at all?After the other-worldly production that the Minnesota Twins have received from the designated hitter position over the past two seasons, it’s easy for Twins fans talk themselves into spending money on bringing back a big name designated hitter again for 2021 and beyond. However, with the scarcity of payroll capital in a COVID economy, as well as the replaceability involved with the DH position, rolling with internal options could make a lot of sense. There is another benefit involved with entering the 2021 season without a de-facto designated hitter though ... In each of the past two seasons, the Minnesota Twins have suffered from critical injuries at inopportune times. In 2019 Byron Buxton (shoulder) missed the entire postseason while Max Kepler (shoulder) and Marwin Gonzalez (oblique) were extremely hampered by injury in October. In 2020, the Minnesota Twins suffered all season with injuries, finishing third in the American League with its batters spending 212 days on the injured list throughout the course of the season, and had Byron Buxton (concussion) and Josh Donaldson (quad) miss some and all of the postseason, respectively. Some injuries are inevitable and will happen no matter what, but there are ways to curb the likelihood of injuries for a Major League clubhouse. One of those ways is to utilize off days and have players spend entire games on the bench. Another way is to utilize the designated hitter position as a way to give players rest from the field while keeping their bats in the lineup. The former is something that Rocco Baldelli has done constantly since joining the Twins, while the latter has yet to be used in the Badelli era. The reason that the Twins have not been able to cycle players through the designated hitter position over the past two seasons is because of the presence of Nelson Cruz. While Cruz is an absolute force at the plate, he has no ability to play in the field and is thus permanently penned in as the Twins designated hitter. This then puts the Twins in a position where they need to either play their players nine innings in the field and suffer the health consequences, or not play them at all and suffer the on-field production consequences. While the Twins would certainly feel the giant loss of Nelson Cruz’s right handed bat from this lineup next season, the added flexibility that the Minnesota Twins would gain in the health and freshness department would be a huge development for the team. Additionally, the DH flexibility would allow the Twins to platoon the position and play the matchup game to set themselves up for success and minimize the impact felt by the loss of Nelson Cruz. Against right handed pitchers the Twins could platoon any of Jake Cave, Alex Kirilloff, Max Kepler, or Luis Arráez who all own an OPS above .800 against RHP and against southpaws the Twins could cycle Miguel Sanó, Josh Donaldson, Byron Buxton and Mitch Garver who similarly all mash left handed pitching. Together, the Minnesota Twins could put together a “cumulative” designated hitter with an OPS above .800. This “cumulative” DH would be a downgrade over the production that Cruz has put up by himself over the past two seasons, but as he continues to age will likely match the numbers that Cruz will put up and will provide the team with tremendous flexibility to both stay fresh and healthy, expose matchups, and provide the team with a financial boost to spend their payroll space in other areas. What would you think about the Minnesota Twins entering the 2021 season without a designated hitter? Do you think the added financial and health flexibility gained would be worth the loss of a bat like Nelson Cruz? 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

If Gardy was still in Detroit, they would 100% go after Eddie. He just seems so much like a future Red Sock.

With only three pitchers locked into the rotation for the 2021 season, starting pitching is a need that the Minnesota Twins must address this offseason. After free agent targets Marcus Stroman and Kevin Gausman came off the market on Wednesday, it became clear that Jake Odorizzi needs to be a priority for the Minnesota Twins.Wednesday afternoon was the deadline for Major League players to accept or decline the one-year, $18.9M qualifying offers that they were offered. Marcus Stroman and Kevin Gausman were two of those players, and each of them opted to accept the one-year offer and re-join the Mets and Giants respectively. This was major news for the Minnesota Twins as Stroman and Gausman were both pitchers who made a lot of sense as free agent targets for the reigning AL Central champions. With Trevor Bauer likely a pipe dream for the Twins and Tanaka likely returning in pinstripes next season, Stroman and Gausman were in that next tier of free agent starting pitchers with tremendous upside at a more reasonable cost. Now that they are both off the table, the list of impact starting pitchers has been trimmed considerably. Left in that group are James Paxton, who has injury concerns and will need to be pried away from the Yankees, José Quintana, who doesn’t inspire a ton of confidence, Charlie Morton, who has already expressed a desire to stay on the east coast, and a name that Minnesota Twins fans are very familiar with — Jake Odorizzi. Jake Odorizzi has had an up-and-down tenure with the Minnesota Twins over the past three seasons. After a shaky debut in 2018, Odorizzi added velocity to his fastball in 2019 and posted the best season of his career, with an all-star appearance and a 3.51 ERA. 2020 was, unfortunately, a lost season for Odorizzi, who battled injuries all year and was only able to throw 13 2/3 innings. Because of his lost season in 2020, it’s easy to forget just how dominant of a pitcher Odorizzi was in 2019. While Kenta Maeda just posted an incredible season for the Minnesota Twins en route to finishing second in American League Cy Young voting, Jake Odorizzi had arguably a better 60-game stretch to start the 2019 season. Over the first 60 games of the 2019 season, Odorizzi bested Maeda in both ERA and FIP. Some additional highlights from Odorizzi’s 2019 season: Odorizzi’s ERA+ of 131 is the second best single-season number by a Twins pitcher since 2010.Odorizzi’s K/9 of 10.08 remains the third best single-season K/9 in Twins history after Tom Hall in 1970 and Johan Santana in 2004.Odorizzi delivered the best pitching performance for the Minnesota Twins in the 2019 postseason, allowing just two earned runs in five innings while striking out five in Game 3 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees.Odorizzi and the Minnesota Twins organization both have great deal of familiarity with each other, so bringing back the right hander makes a lot of sense. Additionally, there’s reason to believe that the price tag on Odorizzi may be depressed due to his struggles from the 2020 season. Odorizzi is still just 30 years old and might still have his best years ahead of him. Assuming that the price tag is within range of what the Minnesota Twins are looking to spend, the key question will be what the interest level is for Odorizzi to return to the Land of 10,000 lakes on a potential multi-year contract. All signs point to Odorizzi enjoying his time with the Minnesota Twins, and a great fit with Wes Johnson as his pitching coach. However, after the qualifying offer kept him from cashing in on a long-term deal last offseason, as well as being held out of the 2020 postseason, it’s fair to wonder if Odorizzi is ready to move onto a different franchise and hopefully find better luck elsewhere. As currently constructed the Minnesota Twins would be relying on Devin Smeltzer and Randy Dobnak as their fourth and fifth starting pitchers, with the hope of a younger prospect such as Jhoan Duran making an impact later in the season. With championship aspirations in mind, the Twins simply need to add more impact pitching. The trade market will certainly be something the Twins will look to explore this offseason, but adding an impact starting pitcher via free agency is another area the Twins will need to capitalize on. While it’s often tempting to look outside the organization for those impact free agents, the Minnesota Twins don’t need to look far to bring back their impact pitcher, as Jake Odorizzi would be a huge piece to kick-start a big season in 2021. 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

My biggest takeaway from this is that it's going to be really challenging to hang onto Nelson Cruz. I agree that the payroll will most likely take a dip. With that in mind, it's hard to justify spending half of the cap space on a 41 year old designated hitter, even if that DH is Nelson Cruz. Although this team will be coming off of back-to-back division titles and is in a great spot, there are just so many holes. With all of the injury issues last year, I don't think it's the worst thing in the world to keep the DH spot open for giving guys days off.

He was fine at the plate, but a step below from where he had been the previous two seasons. He struck out more than ever before and posted his lowest SLG% since 2015.

Each year in college football, conferences release their “All-Conference” teams, recognizing the best player at each position from their conference. Now that the 2020 regular season has wrapped up, let’s see who made the 2020 All-AL Central Team.Outlined below is how the All-AL Central Team shook out, with the best player from the AL Central recognized at each position. Also outlined below are the preseason selections, the players selected by the selection committee (me) as the best players position-by-position coming into the 2020 season. This article will outline the All-AL Central team selections, as well as look at which preseason selections played up to expectations and maintained their title as the best at their position through the duration of the 2020 season. Your 2020 All-AL Central team: Catcher: Salvador Perez Preseason selection: Yasmani Grandal ❌ After missing the entirety of the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery and missing the start of this season with a COVID-19 diagnosis, Salvador Perez responded by posting excellent numbers over the 2020 campaign. Perez ended the 2020 season with a .333/.353/.633 slash line and led all Major League catchers in wins above replacement, despite missing the beginning of the season. Despite providing excellent defense behind the plate, Yasmani Grandal struggled at the dish this season, hitting just .230. 1st Base: José Abreu Preseason selection: Miguel Sanó ❌ After signing a $50M contract extension in the offseason, José Abreu rewarded the White Sox with a massive season at the plate in 2020. Abreu led baseball with 60 RBI and led the American League with a SLG% of .617. Abreu was clutch all season long for the White Sox and has a case for American League MVP honors. Preseason selection, Miguel Sanó, had a very up-and-down season in 2020. After missing out on much of Summer Camp with a COVID-19 diagnosis Sanó had a slow start to the season, beginning the year going 1-for-17. In the middle of the season Sanó caught fire, posting a 1.126 OPS over a 21 game stretch. Sanó then struggled with a neck injury to end the year and saw his play suffer down the stretch as a result. 2nd Base: César Hernández Preseason selection: Luis Arráez❌ César Hernández wasn’t on anybody’s radar as the starting second baseman for the All-AL Central team, but because of his consistent play and injury to front runner, Arráez, Hernández earned the honor. In a season where the Cleveland Indians offense struggled for much of the year, Hernández was consistently solid, slashing .283/.355/.408 over 58 games and providing solid second base defense. Arráez struggled with knee problems all season, and though he ended the season with another high batting average of .321, he was only able to appear in 32 games. Expect Arráez to bounce back in a big way in 2020. Shortstop: Tim Anderson Preseason selection: Francisco Lindor ❌ After winning the batting title in 2019, many pointed to Anderson’s sky-high BABIP as a reason why he was due for regression in 2020. Anderson’s batting average took a slight dip, but his overall game improved as his .886 OPS was a career high. At just 27 years old, Anderson is only beginning to enter his prime. Lindor, like most of Cleveland’s offense, struggled for much of the 2020 season, posting a career low OPS of .750. Third Base: José Ramírez Preseason selection: Josh Donaldson ❌ After a slow start to the 2020 campaign that had Ramírez hitting just .230 through the season’s first 30 games, Ramírez finished the season as the hottest player in baseball. Over the season’s final 29 games, Ramírez slashed .358/.447/.792 and propelled the Indians to a near AL Central division title. It will be a tight race between José Abreu and Ramírez for the American League MVP. Josh Donaldson had some promising moments in the 2020 season, but unfortunately his season will mostly be remembered by injury as he played in less than half of Minnesota’s games in 2020 and missed out on the postseason completely. Outfield: Eloy Jimenez Outfield: Luis Robert Outfield: Whit Merrifield Preseason selections: Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Max Kepler ✅✅❌ Chicago’s outfield was expected to be impressive in 2020 and they certainly were. They were led by Eloy Jiménez who followed up his rookie campaign with an even better year in 2020. Over 55 games, Eloy posted an OPS of .891, 40% better than average. Through August of the 2020 season, Luis Robert looked like every bit of the prospect he was hyped up to be and more, posting an OPS of .960. Robert struggled mightily down the stretch of the season, as he hit just .136 in the month of September. Though he had a tough final month of the year, Robert still did enough for an All-AL Central spot, especially with his elite center field defense. Rounding out the All-AL Central outfield is Whit Merrifield. Merrifield put together his second season in a row playing in 100% of his team’s games and once again had successful numbers at the plate, slashing .282/.325/.764. It was another poor season for the Royals, but Merrifield was not at all to blame. Designated Hitter: Nelson Cruz Preseason selection: Nelson Cruz✅ Nelson Cruz was the easy choice as the designated hitter on the All-AL Central team, and he left no room for debate as to who was the best DH in the division in 2020. Cruz once again dominated at the plate, posting a .992 OPS and leading the Twins with 16 home runs. As an impending free agent, the Minnesota Twins will have a massive decision to make on whether or not they choose to bring back the 40-year-old designated hitter. SP: Shane Bieber SP: Lucas Giolito SP: Kenta Maeda SP: Dallas Keuchel SP: Carlos Carrasco Preseason selections: Shane Bieber, Lucas Giolito, Mike Clevinger, Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi ✅✅❌❌❌ The starting pitching was suspected to be the strength of the American League Central, and that turned out to be the case. The starting pitching in the AL Central was led by the dominant quartet of Bieber, Maeda, Giolito, and Keuchel who posted ERAs of 1.63, 3.48, 2.70 and 1.99 respectively. Bieber was dominant from start to finish for the Indians and will win the Cy Young, Maeda was the ace that the Twins had been seeking, Gioltio posted a career-high 12.07 K/9 and turned in a no-hitter, and Keuchel posted a team-low ERA of 1.99. Rounding out the starting pitchers for the American league was Carlos Carrasco, an amazing turn-around for a guy who recently returned from a Leukemia diagnosis last year. RP: James Karinchak RP: Brad Hand RP: Evan Marshall RP: Tyler Duffey RP: Alex Colomé Preseason selections: Tyler Duffey, Alex Colomé, Brad Hand, Taylor Rogers, Aaron Bummer ✅✅✅❌❌ While Taylor Rogers and Aaron Bummer weren’t the class of the American League Central relief pitchers as expected, they were replaced on the All-AL central team by some dominant relievers in their own right in James Karinchak and Evan Marshall. Karinchak as a rookie, led all AL Central relievers in fWAR with 1.1 and owned an absolutely ridiculous K/9 of 17.67, which is the highest single season K/9 in the expansion era. Marshall was a god-send for Chicago in 2020 as he filled in for the injured Aaron Bummer and was dominant with a 2.38 ERA and 11.91 K/9. The remainder of the All-AL Central relievers were the expected names in Brad Hand (2.05 ERA, 13.50 K/9), Tyler Duffey (1.88 ERA, 0.79 WHIP) and Alex Colomé (0.81 ERA). Overall, only 8 of the 19 2020 Pre-Season All-AL Central team members made it on the team following the 2020 season. The biggest reason for this was the complete no-show from the Minnesota Twins offense in 2020. After dominating baseball at the plate in 2019, the 2020 crop only produced one position player on the All-AL Central team with Nelson Cruz. From the 19 spots on our All-AL Central Team here is how many players each team in the AL Central contributed: Minnesota Twins - 3 (9 preseason selections)Chicago White Sox - 8 (6 preseason selections)Cleveland Indians - 6 (4 preseason selections)Kansas City Royals - 2 (0 preseason selections)Detroit Tigers - 0 (0 preseason selections)What are your thoughts on the 2020 All-AL Central team? What surprised you most about how the team shook out after the season? Do you disagree with any of the selections? 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

Really well written article, Matt. Wade is a solid MLB player who unfortunately just found himself on the wrong MLB roster. The biggest knock against Wade is something that's completely out of his control, he's left handed! The Twins have just so many left handed corner OFers, with more to come in Larnach and Kirilloff, that it's just hard to see him having much of a long term impact with this club IMO.

This is a great point, Spycake! Thanks for clarifying!

Although the Minnesota Twins have been eliminated from the 2020 MLB playoffs, there are still many reasons to continue watching October baseball. One reason being that there are many impending free agents playing, who the Twins could pursue this offseason.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! 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