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Twins fans are blinded by nostalgia when it comes to 2019's Twins' Bomba Squad. Image courtesy of Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports In 2019, the Twins put together one of the greatest seasons in franchise history. They won 101 games - second-best in Twins history - and cruised to a division win. Known as the Bomba Squad, the team broke numerous home run records, including MLB’s team record of 307, and they had five players hit 30 or more home runs. It looked like a youth movement was leading the way, but sustained success eluded them, both in the postseason and in subsequent years. In the postseason, the Yankees swept the Twins. pushing their playoff losing streak to 16 games. People look back at that team as one of the few times the Twins could be considered "true contenders," but in reality, they are blinded by nostalgia. The failures of the team all come down to sustained success. Sustained success is something that has been echoed time and time again since Derek Falvey and Thad Levine took over the team in 2016. The reasoning behind it is simple: anything can happen in the playoffs. The more times you make the playoffs, the more chances you have to go on a World Series run. The primary way to achieve this level of success is through team control. When trading at the deadline, players are often acquired as rentals. But trading for players with a year or two of team control gives the receiving team much more value. The same goes for signing team-friendly contract extensions. The Twins have committed to this philosophy in recent years through multiple moves. Pablo Lopez - traded for with two years of team control Chris Paddack - traded for with three years of team control and then a contract extension Tyler Mahle - traded for with 1.5 years of team control Jorge Lopez - traded for with 2.5 years of team control Gio Urshela - trade for with two years of team control Controlling players for multiple years solidifies parts of the team while also giving the organization the financial freedom to build around these players. In 2019, however, the organization ditched this idea. 2018 was a disappointing year, and in the following offseason, the Twins decided to fill their gaps with one-year rentals. It started in November when the Twins filled their first base gap by picking up CJ Cron off of waivers. Then they signed Jonathan Schoop to a one-year deal at second base, followed up by a one-year deal (plus a team option) to aging slugger Nelson Cruz. In February 2019, the Twins acquired Marwin Gonzalez for a two-year deal. To "fix" their issues in the rotation, they signed Martin Perez to a one-year deal. Notice the pattern here? It would have been easy to write off the season, except all those rentals started off hot and propelled the team into playoff contention. It became even more complicated as the season went on. By midseason, the one-year rentals were already starting to decline. Cron got hurt and had a bad second half. Perez had a hot start but got rocked the rest of the season. Schoop had a bad month in June and was mostly replaced by the up-and-coming Luis Arraez. Only Cruz continued to shine and was awarded the team MVP as a 39-year-old. By the time the trade deadline rolled around, either the front office felt that the early season success truly was sustainable despite warning signs, or they felt pressured to make a move to push the team further into contention. They added Sergio Romo and Sam Dyson. Romo was decent to finish the year, and the Dyson trade is arguably one of the worst of Derek Falvey's time. In the end, the acquisitions didn't matter enough, and the Twins fell short of the Yankees in the ALDS. The 2019 team produced great memories but had a lack of substance behind them. When one takes a step back and looks at the whole picture, one realizes how deceptive the year was in evaluating the Twins' future. The 2019 Twins were entertaining to watch, but when it comes to their effect on the franchise, people are blinded by nostalgia. View full article

Over the past handful of years we have seen front offices re-evaluate how they go about paying sluggers. While the designated hitter has become universal, and there are some players truly not fit to play in the field, most boppers must now possess more than just power potential. This trend is working against two ex-Twins who provided explosive power for the Twins' 2019 Bomba Squad. Image courtesy of © Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports We rarely see players like Chris Davis, Khris Davis, or Chris Carter on the baseball diamond anymore. The Baltimore Orioles immediately looked questionable when giving Chris Davis a bloated deal as analytics began to weigh on-base percentages differently. Both Miguel Sano and Nelson Cruz have shown a better approach than some of the aforementioned names, but as each heads elsewhere you have to wonder what either have left. Recently the San Diego Padres signed Cruz for just $1 million. That is his lowest yearly salary since he was 29-years-old back in 2010. Expected to get plenty of designated hitter at bats for the Padres, there was very little evidence that the aging process had not have caught up to Cruz a season ago. Playing 124 games with the Washington Nationals, Cruz posted a paltry .651 OPS and 90 OPS+. His 148 OPS+ with the Twins in 2021 was all but gone, and he began a steep decline with the Tampa Bay Rays after he was traded midseason. Cruz still hit ten homers last year, but his .313 OBP was a far-cry from the .344 mark he has put up over the course of his career. Cruz rebounded from the .283 OBP he posted with the Rays in 55 games last year, but his slugging percentage dropping to .337 really limits what the potential upside is. Of course, the Padres aren’t making a significant financial commitment by any means, but Steamer projections have him tabbed for just 0.2 fWAR a .714 OPS and nine home runs. It’s hard to see how that type of output lasts in the lineup all year. Then there is Sano. Playing in only 20 games for Minnesota last year, he posted an unfathomably bad -0.9 fWAR. By the end of the season he was all but asked to leave the team, and there doesn’t appear to be a reunion tour coming. While Jeremy Nygaard wrote a great piece on Sano, it would be shocking to see Minnesota reopen that door. What I do think remains possible is that Sano finds himself still being a productive slugger. A season ago Sano was hurt. Injuring his meniscus and then having rehab go both slowly and poorly, he never worked himself back into shape. That has been part of the bugaboo his whole career, and tapping into a newfound work ethic probably isn’t something that a new team be able to rely upon. Sano at his baseline though can still get it done in stretches. During 2021, the Twins saw Sano post a 112 OPS+ and blast 30 home runs. His .819 OPS and 119 OPS+ excluding last year is a better offensive profile than Joey Gallo, and Sano has always shown a solid ability to draw walks and command the strike zone. He has rarely been a free-swinger, struggling more with whiffs on velocity than anything, and there has never been a doubt about his immense power. What should be notable here is that perception of personality matters. A 42-year-old Nelson Cruz is getting a chance because he brings a great clubhouse presence. The Padres can afford to jettison him if he is truly cooked. Miguel Sano is still looking for his next gig, and while it most likely will need to be a minor league deal, his suitors are not as plentiful given the track record he has accumulated. There is probably a path for Sano to have a better season than Cruz, and even by a substantial margin. The question is who will bite the bullet on allowing it to play out? View full article

Time is running out for the Twins to add to the team's 2023 roster. So, do any of the top remaining free agents fit with the Twins? Image courtesy of Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports Ranking free agents can be a challenging exercise, especially at this point in the off-season when many of the top names are off the board. On Sunday, MLB Trade Rumors updated their list of the best remaining free agents at each position, which includes some players that are potential fits for the Twins. Here is a rundown of that list and how each player fits with Minnesota's 2023 roster. Starting Pitcher: Johnny Cueto Minnesota showed some interest in Cueto last winter but went in a different direction to sign Chris Archer. At the time, the Twins wanted someone ready to jump into the rotation, and Cueto didn't make an appearance until May 16. In 2022, he made 25 starts for the White Sox and posted a 3.35 ERA with a 1.23 WHIP. There are rumors the Twins might be interested in Michael Wacha, who would be the next best free-agent starter. Teams can never have too much starting pitching, but the club's younger arms offer more upside. Relief Pitcher: Andrew Chafin The Twins have done little to add to the bullpen, and a few reliable relievers are left on the market. Chafin is intriguing because he is left-handed, and Minnesota's only lefty relievers are Caleb Thielbar and Jovani Moran. He posted a 10.5 K/9 last season with a 2.83 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. He's shown the ability to be effective against righties and lefties, which should secure him a late-inning role with a contending club. Former Twin Michael Fulmer is the best right-handed reliever, and that move makes sense for Minnesota if Chafin signs elsewhere. Catcher: Gary Sanchez Catcher was one of Minnesota's most significant needs this winter, but the club already signed Christian Vazquez to a multi-year deal. The Twins saw plenty of Sanchez during the 2022 campaign, and the team was looking for a better defensive option. It seems highly unlikely for Sanchez to be back in a Twins uniform. First Base: Trey Mancini Last week, I wrote about Mancini being a target for the Twins because he gets some time in the outfield and bats right-handed. However, he posted reverse splits last season, so he might not be the best candidate for this role. Minnesota likely has enough options for first base, with Luis Arraez and Alex Kirilloff getting most of the reps and other players filling in as needed. Signing Mancini makes more sense if the Twins traded any of their other first-base options. Second Base: Josh Harrison Harrison posted a 94 OPS+ in 119 games for the White Sox last season while providing plenty of value on the defensive side. He can fill a veteran utility player role, especially since he ranked in the 84th percentile for Outs Above Average. Minnesota's second base depth chart is already full with Jorge Polanco, Luis Arraez, and Edouard Julien. Shortstop: Elvis Andrus Obviously, Carlos Correa is not officially signed with the New York Mets, and MLBTR was assuming his deal will have a pen to paper. Andrus might be a slight upgrade over current Twins shortstop Kyle Farmer, but they offer similar overall value. Andrus likely wants to play for a team where he will get regular playing time, and the Twins might not be that place for him. Minnesota can add him as another infield option if his market continues to be cold, but that seems unlikely. Third Base: Brian Anderson Earlier this winter, the Twins traded Gio Urshela to open up a regular third base job for Jose Miranda. Anderson's defense declined at third base last season, and he's averaged a 90 OPS+ over the last two seasons. He has some experience in the outfield, so the Twins may be interested in him being a right-handed bench bat. Corner Outfield: Jurickson Profar Besides Correa, Profar is the best free agent left on the market. Last season, he hit .243/.331/.391 (.723) with a 111 OPS+ and a career-high 36 doubles. Profar could fit with the Twins because he is a switch hitter and played exclusively in left field last season. Minnesota has Byron Buxton and Joey Gallo penciled into two outfield spots, while Profar could occupy left. It seems more likely for the Twins to use other internal options in the outfield, with the club already having too many corner outfield options. Center Field: Albert Almora Almora is tremendous as a defensive center fielder, but he is substantially below average at the plate. The Twins hope to have Byron Buxton start more than 51 games in center this year. Also, Gilberto Celestino has plenty of upside, even though he still needs to put it all together at the big-league level. Almora isn't signing with the Twins. Designated Hitter: Nelson Cruz Twins fans can dream of Cruz returning to the middle of the team's line-up, but he isn't the same hitter he was two years ago. In 2022, he hit .234/.313/.337 (.651) with a 90 OPS+. He's also entering his age 42 season, so there are no guarantees he will rediscover his swing. Cruz had plenty of memorable moments for the Twins, but the club was lucky to move on from him. Which of these players is the best fit with the Twins? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Under Derek Falvey and Thad Levine, the Twins have prized depth on their roster and optionality in their processes. Their approach to MLB free agency has reflected that fact. Alas, that means they’re only doing half the job that a great front office must do in free agency, and it’s the less vital half. Image courtesy of © Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports MLB free agency is really one name for two overlapping but distinct tasks. One of those is finding short-term answers to immediate problems. In this aspect, a front office needs to reinforce thin areas on their roster; balance the pursuit of upside with the necessity of setting a firm floor for a given roster spot; and husband their resources as closely as possible. They need to fill holes without leaving themselves ossified or cornered when the opportunity or the need to change tack arises. The other task that makes up free agency, though, is adding high-impact talent to the franchise on a long-term basis. This is talked about too rarely, but it’s crucial. That’s because, ultimately, having star-caliber players is a non-negotiable prerequisite for consistent contention. To longtime baseball fans, this can seem like the vapid talk of a cotton-headed basketball or football fan. No individual can have the same impact on a ball club as LeBron James can have on a basketball team, or even the impact that any of several good quarterbacks can have on their rosters. One of baseball’s beautiful characteristics is that depth will out, and that good teams are unavoidably reliant upon a broader base of contributors. Every roster spot matters, and stars can’t carry subpar fellows very far. The bottom 60 percent of a 26- and a 40-man roster needs to be full of guys who hew closer to average than to the replacement level, or else a team will stall out over the long season. True though that might be when it comes to analyzing a team based on its two or three best players, it fades into irrelevance if you judge a team by its seven or eight best. Good teams need above-average players—not a couple of them, but a cadre. It’s simple math, really. If you have that army of credible, almost-good players rounding out the bottom of the roster, you’ve set a floor somewhere between 70 and 75 wins. If the top handful of batters and pitchers are each just a win above average, though, you can’t push much past 85 wins. Teams with real chances of reaching and causing trouble in the postseason, and especially those who stand any chance of doing so multiple times in a span of a few years, need to have clear paths to 90 wins or more. A deeper dive into players who post a 4+ WAR tells why the Twins have been coming up short against the more elite teams in the American League, including in the postseason. But we reward our Caretakers with the meatier stories like this, since they’re the ones that support paying writers for a more thorough examination. If you would like to join them, you can read this story and also get other perks, like a free ticket to the Winter Meltdown, meet and greets, special recognition in the comments sections, and more exclusive in-depth explorations of Twins topics. Just sign up here. We would love to have you join the hundreds of people that value having Twins stories, rumors and conversation 365 days per year. Thank you for considering it. View full article

Carlos Correa's "super agent" Scott Boras described the Minnesota Twins as "fishing in the ocean" just a week before Correa signed a 13-year $350M deal with the San Francisco Giants. At the time, the Twins were in the middle of a heated bidding war for the superstar short stop. that saw them offer a franchise record 10-year $280M contract. As we know, the Twins were unwilling to get to the 13 year threshold that the Giants offered, and he will now assumingly play out the remainder of his career in the The Golden City. Some Twins fans immediately took to bashing the front office for their inability to give Correa whatever he wanted because he said he wanted to remain in Minnesota. Other fans were just excited that the Twins had seemingly taken a step up by offering such a lucrative contract, and were now big players in the free agent game. Fishing in the ocean. Fast forward just a few short days, and the Twins have finally began spending the surplus of money they had sitting unoccupied on the payroll. They started by signing Christian Vasquez, an elite defensive catcher who holds his own at the plate, to a 3-year $30M deal. They followed the Vasquez signing up by landing Joey Gallo, a former superstar with as much raw power as anyone in the league, to a 1-year $11M contract. This is clearly just the start of a Twins plan that is starting to formulate and fall into place, however, many Twins fans have voiced their displeasure with the team's lack of ability to reel in the big fish. Do these fans have a real gripe? Should the Twins be throwing around $200M contracts more frequently? The fun answer would be yes. It would be awesome to navigate an offseason and trade deadline with the same aggressiveness as the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers, but is that the blueprint that the Twins should follow when their payroll sits right around $160M? I think the last five years have taught us that when it comes to winning a championship, there are many was to skin a cat, and maybe the Twins should shift their approach. 2020-2022 Offseasons The years 2020-2022 brought us some of the most exciting offseason moments we could have ever hoped for as Twins fans. Prior to the 2020 season, the Twins signed Josh Donaldson to a 4-year $92M contract, which was the richest contract they had ever given to a free agent to date. The Donaldson signing was one of the most exciting offseason moments of my Twins fandom. The Donaldson era on the field was one chock-full with injuries and disappointment. He was eventually dumped off on the Yankees in a trade for Gio Urshela and Gary Sanchez in order to get Donaldson's contract off the books. His former Twins teammates were rather vocal about how they felt about Donaldson in his time in Minnesota, and it wasn't good. The Twins avoided the disaster of living out his 4-year deal by giving him away to the Yankees, who have also had their fair share of issues with Donaldson. Donaldson's two year stint with the Twins could've left a bad taste in the Twins mouth when it came to signing big free agents, but it didn't, as made evident by excitement displayed by fans when the Twins made the biggest move in franchise history following the Donaldson trade. I remember waking up groggy eyed and looking at my phone when I saw the Minnesota Twins had signed Carlos Correa. Despite it being 6 a.m., I danced around my room screaming like an idiot until I lost my voice, got light headed, and decided to sit down. The Correa signing came out of no where, as there was never any reported interest between either party until the news broke that he was coming to Minnesota on a 3-year $105M deal that included opt out options after each of the first two seasons. Correa's time in Minnesota could not have been more different than Donaldson's. He was a fantastic leader and player, and left a very positive impact on the Twins. This is the reason they decided the 28-year-old was worth a 10-year $280M contract. Correa remained healthy and performed for much of the season, but he alone wasn't enough to make the Twins successful. As the players around Correa fell one by one to injury throughout the season, the Twins were forced to play a handful of players who were not Major League quality players. The season winded down to a disastrous end came and Correa opted out, leaving fans wondering what the Twins would do. In most Twins fans minds, after the last few offseasons, the only way to become a championship caliber team was to throw around as much cash as humanly possible and sign as many big named free agents as there were on the market. This is the exciting way to operate, but is it the best way for a mid-market team to go about their business? 2019 Offseason In 2018 the Twins went 78-84 and fired their manager Paul Moliter. They went into the 2018-2019 offseason with plenty of young talent on the roster, but also plenty of holes to fill. The Twins followed a different model in this particular winter than they have in the offseasons since. In this offseason, the Twins started by signing low to mid level free agents like CJ Cron, Jonathan Schoop, Ehire Adrianza, and Martin Perez. The Twins made their first big move of the winter when they signed the 38-year-old home run slugging DH Nelson Cruz to a 1-year $12M contract. They followed it up by signing the former World Series Champion Marwin Gonzalez to a 2-year $21M deal. This offseason saw them sign mid level free agents to short term, low risk, high reward contracts. The result of this plan just so happened to be one of the most memorable seasons in Twins history. The 2019 "Bomba Squad" won 101 games and won the AL Central. The team was fun, exciting, and very deep. It was built with a strong emphasis on depth, developing their own young players, and bringing in veteran players who provided good leadership on short term deals. What's This Mean? Maybe nothing. It's a small sample size, but I can't help but feel that this offseason is shaping up very much like the one that led the Twins to an all-too-fun 101 win season. The 2023 Twins team already has a lot of talent, and most of that talent is rather youthful. They have pivoted from the large, flashy contracts, and have focused on short term deals that could end up paying off big time if they hit. Take Joey Gallo for example. If he reverts the the 2021 version of himself that contributed 4.7 Wins Above Replacement, they could have themselves a massive asset for a very manageable price. If he sucks, the Twins will wash their hands of him, and it's essentially no harm, no foul. The Twins front office has received a ton of criticism for the lack of moves so far this winter, but I refuse to overreact to an unfinished product. The moves are coming, and I believe the Twins will compete in 2023, pushing to win a very weak AL Central. The flashy moves the Twins have made the last few seasons have been fun. I will always get excited when I see a big name connected with the Twins. I will continue to lose my mind any time the Twins manage to bring one of those big fish to Minnesota. I'm not saying the Twins can't win by making these moves. My main point here is that the Twins have yet to find any success from signing star free agents to lucrative contracts. Instead of screaming at the top of our lungs to fire the whole front office, maybe we can take a step back and let the entirety of the offseason fall into place before we start criticizing. Let Falvey cook. Deep breaths. We've been here before. What are your thoughts on the offseason this far? What are your hopes for the future? Let me know, and as always, Go Twins!

The Twins, coming off another losing season in front of the smallest (non-pandemic) crowd in Target Field history, are at a critical point in the franchise’s trajectory. Image courtesy of © Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports It’s not always wise to judge fan morale from social media. If we did, though, it’d be easy to see that Twins Territory is unhappy with the current product. Why wouldn’t they be? The Twins haven’t won a playoff game since I was four years old. They haven’t won a playoff series since I was two. After a long and grueling rebuild post-2010, it looked as though the Twins were emerging from the pits. The 2019 team won 101 games behind – yes, Nelson Cruz – but also the core Twins fans had heard about for so long. Miguel Sanó was a monster in the second half, Max Kepler was Twins Daily’s team MVP, and Jorge Polanco was an All-Star. Byron Buxton and José Berrios also shined, furthering excitement for the future. To call the next page a letdown would be an understatement. The Twins won the Central again in the shortened 2020 season but once again bowed out early in a playoff sweep to the Astros. They haven’t recovered. In back-to-back seasons, the Twins have missed the playoffs and won less than 80 games. The picture of a treacherous 2021 is the faces of Alexander Colomé, J.A. Happ, Matt Shoemaker and Andrelton Simmons, all half measure additions who flopped beyond belief. It was similar in 2022, with Emilio Pagán, Joe Smith, Chris Archer and Dylan Bundy failing to make a positive impact. The short-term, marginal moves have exploded violently. It’s true that the Twins lost quite a few players to long-term injuries in both of those seasons. It’s also undeniable that the team’s rotation is the deepest it has been on paper under the Derek Falvey regime. The club does have some exciting young talent, including Jhoan Durán, José Miranda, Joe Ryan, Royce Lewis and a 25-year-old Luis Arraez. Brooks Lee is on his way and Louie Varland and Simeon Woods Richardson showed they are ready to help the cause. For all of those reasons, it’s imperative the Twins add impact talent this offseason. It’s time to find an identity and preferably one built around the star-studded pair of Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton. The Twins need winning ballplayers to lead the hopeful Buxton-Lewis-Lee-Miranda era. No more half measures. It’s difficult to feel much optimism about the oft-injured 2023 roster. It’s not hard to see it going well, though, if the team has a productive offseason and better health. The 2022 Twins, with Bundy and Archer stapled in the rotation, were tied for first place in the Central on September 4th. They led the division for much of the summer. This division is quite the opposite of intimidating, even with Cleveland’s special season and the addition of Josh Bell. The longer the Twins fail to win in the playoffs, the more fans doubt they ever will. It has to happen now. With Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle and Kenta Maeda all entering free agency after the season, the Twins’ urgency to add long-term, impact solutions should be busting at the seams. The type of winter the Twins need requires them to get out of their comfort zone, both in ownership and in the front office. This is not a “desperate times call for desperate measures” situation but more of an opportunity to grow in the face of extreme uncertainty and doubt. The Twins need to fully commit to winning in 2023. No more half measures. View full article

Maybe more than any other time in recent history, the Minnesota Twins seem to have legitimate pitching depth. They still are probably looking for another top-tier starter to cement the group, but there are options. Among them, 2022 rookie Joe Ryan emerged, but only in certain situations. What version of Ryan can Minnesota expect in 2023? Image courtesy of Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports When Derek Falvey and Thad Levine decided to flip Nelson Cruz at the 2021 trade deadline, there was little downside. He was trending downward and not getting younger. While the Tampa Bay Rays often have a plethora of strong prospects, it’s not often they move one that works out against them. Although Joe Ryan may have faced a roster crunch in Tampa, he immediately burst onto the scene for the Twins. In just five big-league starts in 2021, Ryan looked the part of a big-league arm. There were definitely bumps along the way, but it was assumed he’d be a part of the 2022 Opening Day rotation. Even after acquiring Sonny Gray, Rocco Baldelli decided that it would be Ryan who made the first start of 2022. When the dust settled last year, Ryan put up a strong 3.55 ERA and was arguably the team’s healthiest arm. Hidden behind the strong numbers are an opportunity for more, however, and unlocking that in 2023 could be key. There was reason to believe that Ryan had another step up from the limited sample in 2021. Despite not being a velocity-reliant pitcher, he posted a 3.43 FIP and 10.1 K/9. Last season his 3.99 FIP was a bit worse, but he still tallied a solid 9.2 K/9 and worked around the longball. The former Tampa prospect has done a great job forcing opposing batters into situations where he can emerge victorious, and it’s helped to strengthen his overall production. What remains to be seen is whether Ryan can put it together against stiff competition. It is fair to note that the AL Central may be the worst division in baseball. Cleveland took the trophy despite being seen as an afterthought. Chicago should have been better but should now be on a downswing. Both the Tigers and Royals have promise, but it remains to be seen how quickly they can put it together. In short, the division will continue to be advantageous for the Twins hurler. Outside of it is another issue entirely. Facing a World Series winning Astros team in May, Ryan gave up four runs and recorded just 12 outs. Seattle got him for another four runs in just 4 2/3 innings during June before the Padres put up a 10-spot to round out July. In August, he gave up six runs (five earned) to the Dodgers, and the Yankees knocked him out after four runs in four innings in September. Against teams with winning records, things didn’t go so well. The easiest way to break that down is to suggest that better lineups are harder to pitch against. That should be obvious, but that is where Ryan needs to find tweaks to his approach over the winter. As Minnesota again has postseason aspirations, those are the teams they must beat, and the same teams they’ll face over the course of an elimination series. It’s probably not fair to believe Ryan will ever have the makings of an ace given his stuff. He certainly could be a solid number three starter though, and what keeps him being more than a back-end arm is competing no matter who steps into the box. Another step forward in 2023 would be huge for the Twins youngster, and it would go a long way towards helping to carry a rotation that needs arms to step up. View full article

As a former “old friend” and fan favorite, Nelson Cruz has been a popular name thrown around for a potential reunion. Taking a deeper look, though, Twins fans should re-evaluate their desires to bring back the Boomstick. Image courtesy of Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports It’s “big bat” week at Twins Daily and what bigger bat is there in free agency this offseason than Nelson Cruz? I mean, the guy has 459 career home runs and won a Silver Slugger in his two full seasons in Minnesota. So, should the Minnesota Twins pursue Cruz? Well, Nelson Cruz does fit the bill for some of what the Minnesota Twins need. First, the Twins might be in need of some locker room leadership in 2023. By all accounts, Carlos Correa was the locker room leader for the Twins in 2022, and if the Twins fail to retain him this offseason, that leadership void will need to be filled. Cruz was undoubtedly the veteran leader for the Twins in his years in Minnesota, and he could definitely step in and fill those shoes. Secondly, Cruz does fit the bill for some of what the Minnesota Twins need. The Twins need a right-handed bat as they were terrible against left-handed pitching in 2022, placing 11th in the American League with a .701 OPS against southpaws. While Cruz indeed swung a boomstick during his tenure in Minnesota, he is no longer the same player. Ever since the Twins traded Cruz away, his play has absolutely fallen off of a cliff. In the year-and-a-half since leaving Minnesota, Cruz has posted a lowly .675 OPS, with just 23 home runs across 745 plate appearances. Additionally, Cruz’s OPS, hard hit%, and wOBA have decreased in each of the past four seasons. Cruz will be entering into his age 42 year season. In the expansion era, only three players have qualified for the batting title at the age of 42. Father time is catching up with Cruz quickly, and the Twins would be wise to stay away. More importantly, the Twins really don’t have a strong need for a designated hitter. Last season, the Twins finished with the sixth highest bWAR in Major League Baseball from the designated hitter position. The biggest reasoning for that was that the two leaders in plate appearances for the Twins at designated hitter last season were Luis Arraez and Byron Buxton . The designated hitter was a great tool that the Twins were able to cycle through their oft-injured stars like Arraez and Buxton, and while they still suffered injuries, the DH spot was helpful in their ability to squeeze as many plate appearances out of certain players that they could. We all love Nelson Cruz. But the Minnesota Twins would be best served to stay away from him in free agency. Do you want the Twins to go after Nelson Cruz in free agency? Leave a comment and start the conversation! View full article

Last season was one to forget for the Twins as the team underperformed and finished in last place. Thankfully, multiple trade deadline deals helped keep the team's winning window open. Derek Falvey and Thad Levine took over Minnesota's baseball operations department leading into the 2017 season. Each season has taken on a different feel, but they have a track record of making moves at the trade deadline. This series will look back at each trade deadline under this regime. Minnesota's front office likely wasn't planning on being sellers, but a terrible start to 2021 put the team in a bad spot. Luckily, there was a silver lining to a last-place finish as the team made multiple trades that looked to have long-term impacts. Trade 1 (July 22, 2021) Twins Receive: P Joe Ryan, P Drew Strotman Rays Receive: DH Nelson Cruz, P Calvin Faucher Minnesota helped to get the trade market moving last season when they dealt Nelson Cruz to the Rays. Tampa had previously shown interest in Cruz, so it seemed like a good match. The Twins were looking for pitching that was close to being ready for the big-league level. Joe Ryan was the team's Opening Day starter this year and has been one of the team's best starters since he joined the rotation. Cruz struggled down the stretch for the Rays, and Boston eliminated Tampa in the ALDS. Drew Strotman transitioned to a bullpen role at Triple-A and has a 7.49 ERA in 24 appearances. Calvin Faucher has made 14 appearances for the Rays with a 7.11 ERA. Trade 2 (July 30, 2021) Twins Receive: SS Austin Martin, P Simeon Woods Richardson Blue Jays Receive: P Jose Berrios This trade will continue to be intriguing to dissect as time passes. The Blue Jays acquired Berrios and quickly signed him to a 7-year, $131 million extension. His first full season in Toronto hasn't gone as planned as he leads the American League in earned runs and home runs allowed. Austin Martin has seen his stock drop, with a .691 OPS in his second stint at Double-A. However, it is only his second professional season, and he is still considered one of the organization's top prospects. Simeon Woods Richardson's performance puts him in the conversation for the organization's top pitching prospect. In 11 starts, he has a 3.40 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP with a 53-to-19 strikeout to walk ratio. Trade 3 (July 30, 2021) Twins Receive: P Alex Scherff Red Sox Receive: P Hansel Robles Minnesota signed Hansel Robles leading into the 2021 season to help the bullpen improve. There was no reason to keep him on the roster with an expiring contract. In Boston, his numbers improved as he posted a 3.60 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP in 27 appearances. They brought him back for the start of the 2022 season, but he struggled with a 5.84 ERA, and the team released him. After being acquired by the Twins, Alex Scherff didn't pitch last season, but the club assigned him to Double-A for the start of the 2022 campaign. In 25 appearances, he has a 5.27 ERA with a 1.50 WHIP and a 28-to-15 strikeout to walk ratio. Trade 4 (July 30, 2021) Twins Receive: P Evan Sisk, P John Gant Cardinals Receive: P J.A. Happ Many had been clamoring for J.A. Happ to be out of the Twins rotation for most of the season. In 19 starts, he posted a 6.77 ERA with a 1.59 WHIP, but the Cardinals thought they could get something out of the veteran. After the trade, Happ lowered his ERA to 4.00 and had a 1.28 WHIP to help the Cardinals get into Wild Card position. Minnesota used John Gant at the end of last season as a starter and reliever, but his cost was going to be too high to keep him in arbitration. Gant is pitching this year in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League. Evan Sisk has been one of the organization's best relievers this season. In 28 appearances between Double- and Triple-A, he has a 1.18 ERA with a 0.97 WHIP and 9.5 K/9. Looking back at last year's deadline, it's easier to see how the front office felt they were retooling to be contenders again in 2022. Not all of the trades have worked out perfectly to this point, but there is still time for some of the prospects involved to continue developing. What do you remember most about last year's trade deadline? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. OTHER POSTS IN THE SERIES -2017 Trade Deadline -2018 Trade Deadline -2019 Trade Deadline View full article

For two seasons, Nelson Cruz was the heart and soul of the Twins lineup. Will the front office consider a reunion with Boomstick with the trade deadline looming? In recent years, Nelson Cruz seemed to be defying Father Time. From age 38 to 40 seasons, he posted a 151 OPS+ while averaging 30 home runs per season. At an age when many players are significantly declining, he was accomplishing things few players had done in their careers. Cruz had many memorable moments with the Twins, and his lasting legacy may be the players the Twins received when trading him to Tampa Bay. The Twins had an opportunity to bring Cruz back for the 2022 season, but the National League adding the designated hitter created other opportunities for his services. He signed a one-year $12 million deal with the Nationals and got off to a slow start. Cruz ended the month of April with a .479 OPS and more strikeouts (17) than hits (13). It looked like Father Time had caught up to the slugger, but then something clicked. From May 6 through July 3, Cruz hit .289/.367/.449 (.816) with 12 doubles and six home runs in 51 games. He might not produce like the old Boomstick, but he is undoubtedly an above-average hitter in a declining offensive environment. Other Statcast numbers also point to Cruz being closer to his former self. He ranks in the 70th percentile or higher in average exit velocity, hard-hit %, xwOBA, xSLG, and BB%. His Barrel percentage is among the league’s best as he nearly ranks in the 90th percentile. There is a lot of season left, and Cruz has something contending teams may be interested in adding to their roster. Some contending teams looking for a bench bat may be scared away by Cruz’s age, and his performance declined in the second half of 2021. After the Twins traded Cruz, he hit .226/.283/.442 (.725) with eight doubles and 13 home runs in 55 games. Both Tampa Bay and Cruz struggled in the playoffs as he went 3-for-17 (.176 BA) and the Red Sox eliminated the Rays. The 162-game schedule can be grueling for players, especially for those over the age of 40. For the 2022 Twins, Cruz may be a superfluous addition to the roster. Adding him would allow Ryan Jeffers and Gary Sanchez to get more regular rest on the days they aren’t catching. Miguel Sano is on track to return to the roster in the second half and doesn’t have a clear path to playing time. Cruz was a vocal leader in the clubhouse, but the Twins players and coaches have been adamant about the difference in clubhouse culture this season. Other players have taken on the leadership role, which seems to work for the club. This year’s trade deadline is also different from previous years due to the expansion of teams in the playoffs and the National League having the DH. More teams are in contention, and more teams will be interested in adding a big bat for the stretch run. It remains to be seen if Cruz can continue his hot-hitting ways or will this finally be the season where Father Time comes calling. Do you think the Twins should try and acquire Cruz? How do you predict he will do in the season’s second half? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

In my opinion, Nelson Cruz had the best years of his career in a Twins jersey. His on field results combined with his clubhouse leadership quickly made him a fan favorite. I have seen some people calling for the Twins to trade for him, so I want to get everyone’s opinions. Would a trade realistically be possible? With the Nationals this year, Cruz started slow but has started to produce more lately, and I’m positive he would produce even more back in Target Field. The only issue is getting ABs for him, or taking ABs away from others. Buxton has gotten a big chunk of the DH ABs so far this year, but the Twins could try to push him more in CF as the year goes on. Sanchez has also gotten DH ABs while Jeffers is catching and has for the most part produced. There’s no doubt we’d all love to see Nelly back in the Twin Cities, but would it make sense?

Tampa Bay has an intelligent front office known for identifying players from other organizations that help them “win” almost every trade they complete. So, how have the Twins fared in trades with the Rays? November 28, 2007 Tampa Bay Received: Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, Eddie Morlan Minnesota Received: Delmon Young, Brendan Harris, Jason Pridie Minnesota’s first trade with Tampa Bay was its biggest as it included vital pieces from both teams’ rosters. The Twins acquired Delmon Young to be a right-handed bat to slide in between Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. He never lived up to his potential as the number one overall pick, but he played parts of ten big-league seasons. Minnesota was his only stop where he posted an OPS+ over 100, and he finished in the top-10 for the AL MVP in 2010. Pridie only got six plate appearances with the Twins and never recorded a hit. Harris posted a .669 OPS in three years with the Twins before being packaged with JJ Hardy in the infamous trade for Brett Jacobson and Jim Hoey. Tampa ended up getting the two best players in this trade. Matt Garza pitched over 1700 big-league innings and accumulated a 12.5 WAR. Garza won the 2008 ALCS MVP for Tampa, his first season with the club. Jason Bartlett played three seasons in Tampa, including his lone All-Star season, where he had a 132 OPS+ and a 6.2 WAR. Morlan topped out at Double-A, but it’s clear the Rays ended up with the better package of players. Winner: Tampa Bay July 31, 2015 Tampa Bay Received: Alexis Tapia, Chih-Wei Hu Minnesota Received: Kevin Jepsen At the trade deadline, Minnesota found themselves in contention and wanted to add a late-inning bullpen arm. Kevin Jepsen posted a 1.61 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP in 29 appearances through the rest of the 2015 season. Unfortunately, Minnesota fell short of qualifying for the playoffs, but Jepsen couldn’t have pitched much better in his first season for the Twins. Alexis Tapia never made it out of High-A in the Rays system, while Chih-Wei Hu was limited to 11 big-league appearances. In his second season with the Twins, Jepsen pitched horribly, and the team released him on July 11, 2016. Even with this poor ending, Jepsen provided the 2015 Twins with solid innings for a contending team. Winner: Minnesota June 24, 2016 Tampa Bay Received: Oswaldo Arcia Minnesota Received: Cash Considerations Oswaldo Arcia was supposed to be part of the first wave of prospects that helped turn things around for the Twins. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, as he posted a .732 OPS in over 250 games for the club. In June 2016, the Twins sent Arcia to the Rays for cash considerations. He’d only play in 21 games for Tampa as he appeared in games for four different big-league clubs that season. Minnesota shed Arcia, and Tampa got a player that accumulated negative value while playing for them. Winner: Minnesota February 17, 2018 Tampa Bay Received: Jermaine Palacios Minnesota Received: Jake Odorizzi This trade was a slam dunk win for the Twins. Jake Odorizzi pitched parts of three seasons in Minnesota with a 107 ERA+ and an All-Star appearance in 2019. Jermaine Palacios topped out at Double-A in the Rays organization before resigning with the Twins. His unique prospect journey has come full circle this year as he made his big-league debut for the Twins. Winner: Minnesota July 22, 2021 Tampa Bay Received: Nelson Cruz, Calvin Faucher Minnesota Received: Joe Ryan, Drew Strotman Last summer’s blockbuster trade looks to be working out significantly in favor of the Twins. Nelson Cruz played 55 games for the Rays and posted a .725 OPS. Since rookie ball, Calvin Faucher has yet to post a sub-4.00 ERA at any level. Minnesota received six years of team control over Joe Ryan, an AL Rookie of the Year contender, and Drew Strotman, a solid organizational depth piece. Even if Ryan regresses, the Twins are still getting more value from him than what the Rays got from Cruz. Winner: Minnesota Do you agree with the winners named above? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

The Minnesota Twins went into the offseason needing to revamp a starting rotation that had lost both of its top arms and needed a significant talent infusion. When the dust settled it appeared that Derek Falvey and Thad Levine were fine leaning heavily on Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober. Turns out, they look right. Last season Bailey Ober made his Major League debut starting 20 games for a bad Twins team. A 12th-round pick in 2017 and never a top prospect, Ober performed well above his expected water level. The 4.19 ERA wasn’t earth-shattering, but it came with over a strikeout per inning, and if he was able to be just a bit more stingy with the longball, another step forward could be taken. Despite a brief stint on the injured list this season, Ober has now made five starts and owns a 2.55 ERA. His 3.26 FIP suggests he’s not pitching much over his head, and while the strikeouts have tailed off a bit, he’s allowing just 0.7 HR/9 and has cut the H/9 down by one to 8.0. In an age where velocity reigns supreme, Ober is doing it with a fastball that averages just 92 mph. Of course, the fact that he’s 6’9” and basically putting the ball across the plate out of his hand doesn’t help opposing hitters to sit on his pitches. The step forward is also evident in the peripherals. Ober is allowing 5% less hard contact this season, dropping the hard-hit rate against him down to 32%. Both his xFIP and xERA are hovering in the 4’s, but his whiff and chase rates are both slightly up from where they were last season. It’s a small sample size thus far in 2022, but the body of work is starting to become substantial. The thought on Ober was that he’d provide Minnesota great depth if pushed to Triple-A. Instead, he was tabbed as a rotation mainstay from the get-go and has continued to look the part of found money when it comes to projecting prospects. On the flip side, Joe Ryan has been a top-100 prospect after being drafted in the 7th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. It will forever be mind-boggling that Minnesota wrangled him from the Rays in exchange for a few months of an aging Nelson Cruz, but here we are. Ryan’s debut was extremely limited last season. He made five starts down the stretch and posted a 4.05 ERA. The 3.43 FIP suggested more was there and the 10.1 K/9 was hard not to get excited about. If Ober’s numbers were small and tough to get behind, however, then Ryan’s were minuscule. Instead of hedging their bets, Minnesota named Ryan their Opening Day starter even after acquiring potential ace Sonny Gray. Now eight starts into his 2022 campaign, Ryan may be the frontrunner for the 2022 American League Rookie of the Year award. He has a dazzling 2.28 ERA and is still sitting strong with an 8.7 K/9. Maybe being helped by the deadened baseball, his 0.6 HR/9 is more than halved from what it was a season ago, but the 3.24 FIP suggests his stuff is as good as advertised. Like Ober, Ryan doesn’t pump velocity on his fastball. Averaging just 92.4 mph on the pitch, which is a one mph jump from 2022, his ability to spin the pitch and get movement is where the success comes from. Minnesota has gotten Ryan into a more slider-focused repertoire this season, pushing roughly 10% of the fastball usage to his newly featured offering. The results haven’t produced a shift in chase rate or whiff rate, but they’ve helped to hold the status quo on what were already impressive results. Admittedly we’re still early in the 2022 season. The combined total here is just 13 starts. Knowing the rotation needed to be reconfigured though, both Ober and Ryan were immediately penciled in as key pieces and that may have seemed like a leap. The Twins' front office seemingly knew what they had, however, and the developmental path for both arms continues to remain strong. View full article

The Twins are closing in on 1,000 home runs at Target Field and plenty of memorable players have helped them reach this milestone. Here are the players that cracked the back-half of the top-10 and their biggest hits. 10. Jorge Polanco: 30 HR Polanco has become one of Minnesota's most valuable contributors, and he is one of 22 second basemen to hit more than 30 home runs in a season. During the 2019 season, Minnesota coughed up a ninth-inning lead only to have Polanco hit a walk-off in the tenth inning. 9. Joe Mauer: 32 HR Mauer wasn't known for his home run prowess and his best home run season came at the Metrodome. His first walk-off home run was worth the wait as it came in his 14th big-league season. 8. Josh Willingham: 33 HR Willingham's home run prowess gets a little lost because he played on some bad Twins teams. However, he hit one of the most valuable home runs in Target Field history. With the Twins down to their final out, Willingham sent the fans home happy. 7. Nelson Cruz: 36 HR What is left to say about Cruz? His Twins tenure was full of remarkable moments, and he seemed to be the glue behind Minnesota's record-breaking home run season. The Twins don't have a lot of good memories against the Yankees, but his walk-off home run against Aroldis Chapman has to be one of the best. 6. Byron Buxton: 38 HR Buxton's long-term deal means he will continue to move up this list in the years ahead. However, he already hit a memorable home run during the 2022 season. His 469-foot moonshot was the longest walk-off home run in the StatCast era. Which one of these home runs stands out most to you? How high will Buxton get on this list before the end of his career? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. PREVIOUS POSTS IN THE SERIES -Home Run Hitters: 11-15 View full article