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The Carlos Correa free agency roller coaster continued on Monday night, as a series of Tweets from several different accounts suggested that they had sources who confirmed the Twins had finally called it quits on the All-Star shortstop. This was far from unexpected, as it was assumed that a reunion between Correa and the Twins was a long shot at best. However, it was only about an hour later when Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes dropped a report that the Twins are, in fact, not out on Correa, but instead, talks between the two sides have accelerated recently. With the growing frustration between the Mets and Correa, is a window finally open for the Twins to reunite with Correa? Should the Twins even consider it? The easy answer to the first question is yes. A window is open. Just as the Mets' window opened when the Giants balked at Correa following a flagged physical, there is a reasonable chance the Mets will do the same thing. The window is there, but should it be one the Twins jump in? The answer to that question is much muddier than just yes or no. Correa has been flagged on two separate physicals by two different team doctors for a lower leg injury sustained long ago. The injury is not calling into question how he will perform tomorrow, but rather how he will hold up throughout a 10+ year contract. With as much guaranteed money as we've seen thrown around, it's no surprise that the Mets and Giants have both paused on committing to a long-term deal. With this in mind, whatever Correa's new contract is, it will likely feature a lot less guaranteed money, which is why the stalemate is taking place. On the flip side, Correa was outstanding for the Twins in 2022. He was great at the plate, in the field, and in the clubhouse. He is well-liked by the whole organization and is the type of guy you want to build your team around. Correa would also fill a massive need for the Twins at shortstop, where they are currently slated to start Kyle Farmer, who mashes lefties but is far from an everyday shortstop, regularly. If the Twins can chop off some of the guaranteed money and shorten the contract to a length everyone feels comfortable with, the organization and fans would welcome Correa back with open arms. These Correa stories are exhausted and old, but as long as he remains unsigned, it remains relevant news. No one has any idea what will happen with Correa. Until the pen meets the paper, he will remain a wild card on the free agent market, who could sign anywhere under the sun. The Athletic article by Hayes and Rosenthal is interesting enough to keep Twins fans engaged in a dream of a reunion. Still, until he steps foot in Target Field again, it's best to view the situation as a long shot. What do you think? Where will Correa land? Should the Twins do everything in their power to convince him to stay? Let me know! As always, Go, Twins! *UPDATE* The Minnesota Twins sign Carlos Correa to a 6-year $200M contract with a four additional option years that could max out the contract at $270. The Twins are reportedly "optimistic" about the upcoming physical, which has already been scheduled. Barring another unforeseen twist, the Correa saga ends in happiness for the Twins!

There has been plenty of off-season buzz surrounding Marlins starting pitcher Pablo Lopez. The 26-year-old hurler struck out 174 batters over 180 innings in 2022 while possessing a solid 3.71 FIP. Since the Marlins have a deep and young starting pitching rotation, Lopez is both expendable for them and very valuable on the trade market. Is Lopez a realistic trade target for the Minnesota Twins? It has been no secret that the Minnesota Twins have been looking to add to their rotation that experienced various health issues in 2022. They made a hard push for left-handed free agent Carlos Rodon but ultimately fell short, leaving them looking for other reliable options. The Twins have been linked to the Marlins in trade talks for the last couple of months, and one would assume Pablo Lopez’s name has likely been thrown around. Lopez, however, will not come cheap. Due to his age, he will turn 27 in March, productivity, and the fact that he is under team control for two more full seasons, Lopez’s value is very high. But what will it cost? If the Twins want a realistic shot at landing Lopez, they will have to throw some tangible assets on the table. It is rumored that the Marlins aren’t looking for prospects in return for Lopez but rather bats they can plug into the lineup to help them out immediately. With that said, a trade to bring Lopez to Minnesota would likely cost the Twins Luis Arraez and maybe even a little more. If the Twins were willing to eat Jorge Soler’s contract, they could perhaps convince the Marlins to complete a deal without Arraez’s involvement. However, for a mid-market team, the Twins will probably be unwilling to add the $12M per-year contract to the payroll for a player that won’t offer much productivity. This leaves the Twins with only one really realistic option, which would be to move Arraez, whose value is higher than it has ever been and may be as high as it will ever get. Does it make sense to trade him while his value is high? Arraez is a clear fan favorite and among the best pure hitters on the planet, but he also carries his share of flaws. Arraez has had a litany of knee issues in the past, he’s an awful defender anywhere besides first base, and provides next to no power at the plate, which is an approach that doesn’t seem to fit what the Twins have been trying to do in recent years. Maybe it’s time to strike while the iron is hot, put the chips in the middle of the table, and pull off a trade for a durable frontline starter. What are your thoughts? Are you willing to pay this price for a frontline starter? Let me know, and as always, Go, Twins!

At the beginning of the offseason, Carlos Correa and Scott Boras publicly expressed Correa's interest in staying in Minnesota on a long-term deal. Correa went as far as to say that he was there and all the Twins had to do was pay up. There were soundbites of Byron Buxton and Rocco Baldelli pleading with the front office to keep Correa around. Of course, this was all before Correa signed a 13-year $350M contract with the San Francisco Giants. Upon Correa's signing with the Giants, many people in the Twins community were rather upset, and not without reason. It's frustrating to hear a top tier free agent say he wants to play for your team and all they have to do is pay up only to see him sign a massive deal with one of the biggest market teams in the league. Over the course of the next week, that sadness and anger slowly subsided for many fans, as the focus shifted back to the Twins and how they were going to construct the roster going forward. Who in their right mind wants to sign a 28-year-old short stop with an extensive injury history to a 13-year deal anyway? The grieving process had seemingly reached the "acceptance" stage. The signing of Joey Gallo gave Twins fans something new to argue about, and it appeared everyone had moved on. That was of course until the Giants canceled their introductory press conference with Correa yesterday morning. The speculation and conspiracy theories began to run wild on Twitter and across the internet, but it still seemed a little silly and far fetched. How can it be a full week later, on the day of the press conference, that the deal between Correa and the Giants had fallen through? Then the Associated Press dropped a bombshell story detailing the reasoning for the cancellation as an injury that popped up during Correa's physical with Giant's team doctors. Wow! What a change of events! The Twins might really have a shot to land Correa again! Nope. They would see a second opportunity fall by the wayside as the New York Mets would slide in and swipe Correa for $315M over the next 12 years. What a bummer. Fire Derek Falvey right!? Relax. Let's take the blinders off and think about this for a minute. Carlos Correa chose to take a 12-year $315M deal with the New York Mets. The Mets have a shortstop in Francisco Lindor, so by signing with the Mets, Correa has agreed that he will move to 3rd base. It is commonly known that position players, especially all-star short stops who have won a platinum glove just two years ago, don't usually enjoy being asked to change positions. Players as good at the position as Correa normally see this as a slap in the face, and will laugh at any deal that requires them to give up their position. Playing short stop is the alpha male position. He's the dude of the infield. It's rare to see as willing a shift off the keystone as we've seen with Correa signing with the Mets less than 24 hours after the deal with the Giants fell through. After all, the Twins offered a 10-year $285M contract for him to play short stop for the team he claimed to love and want to remain a part of. So why would he take less money per year to play for the Mets? He didn't want to play for the Twins. There it is. I said it. Maybe it's time to at least consider this thought as a possibility. Maybe Correa and his agent, who is among the best negotiators in sports, used the Minnesota Twins. Maybe there was only one team last year willing to give him what he wanted in his prove it deal last year, so he decided he would head up north for one summer and play in Minnesota. Maybe him and Boras constantly sang their praise of the Minnesota Twins as a technique to get other teams to raise their offers and start a bidding war. Maybe all of this worked. Think about it, the two teams he decided to sign with are two of the biggest market teams in sports. They constantly shell out as much, if not more money than any team in the league. They're almost always competitive. If he was to eat up almost $30M per year with the Twins, would they be able to field a consistently competitive team over the course of a 10-13 year contract when their payroll sits at around $160M? Maybe, but aren't the odds of success better with a team who's payroll is approaching half a billion dollars? This isn't even to mention the sketchiness of the mystery injury that ultimately led to the Giant's deal falling through. Correa came into Minnesota with a history of injuries and IL stints. This was the reason for the 3-year deal with all the opt outs. If he got hurt, he could just try again the next year, all on the Twin's dollar. What could the Giant's doctors have found that would have caused them to back out? It must have been severe in their eyes to cause them to let go of one of the biggest free agents on the market. This mysterious injury should be a major red flag that would cause pause to anyone, except Mets owner Steve Cohen apparently, until they got their hands on him for their own extensive medical evaluation. As the dust settles on what was a shocking and unique change of events, Twins fans again find themselves angry. But I ask, are we aiming our displeasure at the right people? Correa chose two huge market teams over the Twins, and the one he ultimately ended up with won't even allow him to play the position he won a platinum glove at just two years ago. In my opinion, they used the Twins as leverage to get what Correa ultimately wanted, a long-term deal on a big market team. We shouldn't fault the front office for not raising their offer from 10-years $285M after Correa had a foggy medical evaluation. If the events that transpired yesterday resulted in the Twins raising their original offer, I would find that quite concerning. Raising their offer would have been negligent and down right bad business. Correa had his chance to come back to the Twins and play short stop, and at the end of the day he chose to take less money per year to play 3rd base for the New York Mets. Maybe we should stop pointing the blame at the front office for their inability to convince Correa to stay, and redirect it at Correa and Scott Boras for just flat out not wanting to be in Minnesota long-term. Maybe I'm way off here, but I agree with the front office for not going 12 or 13 years, especially after the shady medical evaluation done by the Giants. Let me know what you think, and as always, Go Twins!

Twins fans were rightfully excited about acquring slick fielding SS Andrelton Simmons last night. If you want to spend a fun 10 mintues, check out his defensive highlight reel . There's no doubt that grabbing the best defensive SS since Ozzie Smith will upgrade the Twins roster. Combine Simmons with already strong defenders in Buxton, Donaldson, Jeffers, and Kepler, you can see how quickly the mind would shift to "well, what does this mean for their pitching?". In my opinion, this means two things: 1) It upgrades the Twins existing staff (and should be helpful to one guy in particular) 2) It might tell us a bit about who the Twins could target next for a SP, given their newly upgraded defense Simmons Impact on Existing Twins Pitchers: Looking purely at GB% (calculated by the number of ground balls induced/number of balls put in play), we know that based on an improved defense, the more balls hit on the ground, the higher chance they have to be converted into outs than they did 24 hours ago (pre-Simmons signing). It's even more fun to look at how much better the Twins defense is than in 2017 when Falvey and Levine took over. JD Cameron takes a look into that here. From Fangraphs, a "ground ball pitcher" is any pitcher who has a GB% over 50%. League wide in 2019 - 2020, the average GB% was 42.8%. Here is how the Twins current staff stacks up by GB% using combined stats from the 2019 and 2020 seasons. For the most part, the majority of the staff has a below average GB% (would love to see what this chart looked like for the 2004 pitch-to-contact Twins). Two names stand out here. 1. Randy Dobnak - GB% of 58.8%*** 2. Taylor Rogers - GB% of 48.2% ***Since he came into the league, Randy Dobnak ranks 7th out of 284 pitchers in GB%. Which SP could the Twins acquire that would benefit most from the Twins defense? Given that any ball hit on the left side of the infield should be vaccumed up quicker than a Dyson, maybe this shifts how the front office approaches filling out the rotation. Ground ball pitchers stand to gain a lot if their infield can consistently convert more ground balls into outs. It's the little things in baseball that make the major differences. From 2019 - 2020, there were 284 pitchers that threw at least 75 IP. Below are the ranks and GB% for the remaining free agents. For this exercise, I only focused on FA that had a GB% at 44% or higher. You can see the entire list from Fangraphs here. Brett Anderson - 55.2% (17th) Jake Arrieta - 51.4% (30th) Adam Wainwright - 47.4% (71st) Cole Hamels - 47.0% (79th) Aaron Sanchez - 46.9% (81st) Homer Bailey - 44% (128th) Below are the ranks for potential trade candidates that have popped up in rumors. Again, I only focused on players with a GB% of 44% or higher. Luis Castillo - 56.1% (13th) Sonny Gray - 50.9% (35th) German Marquez - 49.5% (52nd) Jon Gray - 46.9% (81st) BONUS. Here are a couple bullpen free agents that could benefit from a good defensive infield: Jeremy Jeffress - 50.0% Alex Colome - 47.7% So there you have it. I will be interested to see how the Twins defense positively impacts the pitching staff all year long. Specifically, I am excited to see what this means for Randy Dobnak. For now, I am most interested to see what the Simmons acquisition means in how the Twins front office addresses the rest of their pitching needs. Do any names on this list jump out to you as being good targets for the Twins? Maybe now even moreso with a Simmons addition?

In my follow-up to the 5 “Under the Radar” Free Agent Pitching Targets blog, I thought it would be fitting to also describe a few key free agent utility players that should come at a bargain. One of the top priorities of the Twins offseason is to find replacements for utilitymen, Marwin Gonzalez and Ehire Adrianza - both now free agents. In 2020, Marwin and Ehire combined to produce .1 fWAR while costing just north of $10.5M in salary, if it were a normal 162 game season. Injuries to the Twins regular lineup forced Gonzalez and Adrianza to play much more than the Twins would have liked. They appeared in 53 and 44 games, respectively. Gonzalez had a .606 OPS in 199 PA’s while Adrianza produced a .557 OPS in 101 PA’s. Both leaving much to be desired. For this reason, the Twins have to find a way to upgrade their bench in the event of an (inevitable) injury to a starting infielder. But also because Rocco likes to rest starters frequently. A solid utility player will be useful to mix into the lineup on occasion. The two players that they add to the roster need to be able to at minimum play 2B, 3B, and SS. Having one of those players that could also play 1B or OF would be a nice bonus and allow for lineup flexibility. The players below are “value” free agent targets that the Twins could sign to fill one of those needs. Ideally, they would be signed at a low-cost so that the money saved could be applied elsewhere to a payroll that is sure to decrease from 2020. Note: ***Obviously, a player like Kike Hernandez, Jurickson Profar, or Tommy LaStella would be preferred to any of the names on this list. However, signing one of the above names may jeopardize a spot in the lineup elsewhere. Think, “would you rather have Asdrúbal Cabrera and Tyler Clippard for a combined $5M or Kiké Hernandez for $6M?” when going through these names***. Asdrúbal Cabrera Speaking of Asdrúbal Cabera… He could be playing for his 5th team since 2018. Once an All-Star SS for the Cleveland Indians from 2011-2012, Cabrera has spent his last season and a half with the Nationals in an everyday utility role. This has mostly been at 3B, 2B, and 1B. No longer an option at SS (last played there full-time in 2016), Cabrera still offers plenty of positional flexibility and is a switch hitter. Cabrera was basically league average in terms of offensive production in 2019-2020. In a combined 183 games he slashed .254/.331/.443, good for a .774 OPS and also mashed 26 HR’s. While he is not great defensively at any one position, (combined -10 DRS across 1,400 innings in 2019 and 2020) what Cabrera offers you is positional flexibility at 3 infield spots. He is also a fine player if he has to play every day due to an injury. Since 2018, he has started: 120 games at 3B 120 games at 2B 25 games at 1B (22 in 2020 alone) Cabrera could also help the Twins immensely against LHP, which they struggled with in 2020. In 194 PA against southpaws in 2019 & 2020, Cabrera produced a .840 OPS. Cabrera could be a great veteran option on a one-year deal. He also comes with playoff experience, coming off a 2019 World Series championship with the Nationals. Fangraphs projects him for a 1.0 fWAR in 2021 and he shouldn’t cost too much more than his $2.5M salary in 2020. 2018 - '20 stats: Howie Kendrick A fellow Washington teammate to Cabrera, Kendrick does a lot of the same things. Howie Kendrick can play 1B, 2B, and 3B, all exactly fine. He had 0 DRS in 2019 across those positions. The Twins were rumored to be interested in trading for him at the 2020 trade deadline. A hamstring injury, however, ended his 2020 season prematurely. Injuries have always been the question mark for the 37 year old. Kendrick has only played in 100 games once (2019), since 2016. He’s had countless injuries including a torn achilles and a hyper-extended knee. When in the lineup, he is productive. In 630 PA since 2018, Kendrick has produced a line of .322/.367/.516. Good for a .883 OPS and 23 HR’s. He is especially lethal vs LHP where he has posted a 132 wRC+ in 199 PA’s since 2019. His injury concerns, age, and poor showing in 2020 (.705 OPS in 25 games) all are valid question marks. But, if the Twins can find a way to get near his 2019 level performance, they could have a nice value utilityman. He should come at a price tag less than the $6.25M he would have earned in 2020 on a one-year deal. 2018 - '20 stats: Brad Miller Once a SS, definitely not known for his defense in Seattle and Tampa Bay (-36 DRS in 3,300 innings at SS in career), Miller has found a role in the bigs as an “everywhere nowhere man” utilityman. He has played on 5 teams since 2018 and may be looking for his 6th. He has played all over the diamond. Since 2018: 308 innings at 1B 230 innings at 2B 194 innings at 3B 44 innings at SS 102 innings in LF 2 innings in RF As a left-handed hitter, he posted an .853 OPS across 341 PA’s in 2019 and 2020 with 20 HR’s. He has been especially effective vs RHP posting a 131 wRC+ across 299 PA’s but borderline unplayable vs LHP only posting a .619 OPS in a small sample size of 42 PA’s. With two LHH up the middle in Polanco and Arraez, Miller could look to spell Sano or Donaldson on day’s where there is a tough righty on the mound and you need to give those guys a day off. He could also fill in adequately against RHP in case of an injury to Miggy, JD, or Arraez, and in small emergency instances Kirilloff/Cave/Wade in LF. Fangraphs projects Miller for a 1/$2M salary and a .8 fWar in 2021. Both seem like good value. 2018 - '20 stats: Jonathan Villar Villar has played on 4 teams since 2018 (do you sense a theme here?). He’s been an everyday SS/2B his whole career. I almost didn’t put him on this list, but his abysmal 2020 and the pending suppressed free agent market don’t necessarily point to Villar getting a large contract this offseason. Maybe there is a chance he falls to a team like the Twins on an affordable pillow contract. In 303 combined games between 2018 and 2019, Villar produced a line of .268/.333/.424 with 38 HR’s and 75 SB - so he has some speed, something the Twins desperately need. In 2020, he completely imploded. He only slugged .292 in 52 games, producing an OPS south of .600. Since 2018, he has appeared in: 233 games at 2B 136 games at SS As a switch hitter, Villar is more effective from the left side vs RHP where he has produced a .767 OPS in 610 PA’s compared to a .709 OPS vs LHP in 311 PA’s. Villar projects to be the 5th best SS in this year’s FA class behind Semien, Didi, Simmons, and Galvis. Fangraphs projects Villar for a 1/$6M deal and .9 fWAR which seems like overpayment for what the Twins potentially need. But, like I said, the hope is that he could be brought here on a lesser deal. The other hurdle would be convincing him to play a part-time role vs starting which he’s been doing. 2018 - '20 stats: Jedd Gyorko In a somewhat surprising move, the Brewers declined Gyorko’s $4.5M club option two weeks ago making him a free agent. Gyorko was the Brewers best hitter in 2020. Twins fans may remember him from that game-tying homer he hit off Taylor Rogers in Milwaukee earlier this year Gyorko started his career in STL as a 2B but has transitioned into a 3B/1B with the ability to play 2B on a pinch. In 42 G in 2020, Gyorko produced an .838 OPS with 9 HR’s. A big step forward from his 2019 campaign where he produced an OPS under .500 in 62 games. Overall, Gyorko has been a solid offensive producer. Especially vs LHP where he has slugged .480 with 10 HR’s against them in 110 G’s since 2018. With the Twins he would give them flexibility at the corners and injury insurance for Donaldson/Sano. He would make some sense to bring in if the Twins didn’t bring back Cruz at DH but instead keep the DH spot open as a revolving door. Then I could see Gyorko getting starts at all three spots. It’s hard to see him making more than the $4.5M he would have made in this offseason market. He too could make sense on a one-year deal with the Twins. 2018 - '20 stats: Here are stats featuring the 5 players mentioned in this article plus Marwin Gonzalez and Ehire Adrianza. 2018 - 2020 stats. Please note the two players at the bottom: So, that’s it. Here are a few names that I think would make sense as “bargain” utility options. As you can see from the stats above, each player has provided more offensively than Marwin or Ehire. Honorable mentions: *old friend* Eduardo Nunez, Brock Holt, and Eric Sogard Are there any names I am missing that you’d like to see the Twins add in free agency?

Today is the official first day of the offseason! Annnnd nobody knows what to expect. What we almost assuredly can count on is that the Twins payroll will be reduced from what it was in 2020. With that in mind, the front office will have to be smarter about how they spend their money. Here are a few “under the radar” pitching signings that could prove valuable in 2021. The way I am looking at this is that the Twins have at least one spot open in their rotation. Ideally, I would like to see them add two this offseason and push Dobnak to the #6 spot, looking in. More on that in my 2021 “Offseason Blueprint” that I hope to write next week. Also, with Romo now officially a free agent alongside May and Clippard, the Twins will have to look for some more help in the bullpen. I don’t fully trust Thielbar to be the lone lefty next to Taylor Rogers so I examine two lefty arms that can be had for a discount and one possible right handed replacement for May/Clippard. Each name below could provide a solution at a relatively low price. Drew Smyly Smyly signed a 1 year/$4M deal in San Francisco in 2020. He appeared in 7 games in 2020 (5 starts). In 26 innings he produced 42 (!!!) strikeouts for a 14.4 K/9. He was good for a 3.42 ERA (2.01 FIP). Between the Rangers and the Phillies in 2019, Smyly started 21 games. In 114 total innings he produced a 6.24 ERA (6.24 FIP) with a 9.5 K/9. His WHIP ballooned to 1.588, where he also posted a 4.2 BB/9. 2019 was his first full season since 2016 following Tommy John surgery in 2017. What changed? Small sample size? Finally healthy? Taking a look at BrooksBaseball, Smyly went from a 4-pitch mix to just 3 pitches midway through 2019. He abandoned his changeup entirely and instead focused on a four seam, cutter, and curve. He added 2.6 mph to his fastball in 2020 (from 91.2 to 93.8 mph). Opponents also went from slugging .632 on that pitch in 2019 to only .263 in 2020 (small sample size of 220 pitches). His curve was especially devastating in 2020, opponents only hit .184 in 50 PA’s. 27 of his 42 K’s were on this pitch (64.3%). If the Twins believe his numbers are for real, and maybe there’s another gear here, he could be a solid low-cost #5 SP or swingman between the rotation and the ‘pen. Could they sign him for a 1/$4-6M contract? Taijuan Walker Rumored to have been in the mix to sign Taijuan Walker before the 2020 season, the Twins ultimately passed when he showed up to a tryout throwing his fastball in the mid-80’s. Having recently come off of Tommy John as well (missed most of 2018 and 2019), there was concern about his arm. He ended up settling for a 1-year/$2M deal with Seattle, and was eventually traded to Toronto at this year’s trade deadline. At only 27 years old Walker put up solid numbers this year between two teams: 11 GS, 53.1 IP, 2.70 ERA (4.56 FIP), 8.4 K/9 His fastball velocity stayed up where he averaged 93mph (in 2015 - 2016 he averaged 95.1mph). He was brilliant in 5 of his 6 outings as a Blue Jay ending with a 1.37 ERA in his last 26 innings. There are some concerns, however, with such a small sample size, the peripherals are not amazing. Other than limiting hard hit %, the screenshot below doesn’t scream ‘sustainable’. But, if looking for a buy-low #5 SP, you could do much worse than Walker. The bet is that he stay healthy for an entire year. Will he take another 1-year deal in the $4-5M range? Oliver Perez Do you also feel like Perez has been around FOREVER? Well, he has. He made his debut in 2002. Lately, he has been hiding in Cleveland’s bullpen only to be deployed very carefully by Terry Francona. When used correctly, the 39 year old is still effective. From 2018 - 2020 with CLE, Perez appeared in 139 games. 91 IP, 105 K’s (10.4 K/9), 2.67 ERA (2.83 FIP) Forever considered a LOOGY, I was concerned how the new 3-batter rule in 2020 would impact Perez, but, he did just fine: 2.00 ERA in 18 innings with 14 K’s. He is still death to lefties, and when used properly, could be a good addition to the Twins ‘pen with a lack of lefty arms behind Rogers and Thielbar (who, again, I don’t fully trust). Perez vs LHH 2018 - 2020: 191 batters faced, .295 SLG, 52 K’s Last year he signed a 1-year/$2.5M deal, would he take equal to or less than that in 2021? Sean Doolittle OK. This one is a bit trickier to predict. Sean was an All-Star in 2018 with the Nationals. But since, hasn’t been great (other than his takes on social media, which are awesome by the way). In 2018 with OAK, Doolittle was nails. He posted a 1.60 ERA in 45 innings with 25 saves and a 12 K/9. In 2019 - 2020, Doolittle struggled. He posted a 4.26 ERA (4.70 FIP) in 67.2 IP and a 9.6 K/9. In 2020, he had a knee issue and struggled with a dip in velocity but recovered a bit before a second injury ended his season entirely. Doolittle was however a staple in the Nationals ‘pen during their World Series run in 2019. He threw 10.1 innings only allowing 2 runs while striking out 8. He threw 3 scoreless IP in the WS. Like Perez, he is a lefty tough on left-handed batters. Doolittle vs LHB 2018 - 2020: 131 batters faced, .331 SLG, and 48 K’s Doolittle will be 35 by the end of the 2021 season. It’s unlikely that he will earn the $6.5M salary he had in 2020. Will he consider a 1-year $2-3M deal or if his market has plummeted entirely, a minor league deal with MIN? Keone Kela OK. I have no clue what to expect here. There’s a lot to unpack. Kela came up as a promising arm in the Rangers organization. He had some issues with management when they put him in a minor league practice game in Spring Training, and his effort, um wasn’t there. The Rangers ended up trading him to Pittsburgh where he had some other issues including not even showing up to the Bucs for a week, getting suspended for a clubhouse issue, and delaying his 2020 season due to COVID testing. Injuries impacted his 2019 and ultimately ended his 2020 season with right forearm inflammation. But, when going right, Kela is one of the best right handed arms in the game. He ended his season in 2018 as the closer in Texas and was the expected closer in PIT before the injuries. He basically just relies on two pitches, a four seam that can touch 97 mph and a curve. Between 2018 - 2020 Kela appeared in 89 games: 83.2 IP, 2.90 ERA (3.29 FIP), 11.0 K/9, 25 saves If the Twins can find a way to bring Kela in on a reasonable 1-year deal, there is loads of upside. However, I do feel the interest is going to be very high among all teams for this reason given his age and potential. So, that's it. Are there any "under the radar" pitchers you think the Twins should go after?

In January 2019, Thad Levine answered a question at Twins Fest: "The best time to acquire players of that magnitude is when your window to win is wide open, not when you got your fingers underneath the window and you're trying to jam the window open. I want to do it when we're projected to win the Central and we're ready to put our foot on someone's throat". After a fantastic 2019 season ending in a disappointing fashion, Derek Falvey addressed the media and is quoted as saying "We're going to target impact pitching". Well, time to put up or shut up, Falvine. I put together what I believe should be a realistic outcome for the 2020 offseason based on the above statements from the front office. 1. Leave the historic 2019 offense alone In this plan, I didn't change anything with the offense that set a MLB record for home runs. This includes picking up CJ Cron's option. As long as the team is healthy, they should have no problem scoring runs. Maybe the biggest move was the one not made - trading Eddie Rosario. I don't think the Twins (nor the fans) are going to like what the return for Rosario would be. Keeping the unofficial captain of this team intact will keep the offense rolling. Hopefully a healthy ankle will help him move around the outfield better improving on his down defensive metrics. I am hopeful Eddie might even take a step forward in 2020. 2. Beef up the bullpen The one silver lining in the Sam Dyson injury is that the Twins were forced to use other arms in high leverage situations down the stretch. They discovered Tyler Duffey and Zack Littell could be solid pieces in late innings. Adding to an already promising mix with Will Harris (2/$16M contract) and Drew Pomeranz (2/$7mil contract) will give Rocco plenty of options in 2020. Will Harris quitely had a 2019 season with a 1.50 ERA and 9.30 K/9 in 60 innings. Oh, and he has appeared in 23 postseason games - 12 of which came this year during the Astros World Series run. His age (35 on opening day) could be one cause for concern. A two year deal feels right, here. Drew Pomeranz is an interesting one. An absolute disaster in 2018 and most of 2019 makes this signing questionable. However, 26 innings of lights out baseball in Milwaukee make it seem like there may be more potential here. He has increased his velocity after a permanent move to the bullpen, has always been lights out vs lefties, and now will be working with Wes Johnon. Sign. Me. Up. Pair him with Taylor Rogers and we could be looking at a bullpen that is a nightmare for opposing managers playing matchups. Pomeranz would come at a discount, of course. 3. Sign a veteran backup catcher Martin Maldonado makes some sense here as a backup. Very poor offensively but a solid backstop. I would be open to other options here, such as Jason Castro on a one year deal, but am thinking he would want a chance to start somewhere else. I know Anaheim needs a catcher 4. Go find an "ace" starter and keep Jake Odorizzi OK, it's put up time, Falvine. Sign Zack Wheeler. When you said "impact pitching" - this is what it means. Not Kevin Correia or Mike Pelfrey which is some people's opinion of impact (*cough* Terry Ryan). Go get us a guy that is equal to, or, with the potential to be better than Jose Berrios. This free agent market is flush with solid top of the rotation targets that do not grow on trees, for the Minnesota farm system at least. I think Wheeler makes a lot of sense. A 5/$125M contract would be by far the biggest free agent contract in Twins history but, the time is now. There is no excuse. Get. It. Done. Zack Wheeler 2018-2019: Innings: 377 ERA: 3.65 K/9: 8.9 Yeah, I'd take that in this rotation. Other acceptable "ace" type pitchers - Gerrit Cole, Madison Bumgarner, Stephen Strasburg, or Hyun-jin Ryu Also, depending on the outcome of Odorizzi and his qualifying offer, the Twins have to find a way to bring him back. If he rejects, they have the upper hand compared to other teams. A three year deal sounds about right. Plus, Jake likes it here. His kids are Vikings fans now. I pray for them. 5. Bring in a vet presence to stablize rotation MLB.com reported that Cole Hamels is open to a one-year deal on a win now club. Hey, Cole! Over here! Come on out to Minnesota. Bringing in a veteran like Cole with playoff experience (and a connection to Thad Levine, might I add) will stabalize the rotation and give a solid 4 starters to run train on the AL Central in the regular season, plus be ready for any October opposing matchup. Hamels put up soild numbers as a Cub. He was lights out in the first half of 2019 but an injury derailed the mid point of his season, and it never really seemed like he recovered. A 2020 rotation of: 1. Wheeler 2. Berrios 3. Odorizzi 4. Hamels 5. Dobnak/Graterol Sounds like a winning recipe to me. A recipe that might not add up to 101 regular season wins again, but hey, it can't do worse in the playoffs! *This was not a dare, @BaseballGods* Total payroll: $141.5 million A Twins franchise record but very realistic. Anything lower than this, with the free agent pitching market as stacked as it is and a desperate need to fill the rotation, is an absolute insult to the fanbase. The improbable 2019 Twins magic season captured fan interest in Minnesota again. We got a taste of playoff baseball at Target Field for the first time in 9 years and we want more. The window is wide open. It's time for the Pohlad's and the front office to honor their promises and give us a team to dream on in 2020. Foot, meet throat. Time to stomp on the competition in the AL central and get back to the playoffs.

John and Jeremy revealed their Offseason Blueprint during a 90-minute often-exhilarating Across the Meadow podcast on Tuesday night. The 40-man roster decisions, arbitration-eligible player decisions, free agent predictions and potential trade targets were all examined. There are other topics covered as well, such as the coaching staff carousel that made a few stops on Tuesday afternoon.For much greater detail, listen to our podcast. You can listen directly here or download directly from iTunes here. As it stands currently (with the six free agents), the Twins have 37 players on their 40-man roster. Both Jeremy and John are going to pare down that number by outrighting Johnny Field, Zach Granite, Chase DeJong, Tyler Duffey, John Curtiss and Aaron Slegers. John will outright Alan Busenitz additionally. Neither are tendering a contract to Robbie Grossman (who could be brought back for less than $4 million). This puts Jeremy's roster at 30. John has 29. By November 20, teams must add Rule 5-eligible players to their 40-man. Both Jeremy and John will add Nick Gordon, LaMonte Wade and Luis Arraez. John will also add Jake Reed and Tyler Jay. Jeremy will add Johan Quezada. This puts both rosters at 34. Our intention was to leave an open spot to draft an Rule 5 players and keep our payroll under $125 million. If you've listened to the podcast before, you'll know that Jeremy has been a big fan of Nathan Eovaldi (even before his great playoff run). Both Jeremy and John would sign him to a 4 year, $58 million deal (contract projection from Twins Daily's offseason handbook). John will spend more handsomely on the bullpen adding both Andrew Miller (2 yr/$24m) and Joe Kelly (2 yr/$14.5m). Jeremy, never a believer is spending big on bullpen arms, is only adding Sergio Romo (1 yr/$3m). On the offensive side of things, it's Jeremy who is opening up the wallet. He's adding Jose Iglesias (2 yr/$18m) to play shortstop, allowing Jorge Polanco to slide over to second base and providing a bridge to Royce Lewis. He's also hoping for Josh Donaldson (1 yr/$15m) to regain health and dominate Target Field once again, limiting his time at third base (60 games) and letting him DH 50-70 times. His last add provides positional flexibility, adding Marwin Gonzalez (3 yr/$33m) who can play all around the infield and the outfield corners. John plugs D.J. LeMahieu (3 yr/$38 m) in at second base, electing to keep Polanco at shortstop and swings for the fences, adding Adrian Beltre (2 yr/$30m) to provide leadership and guidance to the young core, especially Miguel Sano. All told, Jeremy's projected payroll comes in right around $125m while John's is a little higher, around $130m. All of these signings may be unlikely, but during the podcast we talk about alternatives as the Plan A guys come off the board. Listen and let us know what you think. Click here to view the article

I know, I know, the non-waiver trade deadline has not even passed and I am already talking about the offseason. Even with the hot stretch to end the first half, I don’t see the Twins making a run at the playoffs this season, especially after Cleveland’s addition of relief pitchers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber. Minnesota has yet to make a move, but I believe its best bet is to sell some (or maybe all) of their upcoming free agents. Both infielders Brian Dozier and Eduardo Escobar are set to be free agents at season’s end, but could be in different uniforms by the end of the month. If they are not, they both could accept the qualifying offer from the Twins, and Minnesota could get draft compensation. But if they like a deal for them, they should absolutely be moved. The same can be said about other players, such as pitchers Fernando Rodney, Ryan Pressly, Zach Duke and Lance Lynn. But you’d be better off reading Jeremy Nygaard’s great pieces on who could be targeted in a trade for these guys when it comes to deadline talk. I am here to talk about the offseason. Out of the above six players, I see only Rodney and Pressly as possible players who would come back in 2019. Dozier just turned 31 and I don’t see him getting much of a contract offer from the Twins, especially when Nick Gordon is about ready to take over the position. Gordon has been less than spectacular in his time with Triple-A Rochester, but he has been solid recently, hitting .306 in his last 10 games with the Red Wings. Escobar has had a terrific season, but I don’t see him as a starter next year with Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sano as the left side infielders. I would think Escobar would want to go to a place where he can start, if he is not traded before the deadline. In the rotation, there could be a sizeable shakeup. Lynn will not be back in 2019, even if he is not traded this year. There was a reason he was only signed for one year. Minnesota has some good, young starting prospects they’d like to see more of. Stephen Gonsalves, who has pitched great recently after a poor few starts, could be in the mix, as well as Fernando Romero and Zack Littell, who have both seen action in 2018. Romero got off to a strong start with the Twins, but then he was figured out and hit a wall. In seven games with the Wings, Romero is 2-1 with an ERA of 2.04. Littell has yet to have success with the Twins, but has a 3.38 ERA in 11 games with Rochester. He had a rough last start, but Adalberto Mejia has pitched really well in Rochester as well. All four of those players will fight for a spot in the rotation. That brings me to Ervin Santana, who has yet to appear in a game for the Twins in 2018. Santana has a $14 million club option for next season, so he will need to impress in the final two months in order for the Twins to think about picking up his option. He had a tremendous 2017 season, going 16-8 with a 3.28 ERA, but he will be 36 by the time the next season starts, so Derek Falvey and Thad Levine could look to go younger. They also have Michael Pineda signed for next year as well, so he will likely take up one of the rotation spots. There may be a shuffling of the relievers as well. I don’t think Pressly will be traded, but if a team offered a good deal for him, I’d move him. I could see Rodney traded as well, and Duke is the one who is most likely to be traded. Down in Rochester, there are a number of relievers who are just waiting their turn to either make the big leagues or a return trip to the bigs. If Rodney were traded, I would probably give Pressly the first shot at closing games, but if both are traded, I would see what Trevor Hildenberger can do at the back end of the pen. In Rochester, Luke Bard, who played with the Angels earlier in the season after being drafted in the Rule 5 Draft, could be an option. Even after struggling with the Twins this season, Tyler Duffey and John Curtiss, could be back up. Trevor May is still with the Wings, and could fight for a spot. Gabriel Moya had a rough first month of the season, but struck out four in two perfect innings against Milwaukee earlier this month. His biggest problem is keeping the ball in the park. Despite having a career .212 batting average against, he has a career ERA of 6.08. Moya has allowed just 11 hits in his 13.1 career innings, but an incredible five of them have left the yard. Interestingly, he has just allowed two homers in 40.2 innings in Triple-A this season. And then there is Jake Reed, who has been lights out at every level. He has an ERA of 2.54 with the Red Wings after having just a 2.05 ERA in Rochester last season. Reed is also promotion-worthy. That leaves us with Joe Mauer. The ‘Face of the Franchise’ has only hit above .280 once in the last four seasons (and could be five this year) after not having a batting average under that in any of his first 10 seasons. He still is a great defensive first baseman who helps the Twins in other areas. Mauer is in the last year of his $184 million contract he signed following his 2009 MVP season. I have a hard time seeing the hometown boy in any other uniform. He won’t re-sign at his current $23 million salary, but somewhere in the $7-10 million range on a one-year deal will bring him back to the Twin Cities. If you thought this past offseason was interesting for the Twins, just wait until this upcoming offseason. If the team lets Dozier, Escobar, Lynn, Santana and Mauer hit free agency and trades Rodney and Duke, that is nearly $70 million off the books. It would be even more if they decline the 2019 option on the disappointing Logan Morrison. They’ll have plenty of room to look around if they want to jump into free agency once again. Obviously, it would be awesome to get into the Bryce Harper Sweepstakes, but that is not a Twins-like move, and there is no chance Harper wants to come here anyway. But, if the Twins have Gordon at second and bring back Mauer to play first for one more season until Brent Rooker is ready, the field would look like this: 1B: Mauer, 2B: Gordon, 3B: Sano, SS: Polanco, OF: Rosario, Buxton, Kepler. That would still be a good lineup, especially if they can get one more power bat. I would love the recently-traded Manny Machado, but only if he would move back to third base and I don’t see that happening. I don’t see him wanting to come here anyway. Maybe a one-year contract to Adrian Beltre, if he is willing to come to the Twin Cities. Third base would be nice if you can get a well-rounded one and have Sano be the designated hitter. If I were the Twins, this may be a pipe dream as well, but I would go after Mike Moustakas if he were to become a free agent. He turns 30 in September, but a three-year deal or so averaging between $15-20 million per year would be a good deal to round out the lineup. If the Twins were to try to find an “ace” type pitcher, the pickings are slim, but I would go after Dallas Keuchel. The current Astro has had a bit of a down year, only going 7-8 with a 3.75 ERA before the All-Star break. But three of his previous four seasons ended with him having an ERA of under three. But he turns 31 before the start of the 2019 season, and I am always hesitant to want the Twins to give big deals to players on the wrong side of 30. If they can lock him up to a short-term deal like the one I proposed for Moustakas, I would do it, but if he wants a deal like the one Yu Darvish received last offseason, forget it. Other pitchers who they could have interest in are Trevor Cahill and Garrett Richards, but they could very easily just roll with a couple of the young starters currently in Rochester. As always, trades are a possibility too. Minnesota has one of the deepest farm systems in baseball, and could trade a big prospect or two in order to get another top of rotation type starter to pair Jose Berrios with. That might be the only way they are able to get a front of the rotation type of player. Maybe they try to look at Chris Archer again, who is in the midst of his third consecutive season with an ERA north of four. It will be an interesting offseason once again in Minneapolis, and I don’t think anything will be out of the question. I do think the biggest needs going into the offseason will be to find a third baseman and another starter. If they are able to get players like Moustakas and Archer, the offseason will have been a success. I am not too concerned about the bullpen, as you can find successful ones anywhere. Just look at Brad Hand for example. The Marlins lost him on waivers in April 2016. Now look at him....one of the best relievers in the game and was traded for the No. 15 prospect in all of baseball. Like I said, the Twins have a number of relievers in Triple-A ready to make the jump. Buckle up, Twins fans, it could be an exciting ride once again.