Recently there were two rather significant developments regarding
the 2019 Minnesota Twins roster construction. With the deadline to add Rule 5
Draft eligible players to the 40-man roster now in the rearview mirror, we know
how the organization handled the situation. Also, in the early stages of free
agency, Jon Morosi reported that the Twins have had discussions with the
Arizona Diamondbacks about dealing for Paul Goldschmidt. Both of those
scenarios could be hints at what’s next from the front office.
Concerning the 40-man roster and Rule 5 decisions, the Twins
added Nick Gordon, LaMonte Wade, and Luis Arraez to the fold. The first two
were givens while Arraez makes a ton of sense as a great contact and average
hitter for a team currently lacking talent up the middle. Still having two open
spots on the 40 man, the front office decided to trade reliever Nick Anderson instead
of keeping him around. Jake Reed, who was deserving of a September call up,
will again be exposed to the Rule 5 draft, and former 1st round pick
Tyler Jay was left out in the cold as well.
Given the openings on the roster there would have been no
downside for Minnesota to add the likes of Reed and Jay, even if more moves
necessitated their removal in the coming months. Bullpen help has been assumed
to be a key area of focus this offseason, and the internal options being passed
over could be somewhat of a hint.
The reality is that the Twins certainly could benefit from
some top tier relief help. The starting rotation is in a much better place than
any time in recent memory, but it’s still void of a true ace. The depth is there
but expecting the group to compete with the best in baseball is probably a bit
far-fetched. Add in the reality that the game has shifted to being reliever
dominated, and Rocco Baldelli would certainly benefit from some elite arms out in
the pen.
By deciding to forego adding internal options that would
have signified depth, we may be able to assume that the intention is to truly
aim high in relief. If the front office was going to target more
middle-of-the-road relievers, having players like Reed, Anderson, or even Jay
to slot in should things go south seems like a solid backup plan. If Derek
Falvey and Thad Levine are shooting for the stars though, there should be a
reasonable expectation that a backup plan becomes much less necessary.
Working from a place of familiarity the Twins and
Diamondbacks were trade partners just last season when Eduardo Escobar was
shipped out. Goldschmidt is the premiere first basemen available at this point,
and even in the final year of his deal, would be an exciting option to replace
Joe Mauer. The free agent market at the position is beyond underwhelming, and
exploring a trade there sends a few signals.
Minnesota is clearly starting at the top by inquiring on
Goldschmidt, and they’re also obviously exploring the trade market. Carlos
Santana remains an ideal fit a rung down and comes with a bit more longevity provided
to the club. What we can glean is that all options are being explored, and that
the immediate sense points to Miguel Sano staying at third base.
Both discussed situations above help to provide some clarity
with regards to how Minnesota may be viewing the 2019 season. Goldschmidt fits oddly
as he’s on a one-year deal, but maybe the intention is to go for it and reload.
While Royce Lewis, Alex Kirilloff, and the next wave of big prospects don’t
seem to factor in before 2020, there’s plenty of talent here to make a run in
the year ahead.
With the Cleveland Indians clearly approaching the end of
their run, Minnesota is positioned to be next in line for consistency within
the division. The infrastructure has been put in place by the front office and
executing on the personnel would be the next logical step. There’s a ton of
money to be spent this offseason, and there will be more to go around in 2020
and beyond. Putting the pedal down now could have the Twins looking like the
2018 Milwaukee Brewers, and that’s a team who made significant noise in the
Postseason.
