We’re quickly approaching the close of the 2018 calendar
year. While there’s still multiple months before Spring Training commences in sunny
Fort Myers, the Minnesota Twins talent acquisition has come in the form of two
moves. Both players found themselves on the free agent market by way of
non-tender decisions from their previous ballclubs. We saw a patient strategy
in 2017 but employing it again could be to the team’s detriment.
Despite how the Lance Lynn and Logan Morrison signings
worked out for Falvey and Co. last offseason, there’s no denying that both
moves made a ton of sense. Morrison represented a power bat the lineup could
certainly use, and Lynn allowed the starting rotation an ability to be bolstered
by one of the premiere names on the market. Both players were inked to
team-friendly dollars, and there’s no such thing as a bad one-year deal.
It appears that the Twins are content employing a similar
level of patience this time around. The problem, however, is that the
circumstances had them in a position ripe to jump the market. We’ve heard that
a $100 million payroll could be the bar to clear, and much has been made about
the uncertainty of both Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton’s development. The former
is a number that should represent an embarrassing effort towards competitiveness,
while the latter strikes this blogger as a backwards way of thinking.
Right now, we’ve yet to see Sano and Buxton put it all
together over a consistent period. Minnesota obviously has reservations about
whether it will happen for the two former top prospects but planning for
anything other than full speed ahead comes with quite a few issues.
First, Sano and Buxton will never be cheaper than they are
right now. Whether they explode or not, arbitration raises will continue to
increase their rate of pay. Should things go according to plan, the dollars
will mount considerably in the next few seasons. Waiting for the next wave of
prospects would signify something like a ten year rebuild and comes with the
same caveats as to whether the prospect status matures at the highest level.
Pairing the current duo with external talent is also just a drop in the bucket
in terms of dollars at this point, and nothing hamstrings an organization with
zero dollars committed to 2020 and beyond.
You can certainly look at the free agent landscape as it
stands today and wonder where those extra dollars would be spent. Craig Kimbrel
isn’t the most appealing reliever at his ask, and Bryce Harper probably wants
little to do with Minnesota. However, we’ve heard about plenty of relievers
that the Twins were in on to this point and they simply didn’t want to extend a
second year. These are the avenues that strike me as poor planning. Outpacing
the competition by showing a willingness for an extra season, or a few extra
millions, is something this team is in the perfect position to do. The Twins
shed a ton of salary prior to 2019 and have literally nothing on the books for
the season after. By being aggressive on some second-tier names, there’s no denying
the impact could have been felt in the wins column. At this juncture, there’s a
dwindling list of those types left, and the suitors remain a vast and
competitive field.
As referenced from the get-go, there’s still time left to
sort this all out. If Nelson Cruz, Cody Allen, and Zach Britton all end up in
Twins Territory the panic button can be put away. When C.J. Cron and Jonathan
Schoop are joined by the like of a Zach Duke or Matt Belisle type however, we’ll
be vindicated in wondering what was taking place at 1 Twins Way.
Regardless of any team’s payroll flexibility, it’s always
fair to view deals through a sensible market value meter. That said, there’s nothing
wrong with being the aggressor in acquiring talent when you have resources on
your side. For years the Twins have been in a situation that extra spending
didn’t make sense because a level of competitiveness wasn’t going to be
impacted by anything but a total overhaul. Now is not that time, and each
additional acquisition can play a key part in a result greater than expected.
Waiting for something to fall into your lap has its purpose,
but dictating your future often bears greater fruits.
