With the AL Central in a Flux, the Minnesota Twins Could Be a Surprise Contender
The Minnesota Twins are a hard team to figure out. After winning just 70 games in 2014, they rebounded to win 83 the next year, only to produce a measly 59 wins in 2016. Instead of continuing a downward trajectory, they surprised everyone in 2017 and made it to the AL Wild Card game by winning 85 games.
Last year, they slightly slumped down to 78 wins in a lackluster year for the AL Central. So, based on their recent pattern, the Twins may be destined to return to contention next year. However, the Twins shouldn’t rely on the cosmic symmetry willed upon the sport by the baseball gods, as they should go all in this offseason to capitalize on a struggling division.
The Royals are bad. The Tigers are mediocre. And the White Sox are consistently taking one step forward and two steps back (though they’re not the only ones). If they make the right moves, Minnesota could be a surprise contender in the AL.
The Twins already took a step in the right direction by signing Jonathan Schoop to fill their void at second base.
Despite really struggling with the Brewers after being traded from Baltimore last season, Schoop still has a ton of potential and is just one year removed from hitting .293 with 32 homeruns and 105 RBI’s.
They also signed the underrated Ronald Torreyes, who has hit over .280 each of the past two seasons and figures to provide excellent infield defense and depth off the bench.
Minnesota also added slugging first baseman C.J. Cron, who mashed 30 homeruns for the Rays last year after receiving consistent starting time for the first time in his career. Cron will either be the everyday DH for the Twins, or supplant Tyler Austin at first.
Cron stands as a significant upgrade over Austin. Regardless, with a right handed heavy lineup, Minnesota should take a look at some of the left handed first basemen on the market, such as buy low options like Justin Bour and Matt Adams.
However, recent rumors suggest that the Twins are targeting slugging DH Nelson Cruz, along with veteran catcher Wilson Ramos. Both hitters would certainly boost the Twins, and indicate the Twins intend to add significant pop to their DH slot.
One are of concern for the Twins is the outfield, namely what to do with Byron Buxton. Minnesota should look to give the young speedster a chance to play as a full time starter, but if his struggles to hit big league pitching persists, they could use either Max Kepler or Jake Cave in center.
Kepler, known for his pop, actually rated as the Twins’ top defender in center last season, while Cave put up a respectable .265/.313/.473 line, along with 13 homers and 45 RBI’s in his rookie campaign. Adding a cheap complimentary outfielder for depth, such as Gorkys Hernandez, would be a smart move to cover up any potential holes in their young outfielders’ game, however,this kind of move could be postponed to be a midseason acquisition, as Minnesota still has enough outfield options to make this a less urgent need.
Probably the most pressing need for the Twins, however, is finding a reliable closer.
After trading Fernando Rodney to the Athletics last year, Minnesota could never really settle on a consistent arm to seal victories in the ninth. With many closers on the open market, the Twins have several options to choose from, and an electric arm like Adam Ottavino could be the ideal choice, considering he has the highest WAR (2.0) of any free agent reliever.
If he proves to be too costly of an option, they could turn their attention to Joakim Soria (1.8 WAR), who would bring a much needed veteran presence to the Minnesota bullpen. Adding a top-notch closer to a bullpen featuring Taylor Rogers, Addison Reed and Trevor May could propel the Twins to have the best bullpen in the division.
While the Twins would need to resort to drastic measures in order to match the Indians’ rotation, they already have a decent core of young starters with excellent potential.
José Berríos is their undisputed ace, and Kyle Gibson is coming off his best year yet. Michael Pineda and Jake Odorizzi have had success in the past, but even as back end of the rotation starters, the Twins shouldn’t bet on the two putting up numbers from their prime years.
Minnesota has been connected to Trevor Cahill, who is coming off a bounce back year with the A’s, posting a 3.76 ERA. While Cahill would line up nicely behind Berríos and Gibson, he hasn’t thrown over 110 innings since 2013, and has a long injury-history. A reliable, veteran starter such as Charlie Morton or Aníbal Sánchez could be a good fit, and if the Twins are willing to spend a little extra, Dallas Keuchel would be a great fit in a rotation devoid of lefties.
The Twins also boast one of the game’s best farm systems, so if free agents prove to be too expensive, they could look to the trade market for alternative options.
Madison Bumgarner and Noah Syndergaard would obviously be prime targets, and with all the chatter swirling around the two All Stars,its surprising that the Twins haven’t emerged as frontrunners for either,considering they have the prospects to make such a deal happen.
The Twins have options to make smart, affordable free agent transactions to fill the holes in their roster, or if they so choose, they can make a huge deal with the help of their deep farm system. The bottom line: now is the time for the Twins to pounce on a struggling division. They shouldn’t play it safe or conservative. Now’s the time to go for it, and make the AL Central interesting again.
-Michael Gonzalez
