There is 2.5 weeks before players start to report for Fort Myers and, so far, the Minnesota Twins have done next to nothing this offseason, to improve their team from a team personnel standpoint. That’s because, after one of the worst 2nd half collapses in franchise history, the Twins are yet again dealing with self-imposed financial restrictions that have made the roster extremely inflexible.
The Pohlads’ ever tightening pockets haven’t stopped team president Derek Falvey and his front office from trying to create action.
Last week, a report surfaced that the Twins have had extensive talks with the San Diego Padres, mostly surrounding a swap that would send (C) Christian Vazquez west and bring back (SP) Dylan Cease.
At Twinsfest this weekend, manager Rocco Baldelli and some of the Minnesota Twins most notable players, including Carlos Correa, seemed mostly resigned to the fact that a shake-up trade could be difficult to make happen, due to financial reasons mentioned above.
Rocco Baldelli still expects Minnesota Twins to make moves
But behind the scenes, there is enough percolating to make Falvey and Baldelli remain optimistic that the Twins won’t just make one “significant move” before the start of the season, but multiple. At least, that’s what he told local insider Darren ‘Doogie’ Wolfson while the two were together for an interview on Channel 5 (ABC-KSTP) that airs Sunday.
“Rocco did tell me, though, he anticipates, plural — ‘moves’ — before, let’s just say, Opening Day. Not singular, not ‘move’, but ‘moves’. [He] didn’t promise me it’s a 1st baseman, didn’t promise me it’s a righty bat that can play some center field. But he does anticipate multiple moves to take place over the next handful of weeks.”
Wolfson has mentioned this in recent Scoops episodes of Mackey & Judd on SKOR North that Rocco Baldelli really would like a defensive 1st baseman he can plug into the lineup, along with a righty stick that can spell Byron Buxton in center field.
Will the Minnesota Twins’ front office be able to rope in those things for him? We do not know, but those are the types of player that the manager is looking for and Derek Falvey & Co have been poking around about.
Who are the Twins interested in?
Doogie mentions Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle as a player he is watching, and also notes that the Twins are not interested in bringing outfielder Michael A. Taylor back. Contrarily, Harrison Bader would wet their whistle… for a lower cost.
Now I will tell you, Rocco very much values first base defense. I still wonder what Baltimore does with Ryan Mountcastle, I really do. But I think Rocco is searching more than anything right now for a right handed bat that can play center field. We are talking 300ish at bats that Rocco is trying to account for in center field.
Well you look at the free agency market, the Twins do not have interest in a reunion with Michael A. Taylor. They would have some interest in Harrison Bader, if the price came down, but he made $10 million last year. The Twins are not signing Harrison Bader for that sort of money. Like a Jake Myers in Houston [could be] a trade candidate, maybe? That is something that they are targeting.
Darren Wolfson – Mackey & Judd (SKOR North)
