With speculation rife over the destinations of high-caliber free agents such as Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and Matt Chapman, it appears that hardly a day passes without a team effectively signaling its withdrawal from the market.
The Rangers, Blue Jays, Angels, Giants, Nationals, and Mariners have all had prominent figures from their baseball operations or ownership express doubts about their ability or willingness to make further noteworthy signings.
Joining this growing list, the Twins’ owner Joe Pohlad indicated during a WCCO radio appearance on Wednesday that his team is unlikely to make a significant late splash akin to their signing of Carlos Correa a couple of offseasons ago, as reported by Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
“We’re not in a position to spend $30 million on a player right now,” Pohlad stated plainly. “The players currently available that many fans are discussing are not on our radar.”
Minnesota didn’t appear to be a suitable destination for either of the mentioned position players, especially Chapman. However, the Twins are actively seeking pitching help after losing Sonny Gray, Kenta Maeda, and Tyler Mahle to free agency.
While a late deal for Snell or Montgomery might have surprised some, given the team’s stated intention to reduce payroll amid television uncertainties this winter, their past late entry into the Correa market could have raised questions about a similar approach. Joel Sherman of the New York Post suggested that the Twins could be a wildcard for the remaining starters, but Pohlad’s remarks strongly indicate otherwise.
At the beginning of the winter, the Twins indicated that payroll would likely decrease, with a rough target of $125-140 million reported by Dan Hayes of The Athletic. Currently, Minnesota’s projected payroll is just under that figure, at approximately $123.5 million according to Roster Resource. It’s important to note that Pohlad didn’t rule out further additions altogether, just big-money signings at the top of the market.
Pohlad added, “There are certainly other players that could positively impact our team that [president of baseball operations Derek Falvey], I’m sure, is considering.”
The Twins have reportedly shown interest in unsigned players such as Michael Lorenzen, Adam Duvall, and Michael A. Taylor, whose signings would be considerably less costly than pursuing Montgomery or Snell. They also observed Jake Odorizzi’s recent workout for teams.
Falvey and his team have a history of making trades late in the offseason. For instance, deals to acquire Pablo Lopez (Jan. 23) and Odorizzi (Feb. 17) were finalized well after the New Year in their respective offseasons. The acquisition of Chris Paddack and Emilio Pagan occurred on the eve of Opening Day in 2022. Therefore, it’s still possible that pitching or right-handed-hitting outfield help could be acquired through trades.
Overall, it has been a relatively quiet offseason for the Twins. They traded infielder Jorge Polanco to the Mariners, receiving right-handers Justin Topa and Anthony DeSclafani, as well as prospects Gabriel Gonzalez and Darren Bowen. The team also gained approximately $6.5 million in the deal, which was reinvested in signing Carlos Santana and Jay Jackson. More recently, they traded utilityman Nick Gordon to the Marlins in exchange for lefty reliever Steven Okert.
