The Twins have announced the signing of free-agent infielder/outfielder Marwin Gonzalez. Gonzalez, who is represented by the Boras Corporation, receives a two-year, $21MM deal that will pay him $12MM in 2019 and $9MM in 2020.
Gonzalez, 30 in March, emerged as one of MLB’s most versatile utility pieces over the past two seasons and played a major role in bringing the Astros to the 2017 World Series. The switch-hitter’s terrific .303/.377/.530 batting line that year regressed to .247/.324/.409 in 2018, though it’s worth noting that his 2018 results were weighed down by a sluggish start. Gonzalez carried a .612 OPS into June but rebounded to the tune of a .266/.343/.462 slash over the final four months, during which time he clubbed 12 of his 16 home runs. Overall, he’s posted a healthy .274/.349/.467 line with 39 homers, 59 doubles and three triples over his past 1067 plate appearances.
Known as much for his defensive versatility as anything else — agent Scott Boras dubbed him “Swiss G” early in the offseason — Gonzalez logged 150-plus innings at first base, second base, shortstop and in left field last year. He’s logged significant innings at all four infield spots over the past two seasons and has tallied more than 1000 innings in left field as well. He’s drawn plus marks for that work in left (+7 Defensive Runs Saved, +5.5 Ultimate Zone Rating, +2 Outs Above Average) and has generally drawn solid marks for his glovework at first base, second base and third base in recent years (with defensive metrics being less fond of his defense at shortstop).
While Gonzalez won’t be in line to man one singular position on a regular basis, it’s likely that the Twins will mix him into the lineup on a near-regular basis over the next couple of seasons. He’ll provide the club with a high-quality means of keeping first baseman C.J. Cron, second baseman Jonathan Schoop, shortstop Jorge Polanco and third baseman Miguel Sano fresh. Gonzalez also seems likely to log some time in the outfield, and given that all three of Minnesota’s current outfielders — Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton and Max Kepler — can play all three outfield slots, Gonzalez could be the first in line to get some outfield work when any of that trio is out of the lineup. In short, he’ll provide rookie manager Rocco Baldelli with an enormous amount of flexibility when mapping out his daily lineups. And, with Schoop a free agent at season’t end, Marwin could potentially give the Twins a regular option in 2020 if prospect Nick Gordon doesn’t adequately rebuild his stock this year.
The addition of Gonzalez will cost one of Ehire Adrianza or Willians Astudillo a spot on the active roster and potentially puts Adrianza’s spot on the 40-man roster in jeopardy. Like Gonzalez, Adrianza is a switch-hitting utility piece who played all over the infield and in left field last year, though his bat has never approached Gonzalez’s 2017-18 levels. Minnesota also has Ronald Torreyes on the 40-man roster under a non-guaranteed, split contract, though Torreyes has one minor league option remaining.
Entering the offseason, MLBTR pegged Gonzalez as a candidate to receive a four-year contract (at a lower annual rate of $9MM) given the fact that his versatility figured to create no shortage of demand throughout the league. Many pundits at the time — myself included — were surprised that Houston didn’t issue a $17.9MM qualifying offer to Gonzalez; while that’d be a huge price to pay for one season of his services, the thinking at the time was that he’d comfortably out-earn that sum on a three- or four-year pact, thus making him a safe bet to reject the deal and net the Astros a compensatory draft pick. In retrospect, the Astros’ decision not to do so looks quite prudent.
From a broader perspective, Gonzalez’s contract is in some ways indicative of the changing market landscape that has served as a source of consternation for both players and agents this winter. While his $10.5MM annual salary is quite large for a super-utility player, to be sure, Gonzalez’s ultimate guarantee was for half the length and under 40 percent of the total dollars the Cubs pledged to Ben Zobrist as he entered his age-35 season just three years ago. While Zobrist was a more established hitter and predicting that type of money for Gonzalez seemed overly aggressive even at the outset of free agency, few would’ve predicted such great disparity between their contracts. Gonzalez is roughly a half decade younger than Zobrist was at the time of his deal, after all.
While Gonzalez’s contract falls shy of what virtually any publication predicted for him entering the winter, that $10.5MM annual value is nonetheless robust, and he’ll have the chance to re-enter free agency at a relatively youthful age. A four-term deal at that point will be even less likely, but he’d certainly be a candidate to receive another strong annual value on a two- or possibly three-year pact if he maintains his recent level of production.
For the Twins, Gonzalez will join offseason newcomers Schoop, Cron and Nelson Cruz to a revamped lineup that figures to be more productive than it was in 2018. If the Twins are able to coax bounceback seasons out of some combination of Schoop, Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano, their offense will be among the more formidable groups in the American League. The team’s pitching staff could certainly use further augmentation, and it’s worth noting that a pair of prominent free-agent arms — Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel — remain unsigned. The extent to which the Twins are interested in either at present isn’t known, though they’ve at least been linked to Kimbrel in the past month.
Whether they ultimately come to terms with either (or acquire another pitching upgrade), it’s clear that Minnesota at least has the financial means to do so. The Twins’ payroll will still be shy of last year’s $128MM Opening Day mark, and they have fewer than $25MM committed to the 2020 roster.
Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter links) first had the deal and some contract terms. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter) had the years and dollars. Dan Hayes of The Athletic first connected the two sides.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
GOPthis
Twins could have a sneaky good team.
johnny koshi
What is w Twins fans and the use of the word “sneaky”.
Every season Twins fan: “_______ is sneaky pick for MVP”. “This rotation could be sneaky good”. “Sneaky signing by Twins”.
It’s weird. And no.
GOPthis
So, perhaps sneaky in the sense that they are not a big market team with a history of playing hard. They don’t get much coverage by major media outlets like ESPN so yeah they get stuck with sneaky as opposed to everyone’s favorite Red Sox and Yankees who are too damn interesting and covered to death.
biasisrelitive
As a twins fan who on our team in a sneaky mvp pick????
Paul Griggs
I’d say Sano and Buxton would be sneaky MVP candidates. If Sano hits .280/40/120 he’d be in the mix, and I think he has the potential, and Buxton goes .310/20/80 with great defense and 40 SB he might get some consideration (I think this is a longer shot). I can’t see Cruz getting enough consideration since he will be the DH, although he probably is the Twins best player and I don’t think Rosario will rise beyond what he’s done the last two years (Team MVP but nowhere near league MVP).
impactrookies
You have got to be kidding me! MVP should not be in a sentence with sano and buxton. Thats insane. Id be happy if they contributed league average next year. Be realistic.
rocky7
Wow, Sano…he of the sub .250 batting average and Buxton he of the .156 batting average for MVP….only if every other major league player dropped dead!
Buxton could steal 140 bases and never be considered for MVP and Sano hasn’t ever hit .275 so how could you even think that a .280 as you say he may hit, could be considered for MVP.
Like I said, every other player would have to drop DEAD for this to happen!
Sorry to burst your Spring Training dream bubble man!
jakec77
Sano? Buxton? As in Miguel and Byron?
hingalou
In 2017, Buxton was ranked 18th in MVP voting. That year, only 17 MLB players would’ve had to drop dead.
jbissell
Buxton had a 4 War just 2 seasons ago.
stansfield123
Kepler might be. He has all kinds of tools, and seems fairly close to figuring out how to use them.
Paul Molitor
Johnny Koshi salty Indians fan eh?
Polish Hammer
Maybe he meant he was a nice complimentary piece on a great team but not worth that cash to help carry a bad team…
johnny koshi
Molitor- Astros fan. I just love baseball. Been to many games at Target Field. Fun little stadium.
Had many convos w Twins fan.
Good ppl .. but delusional.
Twins fan leads the charge w lines like “nobody expected us to be here”. “We’re going to surprise a lot of ppl”.
Etc etc etc.
Stop Saying Literally
Kirby Puckett was sneaky around the ladies.
Comrade Tipsy McStagger
Remember — the Twins were the Piranas. They would sneak up and destroy a team with a million little bites. Now they just sneak in a different way — under the radar of the mainstream sports media with a good solid team lacking a superstar.
Polish Hammer
You must be tipsy…
Comrade Tipsy McStagger
Tipsy for your polish hammer.
Comrade Tipsy McStagger
Polish hammer — you had a funny response but you set yourself up. Kudos Tipsy. You got the best on this one. Funniest comment I’ve seen all day.
Polish Hammer
Oh boy you know you really are tipsy but this hammer don’t swing that way…
jd396
The sneaky 2006 Twins had the MVP, the batting champ, the CY winner, Morneau, Hunter and Cuddyer totaling 89 HR and 337 RBI, and arguably the best closer in the league not named Mariano. And… it was the bottom of the lineup piranhas that everyone remembers.
martras
When was that? When they had no superstars like
Joe Mauer (MVP)
Justin Morneau (MVP)
Johan Santana (Cy Young)
Joe Nathan (elite closer)
Torii Hunter (perennial All Star)
The “piranhas” you speak of were often composed of some of the best players and most star studded rosters in MLB. They were Minnesota Twins players so they might have been overlooked, but several were superstars.
Polish Hammer
And with all of that how many titles did they win?
jd396
In 2006, Derek Jeter almost won the MVP… in 2008 Josh Hamilton almost won the HR derby.
Sneaky Justin Morneau.
rashomon
Jason Morneau. Sneaky.
kenleyfornia2
If Clevelands pitchers regress in any way the Twins will be a serious contender for the division
jdgoat
I hope they overtake them. Cleveland seems to want a reason to blow it all up since they aren’t doing anything. With a bounce back from buxton or Sano it’s really not all that unfathomable. They might need to bring in another former Astro in Keuchen to really push them though.
excusemeflo
Might take everything but the Keuchen sink to get that done
ffjsisk
If the Twins add Keuchel I think they’d have a real shot. Gibson’s done it one year and Berrios is so young…I do think they’ll be a lot better though. An injury or two in Cleveland and they may win the division.
Iron Horse
Release the Keuchen!
twinsfan368
Ur puns are terrible lol
excusemeflo
Is there such thing as a good pun joke?
heater
Starting rotation still a big if. Berrios and Gibson should be solid but could go either way really. Odorizzi is what he is. Pineda has potential but is unknown. And the 5th guy will be just that, a 5th guy. The only hope is that one of the kids progress and come into their own. I would imagine Gonzalves has the inside track on the last spot which to this point doesn’t intrigue much. But….. there’s a new on field regime in town which was much needed in MN so things could be very different. Will be a good team to pay attention to for sure. Adding Gonzales was a very solid move and instantly makes that team better. Having the versatile guy that can play quality ball all over and is decent with the bat is huge for them.
johnny koshi
I keep trying to figure out how Twins fan thinks because they added a bunch of 3rd tier offensive players (Schoop, Cron, Duda) + the brilliant hitting machine Nelson Cruz (nice get – not sarcasm) that all the sudden Twins or any other team are raking on Indians pitching – – arguably one of the top-5 starting rotations in the league?
And on offensive side I’ll take Lindor + Ramirez 100/100x over any combo of Twins bats.
kenleyfornia2
The problem with the Indians is their lineup is extremley bad outside the 2 stars. The Twins lineup actually has more depth to it. Yes they havent really added flashy names but thats better than the Indians doing nothing and actually subrtracting from their roster
jdgoat
I don’t think anybody will argue that. I think it’s not to unreasonable to say that the Twins might be more balanced though. The Indians only seem like they’re top heavy.
ffjsisk
And aren’t they without Lindor for a while?
bigsombrero
Twins fan here. I agree with you regarding the Cleveland rotation. It’s light years above what the Twins have. That said, I don’t think any of us Twins fans think the additions of Schoop and Cron (Duda won’t make the team) is going to make or break things. The Twins are banking on big years from Rosario, Kepler, and Polanco and hoping for Sano & Buxton to improve. If that all happens, plus Cruz goes nuts, it could be lightning in a bottle. But the Twins need lots of things to go right to sniff the Tribe in the Central.
johnny koshi
Twins projected starters w Strikeouts last year w at least +100gms played
Marwin 126
Schoop 115
Cron 145
Cruz 122
Sano 115
‘17 Buxton 150 – 28gms in ‘18
‘17 Castro 108 – 19gms in ‘18
Kepler 96
Rosario 114
KDDtwins
You can do this for any team the way they are playing the game today. Plenty of strikeouts to be found on any MLB roster!
Wade Herbers
Love it. Just hope the moneys not too crazy!!! I’ll take any improvement we can get. And he’s definitely better than Adrianza in my mind. Dallas to follow???
Ully
Marwin should lead to MoreWins.
twinsfan368
Terrible pun lol
astromariner
Dad here. I approve of this message.
southern lion
Good. He’s on my virtual AL only team.
BrewCrew1302
Bold prediction: Twins win the central. I like the moves they have made and the AL central is the worst division in the league.
Bryzzo2016
Easily the worst division in baseball, I could see it. 85 wins might do it, the Indians are their only legit competition.
BrewCrew1302
i could see the division winner like 2 games above .500
chicagofan1978
How sweet, a Cub fan and a Brewers fan agreeing lol
Polish Hammer
Time to get glasses if you think 83 wins gets the division.
Solar Flare
Which would be like the Padres back in 2005, because they won the NL West that season with a record of 82-80, but it guess it certainly helped that the 2nd place team went 77-85.
thefenwayfaithful 2
Great signing and solid over/under. The Indians will continue to sell pieces if they aren’t a surefire playoff team at the deadline. They are trying for a quick rebuild. If competition in the division continues to drop with selloffs at the deadline (as I expect will happen with at least 3 of the other 4 teams) the Twins could pick up a lot of easy in-division wins towards the end of the season. I think an over/under of 85 wins leaves open the possibility that all these teams are equally bad, while accounting for the possibility of 1 team being significantly better then they other 4, enough to win 55+ games within the division alone. The Royals and Tigers are actively trying to tank and the White Sox are betting on a lot of steps forward from their young core, without Michael Kopech if I’m not mistaken. That’s what, 57 games? They should easily take 40 of them if their pitching isn’t an absolute disaster.
xXabial
only thing to keep Indians alive is pitching. I bet the move a SP if they are not playoff bound by trading deadline
Stop Saying Literally
…or maybe two starting pitchers….like the Mets should be doing.
xXabial
why the mets? they made all these moves In the off-season to be more competitive
Hard to walk with four balls
The mets are in it to win now.
Stop Saying Literally
Mets are still a fourth-place team. Zero organizational depth, unlike the good teams. Injuries happen to everyone. When they happen to the Mets, they will fold.
xXabial
& people like you call yourselves a fan of the sport
phantomofdb
Twins did nothing to address their pitching, so I can’t imagine they’ll make a ton of noise this year.
IjustloveBaseball
This is the kind of move the Twins needed to make. A versatile veteran player who can hit a little bit, helps any team he plays for in more ways that one.
Now can Minnesota surprise everybody and go after Keuchel?
Marius
Once Harper is off the market I think some big spenders are going to out price the Twins for Keuchel
IjustloveBaseball
Yeah, you very well could be right.
refereemn77
The problem with signing Keuchel (and Kimbrel for that matter) is they received Qualifying Offers. The Twins would have to give up their third pick in the 2019 draft. It would be their 2nd round pick in 2019, as the Twins have two first round picks (1st round and Comp A). I’m not sure the FO or ownership is ready to give up a 2nd round pick…
IjustloveBaseball
Yeah, the draft pick compensation makes things a bit more complicated for sure. But I think if you’re a team like the Twins, who not only could use another stable arm in your rotation, but would benefit from getting a veteran guy like that, then you figure it’d be worth it. We’ll see what they do though!
kripes-brewers
Good for the Twins and Marwin!
Francys01
The Twins are looking great for this upcoming season. Great job. It’s interesting to think which club will be better the Cleveland Indians or Minnesota Twins. The two team have a fair chance.
Bryzzo2016
WHOA! Nice signing! Underrated player. I thought for sure the White Sox were gonna get him, especially after whiffing on Manny, or maybe Philly. Strong signing Minnesota!
jfedex
nice signing, will be very good. way better than my Royals
fs54
WOW that’s cheap for him.
JPADA
I really like Marwin but $10.5M per seems like a lot for an average player. Career OPS+ 103 and plays average defense=average player. Probably one of the better bench/utility guys in the league but price seems a bit high. Good for Marwin and good for the Twins though.
Polish Hammer
^^^
jjd002
While I agree with the assessment, it’s tough to use his career OPS+ because he just got good 2 years ago. Either way that’s a fair, to a little in Marwin’s favor.
JPADA
He didn’t just get good, he just started to get more time on the field. He was a decent player even when he was getting under 300 ab’s. Very few guys can put up good numbers with little to no playing time.
mark1623
If he hits 3 percent better than league average while getting a lot of playing time all over the field the deal is a bargain for the Twins.
jb19
Marwin was a rule V draft pick in 2012 and has only had 500+ ABs starting in 2016. From 2016 on, he had a 1.3, 4.3 and 2.5 WAR. Can play LF and all 4 infield positions adequately and is only 30 years old. This contract will bleed surplus value if we still assume 1 WAR = $7MM… this was a steal for the Twins. Marwin needs to be more selective on his pitches, like he was in 2017.
xabial
Watch out Indians.
xXabial
I hope twins make playoffs and magically sink your Yankees…but always willing to hear your hold predictions …machado lol
bbatardo
2/21? Twins got a pretty good deal lol. I am really surprised not many teams were in on him if that was what it took to sign.
AngelDiceClay
Didn’t this Marwin guy have a movie out this past Christmas???
PhanaticDuck26
holy s*%#! i think i actually pegged this one on the FA prediction contest!
which seems like actual years ago…
RCCola
This is an interesting move for the Twins, as their previous utility man, Adrianza, wasn’t terrible. Adrianza got a lot of unexpected playing time last year due to the combination of Polanco’s suspension, Sano’s injuries, and the Escobar trade, and he wasn’t terrible. Defensively, he wasn’t outstanding, but he was still above average, while he was decent offensively.
With this signing, Adrianza will most likely be DFA’d in order to clear the roster spot (he has no options left) for Marwin. The Twins seem to believe that Marwin’s offensive ceiling will more than make up for the drop of defensive ability.
I’m interested as a Twins fan to see how this gamble plays out.
Ryan W
Far cry from his starting point. Lower AAV by 30% even with half the years
pinkerton
Twins could add one more pitcher and I do think they take the Central, yes
RCCola
Their front office seems to have enough faith in Martin Perez (for some reason) that if they do make an addition, it will be in the middle of the season. Keep in mind, the Twins have a lot of young arms to pick from too.
hockeyjohn
The Twins do not have the starting pitching to beat out the Indians for the AL Central. Other than Berrios, who do the Twins have that can compare to the Indians big 4 starters? Marwin had one good year and regressed last year.
xXabial
He still hit better than you.
BobSacamano
The tribe is a shell of what they were in ‘16. Maybe you should rewatch last years ALDS series.
xXabial
maybe this is a key to lure Dallas to sign.
twinstc32
This is a great move! The Twins will have a deep bench if people do not work out or get hurt..
TwinCities
I could see Minnesota and Cleveland meeting around 84-87 wins. This move opens up so many mix and match options, making the whole offense better. I would love to see them spend on one of those big name free agent pitchers now.
Aircool
Anyone find it interesting that as soon as they are out from under Mauer’s contract, the Twins started spending real money? It’s kind of funny to me.
Steve Adams
The Twins’ payroll will be $10-15MM lower than it was in 2018, and they have under $25MM on the books for the 2020 season.
They spent more on Ervin Santana alone, with Mauer in the middle of his contract, than they’ve spent this offseason.
heater
Thank you Steve!! Common misconception about the Twins. They have very nicely set themselves up to keep their core group intact as well as add money via trade or FA.
refereemn77
Steve, don’t you think the lost 2nd Round Draft Pick really hurts the chances the Twins sign either Keuchel or Kimbrel?
jbigz12
Losing something always hurts but if they’re trying to win a 2nd round pick isn’t going to be what prohibits them.
Paul Griggs
Mauer’s contract and unfortunate injury hampered the team. Looking at the signings versus who we cut/traded from last year, it looks like the Twins are still about $15 million total salary below last year. Mauer/Santana/Lynn were the bulk of the difference ($46.5 million).
Steve Adams
Mauer’s contract never really hampered the Twins. The fact that they signed the wrong pitchers and saw countless prospects flop or stall out in the minors harmed them.
Jose Berrios and Kyle Gibson are only MLB-caliber starters the Twins have developed since Scott Baker and Francisco Liriano debuted. That is an insane sentence to type, but it’s also accurate unless you count one or two quasi-useful seasons from Kevin Slowey and Nick Blackburn.
Daveha
Until Sano mucked up his foot, I never thought there was a snowball’s chance. No doubt the front office will insist they are still 100% behind Sano, but this says otherwise, Agree with others. One more pitcher–a 3 or a 4–and the Twins could be in this.
RCCola
Of course, the emphasis is on the could. They made some seemingly safe signings before the 2018 season and everything managed to go wrong for them, from underperforming players to injuries.
Wahoo What a Finish!
It’s going to be a long offseason in Cleveland after the Twins win the AL Central.
Polish Hammer
Does it really matter? Within a week of the regular season ending both teams will be watching the rest of the playoffs on tv anyway.
Wahoo What a Finish!
Valid. And yet the Indians are a couple bats away from being World Series contenders but their ownership group is in full tank mode all of a sudden.
bobtillman
Besides the outlier of 2017, Marwin’s kind of “meh”; about a .730 OPS, strikes out a bit too much, offers nothing on the bases. Ya, I know he plays everywhere….so does Joey Wendle.
Not a BAD player by any stretch, but frankly I think 2/21 is heavy. And they would have been better off spending on pitching.
Steve Adams
Nothing says they can’t still spend on pitching. Their payroll is lower than it was in ’18, and they have a nearly blank slate beyond the current season.
Paul Griggs
I also think it means someone–Adrianza (but out of options) or Cave–will be sent to AAA. Austin is out of options so I think he’ll be kept. I’m assuming Astudillo is going to AAA also. I think Gonzalez is better than Adrianza (more power but less speed) but think $21 million was a bit steep. I think they paid for the versatility and the extra power.
Col. Taylor
Great signing! I really assumed the Dynamic Duo didn’t even have Borass’ phone number. Twins Win.
Rich Hill’s Elbow
The Twins are not “sneaky good,” we’re just good. I mean, almost everything that could’ve gone wrong in 2018 did, yet we still ended the season with a 78-84 record. Not too bad imo. We will win the division this year, bet on it.
RCCola
Then again, everything went right in 2017 and we weren’t much over .500. The Twins definitely benefited quite a bit from facing the White Sox/Royals/Tigers over the last 2 years.
jeb39999
I think he is a great signing for Minnesota because at least one of the twins many bounce-back candidates is sure to fail and Swiss G will probably just take over their spot.
Yankeepatriot
The twins have no pitching except for Burrios and a decent lineup. Not enough to win the central
jakethesnizake
This is kinda hilarious if he got less than DJ LeMahieu despite all the Boras swiss army hype.
Does that mean Harper will get less than Machado haha (doubt it).
xXabial
Owners 2
players 0
even the next cba owners will always control their spending and who they want to sign. players will need to adjust and not cry.
Comrade Tipsy McStagger
I will never understand when so-called fans root for the ultra elite of this country. Yeah, the players make a lot of money. And yeah, it indicates displaced priorities as a nation and culture. But why would you root for the owners over the players? These same people also root for the hedge fund manager over the house owner and the factory owner over the worker. I don’t get it.
JPADA
Maybe they fantasize about being owners instead of players.
Hedge fund managers aren’t home owners? Factory owners don’t work?
Your view isn’t the only view, people are free to root or be fans for which ever side they see fit. What I don’t understand is your view that everyone should think like you. And if they don’t they get criticized for being so-called fans. People aren’t robots. We aren’t all the same.
Comrade Tipsy McStagger
I feel this is why we are so polarized. Because so many of us get swept up into the fantasies of the elite. Us fans commenting on this site have so much more in common with each other than we do with the owners. Heck, we have much more in common with the players than we do the owners. But we let our power get taken away when we don’t see this.
I’m all for multiple points of view. You are right – I shouldn’t have said ‘so-called fans.” That was an intentional usage of an emotionally connotated term.
And I never said these people don’t work. I just think they are ONE worker and shouldn’t be given an equivalency of a million working class people. Once again — it is about priorities.
Old User Name
Because they fear the all mighty “job creator” while forgetting it’s the people that create jobs. No consumer, no need for the job.
xXabial
yes, I’m rooting for the owners. Money in baseball has gotten out of hand and the owners are finally seeing that.
These new metrics were suppose to benefit players and their overall value. Owners got smart and using the metrics to build teams with hidden talent. its smart business, why buy 1 player at 30-35 mill a season when you could find same production spread across 3 players at that price?
Do me a favor, go run a company for 10 years & allow your employees to step over you and demand their wage on every raise. Let me know how long your business last.
Wildcat98
I’m going to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars opening a restaurant and sell ribeyes for 5.99. I will not get any return on my investment, but My customers will be happy.
Stop Saying Literally
The owners are making exorbitant amount of money thanks to the players. Yet the owners are getting a bigger slice of the pie. How is that fair? Why are the owners even needed?
canocorn
>> “How is that fair?”
It’s not.
>> “Why are the owners even needed?”
Now you’re asking the kind of question got Hoffa killed.
impactrookies
Glue guy, fantastic signing. He provides quality insurance at many key positions. He’ll get his AB’s and will prove quite valuable for this team. I very much enjoy the way he plays! Twins got a good one here.
Stop Saying Literally
Marwin went from underrated to overrated in a hurry. This deal won’t have much impact on the division race.
johnny koshi
[Jimsouls] Underrated to overrated in a hurry”.
Dead-on summation.
This signing isn’t moving the needle.
Marwin is very valuable piece on any team that already has 7-8 top-level players.
Do Twins even have two?
Stop Saying Literally
johnny koshi, That’s what I was thinking. He’s like Enrique Hernandez of the Dodgers. A good guy for a contender to have around because he can fill in when various players need a rest or are banged up. But a difference maker? Not even close. Anyone with such expectations is going to be disappointed.
johnny koshi
Right on, man. 1000% agree w you.
Great comparison w Kike.
Yeti
Wow, only 2 years. Great value signing for the Twins. Not going to be a dominant player but every team needs as many players like this as possible. Super utility players allow a team to stack their bullpen and cover for a potentially rough rotation…
JJB
If he costs Astudillo a roster spot, I might riot in downtown Minneapolis. #downwithadrianza
Comrade Tipsy McStagger
#Me too.
imindless
The twins dialogue at the top of the page is too funny….cleveland will win the division by atleast 10 games. Tigers, sox, twins are all bad and have gaping holes in either there rotation or positionally. Sano and buston mvp candidates???? Really??? This team is held together with duck tape and you expect regression from a rotation featuring carrasco, bauer and kluber? Not likely not even mentioning lindor or perez as legit mvp candidates lol. This division will already be decided at all star break.
Stop Saying Literally
Ramirez,. not Perez. But I otherwise agree with you.
Comrade Tipsy McStagger
Yeah — but the Twins have a chunk of money they can NOW spend on pitching — as in this season. They are well under spending from last year. If they got Keuchel, that inches them that much closer. And I think Sano and Buxton will have bounce back years. This is a team that might surprise.
Comrade Tipsy McStagger
Tipsy — Once again, great comeback above with Polish hammer. I have to say, though, I think the Twins would need more than Keuchel to really compete. And none of their young pitchers that were given a chance last year impressed in any way. Cleveland has such an amazing pitching staff. It’s too bad the Padres weren’t able to pull away one of their starters. That would have helped a lot.
JJB
‘Duck’ tape… quack quack.
Tony the man
Was hoping the Giants would sign him now we’re probably stuck with Adam Jones. They’re not getting Harper.
Comrade Tipsy McStagger
The Twins better not designate folk hero Astudillo. If they do, they better expect a million phone calls from a million Twins fans.
DarkSide830
hardly likely. the fact that he can play catcher makes him much more valuable then your average utility man. Torreyes and Ehire can’t touch that sort of utility, and probably wont hit as well as him either.
martras
Extremely likely. Do a count of position players expected to be on the active roster. With the log jam of back end starters with no options they’re going to have to force into the bullpen, there are going to be 12 position players.
1. C – Castro
3. 1B – Cron
4. 2B – Schoop
5. 3B – Sano (1 option)
5. SS – Polanco
6. LF – Rosario (1 option)
7. CF – Buxton
8. RF – Kepler (1 option)
9. DH – Cruz
10. UO – Cave
11. UI – Gonzalez
12. UC – Garver (2 options)
40 man roster
C / IF Astudillo – (3 options)
IF Adrianza
OF Wade – (3 options)
OF Granite – (1 option)
OF Reed
1B Austin
IF Gordon – (2 options)
IF Torreyes
IF Arraez – (3 options)
So either Garver or Astudillo were already losing their 25 man spot before this signing and several other players will be DFA’d
Jockstrapper
The Twins don’t care about your thorough research.
Stop Saying Literally
Collection of position players is not playoff caliber. Especially since the pitching is not exactly lights out. Division still belongs to Cleveland.
Wade Herbers
Adrianza and Granite will be the 1st ones gone. Astudillo will be at AAA catching full time til Castro or Sano gets hurt. Cave wont see the bigs until Buxtons hurt or failing. I could see Gordon getting traded as Lewis will overtake him this year,
martras
Cave has no options and there is no way in a million years he clears waivers after putting together a season showing he’s a potential 2.0+ WAR center fielder. Marwin is not an option in center.
twins33
He’ll probably be in AAA via option. That always seemed likely.
jessecc08
$20,000,000 for Gonzalez and $1,000,000 for Boras
DarkSide830
interesting how Reds get Iggy on a minors deal, yet the Twins pay Marwin over $10 milliona year. while i know Marwin is better then Iggy, i find it surprising he got that much given the current contract climate.
SanDiegoTom
I feel like the Indians really could’ve used Marwin. Good get for the twins
Polish Hammer
They could’ve, for the right price…
poolerh
As versatile as Marwin is, he really only had one really good season out of 7. Take a away 2017 and you really only have an incredibly average player that can hold his own at several positions. He is better suited for the outfield than infield as his metrics reflect. There was a reason the Astros abandoned trying re-sign him so early in the offseason: Boras overvalued him, as have the Twins.
nh_55
I see your point, but I’d say he’s a pretty decent upgrade over Adrianza and is a switch hitter that has good splits. The Twins have little guaranteed money on the books the next couple years so I think this is a fairly sound depth move. Would’ve preferred Escobar, but unfortunately he didn’t want to resign here.
martras
There’s no room for more than about 300 plate appearances for a UI on the team. So Marwin’s value is heavily capped.
Unless the Twins are planning to use him both as UO and UI. That said, they can’t pass Cave or Buxton through waivers so I’m not sure how they expect to get the roster space anyway.
nh_55
I would say that he could potentially earn some extra ABs should anyone in the IF miss time. Honestly, if he gets less than 400 PAs, I can live with that as that means that players are performing and/or healthy.
Wade Herbers
You must not be a Twins fan or you would know that the 150 year old china in my hutch are stronger than Buxton/Sano. No way either of those two goes the whole year without a DL trip. Plus odds are one of fails again. Buxton has the pitch recognition of a high school junior. It hasn’t gotten better in four years. Plus Marwin will spell all around the horn and spell Kepler and Rosario against tough left handed starters. Marwin will start 100 plus games at least and pinch hit in another 30. I’d say over 425 ab’s for sure.
martras
Gonzalez isn’t likely going to be in the outfield for the Twins much unless
A) The Twins are willing to lose Cave for nothing by DFA’ing him.
B) The Twins are willing to lose Buxton for nothing by DFA’ing him.
C) The Twins are willing to waste a 25 man roster spot on Cave or Buxton despite not playing them while also moving Kepler to center just so they can use Gonzalez in RF.
You’re right Sano is an injury risk. So Gonzalez will get 100 PA spelling Polanco and Schoop. The rest of the 325+ you’d say are coming from Sano playing less than 80 games?
In short, I follow the Twins pretty closely and have a pretty good idea of what their roster composition, injury history and capabilities look like.
dkcsmc1991
Indians fans yawning waiting for post season. Trouble is Indians do need to fix the outfield or they’ll be out in first round.
Polish Hammer
And still will by fixing it…
goldenmisfit
I would’ve said why go to a inferior team for more money over staying with a team you won a championship with but that was until I saw who his agent is.
Steve Adams
Almost every free agent does that, regardless of agency. Joe Kelly won a World Series in Boston and went to the Dodgers. Charlie Morton took a larger deal than Houston was willing to offer to sign with the Rays. (That was a weird sentence to type.) Dexter Fowler won a World Series in ’16 with the Cubs and signed with the Cardinals that offseason. None are represented by Boras.
The perception that Scott Boras is the only agent who tries to milk every team for maximum dollars and that his players are the only ones who go the highest bidder with regularity is just so, so off base.
nh_55
I think Morton lives near TB in the offseason so this is also about being able to be near home year-round.
Thor-DarkKnight-CaptainAmerica-16
Underwhelming for Marwin. Good deal for Tue Twins.
stevewpants
By May 1st Marwin will overtake Schoop as the starting 2B.
bobtillman
The talk all winter was about the Tribe’s cost cutting, but, really, the division is still theirs to lose….for Minny to take it, LOTS and LOTS of stuff has to go right for them. And the WC is almost certainly to NY/TB/Oakland, in some combination..
The Indians OF situation can really be dealt with during the season. Beyond that, they’ve got a pretty good team. And they’ve left themselves with enough payroll flexibility to do some heavy shopping, if needed.
And it may not be.
Stop Saying Literally
bobtillman, The Indians are like the Dodgers in a way. Both are in weaker divisions. Since it’s practically a given they will be in the race, they can wait until the July 31 trade deadline to make the moves they really need to make. Then make a deal or two that might put them over the top.
twins33
Surprised it was only for two years, but it’s a happy surprise. Like this signing.
Rich Hill’s Elbow
I’m guessing that Marwin and Cron will be fighting for 1B ABs this spring. Otherwise Marwin basically screwed himself (or the market screwed him) by signing with a team that won’t play him consistently.
DarkSide830
money is money
twins33
The Astros are obviously way better than the Twins. I don’t see how they could find places for him to play but the Twins can’t.
This is injury protection and helps give rest to many guys in the lineup. He’ll play often and so will everyone else. No team is too deep.
Wade Herbers
Marwin will play in 130 games at least. He will start over 100 I’ll bet. No way Buxton plays in 140 , nor Sano/Cron or Schoop. Plus he will spell Rosario and Kepler. Saying he wont play consistantly is so far off track it’s laughable.
martras
Seriously, are you Marwin Gonzalez’s mom?
Grebek7
With the uncertainty of Sano, Buxton, Cron & Kepler abilities. Cmon Meow, Marwin will be playing nearly everyday. Like the Twins signings this offseason much more than their adds last yr. Cruz is a beast regardless of age. Smart of the Twinkies to go for it in such a weak division, Tribe looks weaker than they’ve looked in 4 yrs. Twins Need pitching though
ReverieDays
You guys compare this guy to Zobrist every single time you mention him. He’s never hit like Zobrist consistently.
Swinging Friars
He fields better and plays more positions. For me that evens things out. Plus he’s one of those guys who really never gets a spot to call home for a whole season. Lots of comps here
Z-A 2
Good for him getting paid for a career year 2 years ago.
AGZZ
Mixed emotions ove this. Houston fans LOVE Marwin. We know how good he is and that he was pivitol in winning that championship. The home run he hit in the 9th inning of game 2 was THE moment the Astros turned it around and came back to bring it home. Sad so see him go but I knew it was inevitable. Still glad to see him get paid. Welcome to Minnesota Marwin! Now the Twins will be MarWINNING! Will never forget his last at bat with the Astros was in the ALCS against Boston. He hit a home run. The only score Houston had in the game.
Jockstrapper
What a bummer for him. MLB strike here we come!
macstruts
Ten million a year for a guy coming off of a .247/.324/.409 season and you think he has a right to complain?
Wow.
macstruts
The Twins are becoming competitive.
I would love for the Twins to sneak up on the Indians. If the Indians had done anything they would have walked away with that division. They are taking the division for granted and I hope it bites them in the butt.
Swinging Friars
Good job Marwin
Seems like a solid fit, glad he found his money
ThatBallwasBryzzoed
AL West
Houston (division winner)
AL Central
Cleveland and Minnesota tie for game 163
AL East
Yankees
1st wild card
Boston
2nd wild card
Oakland
NL Central
Cubs
NL West
Dodgers
NL East
Phillies
1st wild card
Braves
2nd wild card
Cardinals
Because I’m bias and of course I’m gonna pick my own team to win
Cubs vs Twins 2019 world series
Cubs in 6 at home.
NL Cy Young
Kershaw 22-4
AL Cy Young
Blake Snell 23-2(plus a no hitter)
NL MVP
Anthony Rizzo 45HRs 120 FBI and .300 OBP .290 BA
AL MVP
Mookie Betts 43 HRs 116 RBI .320 OBP .310 BA(A game in mid June he’ll go 6 for 6 with 4 doubles 1 triple and a grand slam with 14 RBI
bravesfan
Rizzo will never win an MVP
bravesfan
Also, unless the Phillies sign Harper, they likely won’t win the east. I think the Mets and braves will still have better teams at the end of the day. I’m not even sure Harper will be enough of a difference maker
ThatBallwasBryzzoed
Mets will be lucky to be a .500 team
ThatBallwasBryzzoed
Why wont rizzo ever be mvp ? Hes been consistant every year with at least 32 home runs and 100 rbi. Hes only 29. He’s very much due for a monster year. I dont see why he cant he mvp. Is there better players than him of course. He’s one of if not the best 1st baseman in the NL maybe in baseball. Or at least in the top 3.
Juicemane 2019
Making that aaron nola money…
bravesfan
Mark this as the moment his career heads south fast
ClevelandGuardians2021
Been reading MLBtraderumors for a couple years now. Finally had to comment. Im tired of all the Indians hate. Theyll be fine. Keep hatin. Outfield and bullpen are going to surprise people this summer. Watch!
chicagofan1978
Good luck this year cause it’s gonna be tough after that to keep a stranglehold on the division. As a Sox fan naturally I don’t like the Indians but I was rooting for them in the 16 World Series only cause I didn’t want to hear about the Cubs winning one, plus I secretly thought they were gonna win. But I gotta say I hate the Indians mostly because after the Cubs won game 5 I actually started rooting for them. I’m ready for a new team in the central, even if it’s the Twins. Sorry
Swinging Friars
To be fair…..it won’t take much from that group to surprise us
Baldkid
I am no way saying the Twins are winning the World Series or even making the playoffs – but those that state the Twins need more pitching (which I agree they do), it should be noted, that I believe they had 28 blown saves from their bullpen in 2018. Most, if not all of those relievers are gone, If the Twins win 8 of those games, their outlook for 2019 would be dramatically different.
Since 2018, the Twins have lost Joe Mauer (retirement), Eduardo Escobar (trade), Brian Dozier (trade) and bunch of relievers who cost them a ton of games.
ClevelandGuardians2021
Nah. Twins arent doing anything. Who they got? Buxton? Sano? 40 year old Nelson Cruz? Im more worried about your white sox in the next couple years. You guys got the assets.
draushaus
White Sox are seriously building. But they’ve got to cut down the strikeouts. Especially Moncada.
Moneyballer
I was hoping they would sign this guy from day 1 of free agency. His bat was red hot down the stretch of 2018. It’s very reasonable to expect him to produce somewhere in the middle of his 2017 and 2018 production. That would be a nice bat for the twins to rely on. Another nice move!
KF
Big run-on sentence in the paragraph starting with “Entering the offseason, MLBTR…” Should be split into two sentences.
draushaus
Good player. But I dunno. Twins seem to be just signing a bunch of guys, but without concern to cohesiveness. I just wonder how they’re all going to fit together.
Yankeepatriot
He’s a nice support player but kind of overrated.
SargentDownvote
These sneaky twinkies have something up their sleeves this year!
My Yanks would have been a great fit for Marwin. I suppose the years scared them away?
Yankeepatriot
That money is better used for extensions like hicks today for example
DTI812
Is it just me or would the Mets have better off with him then Lowrie? Me thinks yes