12:16pm: The Twins formally announced the signing. Right-hander Chris Paddack, who’s recovering from Tommy John surgery performed last May, was placed on the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Feb. 23, 8:40am: The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that Solano’s deal guarantees him $2MM, with up to $250K in additional incentives available.
Feb. 21: The Twins are in agreement with infielder Donovan Solano on a one-year, major league contract, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal is pending a physical and the financial terms are not yet publicly known.
Solano, 35, has had a unique journey in his baseball career. He played in the big leagues from 2012 to 2016 but didn’t impress much and wound up mired in the minors for two years after that. He was able to claw his way back to the show and has been a solid major league player over the past few years. With the Giants from 2019 to 2021, he hit .308/.354/.435, with his wRC+ of 113 indicating he was 13% better than the league average hitter in that time.
He signed with the Reds last year and took a bit of a step back at the plate, finishing the season with a .284/.339/.385 line and a 98 wRC+. Despite the slight drop, he was still a useful piece for the Reds, since he was able to spend significant time at the three non-shortstop infield positions and was generally considered around average at them, though his work at third was graded the weakest and his work at first the strongest.
Solano could be a good fit for a platoon role given his right-handed bat has fared well against left-handed pitchers, something that MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently highlighted. Solano has hit .289/.342/.397 against righties over the past four seasons but has crushed lefties to a .321/.363/.461 line. That split largely continued last year, even though he was less productive overall. He hit .301/.348/.422 with the platoon advantage but .277/.335/.369 without it.
For the Twins, they’ve seen some notable changes to their infield mix this offseason, though Carlos Correa and Jorge Polanco should still be in the middle. Gio Urshela was traded to the Angels, freeing up the hot corner for José Miranda after he saw significant time at first last year. Luis Arraez was traded to the Marlins while Miguel Sanó had his option declined. All of that has left left-hander Alex Kirilloff potentially the top option at first base. Since Solano fared well at first last year, he could perhaps platoon with Kirilloff some. In addition to the normal platoon strategy, it might make sense to monitor Kirilloff’s workload given his nagging wrist injuries over the past few years.
The club also has a number of left-handed hitters in its outfield mix. Right-hander Byron Buxton will be in center, but the options for the corners include lefties Joey Gallo, Max Kepler, Nick Gordon, Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner and Kirilloff. The club doesn’t have a strict designated hitter and will likely be rotating those players through that slot, with Solano potentially spelling them against lefties from time to time as well. Solano’s ability to play second could also allow him to give Polanco the occasional day off, though the club also has Kyle Farmer and Gordon available for that duty as well.
It’s unknown what kind of salary Solano will earn, but it’s unlikely to be a huge investment for this move that will add some depth and versatility to the team. They have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move, though that will likely be moving one of Chris Paddack or Royce Lewis to the 60-day injured list, since both are expected to be out of action until at least midseason.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Interesting indeed
Great icon, Rowdy Roddy.
Kind of an odd sign with Farmer and Gordon already as depth, unless the Twins want to utilize a 5 man bench.
RH hitter to play 1B/DH. The Twins OF has been a MASH unit the past couple of seasons so even if Gordon or Larnanch don’t make the opening day roster they will still get plenty of opportunities throughout the season
I assume they want to platoon him with either Kirilloff (could move Miranda across the diamond on those days and let Solano play 3B) or Larnach. Still seems like somebody’s getting squeezed. Gordon’s got to be out of options at this point, right?
He is indeed. Larnach may be the odd man out.
Fangraphs Roster Resource just updated with Solano on the bench in place of Larnach, for what that’s worth.
Solid platoon player to play 1B/DH/2B/3B… never know with injuries or people suddenly having down years.
I think you’re miscounting. Before the signing:
(2) C: Vazquez and Jeffers
(5) OF: Kirilloff, Polanco, Correa, Miranda, Farmer
(5) OF: Buxton, Taylor, Gallo, Kepler, Gordon
That left a 13th player and a competition between Garlick and Larnach. Larnach is good but largely redundant with four LH Ops on the team already. Garlick is a one-trick pony with limited defensive versatility.
Solano makes a lot of sense. Hits RH which this team needs. Not a ton of pop but big splits, which makes him more valuable to a team with a lot of LH hitters. And he can play 1B, 2B, and 3B. That’s ideal since the Twins were light on 1B if they want to leave Miranda in one spot and he can at least spell guys elsewhere, which Garlick can’t do.
Some teams like to carry the extra reliever. If it’s still a 25 man roster, but they may have upped that number too.
Go Donny Barrels!
Like me some Donny Barrels. Good luck with Cincinnati North!
he was solid in cincy
He was MORE than solid in SF. The guy is a pro hitter.
Who?
FOREVER GIANT
Donny barrels
Loved him as a spark plug in SF. Hope he can stick around for a few more years and be a useful veteran roleplayer.
someone must be hurt….it’s the Twins
Good luck Donny !
And yet another miss by Bloom, this guy can hit.. yu can’t
A miss by a lot of guys…
Nice piece that basically creates depth at three spots.
I like the Twins. Hope he does well for them.
I don’t know feels like they have enough guys on the bench already similar to Solano
Not really at 1B. Farmer can do it but he’s already your backup SS and he hasn’t had as much experience at 1B.
Miranda made the most sense but I think this shows that the Twins really want to leave him at 3B as much as possible. I like that since he’s more valuable if he can stick there 3-5 years and he needs reps there.
Solano is a RH bat that can play 1B, 2B, and 3B. Farmer is MI, not corners.
Man, great fit. Stay healthy dude
What are the Twinkies doing with Austin Martin?
He went from BIG hype 2 yrs ago and now u dont hear alot about him
He had a down year last year but that easily could turn out to be a blip in his overall trajectory. He hit great in the AFL, although the usual caveat applies about it being a hitters’ league.
Regardless, not-great performance last year means that Martin hasn’t seen AAA yet. So if he’s in the majors at midseason that’s probably because someone got hurt, and if he needs most of this year to be really ready, then Solano won’t have blocked him.
(That said, with the overall state of their roster I don’t exactly get this signing.)
Kid missed most of his final college season and half a pro season because of COVID shutting season down, went straight to AA and did well and was traded Then he got hurt and was sent back to AA where he struggled. Being asked to play 5 different positions didn’t help either.
He just needs a chance to settle down for a full season.
There’s an Athletic article today about him but long story short is that the hype was based on the idea that his swing could be changed to add power. That attempt to change the swing went disastrously and he’s switched back to a contact-driven swing.
Without power, he profiles more as a nice utility man than a guy you can depend on as a regular. He’s also played very little above AA and has not had much success at that level. He’s more of a September call-up unless injuries get crazy or he explodes (which without a new swing sees unlikely).
Martin is an OBP guy with some of the worst defense in MiLB. Utility guy is his ceiling right now.
No. 2 prospect Martin (while he was with the Jays) was way overhyped as was No. 4 prospect Simeon Woods Richardson. The Twins got taken to the cleaners in that trade even though Berrios crashed and burned last season.
But it also shows just how much the Jay’s farm system sucks.
The Twins were uncompetitive in 2021 and got 2 top prospects (over-hyped or not) for a pitcher of little value to the team who played horribly last year after signing a 7 year $131MM extension. There’s just no way to consider the Twins losers in the trade other than the idea they could have gotten different prospects from a different team.
Woods-Richardson has issues with his mechanics and repeatability which make his performances unpredictable. Sometimes he throws 88 and gets clobbered, sometimes he throws 91 and dominates. Neither of those velocities likely allow him to be anything other than a back end starter at the MLB level, though. I don’t have a ton of high hope for him since he’s been in development for years and is still struggling with basic mechanics.
The guy just flat out hits. Twins fans will love him.
The 92 career OPS+ is evidence of his flat out hitting ability.
At any rate it’s good to have a 35 year old guy who is slow afoot and can’t play the left side of the infield to slot as your #3 utility infielder.
Found the guy that only reads stats and never watches baseball
Gotta be a trade imminent. Too many bats to take North
The fact lots of guys own bats doesn’t necessarily make them productive major league hitters
Great signing. Still pissed the Giants went with La Stella over him. Very pissed the A’s didn’t even call him, and super surprised the White Sox went with Elvis, who’s never played 2B, over Donnie Barrels
Probably was cheaper than Andrus and maybe a better fit for White Sox.
Great player
Great pickup!!! Donnie Barrels leading the donnybrook
Idk whether to root for the Seattle Reds or the Minnesota Reds now
Splits show he’s still decent enough against righties. Looks like a versatile defender and nice bat to add to the bench. I just hope the signing isn’t indicative of a setback with Kirilloff’s wrist.
Solano is a better fit for them than Guriel. Twins seem to have a decent roster but I think they are a few steps behind Clev, especially pitching staff. But they look to be competitive.Should be a close race in AL Central.
Ladies and Gentlemen, let’s welcome the Cincinnati Twins!
This is a great addition. He brings a consistent high contact bat to ball skills similar to Arraez. This play instantly makes the Twins deeper and less susceptible to the injury bug creating a big hole in the lineup.
Comparing Solano to Arraez? Really? C’mon, man!
Well, let’s see. They both play primarily 2B, but they also can play 1B and 3B on a pinch. Pretty similar. Slightly below average runners. But let’s skip to the good part:
Looking at career numbers after 2019 (ever since Arraez started and Solano suddenly regained his stroke), some interesting numbers:
1. Slash line:
S: .301/.350/.421-18HR in 1079 PAs
A: .314/.374./410-14HR in 1569 PAs
2. BABIP: S:.362 and A: .336.
3. WAR: S: 4.9 and A: 10.4
4. OPS+: S: 109 and A: 120
5. Solano has better platoon splits, while Arraez fares well against any hand.
Although you can argue Arraez has yet to reach his peak and Solano is on his way out of the Majors, their last 4 seasons compared haven’t been that different.
Arraez has a batting title and cost Miami a starting pitcher. Solano signed a 1-year contract 2 days into Spring Training.
Go back and look at Arraez production vs lefties. Not good
Arraez – Batting title. Solano?
That has much more to do with the player age, years of control and the market.
If Solano was 26, had three years of control and would have had his last 4 seasons just as he did, his market value would be not so far from Arraez’.
Splits vs. LHP for Arraez are not bad, but there is a big difference compared to vs RHP.
To be fair, Arraez’ last two seasons have been really good, while Solano’s have been slightly above average.
But I think you’ll bring the batting title argument again. Sure, whatever. Smart move by the Twins and wish both Solano and Arraez the best this coming season.
Comparing Solano with Arraez is simply ludicrous.
Batting Title is a stupid argument. If Aaron Judge gets one more seeing eye single a week and wins the batting title, that wouldn’t make Arraez any less of a player.
Yes, it’s so shocking that Miami traded their #3 starter for Arraez when all they had to do was sign Solano to a cheap 1-year deal. Same talent, huh? (Chuckle)
Comparing a career part-timer to a guy who won a batting title. Sheesh
Comparing a career part-timer to a guy who won a batting title. Sheesh
======================
I don’t get it either. Over the past two years, Arraez’ OPS+ is 119 Solano’s 100. bWAR of 7.9 v Solano’s 2.0. 25 years old v 35 years old.
Arraez is nearly a decade younger, had more than twice the WAR, an OPS+ that was 11% better, 24 point better OBP, and a BABIP that points to regression for Solano and you think they are not that different?
Actually, nobody’s denying that Arraez is the better player, so I don’t get what this fuss about “comparing Solano to Arraez” is all about. There is a good chance that Solano will at least make up for some of the OBP-production the Twins lost by trading Arraez. Signing him to a very affordable deal seems like a really good move by the Twins – and I am surprised that no other team has beaten that offer as well!
This might be just a(nother) stupid thought, but could the upcoming WBC have been relevant? I guess Solano wants to play for Colombia and practically had to find a club before taking any risks with international play.
Gruß,
BSHH
Habeto said they were not very different. It is a good signing. They have a utility guy that can play both corners and 2B and get on base.
Solano has already withdrawn playing for Colombia in the WBC. Dilson Herrera will replace him on the roster.
And yes, I said they were not that different. They play the same positions at almost the same defensive level. They have had comparable numbers the last 4 years, although Arraez has been much better the last two. Both players run the same, don’t have much power, their BABIP is also in the same range… I mean, the skill set is comparable.
But again, the largest difference is that Arraez has yet to reach his peak and this might be Solano’s last guaranteed ML contract.
No doubt Arraez is better, but if the Twins play Solano mostly vs. LHP or maybe around 350-400 AB, he can definitely hit .280-.300 while putting the ball in play all the time.
Lets try this again. Maybe you will understand it better this time.
Arraez is
nearly a decade younger,
had more than twice the WAR,
an OPS+ that was 11% better,
a 24 point better OBP,
and Solano had a BABIP that points to regression
and you think they are not that different?
No, you’re missing the point here. Solano is essentially the same hitter as Luis but he does his damage against LHP and is mostly useless against RHP. Luis does the opposite, hence his overall numbers are much better. But, as a fit for the Twins that make Solano a better one.
You just don’t see the splits, that why you don’t get it. Solano is a right handed version of Arraez. His overall numbers are worse because he does his damage against lefties instead of righties (25% vs 75% of the league. But deployed properly they can be equally valuable. Despite his age Solano also has more defense value, more speed, and less health issues. Arraez is 25 but in a 40 year old body.
You just don’t understand splits. All those numbers come out in favor of Luis because he does his damage against righties and Solano does his versus lefties. There are 3x the number of RHP in the league. Both of them are useless against same handed pitchers. Therefore if you were going to pick one to play every single day definitely Luis would get the nod. But the Twins aren’t going to do that and if you spot Solano against lefties he’ll do just as much damage per game. He’s also better on defense, faster, and has a much better injury history. Arraez may be 25 but his chronic knee and hammy issues mean he mostly just a DH now. Solano probably is younger or about the same in “physical age” versus just calendar age.
Check K rates and OBP and they’re not that similar at all.
Main similarity is that neither runs well Or can play defense on the left side of the infield
Donnie Barrels! Wishing you nothing but the best!
Forever Giant!
Destined to be another fan favorite in St. Paul.
This is a versatility signing. Is there a clear path to consistent at-bats? Probably not….but if he shows an ability to rake in certain situations he’ll be valuable to have off the bench. This is the time of the year where having the most good options is a what you want. The rest will be sorted out along the way.
Agreed – and the big upside is that Larnach gets to play everyday in AAA (he has less than 300 ABs above A-Ball) rather than scrounging three starts a week at the MLB level.
Solano is a solid piece, a veteran presence, and he’s expendable (and tradable for a low level asset) if you’re healthy and Larnach or Lewis or someone pushes their way to the MLB roster.
Exactly. There’s really no downside here. The key for the Twins, and they’ve been burned by this in recent years, is health! Do we have enough quality batters and pitchers to weather the storm of injuries throughout an entire season. We look better prepared this year than we have in previous ones.
If there’s really an upside to a former 20th overall pick still playing in AAA at age 26…
Donnie Barrels has been a solid hitter for years now. Aging a bit, but any team needing consistent veteran lineup presence would benefit from him being on the roster. Nice pick up for the Twins.
High contact, low power IF/DH that endears himself to fans. Now which former Twin does this sound like.
Twins have been making impressive depth moves and may have figured out what it takes to outlast the rest of the AL Central. Except for the Guardians, the rest of the Central is struggling to field a solid starting lineup. And the Guardians have to keep younger players performing at peak levels…
Wudda been nice to have that OBP In Detroit for a mere $2 million.