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Twins Re-Sign Juan Minaya To Minor League Deal

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The Twins are re-signing reliever Juan Minaya on a minor league contract with an invitation to big league Spring Training, reports Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com (Twitter link). The righty made 29 appearances with Minnesota last season but hit free agency when the club non-tendered him in November.

Minaya put up a sterling 2.48 ERA in 40 innings last season. Still, the club declined to carry him on the 40-man roster over the winter. Minnesota clearly didn’t anticipate he’d repeat that kind of run prevention, which was propped up by an 85.3% strand rate and a .235 opponents’ batting average on balls in play. The Twins likely anticipate he’d perform somewhere nearer last season’s 4.00 SIERA moving forward.

Throughout his career, Minaya has struggled with control. He’s walked 11.7% of batters faced in parts of five big league seasons, and last year’s 12% mark fell right in line with that broader track record. Yet the 31-year-old also struck out a solid 25.7% of opponents and induced grounders on a huge 53% of balls in play against him. That was a massive spike relative to his early-career numbers, perhaps attributable to a drastic uptick in the usage of his changeup. Minaya went to the offspeed offering a career-high 45% of the time last season, per Brooks Baseball, and it induced grounders at an incredible 73% rate.

The Twins will bring Minaya back as a non-roster invitee, and he’ll try to pitch his way into the mix for a second consecutive season. Tyler Duffey, Jorge Alcalá and Cody Stashak look to be among the top right-handed setup options for manager Rocco Baldelli at the moment, although it’s possible the Twins add another arm on a guaranteed deal before Opening Day.

Multiple Teams Showed Pre-Lockout Interest In J.D. Davis

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The Mets were one of the most active teams in the pre-lockout frenzy, adding Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha. Those signings, along with Robinson Cano’s return from serving a season-long PED suspension, have given them a crowded position player mix. This has led to some speculation that the club could end up moving a player like Jeff McNeil, Dominic Smith or J.D. Davis, with all three of those players appearing on MLBTR’s list of the likeliest post-lockout trade candidates. It seems that Davis was garnering his fair share of attention before the lockout, as Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that the Cubs, Red Sox, Twins and Athletics all had interest in his services before the transactions freeze took hold in December.

The fact that various teams are interested in Davis is hardly surprising, given his excellent offensive skills. Since being acquired by the Mets from the Astros prior to the 2019 season, Davis has made 893 plate appearances in 269 games and has a line of .288/.373/.472. That’s good enough for a wRC+ of 130, fifth-best among third basemen with at least 850 plate appearances in that time, ahead of big names like Rafael Devers and Josh Donaldson.

Unfortunately, Davis hasn’t been as good on the other side of the ball, as advanced defensive metrics don’t look kindly upon his work at either third base or left field. For instance, Statcast’s Outs Above Average gave him -8 in 2019, followed by -6 in the shortened 2020 season and -3 in the 2021 campaign, despite playing just 73 games due to injury.

Despite those flaws, Davis should still hold plenty of appeal. The 28-year-old (29 in April) qualified for arbitration in 2021 due to reaching Super Two status and earned a salary of $2.1MM. Due to injuries holding him back last year, he is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a modest raise to $2.7MM in 2022 and can be controlled for two seasons beyond that. Those factors, combined with his bat, could make him a fit on plenty of rosters, especially now that the universal designated hitter is official.

The Cubs have spent most of the past year-plus subtracting from their roster, trading away Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez and others. Since then, however, they have shown that they don’t have designs on totally tanking, as evidenced by their pre-lockout pickups of Wade Miley, Yan Gomes and Marcus Stroman. They currently have Patrick Wisdom pencilled in at the hot corner after a nice breakout campaign last year. However, he struck out in a whopping 40.8% of his plate appearances, making it questionable if he can be a long-term solution at the position.

There has been some speculation that Rafael Devers is destined to be moved off of third base in the long run, due to his defensive limitations, though Davis isn’t really an upgrade in that department. However, putting Davis in left field could be an option, if the club feels he would fit in front of the Green Monster. Jarren Duran struggled in his debut last season and could perhaps be sent to Triple-A for more reps there. Or perhaps the lefty Durran and righty Davis could complement each other in a platoon capacity.

The Twins have Josh Donaldson at third but he’s also seen significant time at DH, only taking the field in 92 of his 135 games last year. Given his age, 36, and injury history, it would make sense to acquire another option for the hot corner to help keep him healthy. Luis Arraez could fill that role at the moment, but he hasn’t produced the same level of offense as Davis thus far in his career. There also could be a path to playing time on the grass, as youngsters Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach both had tepid debuts last year, putting up a wRC+ of 93 and 89, respectively.

The Athletics already have an excellent third baseman, technically, in Matt Chapman. However, it’s widely expected that the club is about to embark upon a major selloff, with Chapman being one of those most often mentioned as a trade candidate due to his increasing salary and two remaining years of control. Acquiring Davis could be a relatively affordable way of filling Chapman’s absence after a trade. The club also has big question marks in its outfield right now, after Marte and Canha both went to the Mets. Ramon Laureano will be in center field eventually, but first has to serve 27 more games of his PED suspension. Seth Brown had a decent campaign, but none of Stephen Piscotty, Chad Pinder, Skye Bolt or Luis Barrera did much to inspire confidence last year. Tony Kemp could play the outfield but may be needed at second base.

Though his ultimate destination is unknown, the sense of an impending trade seems to be growing with Davis himself. “It’s kind of 50/50, kind of a flip of the coin,” he said back in October. When asked the same question by Puma today, he said, “Now it could be say 60-40 out of here, but you never know.” Davis then elaborated, referencing the fact that Cano, McNeil, Smith and Luis Guillorme are all lefties. “Baseball is in a situation of bench players, and something like that, three or four lefties and I’m maybe the only righty, so strategically I could see myself back there, but I don’t know. Anything can happen.”

Free Agent Notes: Rodon, Kikuchi, Correa, Soler

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News of the finally-ratified Collective Bargaining Agreement is dominating headlines, with good reason, but some free agent leads had quietly emerged during the final hours of CBA negotiations. Notably, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports that the Yankees had requested and received medicals for free agent pitchers Carlos Rodon and Yusei Kikuchi prior to the lockout. Heyman notes that the Yankees have received the medicals of free agent shortstop Carlos Correa as well, though disclaims that the team already has “two good shortstop prospects”, referring to touted youngsters Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza.

It has been speculated for some time that the Yankees minor league depth may impede their run at baseball’s top free agent, but their interest in Rodon and Kikuchi appears more straightforward. Despite possessing a high-upside stable of arms behind Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery, the Bronx rotation has no shortage of risk baked into it. Signing either Rodon or Kikuchi would add a similar high-risk, high-reward pitcher to the mix however, as these free agent targets dealt with injury and ineffectiveness down the stretch, respectively. Still, with a much higher luxury tax threshold to work with clubs like the Yankees are further incentivized to sign as many playoff-caliber arms as they can to see who sticks.

Some more free agent leads to usher in the post-lockout world…

  • Piggybacking off of Heyman’s tweet, Darren Wolfson of SKOR North reports that the Twins have received medicals on Rodon and Kikuchi as well. Per Wolfson, the Twins are still searching for “multiple arms, starters and relievers” which should come as little surprise to fans who have followed Minnesota’s offseason to date. A Rodon signing would likely represent an uncharacteristically large splash for the Twins, though it should be noted they’ve shown interest in high-risk pitchers in the past, to say nothing of their interest in Rodon last offseason.
  • Another free agent generating buzz is Jorge Soler, who Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports has received interest from more than six clubs. Now that the universal DH has been implemented Feinsand speculates that Soler will see his list of suitors grow. That theory certainly checks out on paper, as Soler has sported a useful 117 OPS+ since 2019, though his glovework during that same stretch has been decidedly below average.

Central Notes: Bieber, Buxton, Franklin

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Guardians ace Shane Bieber tweeted this week that his right shoulder, which caused him to miss nearly half the 2021 season, is back to 100 percent and “has been for awhile now.” He’s been quietly going through his offseason routine as he awaits the resolution of the ongoing lockout.

The 26-year-old Bieber returned to the mound in late September and made a pair of three-inning appearances, which perhaps gave Cleveland fans some relief, but it’s nevertheless encouraging for Guardians fans to hear that he’s been working through the offseason pain-free and with no setbacks. Bieber’s 2021 season was limited to 96 2/3 innings due to a strain in his right shoulder’s subscapularis muscle, but he was quite effective when on the field, pitching to a 3.17 ERA with a huge 33.1% strikeout rate and an 8.1% walk rate. The 2020 AL Cy Young winner will head a Cleveland rotation that’s projected to also include Aaron Civale, Zach Plesac, Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects a $4.8MM salary for Bieber this year, and the Guardians control him through the 2024 season.

More out of the Midwest…

  • As part of the ongoing lockout, players are unable to communicate with team staff. But that isn’t slowing Byron Buxton at all. In fact, he may even be getting faster, as a profile from Dan Hayes of The Athletic reveals the Twins outfielder has been working with Appling County High track and field coach Sheldon Pearce. The workouts have multiple goals, as Buxton spent the early part of the offseason adding muscle and doesn’t want that to subtract from the speed part of his game. Furthermore, health has been an issue for Buxton to this point in his career, as he’s only been able to play more than 100 games once in his seven-year MLB career thus far. However, when healthy, he has shown the potential to be one of the best players in the game, as evidenced by his 2021 season, where he hit .306/.358/.647 for an incredible wRC+ of 169, along with nine steals and incredible defense. Although he was only able to play 61 games, he still managed an excellent 4.2 fWAR in that limited showing. Just before the lockout, he and the Twins agreed to a seven-year contract extension that reflected both his tremendous talent but also his unpredictable health outcomes, as it comes with a $100MM guarantee but also a number of incentives that could greatly increase his earning power if he stays healthy and productive over the life of the deal. Twins fans will be delighted to read that Buxton is determined to change the narrative by staying as healthy as he possibly can. “I’ve got a chance (to be in the Olympics) at about 38 if I ain’t playing baseball,” Buxton said. “Seriously, the way that some people run now. You see how old they are. If they can sustain that, I can sustain my speed playing baseball for that long, possibly, as long as you keep your body in the right shape. That’s exciting to me. Everybody said when you get older, you’re going to get slower. For me, I feel like I’ve gotten faster because I’m just now starting to understand how to use my speed correctly.”
  • Cubs righty Kohl Franklin threw to hitters for the first time in over a year, per a tweet from Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times. Lee adds that Franklin hit 99 mph twice, which makes this doubly good news for Cubs fans, as that’s a notch above where he’d been before. Back in December, Eric Longenhagen and Tess Taruskin of FanGraphs placed Franklin 34th on their list of Cubs’ prospects, noting that he “now sits in the low-90s and was up to 95 in 2019.” Unfortunately, the pandemic wiped out the minor leagues in 2020 and a combination of injuries wiped out his entire 2021. Despite that, the report from FanGraphs opines that the 22-year-old is “among the likelier rotation pieces in this system when healthy.” As the Cubs have recently transitioned from competing to rebuilding, the ability to develop pitching prospects will likely be a key component of their future, as it was largely absent from the club’s previous decade. The big league rotation, as currently constructed, is anchored by three veterans in Kyle Hendricks, Marcus Stroman and Wade Miley. However, Miley is a free agent after 2022 and Hendricks and Stroman could both be gone a year later. (Stroman’s deal goes through 2024 but he can opt out after 2023, while the Cubs have a club option on Hendricks for 2024.) That will leave plenty of room for Franklin or any other prospect in the system to find a new gear and take over a rotation spot.

AL Notes: Glasnow, Astros, Kreidler, Canterino

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In the latest step of Tyler Glasnow’s recovery from Tommy John surgery, the Rays right-hander has started throwing, agent Joel Wolfe told Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times.  Glasnow underwent his surgery in early August, so while it’s very up in the air as to whether or not he’ll be able to make it back to action before the 2022 season is out, he is setting an in-season return as his goal.  Beyond just his health, the other question concerning Glasnow is whether or not he’d be returning to the mound in a Rays uniform — projected for a $5.8MM salary this year, Glasnow has been widely speculated as a trade candidate for a Tampa club that is forever looking to manage its payroll.

Some other tidbits from around the American League…

  • “Position addition” is the name for the Astros’ process of experimenting with its most athletic prospects at various other positions, The Houston Chronicle’s Chandler Rome writes.  Naturally, the more versatile a player is, the better his chances at reaching the majors in some kind of role.  “It always depends on what the major league roster is going to look like in the future, but I think it just raises a lot of those guys’ floors,” Astros field coordinator Jason Bell said.  “I think our guys have been fairly open to it…and I think a lot of times they think it’s fun.”  Of the 23 position players in Houston’s minicamp, 12 are designated as part of an “infielder/outfielder” defensive grouping, working at positions both in the grass and on the dirt.
  • Tigers prospect Ryan Kreidler may know a few things about position changes, as the longtime shortstop saw Javier Baez suddenly emerge as a roadblock after Baez landed in the Motor City on a six-year, $140MM deal.  While Baez can opt out of that contract after the 2023 season, Kreidler will likely be focusing on other positions in the interim — he has played a handful of games at third base and second base during his two minor league seasons.  “I will do whatever the Tigers want me to do, whether it’s shortstop, shortstop and third base, or utility,” Kreidler told Chris McCosky of The Detroit News.  “Whatever they deem me capable of doing I will do it to the best of my ability and just keep trucking…I think shortstops have the ability to play all over the field, that’s why continuing to take reps at shortstop is good for me.”  After a strong performance at the plate in 2021, Kreidler drew the attention of prospect evaluators and other teams, and now looks like yet another promising young Detroit player on the cusp of the big leagues.  Jonathan Schoop and Jeimer Candelario have second and third base spoken for, and are both also controlled through 2023, so a utility role might indeed be Kreidler’s best path to the Tigers’ active roster.
  • Elbow problems limited Matt Canterino to 23 innings in 2021, and between that abbreviated season and the canceled 2020 minor league campaign, the Twins prospect has tossed only 48 professional innings since being selected in the second round of the 2019 draft.  Canterino came to Minnesota’s minicamp on a clean bill of health, he told Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, and he is now focused on staying on the field.  “I can’t really worry too much about a shutdown period, like how my workload’s going to be managed, but I can do the things that I think are going to help me stay healthy in the long run,” Canterino said.  The righty has looked tremendous when he has been able to pitch, posting a 1.13 ERA and a whopping 42.94% strikeout rate over his 48 innings (topping out at the high-A level).

Twins, Elliot Soto Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Twins have agreed to a minor league contract with infielder Elliot Soto, as announced by Soto’s agent, Marc Kligman (Twitter link). He’s the latest minor league depth signing in the infield for the Twins, who have also picked up Tim Beckham and Daniel Robertson on minor league pacts over the past few weeks.

Soto, 32, has just three games at the MLB level to this point in his career — all with the 2020 Angels. He’s spent parts of six seasons in Triple-A, compiling a career .267/.342/.375 batting line there. He spent the 2021 season in the Dodgers organization, suiting up for 57 games with their Triple-A affiliate.

In addition to his time with both L.A. clubs, Soto has been with the Cubs (who drafted him out of Creighton in the 15th round back in 2010), the Marlins and the Rockies. He’s never been ranked among one of those organization’s top prospects, though Baseball America did label him as the best defensive infielder in the Cubs’ minor league system back in 2012.

In all likelihood, Soto is ticketed for Triple-A work with the Twins. It’s unclear who’ll start the bulk of the Twins’ games at shortstop in 2022, as Andrelton Simmons became a free agent at season’s end and Minnesota seems quite content having shifted Jorge Polanco to the other side of the bag (where he had perhaps his finest season to date). The Twins’ rotation needs are their most glaring at the moment, but they’re still likely to make a free-agent addition or acquire some shortstop help on the trade market whenever transactions are again permitted.

Twins, Daniel Gossett Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Twins have inked Daniel Gossett to a minor league contract, according to the team’s transactions log at MLB.com. It’s unclear whether the 29-year-old will receive an invitation to big league Spring Training.

Gossett appeared in the big leagues with the A’s between 2017-18. Oakland selected the right-hander in the second round out of Clemson in 2014, and he was ranked among their top 30 prospects in each of the three years preceding his debut. The bulk of Gossett’s MLB action came in his rookie season, when he made 18 starts and worked 91 1/3 innings. The South Carolina native made only five big league starts the following year and underwent Tommy John surgery that August.

Between his two big league seasons, Gossett posted a 5.91 ERA/4.90 SIERA over 115 2/3 frames. He demonstrated strong control (7.6% walk rate) but also didn’t miss many bats (16.3% strikeout percentage) and struggled significantly with the home run ball. The elbow procedure cost Gossett all of 2019, and he didn’t pitch in 2020 owing to the cancelation of the minor league season. He spent last year with the Red Sox’s Triple-A affiliate, posting a 4.22 ERA over 98 innings but with subpar strikeout and walk rates (19% and 10.8%, respectively).

The Twins have very little stability in their starting rotation at the moment. Bailey Ober earned a spot with a quality rookie showing, and Minnesota bought low on Dylan Bundy after a tough 2021 campaign. Top prospect Joe Ryan looks to have the inside track on a season-opening spot as well, but the Twins will likely have to add a couple starters whenever the lockout concludes. Having not pitched in the bigs since 2018, Gossett seems likelier to open the season with Triple-A St. Paul than to break camp with the big league club.

Post-Lockout Trade Candidates: 27 Regulars Who Could Plausibly Change Teams

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In recent days, MLBTR has taken a look at some players who could find themselves on the move between the conclusion of the lockout and the start of the season. First, Tim Dierkes looked at the league’s 14 likeliest trade candidates. Steve Adams then ran through some impact players who, to varying degrees, could find themselves in trade rumors whenever transactions resume.

Today we’ll look at other regulars who we could envision changing uniforms in the relatively near future. Acquiring any of the players on today’s list wouldn’t be quite as splashy as landing the stars we covered last week, but it’s easy to envision any one of them assuming an important, regular role on a new team.

Before we get into the list, a quick note on methodology. In defining “plausible” trade candidates, we looked at players we felt had somewhere between a 20% and 50% chance of being dealt before the start of the season. It’s not meant to be an exhaustive list of trade possibilities — almost any player around the league could theoretically move if another team made the right offer — but it’s meant to capture a tier of regulars we wouldn’t be surprised to see change hands. In an exercise of this nature, there has to be a somewhat arbitrary line that delineates the last of the players who, in our view, are “plausible” trade candidates. Players like Gary Sánchez and Jesús Aguilar were discussed internally but fell just on the other side of that line.

Now, on to the list. The players are ordered by what we feel to be their likelihood of getting traded (all arbitration projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz):

John Means, Orioles SP

Buster Olney of ESPN reported in November that the Orioles were “dangling” Means in trade talks. Baltimore’s rebuilding and seemingly amenable to offers on anyone on the roster, but it remains to be seen how actively they’ll push to make their top starting pitcher available. With Means controllable through 2024 and projected for a modest $3.1MM salary, the O’s needn’t force a deal this offseason.

The 28-year-old presents a tricky evaluation for teams. He got off to an excellent start to the season, posting a 2.28 ERA (albeit with a 4.20 FIP) through his first 71 innings. Means then landed on the injured list with a shoulder strain. After returning in July, he posted a 4.88 ERA down the stretch, watching his strikeout rate tumble almost six percentage points in the process. The medical evaluation will be critical, but teams that are comfortable with the state of Means’ shoulder moving forward might expect him to regain the strong mid-rotation form he showed early in the year.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Rangers SS/3B

Kiner-Falefa has been a solid regular for the Rangers for the past couple seasons. He spent 2020 at third base, then was tasked with moving up the defensive spectrum to shortstop last year. Defensive Runs Saved loved his glovework at short; Statcast’s Outs Above Average did not. Kiner-Falefa finished third in the 2021 Fielding Bible shortstop award voting. There’s not much question he’s a very good defender at the hot corner, and most teams would probably at least feel comfortable with him moonlighting at shortstop if need be.

Texas remade their middle infield in free agency, signing Corey Seager and Marcus Semien. Kiner-Falefa could kick back to third base, but the Rangers have top prospect Josh Jung nearing big league readiness at the position. Controllable for two more seasons and projected for a $4.9MM salary, he could stick around as a utility guy. But if another team buys him as a plus defender at shortstop, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Texas ship him somewhere he can continue playing everyday. Kiner-Falefa’s .271/.312/.357 line fits better at the bottom of a lineup, but he brings good contact skills and a solid infield glove to the table. MLBTR’s Steve Adams explored the possibility of a Kiner-Falefa trade at greater length this afternoon.

Raimel Tapia, Rockies LF

Reports out of Denver have suggested the Rockies could look to move Tapia, projected for a $3.9MM salary in his second-to-last arbitration-eligible season. The Rox need to bolster an offense that was among the league’s worst last year, and they’re seemingly planning to make a splash in the corner outfield. That’d probably push Tapia — who’s spent almost his entire MLB career in left field — out of the everyday lineup.

Tapia has never hit at the level one would hope from an everyday left fielder. One could argue he’s better suited for a fourth outfield role regardless. He’s a plus runner with good bat-to-ball skills, though, and he ranked among Baseball America’s top 50 overall prospects back in 2017. It’s certainly not out of the question another team takes a flier on him, particularly if the Rockies are willing to take a minimal return after acquiring his replacement.

Chris Paddack, Padres SP

The pre-lockout agreement with Nick Martínez bumped a bunch of the Friars’ younger arms down a peg on the rotation depth chart. As MLBTR’s Steve Adams recently explored, that could pave the way for them to move one of their controllable starters. If they do, Paddack looks the likeliest of the bunch. He’s arbitration-eligible and projected for a $2.1MM salary. That’s certainly affordable, but the Padres could be looking to open some payroll space after exceeding the luxury tax threshold last year.

Paddack has had back-to-back down seasons after a promising rookie campaign. But he’s still only 26 years old, boasts pristine control, and teams can dream on him recapturing his 2019 form. That he’s controllable for three seasons could be of particular appeal to teams like the Rangers and Nationals (who expressed interest at last summer’s deadline) who might be eyeing 2023 as a more plausible contention year.

Ryan Yarbrough, Rays SP

Yarbrough has been a flexible member of the Rays pitching staff for the past few years. He’s worked variably as a traditional long reliever, a bulk man behind an opener and as a true starting pitcher. Yarbrough posted an ERA of 4.13 or lower in each of his first three seasons, but he scuffled to a 5.11 mark in 2021. That came without meaningful changes to his strikeout and walk numbers, though, and Yarbrough remained excellent at avoiding hard contact.

The Rays likely anticipate the southpaw will return to form, but his price is escalating. Tampa Bay is already projected for a franchise-record payroll, so it wouldn’t be surprising if they move some of their arbitration-eligible players for pre-arb or minor league talent. Yarbrough is projected for a $4.4MM salary and remains under team control through 2024.

Austin Meadows, Rays LF/DH

Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times wrote over the weekend that the Rays could be open to moving Meadows, who is projected for a $4.3MM salary. Controllable through 2024, Meadows would be a long-term option for Tampa Bay or any potential acquiring team, but the Rays have proven willing to field offers on almost anyone on the roster. And with the aforementioned payroll outlook for the typically low-spending club, the front office figures to be amenable to ways to pare back costs.

Meadows is coming off a decent season, in which he hit .234/.315/.458 with 27 homers over 591 plate appearances. That marked a bounceback from a below-average offensive showing during the shortened 2020 schedule, but it’s a fair bit shy of his career-best .291/.364/.558 line the season before that. Meadows isn’t a great defender, so he needs to mash to be a star. He did that in 2019, but he’s otherwise been a good-not-great hitter. That’s still a valuable player to have on hand, but unless the Rays anticipate him replicating his peak season this year, it’d be sensible to listen to offers.

Tony Kemp, Athletics 2B/LF

Kemp has bounced around the league a bit in recent seasons. He plays second base and left field, but advanced metrics have pegged him as a fringy defender at the keystone. Kemp doesn’t bring a ton of power to the table, and he’s already 30 years old. It’s not the easiest profile to make work, explaining why he has yet to find a long-term home.

There’s no questioning Kemp’s 2021 results, though. Over 397 plate appearances, he hit .279/.382/.418. Both FanGraphs and Baseball Reference pegged him as worth around three wins above replacement. Kemp has excellent plate discipline and bat-to-ball skills, and he could be trending towards a late-career emergence in the mold of former A’s second baseman Tommy La Stella. The market for teams on the hunt for second base help is pretty thin. Kemp, who avoided arbitration on a $2.25MM salary and is controllable through 2023, would be an affordable pickup if the A’s move him as part of their anticipated post-lockout efforts to trim payroll and reboot the roster.

Manuel Margot, Rays OF

MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently looked at the possibility of the Rays making Margot available. He’s projected for a $5MM arbitration salary as he enters his final year of club control. That’s a reasonable salary for a player of Margot’s caliber, but Tampa Bay has plenty of cheaper, controllable outfielders on hand, and top prospect Josh Lowe looks ready to step into an everyday role somewhere in the grass after a monster season in Triple-A.

It’s not out of the question Tampa trades away multiple outfielders, but if they move the more expensive Kevin Kiermaier, Margot sticking around to handle center field is certainly possible. The latter might have broader appeal around the league, though. Not only is he set to make around a third of Kiermaier’s remaining guarantees, Statcast credited Margot with a league-best +16 Outs Above Average in the outfield last year. He’s never been more than an average hitter, but acceptable offense coupled with Gold Glove caliber defense is a very valuable player. There’s also a dearth of center fielders available in free agency at this point.

Max Kepler, Twins OF

MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk recently broke down Kepler’s trade candidacy at great length. Guaranteed $16.25MM through 2023 and controllable for 2024 via club option, he’d be an affordable target for teams seeking outfield help. Yet Kepler’s offensive production has ticked down towards league average following what seemed to be a breakout showing in 2019. The Twins might prefer to hold onto him in hopes he rediscovers that form, but they just extended Byron Buxton and have former top prospects Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach in the fold as corner outfield options. A Kepler deal could be a creative way to address some of the team’s other issues in the starting rotation or at shortstop.

Danny Jansen/Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays C

The Jays’ catching depth has been a topic of conversation throughout the offseason. Would Toronto part with one of their controllable backstops to land help in the rotation or infield? The signing of Kevin Gausman probably diminishes their need to land an impact starter via trade, although they’re likely to at least look for depth pieces.

Reese McGuire is a capable backup catcher who’s out of minor league options. Top prospect Gabriel Moreno is rapidly approaching and could be in the majors by the end of the season. Jansen offers a solid bend of power and defensive acumen, while Kirk has otherworldly bat-to-ball skills and an elite minor league track record. Toronto doesn’t have to move anyone from this group, but it could be an opportunity to consolidate their catching depth for help elsewhere on the roster.

Amed Rosario, Guardians SS/CF

Cleveland acquired Rosario from the Mets as part of the Francisco Lindor trade last offseason. His offensive numbers (.282/.321/.409) were fine, although neither Defensive Runs Saved nor Statcast was fond of his glovework at shortstop. Rosario’s aggressive approach at the plate will probably keep him from emerging as the star many envisioned he’d become as a prospect, but he has alright career hitting numbers, runs well and could be an option for teams at any of the up-the-middle positions on the diamond (aside from catcher).

The Guardians have a lot of infield depth, with several talented prospects in the high minors and already on the 40-man roster. With their seemingly annual need for outfield help, a Rosario trade could help balance the roster. Cleveland could also just give him more run in center or left field themselves, but it might be more straightforward to trade him to an infield-needy team with an outfield surplus. Rosario is projected for a $5MM salary and controllable through 2023.

Josh Bell, Nationals 1B

I covered Bell’s trade candidacy in greater length in late December. The Nationals are taking a step back in 2022, and he’s entering his final year of club control. A projected $10MM salary might scare away some suitors, but Bell would be a notable offensive upgrade for many teams around the league. The switch-hitter posted a .261/.347/.476 season-long mark, and he had an excellent 277/.381/.506 line with more walks than strikeouts after the All-Star Break.

Garrett Cooper, Marlins 1B/COF

Cooper has looked like a viable trade candidate for a few seasons. He’s part of a corner outfield/first base rotation in Miami that got a bit more crowded when the Fish signed Avisaíl García. The Marlins have suggested they could use García as their regular center fielder, but that’s less than ideal. If they land a center fielder after the lockout and push García to a more suitable right field role, Cooper might find himself squeezed for playing time.

A late bloomer, Cooper’s already 31 years old. He has quietly been a very productive hitter when healthy, though, including an excellent .284/.371/.478 line (133 wRC+) in 383 plate appearances since the start of 2020. Health is a big caveat for Cooper, who has had stints on the injured list in all five of his MLB seasons and missed the second half of last year with a left elbow injury. As MLBTR’s TC Zencka explored in December, he’d returned to taking batting practice and figures to be ready for 2022. Projected for a modest $3MM salary with an additional season of control thereafter, he could be an interesting flier, particularly for NL teams looking to add offense if/when the universal designated hitter is finalized.

Anthony Santander, Orioles RF/LF

Santander’s name has been floated around the rumor mill in years past. The Orioles are rebuilding, and he’s more of a complimentary piece than a likely member of the long-term core. Santander is limited to the corner outfield and has a very aggressive approach, though, making it crucial he makes plenty of contact and hits for power. He did that in the shortened 2020 season en route to a .261/.315/.575 line, but he couldn’t follow up on that success.

Last season, Santander had a couple injured list stints and struggled to a .241/.286/.433 mark. He signed for $3.15MM to avoid arbitration in November and remains controllable through 2024. Given their competitive window, the O’s would certainly listen to offers on Santander. But it remains to be seen whether there’ll be sufficient demand that Baltimore wouldn’t be better off hanging onto him and hoping he approximates his 2020 performance over the first few months of next season. MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald recently explored Santander’s trade candidacy in greater depth.

Zach Plesac, Guardians SP

Plesac isn’t yet arbitration eligible and he’s controllable for another four seasons. The Guardians might simply prefer to hang onto him, particularly after their 2021 season was derailed by rotation injuries. Yet as mentioned with regards to Rosario, Cleveland has significant concerns in the outfield. They’ve dealt key starting pitchers over the past couple seasons, seemingly confident in their ability to continue to develop less-heralded prospects into capable rotation cogs.

If they were to deal a starter, Plesac would seem the likeliest candidate. The Guardians aren’t about to rebuild, and moving Shane Bieber or Aaron Civale might be too significant a blow to their hopes of contending in 2022. Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill might still have upside Cleveland’s hoping to unlock. Plesac’s small sample excellence in 2020 was probably inflated by a regional schedule against Central-division teams that, by and large, weren’t good offensively. That season aside, he hasn’t posted particularly impressive strikeout rates. But he’s got excellent control, gets a decent number of grounders, and should be a solid bet for league average rotation innings over the next few seasons.

Merrill Kelly, Diamondbacks SP

The D-Backs were the worst team in the National League last season. They don’t seem to have the appetite for a full rebuild, but Kelly’s entering his final year of club control. At age 33, he’s probably not an extension candidate, so Arizona figures to be open to moving him.

Kelly’s not an overpowering arm. He posted a 4.44 ERA over 158 innings last season, striking out only 19.5% of batters faced. He throws plenty of strikes, though, and he gets a decent number of grounders. Playing on a modest $5.25MM salary, Kelly would be an eminently affordable pickup for contenders looking to stabilize the back of the rotation.

Mitch Garver/Ryan Jeffers, Twins C

Garver missed a good chunk of last season after suffering a gruesome injury. During his 243 plate appearances, he mashed at a .256/.358/.517 clip with 13 home runs (137 wRC+). That’s two of the past three seasons with some of the best offensive output of any catcher in baseball. He’s controllable for two seasons and projected for a modest $3.1MM salary. Jeffers hasn’t yet hit arbitration-eligibility and still has minor league options remaining. He struck out too often as a rookie, but he hit for power and is a well-regarded defender who entered the year among the sport’s top catching prospects.

As with Kepler, a trade of Garver or Jeffers would probably be about dealing from an area of surplus to address the rotation or shortstop. Both players could plausibly be regular catchers next season, and they’d lose some of their value if penciled into the DH role regularly. Given Garver’s injury troubles, Minnesota might prefer to hold their depth behind the dish.

Elieser Hernández, Marlins SP

The Marlins have reportedly fielded offers on their arbitration-eligible starting pitchers this winter, perhaps in search of controllable outfield help. Miami already thinned their rotation depth a bit by including Zach Thompson in the Jacob Stallings deal, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if they make one more move in that vein.

Over the past two years, Hernández owns a 3.84 ERA in 77 1/3 innings with very strong strikeout and walk rates (26.3% and 5.7%, respectively). He’s an extreme fly-ball pitcher who’s likely to always have some difficulty keeping the ball in the yard. He missed most of 2021 recovering from a pair of long-term injuries (biceps inflammation and a quad strain). Because of those drawbacks, he won’t be in as much demand as rotation mate Pablo López. Yet another team may try to take a shot on Hernández’s promising strikeout/walk profile, particularly since he’s only projected for a $1.4MM salary and controllable through 2024.

Chris Stratton, Pirates RP

I covered Stratton’s trade candidacy at greater length in December. He’s a 31-year-old reliever controllable for two seasons on a rebuilding team. The Bucs aren’t going to view him as a core piece of the rebuild, and it stands to reason they’d welcome the opportunity to pick up an intriguing low-level prospect. Over the past two seasons, Stratton has been the kind of capable if unexciting middle relief piece contending teams need. He won’t bring back a franchise-changing return, but at a projected $2.2MM salary, he should draw some interest.

Cole Sulser, Orioles RP

Sulser had a quietly strong second half with the Orioles, occasionally factoring into their closing mix. A late bloomer, he’ll be 32 by Opening Day. So while they’re under no contractual pressure to move him, the rebuilding O’s would certainly listen to offers. After putting up a 2.70 ERA with a 28.4% strikeout rate, he should be of interest to contenders. Sulser isn’t yet arbitration eligible and can be controlled through 2025.

Adrian Houser/Eric Lauer, Brewers SP

The Brewers certainly aren’t obligated to trade either of Houser or Lauer, both of whom are coming off strong seasons. Still, the Brew Crew already have a vaunted top three of Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta and prospects Aaron Ashby and Ethan Small are at or nearing the big leagues. Might Milwaukee plug one of the younger arms into the rotation and flip a veteran back-end starter for offensive help?

Adalberto Mondesi, Royals 3B/SS

Mondesi’s an enigmatic player. He brings an enviable combination of power and speed and has enough athleticism to play a competent or better shortstop. He also has among the worst strikeout and walk numbers of any regular position player in MLB. Perhaps most alarming, he’s dealt with enough injury issues in recent years that Royals president of baseball operations Dayton Moore expressed some doubt about his ability to play more than 100 games per season regularly.

Nicky Lopez played well enough to supplant Mondesi at shortstop last year. Bobby Witt Jr. will probably take that position early in 2022, pushing Lopez somewhere else on the dirt. Whit Merrifield is still around as a second base option. Kansas City might have enough infield depth to explore a Mondesi trade, although it’d be a bit of a sell-low on a player with obvious physical gifts who’s controllable through 2023. He’s projected for a $3.2MM salary.

Kyle Hendricks, Cubs SP

Hendricks is guaranteed $29.5MM through the next two seasons, with a vesting option that could keep him in Chicago through 2024. The Cubs have moved most of their core players dating back to last offseason, but Hendricks remains on the North Side. That might be attributable to some uncharacteristic struggles, as the righty’s coming off a career-worst 4.77 ERA with unimpressive peripherals.

Hendricks has never struck batters out or fared exceptionally well in the eyes of ERA estimators, though. Until last season, his actual run prevention handily outperformed metrics like FIP and SIERA as he thrived on exceptional command. He’ll probably bounce back, even if he may never recapture his Cy Young-caliber, 2.13 ERA form from 2016. With the amount of teams on the hunt for starting pitching, there’d no doubt still be demand if the Cubs made Hendricks available. Will they? Perhaps, since they’re not likely to compete in 2022. Yet their early-offseason activity — signing Yan Gomes and Marcus Stroman, claiming Wade Miley — has suggested they may not be keen to punt next season entirely.

Trey Mancini, Orioles 1B

The Orioles aren’t going to compete in 2022, and Mancini is ticketed for free agency at the end of the year. Most players in his situation would be very straightforward trade candidates, but the first baseman is a fan favorite and reported clubhouse leader who made an inspiring return to the diamond last year after missing the 2020 campaign battling colon cancer.

That Mancini returned to play in 147 games after facing that kind of life obstacle is a remarkable achievement. It’s undeniable, though, that his production slipped relative to his excellent 2019 campaign. Mancini’s .255/.326/.432 line was only marginally above average, and he played exclusively first base and designated hitter. It certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see him bounce back into a middle-of-the-order presence as he gets further away from beating cancer, but demand for his services might be limited until his production rebounds. If that’s the case, it’s probably not worth it for the O’s to trade him away this offseason. He’s projected for a $7.9MM salary, but Balitmore’s 2022 payroll ledger is wide open.

Let’s Find A Shortstop For The Twins

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The utter dearth of starting pitching for the Twins has been well-documented by now. Out of the 2022 equation are longtime top starter Jose Berrios and 2020 AL Cy Young runner-up Kenta Maeda; Berrios was flipped to Toronto in exchange for a pair of touted prospects at last summer’s deadline, while Maeda underwent Tommy John surgery late last year and hopes for a September return — in a best-case scenario. Also out the door is righty Michael Pineda, a free agent who could yet return but remains unsigned. Thus far, the extent of the Twins’ offseason shopping was a roll of the dice on Dylan Bundy. He’ll join rookie/top prospect Joe Ryan and sophomore Bailey Ober in a thin Twins rotation mix.

For all the focus on the team’s starting pitching, however, Minnesota also lacks an obvious starter at shortstop. Andrelton Simmons’ one-year stint proved largely underwhelming. By measure of wRC+, Simmons ranked second-worst among hitters with at least 450 plate appearances last season (56). His .223/.287/.274 batting line negated much of his defensive wizardry and was one of many reasons the Twins’ 2021 season went south so quickly. Simmons was never brought in to be an offensive force, but he’d at least been competent (and occasionally above average) in the five preceding seasons, posting a combined .281/.328/.394 slash.

In a perfect world, 2017 No. 1 overall pick Royce Lewis might’ve been ready for a run at shortstop this year. An immensely gifted athlete who’s been ranked among the sport’s top 100 prospects since the moment he was drafted — peaking in the top ten, heading into 2019 — Lewis is seen as a major building block for the organization. Unfortunately for both the Twins and Lewis, he sustained a torn ACL while ramping up for Spring Training last year and wasn’t able to make it back to the field in 2021. Couple that with a 2020 season spent at the Twins’ alternate site during the canceled minor league campaign, and Lewis has missed some crucial development time.

By all accounts, the future is still bright — Lewis clocks in at No. 82 on Baseball America’s latest Top 100 ranking — but the lack of recent playing time and a major surgery have both added some extra risk to his profile and slowed his timeline to the Majors. There was always some question as to whether Lewis would settle in at shortstop or wind up playing third base, center field or second base, anyhow, and even if shortstop is still his future home, he’s not ready just yet.

There are similar defensive questions about fellow top prospect Austin Martin, the headliner of the Berrios trade. Martin, the No. 5 overall pick in 2020 who was viewed as a candidate to be drafted first overall himself, is a gifted hitter and on-base machine whose defensive home is less certain. The Twins will continue getting him work at shortstop, though some scouting reports believe he’ll end up at second base or in the outfield. Martin is considered among the 50 or so best prospects in MLB, but he’s had just one pro season and did not advance beyond Double-A last year. Perhaps he’ll be an option this summer if he mashes out of the gate in Triple-A and looks sound at shortstop, but like Lewis, he needs more time.

Up on the big league roster, the Twins have one well-known option who could slide back to the position. Jorge Polanco spent four years as Minnesota’s primary shortstop, hitting a combined .277/.335/.435 in 418 games from 2017-20. However, Polanco was never a good defender there, hence the move to second base and the subsequent signing of Simmons.

The 28-year-old Polanco turned in the best season of his career following the move to the other side of the bag, so the Twins may not want to tinker with a decision that yielded one of 2021’s few bright spots. Polanco erupted with a 33-homer campaign, hitting .269/.323/.503 through 644 plate appearances. He also turned in a positive showing in Defensive Runs Saved (3) and was only slightly below par in Statcast’s Outs Above Average.

[Related: Jorge Polanco’s Bounceback Season]

One could argue that the Twins should focus on pitching, move Polanco to back to shortstop and play Luis Arraez everyday at second base. However, doing so would weaken the defense (thus diminishing the returns on some of the pitchers they do inevitably add). And, whether it was correlation or causation, Polanco seemed more comfortable once freed from shortstop — a position where his -39 Defensive Runs Saved from 2016-20 ranked second-worst in Major League Baseball.

The Twins made some depth additions recently, picking up former No. 1 pick Tim Beckham and former Rays/Brewers utilityman Daniel Robertson on minor league deals. Neither is on the 40-man roster and neither should be seen as a candidate to step up as their primary shortstop. Either could vie for a bench spot, competing against Nick Gordon — a former top-10 draft pick who made his big league debut with Minnesota last season. However, Gordon mustered just a .240/.292/.355 output in 216 plate appearances and was used all around the diamond. A full-time run at shortstop isn’t likely for any of this trio.

Whoever suits up at shortstop on Opening Day for the Twins probably isn’t in the organization yet, so let’s look at some options.

The Big Free Agents

There’s probably not much point in pondering whether the Twins could or will sign Carlos Correa. Minnesota currently projects to about a $91MM payroll next season (per Roster Resource’s Jason Martinez). That drops to $61MM in 2023 and $27MM in 2024. Technically, they have the payroll space to sign Correa to a mega-deal. However, starting pitching is likely a bigger focus, and the Twins have never gone anywhere near the Correa stratosphere on a contract. Joe Mauer’s $184MM extension is the largest deal in franchise history, and Josh Donaldson’s $92MM pact is the biggest free-agent splash they’ve made. Signing Correa for north of $300MM would be a legitimate shock.

Trevor Story is more plausible, financially speaking, but it’s likely he’s seeking a nine-figure deal of his own. A salary in the $20-25MM range isn’t the dealbreaker it once was for the Twins, and Story would give them quality defense with far more offensive output than Simmons. Story seems more likely as a fit here if his market just doesn’t come together as hoped. There are teams who might swoop on a one-year deal in that scenario (e.g. Yankees), but if Story isn’t able to secure a five- or six-year deal and still wants to max out, a Donaldson-esque, four-year offer at least seems feasible. A lot of pieces need to fall into place in this scenario, though.

The Remaining Free Agents

The Simmons deal didn’t work out, but the dismal nature of his 2021 season reduces his 2022 price tag substantially. If the Twins simply want to sign the best glove available and focus on pitching, a cheap Simmons reunion makes sense. There have also been rumors connecting Simmons to the Yankees, who looked into the possibility of acquiring Simmons last summer.

Once upon a time, Jose Iglesias would’ve been viewed in a similar capacity to Simmons. Some may still see him in that light. However, Iglesias’ 2021 season was punctuated by a rather shocking downturn with the glove. Defensive Runs Saved pegged him at a staggering -22, and he posted the first negative Ultimate Zone Rating (-6.1) of his career. Outs Above Average was the most forgiving metric, but even OAA only pegged him as an average defender. Iglesias’ .271/.309/.391 output in 2021 confirmed that his outrageous 2020 season (.373/.400/.556 in 150 plate appearances) was more small-sample fluke than late-blooming breakout. He could be had on an affordable one-year deal himself, but there’s no guarantee the glove bounces back.

Switch-hitting Jonathan Villar remains unsigned, and he’d probably offer the best hope of offensive production from this group. The 32-year-old carries a .259/.327/.408 slash with 58 homers and 104 steals through 497 games over the past four seasons, but Villar isn’t regarded as a strong defender at shortstop. He’s also hit well in two of the past three seasons — 2020’s small sample being the exception — so he could justifiably seek a two-year deal.

There are a handful of other free agents with recent shortstop experience — Josh Harrison, Phil Gosselin, Matt Duffy, old friend Ehire Adrianza — but they profile as bench options (or, perhaps in Harrison’s case, as a starter at second or third base, where the Twins aren’t looking for solutions).

The Trade Market

There are a handful of interesting names to consider if, as seems to be the case with their pitching needs, the Twins deem the trade market a more palatable path to finding a shortstop. The Rangers, for instance, have already inked two of the “big five” shortstops this winter, pushing Isiah Kiner-Falefa to third base — at least until top third base prospect Josh Jung debuts in 2022. Minnesota GM Thad Levine was an assistant GM in Texas when Kiner-Falefa was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft. There’s no urgency for the Rangers to move Kiner-Falefa, who’s controlled through 2023, but it’d probably behoove the Twins to inquire. Kiner-Falefa owns a .273/.316/.361 batting line with elite defensive contributions over the past two seasons.

The Twins are a natural trade partner for the Reds, who’ll have several starting pitchers available. Minnesota could conceivably look to double dip, adding a shortstop as well as a pitcher. In Cincinnati, that could be utilityman-turned-starter Kyle Farmer, who figures to cede playing time to top prospect Jose Barrero before long. Farmer, 31, hit .263/.316/.416 with solid glovework in a career-high 529 plate appearances in 2021. He’s controlled through 2024.

Some might argue there’s a similar approach to be taken with Oakland, as the Twins could offer to take back some of Elvis Andrus’ contract to help grease the wheels on a trade for a starter. However, as I explored back in December, there are plenty of obstacles in a potential Andrus deal (namely a no-trade clause and a problematic vesting option). He also just hasn’t hit since 2017, and his defensive ratings have cratered. It’d be more sensible to just sign Simmons or Iglesias and focus solely on a starting pitcher in trade talks with the A’s.

Over in Arizona, the D-backs have a well-regarded defender in Nick Ahmed, but the 31-year-old limped through a career-worst year at the plate. The glove still plays, and outside of 2021, he’s “only” been a below-average hitter (.248/.307/.421, 89 wRC+ from 2018-20). The Snakes owe Ahmed $17.5MM combined from 2022-23, and they’ll want to open a spot for top prospect Geraldo Perdomo before too long. If you want to consider two-for-one possibilities here, as with the Reds, perhaps the Twins could try to pry Merrill Kelly away. He’ll be a free agent next winter.

If the Twins and Guardians are both comfortable dealing within the division, Cleveland has a bevy of middle infielders while the Twins are deep in outfield options. Both have a deep supply at an area the other is lacking. Amed Rosario is two years from free agency, while Andres Gimenez is more controllable but less proven offensively. Cleveland has so many middle-infield prospects bubbling up toward the Majors behind that pair, that there’s a natural on-paper fit here. (The Guardians are also deeper in starting pitching than the Twins, setting up additional possibilities.) It’s always tougher to envision division rivals dealing with one another, but Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey was hired out of the Cleveland front office back in 2016.

As with any offseason need, there are boundless possibilities to consider even beyond this list. The Twins could try to buy low on KBO star Ha-Seong Kim — a square peg in a round hole with the Padres — or look into defensive standout Kevin Newman over in Pittsburgh (though he was the only shortstop who was less-productive at the plate than Simmons last season). You can mix-and-match the possibilities to your liking — what else is there to do with no end to the lockout in sight? — but it’s likely the Twins’ next starting shortstop hasn’t yet been acquired.

Twins Sign Daniel Robertson To Minor League Contract

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The Twins signed infielder Daniel Robertson to a minor league deal, The Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Phil Miller reports.  Robertson was outrighted off the Brewers’ 40-man roster this past summer and elected free agency after the season, thus making him eligible to sign during the lockout as a minor league free agent.

A veteran of five MLB seasons with the Rays, Giants, and Brewers, Robertson has yet to truly follow up on his impressive numbers in the second of those seasons, a .797 OPS campaign with Tampa Bay in 2018.  Robertson hit .262/.382/.415 over 340 PA in what seemed like a breakout year, but after a thumb injury brought an early end to his 2018 season, he has since hit only .209/.317/.292 in 351 PA over the 2019-21 seasons.

Robertson (who turns 28 in March) will now look for a fresh start in Minnesota.  Tim Beckham also recently signed a minors deal with the Twins, so the club will have two experienced options in Beckham and Robertson battling alongside Nick Gordon and Jose Miranda for a utility infield role.  Gordon is the only left-handed hitter of that quartet, so the others could be competing to be the right-handed side of the bench equation.

The versatile Robertson has plenty of experience as a shortstop, third baseman, and second baseman, plus he has expanded his utility range by also playing a handful of games as a corner outfielder and first baseman.  Since the Twins have left-handed bats lined up at second base (Luis Arraez) and in the outfield (Max Kepler, Trevor Larnach, Alex Kirilloff), there is perhaps opportunity for Robertson to work his way into a platoon should any of this group struggle against left-handed pitching.  Of note, Robertson and Beckham were both teammates on the 2017 Rays, when Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was a member of Tampa Bay’s coaching staff.

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