Twins second baseman Logan Forsythe has cleared revocable trade waivers and can now be freely dealt to any team, ESPN.com’s Buster Olney reports. This means that all 29 other teams passed on claiming Forsythe during the August waiver period.
It isn’t much of a surprise that Forsythe went unclaimed, as Minnesota might have simply let the claiming team take the infielder off their roster entirely. Forsythe’s inclusion in the deadline day trade of Brian Dozier to the Dodgers was largely just to help offset salaries, so the Twins could have just taken the opportunity to save themselves the roughly $2.1MM still owed to Forsythe for the remainder of the season.
Since coming to Minnesota, however, Forsythe has gained some trade value (as well as helped his offseason free agent stock) thanks to a major hot streak. The 31-year-old is batting .379/.429/.448 with four doubles over 63 PA in a Twins uniform, and while it’s obviously too early to draw a conclusion from such a small sample size, it certainly looks as if Forsythe is benefiting from a change of scenery. He was, after all, a solidly above-average hitter in 2015 and 2016 when playing for the Rays, and only ran into struggles after being traded to Los Angeles.
Forsythe has mostly played as a second baseman during his career, though he has also seen significant time at third base and started a handful of games at first base, shortstop and both corner outfield spots. This versatility and a possibly-revived bat make him an interesting potential addition for several contenders down the stretch. Olney suggests the Indians as a team that could have interest, as Cleveland could deploy Forsythe at second and then use Jason Kipnis to address its lack of outfield depth.
That’s excellent work on the part of the club’s front office, as it’ll help mask the club’s uninspiring rotation. 