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Twins Notes: Taylor, Buxton, Correa

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With the Twins now eliminated from the postseason at the hands of the Astros, eyes are now turning toward the impending offseason. Veteran righty Sonny Gray has already expressed his desire to return to Minnesota next year, and outfielder Michael A. Taylor joined him in an interview with Darren Wolfson of SKOR North Radio and 5 Eyewitness News. In conversation with Wolfson, Taylor spoke of his hopes to return to the Twins next year as well as his appreciation of people throughout the organization and the club’s chemistry in the locker room, calling Minnesota a “quality ballclub.”

Taylor, 32, is coming off one of the better seasons of his career. In addition to his typical strong defense in center field (+9 Outs Above Average, per Statcast) with a .220/.278/.442 slash line in 388 plate appearances. Though his on-base numbers certainly leave something to be desired, Taylor’s career-best 21 home runs propelled his over all numbers to around league average (96 wRC+). When taken with his quality defense and baserunning, it leaves Taylor as a solid everyday option in center field. Whether he ultimately signs with the Twins or elsewhere, Taylor figures to receive plenty of interest around the league.

Of course, any potential reunion between Taylor and the Twins could hinge on what’s in store for the club’s typical center fielder, Byron Buxton. The talented but oft-injured slugger was unable to play the field during the 2023 campaign, opening the door for Taylor to receive semi-regular playing time with Minnesota in center field while Buxton acted as the club’s DH. It was a difficult season for Buxton, as he slashed just .207/.294/.438 in 85 games as the club’s DH while battling an injured knee.

A healthy Buxton figures to be of utmost importance to the Twins next season, though Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune relays that Buxton is not yet sure whether or not he’ll require another surgery on his ailing knee this offseason. The uncertainty surrounding Buxton could further incentivize the club to explore a reunion with Taylor, who the club acquired last offseason to help man center field in the event Buxton faced another injury-marred campaign.

Fortunately, the Twins have more clarity regarding shortstop Carlos Correa’s path to health this offseason. Per Nightengale, Correa will be meeting with Twins medical staff to ensure a smooth recovery from his season-long battle with plantar fasciitis. While Correa’s foot will not require surgery, he is expected to undergo a procedure to correct the deviated septum in his nose. Correa previously underwent surgery to correct the issue back in 2018.

In his second season with the Twins and on the heels of signing a six-year, $200MM deal with Minnesota this past offseason, Correa struggled somewhat at the plate. In 580 plate appearances, he slashed just .230/.312/.399 with a wRC+ of 96, though he did manage to offer his typical solid defense at shortstop. Surely, Minnesota is hoping that an offseason of rest can alleviate Correa’s issues with plantar fasciitis and put him in position to post a strong 2024 campaign more in line with his first season as a Twin, when he slashed an impressive .291/.366/.467 with a wRC+ of 140.

Latest On Alex Kirilloff

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  • Alex Kirilloff was replaced by Byron Buxton on the ALDS roster for the Twins yesterday due to a shoulder injury, and The Athletic’s Dan Hayes adds that Kirilloff spoke to reporters following last night’s game regarding the issue. Kirilloff revealed that surgery is on the table regarding his shoulder as he’s dealt with issues regarding it dating back to June. Fortunately, Hayes notes that the injury is in Kirilloff’s non-throwing shoulder and the 25-year-old isn’t concerned about a potential procedure’s rehab process. Kirilloff appeared in 88 games for the Twins this year while battling through wrist and shoulder issues, slashing .270/.348/.445 in 319 trips to the plate. Kirilloff figures to enter Spring Training in the mix for regular starts, with experience both at first base and in the corner outfield spots.

Sonny Gray Discusses Impending Free Agency

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The Twins were eliminated from the playoffs yesterday following their loss at the hands of the Astros in Game 4 of the ALDS. The club’s elimination brings to a close the 2023 campaign for a club that won 87 games, returned to the top of the AL Central standings for the first time since 2020, and won its first playoff series since 2002. Now, Minnesota will turn its attention to the impending offseason, where a handful of the club’s players figure to test free agency.

Chief among that group is veteran right-hander Sonny Gray, who led the club’s rotation with a 2.79 ERA in 184 innings of work with an MLB-best 2.84 FIP. That performance put Gray squarely in contention for the AL Cy Young award in 2023, and sets him up to be one of the league’s top free agents this offseason. Dan Hayes of The Athletic spoke with Gray following last night’s loss regarding his future, and the righty made clear that his top priority as he heads into free agency isn’t necessarily securing the highest guarantee he can.

“I don’t know if this is the right thing to say before going to become a free agent, but I’ll say it because it’s honest. Money is not the ultimate factor for me. Never has been,” Gray said. “Having said that, you want to be valued appropriately.” Gray went on to speaking glowingly of his time with the Twins. He noted that he “loves it” in Minnesota, adding that his time as a Twin has been an “incredible experience” and that “there is something special going on in this clubhouse.”

Though Gray’s interest in remaining with the Twins is evident, that hardly guarantees a return. Hayes goes on to indicate that the club figures to extend a one-year qualifying offer of roughly $20.5MM to Gray, though it’s unclear whether or not the Twins are interested in a longer term deal. While Gray and fellow rotation arm Kenta Maeda are headed for free agency, right-handers Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober are each under long term club control. Meanwhile, righty Chris Paddack is expected to rejoin the rotation next year. That still leaves an open spot in this club’s rotation, though Hayes suggests the club could give a look to righty Louie Varland, who posted a 4.63 ERA in 68 innings of work at the big league level as a swingman for the Twins.

If Gray doesn’t return to Minnesota, he’s sure to find plenty of interest elsewhere. The Cardinals are already known to have interest in Gray’s services, while the Dodgers, Cubs and Reds are among the many other clubs who could potentially be on the lookout for rotation help this offseason. While the interest in Gray figures to be strong, it’s unlikely the veteran hurler will receive a top-of-the-market offer in terms of years, given he’ll be celebrating his 34th birthday next month. Gray’s comments hardly disputed that likelihood, with the righty suggesting that his decision this offseason will decide “where are the next three to four years of our lives” will be. A deal in that range certainly seems feasible on the heels of right-hander Chris Bassitt receiving a three-year, $62MM deal covering his age 34-36 seasons last offseason.

Byron Buxton Replaces Alex Kirilloff On Twins’ ALDS Roster

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Major League Baseball announced that Byron Buxton has been approved as a substitute for Alex Kirilloff on the Twins’ roster before this evening’s Game 4 against the Astros. Kirilloff was removed from yesterday’s game with a shoulder injury, manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters (including Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic).

Buxton landed on the injured list with a hamstring strain in early August, and recurring knee trouble has kept him on the shelf ever since. He began a rehab assignment in late September, and following the conclusion of the minor league season, he continued to train with the Twins in hopes of making his return. Ultimately, the star center fielder was left off the ALDS roster, as he had not yet progressed to running the bases by the start of the series.

Balldelli explained that Buxton still isn’t back to full strength, but he is healthy enough to help the team in “smaller spurts” (as relayed by Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune). If nothing else, he should be available to pinch hit, so the Twins must feel the 29-year-old is ready to run the bases if need be. A former Gold and Platinum Glove winner, Buxton has been preparing to return to the outfield after spending the 2023 season as a designated hitter. However, if he isn’t 100% healthy, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be playing the field against the Astros.

Kirilloff missed approximately six weeks in the summer dealing with a shoulder strain but seemed healthy upon his return, slashing .273/.311/.455 with a 107 wRC+ over his final 18 games. Unfortunately, Baldelli says the shoulder strain has come back, and it has been affecting the first baseman’s swing. He has gone 0-for-9 with two walks thus far in the playoffs. It reached a point on Tuesday when the lefty could no longer swing at all, and he was replaced with a pinch hitter in the sixth inning.

Should his shoulder trouble subside, Kirilloff will be eligible to return for the World Series, presuming the Twins advance that far. Donovan Solano, who replaced him at first base last night, will get the start in Game 4 this evening, and Baldelli says he’ll be the primary first baseman going forward. Edouard Julien, who is in tonight’s lineup as the designated hitter, could also play first, potentially freeing up the DH spot for Buxton. Utility man Kyle Farmer can also play first base.

When healthy, Kirilloff was an important bat for the Twins this season, hitting 11 home runs in 88 games and posting career highs in all three triple-slash categories. However, due to his shoulder problems, he’s been a bit of a black hole in the lineup during the playoffs. Solano has been a dependable contact hitter for years, and he posted a career-best .369 on-base percentage this season in his first campaign with Minnesota. It should help to have his bat in the lineup as the Twins face elimination throughout the rest of the ALDS. Buxton is more of a wild card – it’s hard to know what to expect from the former All-Star after so much time off – but at his best, he’s a major power threat and a valuable asset on the bases.

Cardinals Interested In Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray

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Adding as many as three starting pitchers is a stated offseason goal for Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, and it isn’t surprising that the club is already plotting out some notable free agent pursuits.  While the Cards will cast a wide berth across the free agent pitching market, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray are two pitchers in particular “the Cardinals have identified as good fits and plan to approach to see if the feeling is mutual.”

In something of a pitching-heavy free agent class, Nola (30 years old) and Gray (34 next month) are two of the top names available.  Both will be entering free agency for the first time due to contract extensions signed earlier in this careers, and since both pitchers will undoubtedly receive and reject qualifying offers, the Cardinals would have to give up $500K in international bonus money and their second-highest pick in the 2024 draft as compensation for a signing.

St. Louis has traditionally been somewhat modest in its dips into the open market, as Matt Holliday’s seven-year, $120MM deal from the 2009-10 offseason remains the biggest contract the Cardinals have ever given to a free agent player.  In terms of pitching contracts, the Cards gave Mike Leake five years/$80MM during the 2015-16 offseason but that deal didn’t work out, to the point that St. Louis traded Leake before the contract was even two years old.  More recently, the Cardinals signed Steven Matz for four years and $44MM two winters ago, though Matz’s performance has been inconsistent and he has battled some injury problems.

With rotation help such a glaring need, however, the Cardinals might have no choice but to test free agency for the pitchers they need, particularly front-of-the-rotation types.  Both Gray and Nola had pretty comparable overall numbers and Nola actually had the better SIERA (3.75 to 3.95) of the two pitchers, though Gray ended up with a 2.79 ERA to Nola’s 4.46 ERA — perhaps underlining the difference between the Twins’ defense and the Phillies’ much weaker defense.

Goold noted that the Cardinals are among the many teams who have scouted Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and that the team could explore a reunion with Jordan Montgomery after St. Louis dealt Montgomery to the Rangers at the trade deadline.  Looking at the market as a whole, if the Cards are indeed leaning towards Gray and Nola as their top choices, that gives some hint as to the Cardinals’ spending range.

Gray and Nola will each command healthy contracts, yet not in the stratosphere of a Shohei Ohtani (who won’t even pitch in 2024 anyway due to Tommy John surgery) or perhaps even Yamamoto, whose contract might approach $200MM because he is only 25 years old.  Montgomery and Blake Snell are two more of the top starters available, though it is perhaps noteworthy that both are represented by the Boras Corporation, whereas Gray is repped by Bo McKinnis and Nola by Paragon.  While the Cardinals have rostered and acquired several Scott Boras clients over the years, Boras’ penchant for encouraging clients to wait until deeper into the offseason to sign might not be ideal for a St. Louis team that would probably prefer to get its top-end pitching acquisitions out of the way sooner rather than later.

Latest On Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis

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The Twins fell to the Astros in Game 1 of the ALDS this afternoon, though that didn’t stop manager Rocco Baldelli for providing reporters (including Bobby Nightengale of the Star Tribune) with fresh insights into the injury situations surrounding rookie Royce Lewis and outfielder Byron Buxton.

Regarding Lewis, there’s reason for optimism that the young slugger can return to the field in the near future. While he typically serves as the regular third baseman for the Twins, Lewis has been limited to DH-only duties throughout the playoffs to this point thanks to a hamstring strain he suffered in late September, with Jorge Polanco covering the hot corner in his stead. It sounds as though a potential return to third could be in Lewis’s future before the postseason is over, however, as Baldelli noted that Lewis was making progress, though he’s still currently at risk of re-aggravating his hamstring injury by returning to the diamond.

As for Buxton, the oft-injured center fielder was similarly limited to DH-only duties this year, never once taking the field on defense throughout the regular season. The injury also seemingly hampered Buxton at the plate, as he slashed just .207/.294/.438 in 85 games with the Twins this year. The club made the decision to leave Buxton off the ALDS roster, and Baldelli shed some light on that decision in what appears to be a worrisome update regarding Buxton’s ability to impact the club later in the postseason. Per Baldelli, Buxton has yet to progress to running the bases as he hopes to return to the club this postseason. With Buxton not yet running the bases, it’s hard to imagine him being healthy enough to return to defensive play in the outfield as the Twins make their push toward their first World Series championship since 1991, though the Twins have not yet ruled him out for the postseason.

Astros, Twins Announce ALDS Rosters

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The Twins and Astros will play Game 1 of the AL Division Series today in Houston, with Bailey Ober and Justin Verlander as the starting pitchers.  Both teams revealed their full 26-man rosters for the series this afternoon.

Ober is the only new addition to the roster, as Minnesota is going with 25 of the 26 players who defeated the Blue Jays in the Wild Card Series.  Joe Ryan had been slated to start Game 3 of the WCS if necessary, but he’ll now probably be held off (barring an emergency) until Game 4 of the ALDS, as Pablo Lopez and Sonny Gray are set for Games 2 and 3.

Left-hander Kody Funderburk was dropped from the roster to make room for Ober, and Caleb Thielbar is the only southpaw Minnesota is bringing into the series.  Houston’s lineup is mostly full of right-handed hitters, but Thielbar might be tasked with the tall order of handling Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, and Michael Brantley for some key at-bats.  Thielbar had a 3.23 ERA over 30 2/3 innings this season, with very extreme splits after pitching right-handed and left-handed batters pretty evenly throughout his career.

Byron Buxton is still not available, and it is unclear if Buxton will be a factor even if Minnesota does advance deeper into October.  A hamstring injury and continued problems with Buxton’s surgically-repaired right knee have kept the former All-Star out of action since August 1, and limited to DH duty rather than center field this season.

Winning the AL West and winning three more games than the Twins during the regular season boosted the Astros into the American League’s #2 seed, so they’re just beginning their playoff run after a first round bye.  Keeping with the topic of left-handed relief, the Astros don’t have any lefties on the roster whatsoever except starter Framber Valdez.

However, Houston heads into the ALDS without a key right-handed reliever, as Kendall Graveman is absent from the roster due to right shoulder discomfort.  A trade deadline pickup from the White Sox, Graveman has a 2.42 ERA in 22 1/3 innings since joining the Astros, albeit with an inflated 12.8% walk rate.

Verlander and Valdez are lined up to start the first two games, and Cristian Javier will likely start Game 3, though nothing has been announced.  Any or all of Jose Urquidy, Hunter Brown, or JP France could start what might end up as a bullpen game (or an all-hands-on-deck elimination game) in a Game 4, and Verlander should start again if the series reaches a fifth game.

The rosters…

Twins

Astros

MLBTR Poll: Division Series Winners

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All four Division Series get going tomorrow. The Wild Card series were mostly uncompetitive, with all four ending in a two-game sweep. We’re now on to best-of-five sets that can run through next Friday.

Rangers vs. Orioles

The second round begins in the afternoon when the Rangers head to Baltimore. Texas used Jordan Montgomery and Nathan Eovaldi to dispatch the Rays, so they’ll go with left-hander Andrew Heaney in Game 1. He’ll be opposed by Baltimore’s breakout staff ace, righty Kyle Bradish.

Texas won 90 games behind a star-studded lineup. Anchored by Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Adolis García, Mitch Garver and Jonah Heim, the Rangers finished third in the majors in runs. The pitching staff is more questionable, especially with Max Scherzer’s availability for the postseason still uncertain. Montgomery and Eovaldi make for a strong top two, but the bullpen has been a concern all season.

Baltimore lost its elite closer Félix Bautista to Tommy John surgery on the eve of the postseason. All-Star Yennier Cano steps into the ninth inning. The O’s sprinted to 101 wins this year, holding off the Rays to lock down an AL East title and the league’s top seed. Adley Rutschman, Rookie of the Year favorite Gunnar Henderson, Anthony Santander and Cedric Mullins headline a lineup that ranked seventh in run scoring. Bradish and rookie Grayson Rodriguez lead the rotation. It’s the first playoff appearance for most of a young but ultra-talented Baltimore group.

(poll link)

 

Twins vs. Astros

The second ALDS sends the AL Central winning Twins to Houston. Minnesota used Pablo López and Sonny Gray in their opening set. They’ll go with Bailey Ober in Game 1 opposite Justin Verlander.

Minnesota held the Blue Jays to one run in their opening series. They’ve had arguably the sport’s best starting rotation, ranking fourth in innings and trailing only the Padres in ERA. Their bullpen isn’t quite as deep, although flamethrowing Jhoan Duran is tough to handle in the ninth inning. While the lineup is built a little more on strong depth than star talent at the top, former first overall pick Royce Lewis raked at a .309/.372/.548 clip in 58 regular season games before launching homers in each of his first two career playoff at-bats against Toronto.

The Astros never quite clicked the way they had during their 106-win regular season last year. Yet even without ever fully running on all cylinders, the defending World Series champions won 90 games and swept Arizona in the final weekend to grab another AL West title. They’ll comfortably turn the ball to Verlander and Framber Valdez for the first two games to support a lineup with Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker, and Jose Altuve firing on all cylinders and backed by Chas McCormick, Alex Bregman and rookie catcher/DH Yainer Diaz.

(poll link)

 

Phillies vs. Braves

Arguably the most compelling of the Division Series pits the defending NL pennant winners against the best regular season team of 2023. Philadelphia began what they hope to be a second straight run from Wild Card to the Fall Classic by breezing past the Marlins in Round One. They needed Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola to do so, so southpaw Ranger Suárez starts tomorrow. Atlanta counters with strikeout king Spencer Strider.

The Phils lean heavily on their excellent top three starters and a star-studded lineup. Bryce Harper has been characteristically stellar, while Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner have gotten rolling following slow starts to the season. While the bullpen has been a concern for Philadelphia in prior Octobers, it has held up very well this year. Even though they never threatened Atlanta for a run at the top of the division, the Phils look like one of the most complete teams remaining.

Their pitching staff needs to be up for a challenge. The Braves counter with the best lineup in baseball, a group that runs nine deep and handily outslugged the rest of the league. Atlanta was the only team to reach the 250-homer plateau this year. They hit 307. Matt Olson led the league with 54 longballs and 139 RBI, Ronald Acuña Jr. went 40-70, and everyone else in the starting lineup hit at least 17 homers. To the extent there’s a concern with this team, it’s the rotation beyond Strider. Max Fried battled a blister at the end of the regular season, leaving a little uncertainty headed into his Game 2 start, while Charlie Morton will miss the series due to finger inflammation.

(poll link)

 

D-Backs vs. Dodgers

The Diamondbacks were the NL’s final playoff qualifier. Arizona knocked off Milwaukee in round one, with the sweep keeping them using #2 starter Merrill Kelly (who’d pitched in the regular season’s final weekend and was lined up for a potential Game 3). Instead, Kelly gets the nod tomorrow against Clayton Kershaw.

With NL Rookie of the Year lock Corbin Carroll leading off, Arizona has gotten strong work from Ketel Marte and underrated slugger Christian Walker. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. carries a hot streak into the postseason, while young catcher Gabriel Moreno had a great second half. Moreno left Game 2 against Milwaukee after being hit on the head with a backswing, but he’s expected to be full-go for this series (via Alden González of ESPN). The one-two of Kelly and Zac Gallen and a bullpen anchored by Paul Sewald and Kevin Ginkel gives the pitching staff strong talent at the top. The question is the depth — both at the bottom of the lineup and the back half of the starting rotation.

The Dodgers are legitimate World Series contenders yet again. They won 100 games for the fourth consecutive full season. Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman are going to finish in the top five in MVP balloting. J.D. Martinez is having his best season in a few years, while Max Muncy and rookie James Outman are significant power threats. The Dodgers have an elite collection of late-game arms, leading the majors with a 2.26 relief ERA in the second half behind Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol. It’s a relatively weak rotation for L.A., however. Kershaw’s velocity has been down as he pitches through shoulder discomfort, perhaps leaving rookie Bobby Miller as their most reliable starter. Dave Roberts figures to get to the bullpen early and often.

(poll link)

 

Twins Outright Gilberto Celestino

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The Twins have sent outfielder Gilberto Celestino outright to Triple-A St. Paul, per the transaction log at MLB.com. He’d been designated for assignment last weekend.

Celestino has appeared in parts of two seasons for Minnesota. The righty-hitting outfielder debuted in 2021 and got into 122 games last year. A glove-first center fielder, he combined for a .222/.292/.300 line with four home runs through 409 trips to the plate. Celestino showed decent plate discipline and contact skills but had minimal power.

Minnesota acquired Michael A. Taylor in an offseason trade with the Royals. Taylor stepped in as a glove-first center fielder with more power upside than Celestino brings to the table. That seemed likely to push the younger outfielder back to Triple-A. Things got worse in early March, when Celestino underwent surgery to repair ligament damage in his left thumb.

He was on the injured list until mid-June. By the time he returned, the Twins optioned him to St. Paul. He played out the season with the Saints, hitting .243/.392/.389 over 233 plate appearances. Celestino walked more often than he struck out but picked up only four homers in a hitter-friendly Triple-A setting.

This is the first career outright for the 24-year-old. He doesn’t have the ability to immediately elect free agency, but he’ll be a minor league free agent at season’s end as a player who has spent seven-plus years on a minor league roster. Unless the Twins add him back to the 40-man, he’s likely to seek out other opportunities this winter.

29 Players Elect Free Agency

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October brings postseason play for a handful of teams and their fanbases. Just over two-thirds of the league is now in offseason mode after being eliminated, however. As the season comes to a close, a number of veterans will hit minor league free agency.

These players are separate from six-year MLB free agents, who’ll reach the open market five days after the conclusion of the World Series. Eligible minor leaguers can begin electing free agency as soon as the regular season wraps up. These players were all outrighted off a team’s 40-man roster during the year and have the requisite service time and/or multiple career outrights necessary to reach free agency since they weren’t added back to teams’ rosters.

Electing free agency is the anticipated outcome for these players. There’ll surely be more to test the market in the coming weeks. We’ll offer periodic updates at MLBTR. The first group, courtesy of the transaction tracker at MiLB.com:

Catchers

Infielders

Outfielders

Pitchers

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