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Twins Acquire A.J. Alexy From Nationals

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The Twins have acquired right-hander A.J. Alexy from the Nationals, according to announcements from both clubs. Alexy had been designated for assignment by the Nats last week. In exchange, right-hander Cristian Jimenez will be going to the Nats. In order to open a spot on their 40-man roster, the Twins have designated righty Oliver Ortega for assignment.

Alexy, 25 in April, was a Dodgers draftee who went to the Rangers in the 2017 Yu Darvish trade. Since then, he’s posted some strong results in the minors but struggled to be as successful in the majors. He missed much of 2019 due to injury and then the minor leagues were canceled in 2020, but he showed promise in 2021. He tossed 65 minor league innings between Double-A and Triple-A, posting a 1.66 ERA along with a 29.8% strikeout rate. The 10.6% walk rate was certainly high but it was still a solid enough showing to get him into the majors.

Alexy posted a 4.70 ERA in 23 MLB innings that year, despite matching strikeout and walk rates of 17.5%, with both of those numbers being worse than league average. In 2022, he was limited to just seven innings in the show, getting tattooed for an 11.57 ERA in that short time. He tossed 96 innings in Triple-A with a 5.91 ERA, getting strikeouts at a healthy 23.6% clip but with the walks still high at 12.8%.

The Rangers overhauled their rotation this winter and designated Alexy for assignment in the process. Despite his struggles in the majors so far, he’s still young and has some solid results in the minors to build from. He also still has an option year remaining, allowing a team to keep him in the minors as starting depth. The Nats grabbed him off waivers from the Rangers but he got bumped from their roster when they signed Dominic Smith. He’ll now head to the Twins and enter their rotation mix.

The Twins have a solid group of starters with Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Kenta Maeda, Tyler Mahle and Bailey Ober the likely front five. However, there are injury concerns scattered throughout that crew. Maeda didn’t pitch at all in 2022 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, whereas the other four all made at least one trip to the IL in 2022 for various ailments. Alexy can now join Josh Winder, Simeon Woods Richardson and others as depth options on Minnesota’s roster.

By claiming Alexy and hanging onto him for a few weeks, the Nats will receive Jimenez for their troubles. He’s still quite young, not turning 19 years old until May. He spent 2022 in the Dominican Summer League, posting a 3.38 ERA over 37 1/3 innings with a 30.2% strikeout rate, 4.3% walk rate and 57.9% ground ball rate.

Ortega, 26, was just claimed off waivers from the Angels last week. He split his time between the majors and Triple-A in 2022, posting matching 22.3% strikeout rates at each level. His 6.6% walk rate in the minors was almost doubled in the majors at 12.2%, yet his major league ERA of 3.71 was somehow a couple runs better than his 5.96 mark in Triple-A. That was probably just bad luck, since his minor league BABIP was almost 100 points higher on the farm and his strand rate was 8% lower. He’s still young and has a couple of option years, making him appealing for any club looking for extra pitching depth. The Nats will now have a week to trade him or pass him through waivers.

Talks Between Twins, Carlos Correa “Have Begun To Accelerate”

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Talks between the Twins and Carlos Correa “have begun to accelerate,” report Dan Hayes and Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. Minnesota rejoined the bidding late last week as talks between Correa’s camp and the Mets continued to drag on after New York had expressed concerns regarding his physical.

Rosenthal and Hayes reiterate that the Mets are not necessarily out of the bidding. The Athletic characterizes discussions as “fluid.” It’s the firmest indication yet, however, that Correa to the Mets no longer appears an inevitability. Minnesota seems very much back in the mix.

The Twins have maintained all offseason they hoped to retain the two-time All-Star after his season in the Twin Cities. There always seemed a strong possibility Correa would opt out of his three-year, $105.3MM pact after one season and land a more significant guarantee elsewhere. That has appeared to be the case on multiple occasions this offseason. The Twins reportedly put forth a ten-year, $285MM offer in December that fell well shy of the 13-year, $350MM pact to which Correa agreed with the Giants.

Of course, the Giants deal fell through after San Francisco’s medical professionals raised concerns about Correa’s right leg. He’d fractured his leg as a prospect back in 2014, requiring surgery that ended that season. Correa returned at the start of the next year and has never had an injured list stint related to his leg as an MLB player. Giants medical staffers raised some questions about its long-term sustainability, however, and the agreement was called off on the eve of the introductory press conference.

Correa and agent Scott Boras immediately pivoted to the Mets, agreeing to terms on a new 12-year, $315MM pact. That contract was also contingent on a physical, of course. New York’s doctors similarly took issue with Correa’s right leg, and the saga took another stunning twist.

Unlike after the collapse of the San Francisco deal, Correa’s camp didn’t immediately pivot to other teams. They negotiated exclusively with the Mets for roughly two weeks (presumably in part delayed by the holiday season). Reports suggested New York was intent on instituting some injury protection in the contract, likely via a clause that’d reduce the club’s financial hit and/or allow them to get out of a certain portion of the deal if Correa missed significant time because of a right leg injury.

Those talks seemingly hit a snag, and Boras reengaged with at least Minnesota last week. Andy Martino of SNY reported at the time that Mets brass was growing increasingly frustrated with discussions and had given some consideration to walking away from the deal entirely. There’s no indication they’ve done so, but Minnesota is again involved.

The Twins will have their own concerns regarding Correa’s physical condition, to be sure. Correa passed a physical to sign his first contract with Minnesota last spring, but it’s possible the organization will evaluate things differently if looking at a commitment nearing or topping a decade in length than they did for a three-year guarantee. Correa spent the season in Minnesota but didn’t seem to undergo a significant medical evaluation after his initial physical, aside from imaging on a bruised finger suffered in May. Hayes and Rosenthal write that Correa didn’t appear in the Minnesota training room at any point in the season after returning from his finger issue.

While that’s not all that surprising, it’s notable considering Correa had a late-September scare with his right leg. He spent some time on the ground after sliding into a base and then limped off the field. He remained in the game and didn’t miss any time, but he acknowledged after the contest he had felt some numbness and vibration in the leg, which he noted contained a metal plate that was put in during his 2014 surgery.

Reports: Mets “Frustrated” By Correa Negotiations; Twins Have Rejoined Bidding

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With the 12-year agreement between the Mets and Carlos Correa still in limbo, Jim Bowden of The Athletic reports that the Twins have not only jumped back into the mix for Correa but have emerged as a legitimate candidate to re-sign him (Twitter link, with audio, via MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM). SNY’s Andy Martino, meanwhile, writes that the Mets have grown “very frustrated” with the state of negotiations and have even contemplated walking away from the deal. Talks between the Mets and Correa aren’t dead, Martino emphasizes, but it’s nevertheless a pessimistic turn in what has become a wild, unparalleled free-agent saga for Correa.

The latest wave of drama comes on the heels of an evening report from the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, which indicated Correa and agent Scott Boras had engaged at least one other team as recently as yesterday afternoon. Heyman, too, noted that Minnesota had been in touch with Correa’s camp in recent weeks.

The Twins and Correa have “some momentum,” per Bowden, who adds that Minnesota appears more willing to take on some risk regarding Correa’s medicals than either the Giants or the Mets. The Twins’ most recent offer to Correa was a reported 10-year, $285MM pact, though that came before the Giants blew them out of the water with a 13-year, $350MM bid. It’s unclear whether Minnesota has made any alterations to that offer.

That Giants agreement feels like ancient history, as San Francisco canceled Correa’s introductory press conference after his physical gave the team some trepidation. There’s no indication that the Giants entirely halted their efforts to sign Correa, but while they were determining their next steps, the Mets swooped in and agreed to terms with Correa on a 12-year, $315MM pact. Shortly thereafter, however, the Mets raised their own concerns regarding Correa’s physical. That was nearly two weeks ago. A deal has not yet been finalized.

At issue for both the Giants and the Mets appears to be a nearly decade-old leg injury and corresponding concerns over how that may impact the All-Star infielder down the road. Back in 2014, while playing in the Astros’ minor league system, a then-19-year-old Correa suffered a fractured fibula while sliding into third base. The injury required surgery, and a metal plate was inserted into Correa’s leg.

The exact concern regarding the long-term stability of Correa’s leg isn’t clear, but both the Giants and Mets have at least been concerned enough to pump the brakes on their reported agreements. The Mets have reportedly discussed adding a clause that would alter the terms of the deal in the event of a serious leg injury to Correa. It’s not known whether they’ve also sought to reduce either the length or total guarantee of the agreement.

Correa, of course, spent the 2022 season in Minnesota, where he slashed .291/.366/.467 over 590 plate appearances. That came under the terms of a three-year, $105.1MM contract between the two parties that was struck last March, but Correa triggered the first of two opt-out clauses in the contract following the season, in hopes of securing the long-term deal that eluded him in his last trip through free agency.

While it’s easy to assume the Twins have a full grasp of Correa’s medical situation themselves, The Athletic’s Dan Hayes reported in late December that the team did not conduct an extensive examination of Correa during the course of the season. That’s to be expected, but it’s particularly noteworthy given that Correa had a late-September injury scare with the leg in question, wherein he remained down on the field for several moments after being thrown out on a slide into second base. Correa limped off the field, and although he remained in the game, he acknowledged after the contest that he had briefly felt numbness and vibration in that surgically repaired leg.

That incident occurred on Sept. 20, and Correa did not miss any time in the subsequent, final weeks of the season. If there were any lingering issues, they weren’t made apparent through his performance on the field. Correa batted .346/.393/.481 with a homer and four doubles in 56 plate appearances from Sept. 20 through season’s end.

Bill Campbell Passes Away

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Longtime major league reliever Bill Campbell passed away today after a battle with cancer, according to multiple reports. He was 74 years old.

A native of Highland Park, Michigan, Campbell began his professional baseball career with the Twins after a military stint in Vietnam. The war delayed his entry into pro ball until he was 22 years old, but the 6’3″ righty reached the majors within two seasons. A starting pitcher in the minors, Campbell broke into the big leagues as a reliever with Minnesota during the 1973 season. He threw 51 2/3 innings through 28 appearances as a rookie, posting a 3.14 ERA.

That kicked off a stretch in which Campbell was one of the sport’s better late-game weapons. Part of an era in which there were a number of multi-inning “fireman” relievers, Campbell served as a bullpen workhorse. He topped 120 frames in each season from 1974-76, allowing fewer than four earned runs per nine innings in all three years. During the ’76 campaign, Campbell led all big leaguers with 68 games finished and put up a 3.01 ERA over 167 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.

For his efforts, Campbell earned a seventh-place finish in AL Cy Young balloting and an eighth-place tally in MVP voting. That marked an excellent platform showing before he qualified for free agency. He signed with the Red Sox that offseason and had another great year during his first season in Boston. Campbell put up a 2.96 ERA across 140 innings, pacing the American League with 31 saves. He earned an All-Star nod and finished fifth in Cy Young voting and 10th in MVP balloting.

That was Campbell’s last elite season, as he was limited to fewer than 55 innings in each of the next four years with Boston. Campbell signed with the Cubs upon qualifying for free agency during the 1981-82 offseason. He’d top 100 frames again in his two seasons in Chicago, posting a 3.69 ERA during his first year. The Cubs traded him to the Phillies, where he pitched to a 3.43 ERA through 81 1/3 innings in 1984. He’d change teams each year for the rest of his career, following up with successive one-year stops as a Cardinal, Tiger and Expo. The ’85 campaign afforded Campbell his only opportunity to pitch in the postseason, as he tossed 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball for the National League champions.

Campbell appeared in all 15 major league seasons from 1973-87. He played for seven different clubs, particularly thriving during his early work with the Twins and Red Sox. Campbell was named the American League’s reliever of the year in both seasons in which he secured Cy Young and MVP votes. At career’s end, he owned a 3.54 ERA in 1229 1/3 innings over exactly 700 big league appearances. Campbell struck out 864 hitters, won 83 games and finished off 455 outings with 126 saves.

After his playing career concluded, Campbell had coaching stints in the Brewers and Red Sox organizations. MLBTR sends our condolences to Campbell’s family, friends, loved ones and former teammates.

Twins Claim Oliver Ortega, Designate Blayne Enlow

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The Twins announced that they have claimed right-hander Oliver Ortega off waivers from the Angels. Ortega had been designated for assignment last month. To create a spot for him on their roster, the Twins designated fellow righty Blayne Enlow for assignment.

Ortega, 26, will now join a new organization for the first time, having spent his entire professional career with the Angels thus far. He was selected to the club’s roster in September of 2021 and made eight appearances in his MLB debut that year, posting a 4.82 ERA.

In 2022, he spent the year oscillating between the majors and minors, throwing 34 innings in the bigs and 25 2/3 in Triple-A. That time in the majors came with solid strikeout and ground ball rates of 22.3% and 49.5%, respectively, but his 12.2% walk rate was on the high side. He managed to keep his ERA to a manageable 3.71 level, but a .297 batting average on balls in play might have helped. In the minors, his strikeout rate was an exact match for his MLB work, coming in at 22.3%. His 44.3% ground ball rate was a bit lower but still strong and his 6.6% walk rate was significantly better. However, a .392 BABIP helped push his Triple-A ERA to 5.96. Ortega still has a couple of option years, allowing him to serve as a versatile depth piece for the Twins. He’s averaged over 96 mph on his fastball in his major league action thus far and could be a useful contributor if he can lower that walk rate.

As for Enlow, who turns 24 in March, he was a highly-ranked prospect going into the 2017 draft but he went undrafted over the first two rounds due to a perceived strong commitment to Louisiana State University. The Twins grabbed him in the third round and were able to get him to sign by going well over slot, giving Enlow a $2MM bonus compared to a $755,400 slot value. The Twins were able to pull that off by signing their first overall pick, Royce Lewis, for about $1MM under his own slot value.

Enlow has been considered one of the better prospects in Minnesota’s system ever since, with Baseball America having him as high as #8 in 2019 and 2020. Unfortunately, the past few years have stalled his progress. The minor leagues were canceled entirely in 2020 and then Enlow required Tommy John surgery after just three starts in 2021. He missed the remainder of that year but was added to the club’s 40-man in November to protect him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. He returned to the mound in May of 2022 and was able to throw 57 1/3 Double-A innings last year. He posted a 4.40 ERA in that time with a 24.8% strikeout rate but an 11.6% walk rate.

The club will now have one week to trade Enlow or pass him through waivers. He’s had a rough few years but could still find interest from other clubs. He’s still young and has a couple of option years remaining. Baseball America notes that he can touch 97 mph with his fastball and has three secondary offerings. For a club looking for extra pitching depth, they may be attracted to Enlow’s arsenal and prospect pedigree.

Carlos Correa’s Camp In Discussions With At Least One Team Other Than Mets

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It has now been more than two weeks since Carlos Correa and the Mets agreed to terms on a 12-year contract. That came within hours of his deal with the Giants falling through because of the club’s concerns with his physical. New York took similar umbrage with Correa’s right leg during their own examination a few days later, however, leaving one of the market’s top free agents in something of a state of limbo.

Since the Mets expressed concern about Correa’s physical a few days before Christmas, the organization and the two-time All-Star’s camp have maintained ongoing optimism about their ability to work through the issue. For the last two weeks, Correa’s representatives at the Boras Corporation had solely been in contact with the Mets as they worked to finalize the deal. That’s apparently changing now, as Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Boras engaged at least one other team regarding Correa this afternoon.

To be clear, that’s not to say Correa is moving on from the Mets. Indeed, they still seem his likeliest destination. A Mets official expressed confidence to Heyman they’ll still get the contract done even with Correa opening talks with at least one more team. Andy Martino of SNY similarly tweeted this afternoon the Mets and Correa’s camp were continuing to work on a resolution.

Nevertheless, it’s a notable development that another club is at least peripherally back in the mix. The Post’s Mike Puma reported last week that at least three other teams had reached out to Correa in the wake of the physical snag with the Mets. Correa didn’t engage in those discussions at the time, so today’s development marks a notable change in his camp’s tack.

Heyman writes today the Twins are one of the clubs that have tried to reengage Correa at some point over the past couple weeks. Minnesota maintained throughout the offseason they were hoping to bring him back after his lone season in the Twin Cities. They reportedly made a ten-year, $285MM offer earlier in the winter, but that fell shy of both the $350MM the Giants were originally set to guarantee Correa and the $315MM the Mets had put on the table. According to multiple reports, Minnesota didn’t up that offer between the time the Giants deal fell through and his agreement with New York. Whether the Twins still have a $285MM offer on the table isn’t clear, although it stands to reason they’d have some concerns of their own about the status of Correa’s leg until/unless they conduct a physical as well.

Minnesota still has a vacancy at shortstop, with stopgap veteran Kyle Farmer looking to be the current favorite at the position. Which other teams could be involved is unknown. Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi told reporters last week it was unlikely the club would circle back to Correa. The Braves and Red Sox each lost star shortstops in free agency this winter, though neither was tied especially strongly to Correa at any point in the offseason. Atlanta seems unlikely to make a massive free agent strike, while Boston just agreed to terms with Rafael Devers on a $313.5MM extension yesterday.

The Orioles were loosely linked to Correa at one point but never seemed to seriously make a run at a top-of-the-market free agent. The Padres, Phillies and Cubs each turned elsewhere in free agency for a star shortstop and the Dodgers reportedly had little interest in Correa thanks to his ties to the 2017 Astros.

All things considered, it’d appear the Twins would be the strongest competition for the Mets. That’d seem to be contingent on talks with New York falling apart. Heyman characterizes those discussions as “sticky” but there’s no suggestion they’re at a dire point.

Multiple reports in recent weeks have suggested the Mets are looking to add language that’d allow them to get out of part of the contract if Correa suffers a serious right leg injury. Puma first reported a week ago such a concept was under discussion. Ken Rosenthal reiterated that on The Athletic’s podcast on Tuesday, suggesting the deal would require some kind of modification to protect the Mets in case of injury.

Heyman echoes those reports, writing the Mets are insistent on including some kind of injury provision. According to Heyman, the club doesn’t want to make any major changes to the base 12-year, $315MM structure. They do, however, apparently want to build in a manner of lowering that guarantee and/or allowing them to get out of the contract early in the event Correa spends a certain amount of time on the injured list with a right leg problem specifically. How long such an IL stint would have to be and how many years or dollars could be voided in the case of an injury would have to be agreed upon by both sides, and it seems those issues are holding up the contract’s finalization.

That kind of clause is rare but not entirely without precedent. As an example, fellow Boras Corporation client J.D. Martinez altered his deal with the Red Sox over the 2018-19 offseason after the team flagged a foot issue during his physical. The sides moved forward with their agreed-upon five-year, $110MM framework but included stipulations that would’ve allowed the Red Sox to opt out of the final two years of the contract in the event Martinez suffered another foot injury that resulted in a lengthy injured list stint (as reported by Evan Drellich, then of NBC Sports Boston). Martinez never suffered a serious injury and wound up playing out the five-year deal before hitting free agency again this winter.

The Mets continue to try to work out a similar provision in this case. Where the winding saga will go next is to be determined, but it’ll remain the offseason’s main storyline until Correa officially signs a contract somewhere.

Twins Agree To Minor League Deal With Tony Wolters

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The Twins and free-agent catcher Tony Wolters are in agreement on a minor league contract, tweets Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Wolters, a client of the VC Sports Group, will presumably receive an invitation to Major League Spring Training.

Wolters, 30, was the Rockies’ primary catcher for several years, logging 320 games behind the dish in Colorado from 2017-20 and appearing in 77% of the team’s games between the 2019 season and shortened 2020 campaign. The former third-round pick was long touted for his plus defense, which helped him to offset a lack of offensive prowess. Wolters hit .259/.327/.395 as a rookie in 2016 (although that was just a 77 wRC+ after accounting for Coors Field), but he’s mustered only a .229/.320/.295 output in 1036 plate appearances since that time.

Wolters has spent the past two seasons with the Cubs and Dodgers, respectively, but only appeared in 14 games with the Cubs in ’21 and two games with the Dodgers in ’22. He posted decent Triple-A numbers between the two teams in 2021 (.240/.348/.385 in 260 plate appearances) but limped to a .230/.321/.284 line in 234 trips to the plate with the Dodgers’ top minor league affiliate in 2022.

As noted, however, Wolters has long been a glove-first option behind the plate. He’s thrown out 31% of runners who’ve attempted to steal against him in his career, comfortably better than the league average, has plus framing marks on the whole, and has amassed 24 Defensive Runs Saved in 2827 innings behind the plate.

The Twins signed Christian Vazquez to a three-year, $30MM contract earlier in the offseason, and he’s expected to split time with incumbent Ryan Jeffers behind the dish, comprising Minnesota’s top catching tandem. However, the Twins are thin on catching depth in the upper minors, so Wolters will provide some defensive-minded insurance in the event of an injury at the MLB level.

Twins Outright Mark Contreras

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The Twins have sent outfielder Mark Contreras outright to Triple-A St. Paul after he went unclaimed on waivers, according to his transactions log at MLB.com. He’d been designated for assignment last month after the Twins finalized their one-year contract with Joey Gallo.

Contreras has spent his entire career in the Minnesota organization. A seventh-round draftee in 2017, he spent nearly five years climbing the minor league ladder. The Twins selected the UC Riverside product onto their 40-man roster last May. He held that spot for the rest of the season, although he continued to spend much of the year on optional assignment to St. Paul. Contreras got into 28 big league contests, hitting .121/.148/.293 with 21 strikeouts and only one walk in his first 61 plate appearances.

The 27-year-old (28 later this month) showed a fair bit better with the Saints. Contreras put up a .237/.317/.418 line through 423 Triple-A plate appearances last year. He connected on 15 home runs and 21 doubles while stealing 23 bases in only 25 attempts. The left-handed hitter showed an intriguing combination of power and athleticism, but swing-and-miss concerns eventually squeezed him off the roster. Contreras punched out in nearly 30% of his trips to the plate at the highest minor league level and he has a 27.9% strikeout percentage throughout his minor league career.

Contreras had never before been outrighted and has fewer than three years of major league service. That means he does not have the ability to refuse the assignment for free agency. He’ll stick in the organization without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he receives a non-roster invitation to big league Spring Training before heading back to St. Paul as outfield depth.

Twins Have Shown Interest In Michael Wacha

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The Twins have shown interest in free-agent righty Michael Wacha, per Dan Hayes and Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic. There’s no indication talks between the two parties have been particularly serious to this point, but Wacha would give Minnesota a veteran arm to help stabilize the back of the rotation if a deal eventually came together.

Wacha, 31, posted a sharp 3.32 ERA in 127 1/3 innings with the Red Sox in 2022, though he did so with a sub-par 20.2% strikeout rate and a 93.2 mph average fastball that tied his previous career-low. Wacha’s 6.0% walk rate was excellent, but he also rather clearly benefited both from some good fortune on balls in play (.260 BABIP) and a career-high 80.3% strand rate that topped his 72.9% career mark by more than seven percentage points. Fielding-independent metrics generally felt Wacha was solid but not to the extent that his baseline ERA might indicate (4.14 FIP, 4.07 SIERA).

That was Wacha’s first productive season since the 2018 campaign, however. The 2012 first-round pick was a steady contributor with the Cardinals, when healthy, from 2013-18 (741 innings, 3.77 ERA, 3.68 FIP, 4.07 SIERA). However, from 2019-21, Wacha was rocked for a 5.11 ERA in 285 1/3 innings, settling for a series of one-year contracts in free agency while dealing with previously unseen levels of susceptibility to home runs; Wacha averaged a whopping 1.83 home runs per nine innings pitched in that three-year span after previously surrendering just 0.86 long balls per nine frames from 2013-18.

The fit with the Twins is at least a bit muddled, if only due to the number of comparable options Minnesota has in its rotation already. The Twins’ starting staff currently projects to include Sonny Gray, Joe Ryan, Tyler Mahle, Kenta Maeda and Bailey Ober, with depth options including prospects such as Louie Varland, Josh Winder, Simeon Woods Richardson and Matt Canterino (among others).

That said, each of Gray, Mahle, Maeda and Ober dealt with injury issues in 2022. Gray had multiple IL stints due to hamstring strains. Mahle twice landed on the injured list due to shoulder troubles. Ober, meanwhile, was out roughly half the season due to a groin strain. And Maeda, of course, didn’t pitch in 2022 as he recovered from 2021 Tommy John surgery. Given that protracted layoff and a complete lack of innings in ’22, Maeda figures to have his workload monitored in 2023.

Adding Wacha to the fold would provide some injury insurance, though Wacha himself comes with a lengthy injury history. He’s been on the injured list four times due to shoulder injuries in his decade-long MLB career, including an absence spanning more than a month just this past season. He’s also been sent to the injured list by oblique and intercostal strains, patellar tendinitis in his left knee and a hamstring strain. Most of the injuries were overcome in relatively short order, but a 2019 oblique strain and a stress reaction in his shoulder back in 2014 did result in stints on the 60-day IL.

A signing of Wacha or any other veteran starter would give the Twins another capable arm to help piece together the starting staff, but it could also further embolden the front office to pursue upgrades on the trade market. Much of Minnesota’s offseason hinged on its efforts to re-sign Carlos Correa, and while that ship perhaps hasn’t technically sailed just yet — Correa and the Mets have yet to announce a deal while working through concerns on the infielder’s physical — it’s decidedly unlikely he’ll return. In the meantime, the majority of the game’s top free agents signed elsewhere, leaving few alternatives for the Twins to pursue now that they’ve missed out on their top target.

The Twins have signed catcher Christian Vazquez and outfielder Joey Gallo, so they haven’t been completely dormant to this point in the winter. Still, there’s a need for further upgrades at various spots on the roster. Just as signing Gallo seemed to further create the possibility of a trading one of the organization’s many left-handed-hitting outfielders, an addition in the rotation could lead to the possibility of a trade involving some of that pitching depth.

As far as payroll is concerned, the Twins can afford virtually any free agent or trade target they like at this point. Byron Buxton, Gray, Gallo, Vazquez, Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Maeda are guaranteed a combined $67.625MM in 2023, and the Minnesota’s projected arbitration salaries add up to just under $32MM. Suffice it to say, the Twins aren’t particularly close to the more than $140MM they spent on 2022 payroll.

It’s been a generally quiet offseason with regard to Wacha, as the Orioles have been the only other publicly linked team to the veteran righty. However, he’s one of the few remaining free-agent starters who’s coming off a solid season, joining Johnny Cueto, Zack Greinke and Zach Davies in that regard. At this point, Wacha is arguably the top free-agent starter remaining based on his combination of age and track record, so it’s easy to envision his market picking up some steam in the weeks ahead.

Twins’ Outfield Depth Gives Front Office Numerous Trade Possibilities

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The Twins entered the offseason with ample payroll room but have mostly stuck to smaller-scale additions. Kyle Farmer was brought in from the Reds to act as shortstop insurance in the event Carlos Correa departed. Christian Vázquez inked a three-year free agent deal to address the catcher situation the front office had prioritized, while Joey Gallo signed a one-year deal two weeks ago.

That latter move added another left-handed bat to what had already been a fairly crowded outfield mix. Even with Mark Contreras designated for assignment in a corresponding move, the Twins have nine listed outfielders on their 40-man roster. Six of them hit left-handed, which makes it seem likely they’ll subtract at least one from the group in a deal that nets help elsewhere on the roster.

Most of the attention will be focused on right fielder Max Kepler. He’s the most straightforward trade candidate in the outfield and has drawn some interest earlier in the offseason. Kepler is the most expensive of the group, due at least $9.5MM through the end of next season on the contract extension he signed back in 2019. Controllable via club option through 2024, he has the least amount of contractual control of anyone in the group.

That could all make the 29-year-old Kepler the most likely Twins outfielder to be dealt, but it’s also going to tamp down the appeal he’ll have on the trade market. He’s coming off a .227/.318/.348 line with just nine home runs through 446 plate appearances, his second straight season hitting slightly worse than league average. Kepler’s 36-homer showing from 2019 looks like an outlier. His plus defense in right field, quality plate discipline and perhaps a forthcoming benefit from the limitations on shifting mean he should still have some trade value on his contract, but Minnesota’s not likely to recoup an overwhelming return.

If the offers on Kepler aren’t especially persuasive, could president of baseball operations Derek Falvey, GM Thad Levine and their staff turn attention elsewhere? Minnesota has a number of younger outfielders who could instead be made available, particularly if the deal nets them help at shortstop and/or in higher-leverage relief innings.

  • Nick Gordon (controllable through 2027, likely eligible for arbitration after 2023)

Gordon might be the most appealing of the bunch. A former top five draftee and highly-regarded prospect, his status dipped from 2018-21. Gordon’s bat had seemed to stall out in the upper minors and his middle infield defense wasn’t exceptional enough to overcome it. It seemed as if he could find himself on the roster bubble after a tough rookie season in 2021, but Gordon was a valuable utility option for Minnesota last year. He hit .272/.316/.427 with nine homers in 443 plate appearances. Defensive metrics didn’t love his work up the middle but considered him a roughly average left fielder.

The 27-year-old isn’t entirely without question marks. He has a very aggressive offensive approach that consistently leads to modest walk totals. Some clubs figure to have concerns about how often he’ll maintain a suitable on-base percentage. Yet he’s also shown some defensive flexibility and hit very well when holding the platoon advantage. Last season, Gordon posted a .289/.329/.465 line against right-handed pitching and his 41.5% hard hit rate against northpaws ranked 12th among 299 hitters with 200+ plate appearances. He’s exhausted his minor league option years, meaning he has to stick on the big league roster.

  • Trevor Larnach (controllable through 2027, eligible for arbitration after 2024)

Larnach is also a former first-round pick who was a top minor league talent for a number of seasons. He’s shown solid power and plate discipline in the minors but the production has been more intermittent against big league pitching. The Oregon State product is a .226/.316/.371 hitter in 130 MLB games the past two years. Larnach has walked at a robust 10.2% clip while making plenty of hard contact. He’s offset those promising numbers with a few more grounders than ideal and, more importantly, a strikeout rate pushing 34%.

While he doesn’t have much defensive versatility, Larnach is a quality defender in the corner outfield. He’ll be 26 in February and is still two seasons from qualifying for arbitration. He probably hasn’t done enough to cement himself as an everyday player in the crowded Minnesota outfield but has shown enough promise to believe he could be a quality regular if he can even modestly improve his contact rate. Larnach’s 2022 season ended in June after he underwent surgery to repair a strain in his core muscle. He still has a pair of minor league options remaining, so it’s possible he heads back to Triple-A St. Paul if he sticks in Minnesota.

  • Alex Kirilloff (controllable through 2027, likely eligible for arbitration after 2023)

Another former first-round draftee and top prospect, Kirilloff hasn’t yet found much MLB success. He’s a .251/.295/.398 hitter in 104 MLB games, a disappointing start for a player whose bat is his carrying tool. It’s obvious Kirilloff’s capable of more if he can stay healthy, though, considering he’s had each of the past two seasons cut short by right wrist issues that necessitated surgery.

Kirilloff is still just 25 and mashed with St. Paul in 2022, posting a .359/.465/.641 line with ten homers in 35 games. That brought his career minor league slash line up to .328/.378/.519 in parts of five seasons. The Minnesota front office may have no interest in selling low on Kirilloff given that kind of offensive upside, but other clubs figure to at least inquire whether they can buy low given his injury issues. He has one option season left.

Wallner is the least established of the group. The former Southern Mississippi star just made it onto the MLB roster as a September call-up. He played 18 games down the stretch. Wallner, who draws praise from prospect evaluators for his power potential, otherwise split the season between Double-A Wichita and St. Paul. He hit .277/.412/.542 with 32 home runs in 571 plate appearances between the top two minor league levels. Wallner just turned 25 and still has all three options remaining.

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