The Minnesota Twins made their first big move of the offseason on Monday night, trading second baseman Jorge Polanco to the Seattle Mariners for four players, including two major league pitchers and a top-100 prospect. However, the $8 million in cash the Twins received in this deal suggests more deals are in the works.
At the beginning of the offseason, trading Polanco, the team's longest-tenured player, was considered a foregone conclusion because of the depth of the Twins' infield. With up-and-coming stars Edouard Julien and Royce Lewis, and top prospect Brooks Lee already in Triple-A, the Twins have a wealth of talented young infielders.
After considering offers for several months, the Twins said Monday they can't pass on a trade to acquire final reliever Justin Topa, starting pitcher Anthony DeSclafani, outfield prospect Gabriel Gonzalez and Low-A pitcher Darren Bowen. I decided that. Club officials also confirmed that Seattle included the $6 million it received from San Francisco in the Jan. 5 trade for DeSclafani, plus an additional $2 million.
Twins President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey indicated that the money will be rolled into the 2024 payroll as the club aims to fill out its roster by Opening Day.
“We're trying to find ways to make further contributions in 2024, and we're also looking to the future,” Falvey said. “This was the first deal for us where we did both in a way that felt like it crossed the line. … We're using some of that money to work on other ways to improve the club. We still think there are ways we can leverage that to help us. That was our goal. That was our mission. We've really recovered in the last 24 hours and gotten as far as we can get. We'll continue to do so. We'll look for ways to add. But adding a starter, adding a reliever and two prospects that we really like was just a deal we couldn't ignore.”
The deal is 4 players to 1 player, but the money returned should allow the Twins to acquire more talent.
Thank you, 11! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/QFQriVQBIA
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) January 30, 2024
At least that provides financial flexibility in a situation where the Twins, who don't yet have a 2024 broadcast rights deal, own very little. Earlier this offseason, the Twins revealed they expected to take a pay cut, possibly up to $30 million. The club spent a franchise-record $154 million to win the American League Central title in 2023 and advance to the AL District Series, ending a dreadful 18-game playoff losing streak in the process.
However, due to salary cuts, the Twins allowed veteran starting pitchers Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda to leave in free agency earlier this offseason, and did not re-sign slugger Joey Gallo. These departures and several others have reduced the Twins' estimated 2024 salary to approximately $125 million next season. Despite Chris Paddack's expected return to the starting rotation, his departure in free agency leaves the Twins, who were expected to win the American League Central division again, with some major holes in their team. Ta.
DeSclafani, who is making $12 million this season, is said to be healthy in 2023 despite suffering a flexor strain and will compete for a rotation spot in 2024 with Louis Berland. The money Seattle included also means the Twins saved $6.5 million after trading Polanco. Polanco will make $10.5 million in 2024 and has a team option for $12 million in 2025, but the team will only pay $4 million of DeSclafani's salary.
Topa, who went 5-4 with a 2.61 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 69 innings, fills the void left by the departure of softball reliever Emilio Pagán, who signed with Cincinnati earlier this offseason. With DeSclafani and Topa on the pitching staff, Falvey said the Twins will likely use the money saved on the position player side. The Twins could use that to address questions they have at first base and the outfield.
The club is excited about the possibility of Byron Buxton returning to center field in 2024, but may want to add a backup plan as insurance for his twice-repaired knee. Last year, the Twins traded for Michael A. Taylor in January, a move that paid off because Buxton was limited on the field.
The team has not yet found a replacement for veteran infielder Donovan Solano, who primarily played first base. The Twins may want to add another first baseman, considering Jose Miranda and Alex Kirillov each underwent shoulder surgeries in October.
Monday's trade greatly reduces the possibility of infield congestion.
With talented infielders such as Julien, Lee, Carlos Correa, Ruiz, Farmer, Miranda, and Kirillov, as well as utility men such as Willie Castro, Nick Gordon, and Austin Martin, the Twins will have Polanco at the end of the year. I was considering trading. Last season.
Julien will be the team's primary second baseman when spring training begins on February 14th.
“There are a lot of bodies, there are a lot of men,” Falvey said. “Of course, we never wavered that everything would work out perfectly, but we knew it was deep territory. Our focus will be on getting Eddie as many reps as possible at second base. ”
Julien's breakthrough rookie season has made Polanco, who hit .255/.335/.454 with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs in 80 games last season, expendable.
Still, Polanco was as essential as he was in Minnesota.
Jorge Polanco played a pivotal role for Minnesota. (Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images)
He first arrived on the scene in 2014 and eventually plateaued in 2016, appearing in 69 games that season. The following year, Polanco surprised the league by batting third in 32 innings for the club, finishing with a record of 34 wins and 22 losses, and in 2016, the Twins bounced back from 103 losses to earn a wild card berth.
Polanco then bounced back from an 80-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs before the start of the 2018 season. In the second half, his batting average returned to .288, and he also participated in the 2019 All-Star Game, and as a member of the Twins' “Bomba Squad,” he recorded a batting average of .295/.356/.485, 22 home runs, and 79 RBIs, and achieved an All-Star appearance. did. He broke the single-season home run record with 307 round trips. Polanco continued to improve in 2021 after 2019, hitting a career-high 33 home runs and driving in 98 RBIs.
But over the past few seasons, Polanco has had health issues. After dealing with his ankle injuries in 2019 and 2020, Polanco suffered a knee injury that caused him to miss the final 37 games of the 2022 season and remain him until the 2023 season. Despite rehabbing throughout the offseason, Polanco suffered a setback late in spring training and started the 2023 season on injured reserve.
Polanco's knee was healthy enough to make his debut on April 21, but then a hamstring injury slowed him down. He was placed on the IL in May and June, missing a combined 53 games, and did not return until July 28.
Upon his return, Polanco finally remained on the field and continued to bat for the remainder of the game. Polanco played in 50 of the team's past 57 games and posted an .817 OPS. The Twins won 30 games and lost 20 games.
The team made the playoffs four times in seven seasons with Polanco as a full-time player.
“(He) has been a steadying presence for us for a really long time,” Falvey said. “When I talked to him earlier, I said, 'Listen, you're always a twin in many ways, and you never know how this world is going to come back in baseball.' This was a difficult decision, not just from a baseball standpoint of how to evaluate him as a player, but especially when you think about him as a person. And the type of teammate he is.”
Gabriel Gonzalez extends his hitting streak to 14 games!
of @MarinersThe third-ranked prospect (91st in MLB) currently has six home runs. @EverettAquaSox. pic.twitter.com/Exr8GQaO9C
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 2, 2023
The difficult decision to trade Polanco was made easier by the addition of Gonzalez, who was ranked the No. 66 prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline. Gonzalez, a 5-foot-10, 165-pound right-handed outfielder, batted .298/.361/.476 with 18 home runs and 84 RBIs between Low-A and High-A last season. Gonzalez, who turned 20 earlier this month, plans to be a corner outfielder, joining Lee and outfielders Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez to give the Twins another top-100 shot. Become.
The team also likes Bowen and feels he is a pitcher who can still improve. Bowen, a 13th-round draft pick in 2022, went 4-2 with a 3.88 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 55 2/3 innings for Low-A Modesto this season.
“This is an important part,” Falvey said. “When we talk about how we can look to the present and look to the future on the other side, this is one of those deals that doesn’t always come together like this, but ultimately we We have come together in a way that allows us to: address the present and the future.”
(Top photo: Jorge Polanco: Ron Schwan/Getty Images)
