One thing is for certain, their bullpen needs to be completely overhauled. The massive exodus at the trade deadline wiped out virtually every relief arm.

Thankfully Falvey has proven relatively adept at building good bullpen groups. Emilio Pagan is a former success story for him, but don’t expect a reunion in the year ahead.

Emilio Pagan is a hot free agent commodity

Just before Opening Day of the 2022 season the Minnesota Twins flipped closer Taylor Rogers to the San Diego Padres for Emilio Pagan and Chris Paddack. The former was an immediately play while the latter was a long-term piece. Pagan wound up working out better than Paddack, and he’s put together some nice years since.

Now 34 years old, the veteran reliever is drawing significant interest on the open market. Cincinnati Reds beat writer Gordon Wittenmyer suggests the market is robust early for Pagan.

Insiders say he has at least 10 teams already showing interest in signing him as a free agent, a healthy enough market that the right-hander who made $8 million each of the last two seasons should command far north of that by the time guys like Edwin Diaz and Robert Suarez help establish the closer market.

Cincinnati Inquirer

Pagan spent the past two seasons pitching for the Reds, and it was his 2025 that really jumped off the page. Across 68 2/3 innings this past season, he posted a 2.88 ERA (3.72 FIP) with a 10.6 K/9.

Home runs have routinely been a problem for Pagan (1.5 HR/9 career) and replicating the 0.6 HR/9 from 2023 with the Twins didn’t seem likely in Cincinnati. Great American Ballpark favors hitters, and while Pagan allowed 1.4 HR/9 in his two seasons there, the overall results were still positive.

Emilio Pagán's 2Ks in the 9th. ⛽️ pic.twitter.com/joL3wXtDBb

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 5, 2025

There isn’t a serious concern for aging either. The 95.8 mph average fastball velocity in 2025 was the highest mark of his career. He’s a heavy four-seam, sinker, and cutter guy who misses bats and generates chase.

Each of the past two seasons Pagan has made $8 million with the Reds. It would hardly be a shock to see him get an annual bump from that, and there’s just no way the Minnesota Twins are going to play in that market. Minnesota needs bullpen help, and a reunion would work, but he’s at least $5 million to steep for the franchise.

The Seattle Mariners kicked off free agency spending by handing former Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor a five-year deal on Sunday night. Minnesota must protect their Rule 5 Draft eligible prospects before the Tuesday deadline.

Flashback to 2020, an interesting time for a bunch of different reasons. The Minnesota Twins, along with the rest of the MLB participated in a truncated 60-game season, where they went 36-24, but never had a winning streak longer than six games. That pitching staff had some interesting names on it… including 40-year-old Rich Hill.

Royals sign former Minnesota Twins starter Rich Hill

Most professional baseball players don’t make it into their mid-30s, before leaving the game. Not Hill. Five years after what we thought was a last hoorah in Minnesota, the former 2002 4th round pick out of Michigan is signing with his 14th MLB team. This time it’s a minor league deal with the 45-year-old’s 14th MLB organization, the Kansas City Royals.

We have signed LHP Rich Hill to a minor league contract. He will report to Surprise and is expected to join Omaha (AAA) soon.

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) May 13, 2025

Last season Rich Hill returned to Boston. He pitched just 3 2/3 innings at the major league level. It was his sixth season with the Red Sox though. He waited for an opportunity to present itself in 2025, and now the Kansas City Royals have come calling.

Related: What is Fueling This Minnesota Twins Hot Streak?

Hill has not pitched professionally since the 5 2/3 innings he threw for the Boston Red Sox organization last season, between Triple-A and the big leagues. While the deal is a minor league one, it stands to reason that the now 45-year-old left-hander will get his shot back in the MLB very soon, or this deal doesn’t get done.

In 2023 Hill pitched 146 1/3 innings for the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. His 4.76 ERA (4.43 FIP) with Pittsburgh landed him in San Diego for the stretch run. He flopped to the tune of an 8.23 ERA (6.77 FIP) in 27 1/3 innings, however.

Rich Hill, 70mph Breaking Ball (home plate view/tail).

In case you were wondering what 20 inches of break looks like. pic.twitter.com/qlSxHVFqfl

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 28, 2021

Hill has never been a high velocity arm. As a rookie, he threw 90 mph. Last year with the Red Sox, he averaged 87.6 mph on his fastball. Rich Hill is a spin doctor, who uses his curveball 38.1% of the time over the course of his career.

Where does Hill fit for the Royals?

It remains to be seen how many turns Hill will take in Omaha, but it’s very plausible the Twins could see him at some point this season. The Minnesota Twins are set to play against the division rival Royals in 10 days, but then they won’t see them again until early-August.

It seems unlikely that Kansas City would insert Rich Hill into the starting rotation. Their group of Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic, Cole Ragans, and Michael Lorenzen have each made all of their starts. Kansas City is also 25-18, good for second in the AL Central Division.

Related: Big Time MLB Insider Suggests MN Twins Could Consider Trading… Byron Buxton

The bullpen may present an opportunity though, and Hill brings a left-handed presence to the group. Southpaw Angel Zerpa has thrown 15 innings for Kansas City and owns a gaudy 7.20 ERA (6.18 FIP). That’s not a high bar for Hill to clear, and he brings the veteran presence with him.

It will be interesting to see how quickly the Royals deem Hill ready to compete. If they do, Hill could have runway to stick if things work out. He would be nearly 10 years older than every teammate with Mark Canha (36) being the current elder statesman.

In recent seasons, they have targeted right-handed hitters who can not just fill in for him in center, but who can provide a good defensive glove and righty bat to compliment the many lefties they have in the corner outfield spots, like Matt Wallner and Trevor Larnach in 2024 and 2025.

This season the Twins signed Harrison Bader, a former gold glove, to be that fourth right-handed hitting outfielder. Minnesota extra outfielder strategy has had a varied amount of success the last couple seasons.

In 2023, they hit on Michael A Taylor, who played in 129 games (388 PA) and had a career year (.220/.278/.442) posting his highest OPS (.720) since 2017. That’s the type of season they hope to get from Bader.

What they don’t want from their newest outfielder is what they got out of last season’s Michael A. Taylor replacement, Manuel Margot, who was brought in to fill the same role, but ended up being one of the worst outfield free agent signings in Minnesota Twins history, slashing .238/.289/.337 (.626 OPS) for just a 76 OPS+.

Former Minnesota Twins outfielder Manuel Margot surfaces with Milwaukee

As of this morning, the 30-year-old Margot had yet to find a new home for 2025. But Friday afternoon, after he was spotted in the Milwaukee Brewers clubhouse, Jon Heyman (NY Post) reported that the failed 2024 Twins signing settled for a minor league deal across the border, with an invite to spring training.

Manny Margot to Brewers. Minors deal with MLB camp invite.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 21, 2025

The Brewers haven’t made the transaction official, but the minor league deal isn’t going to make any waves. He’ll likely have an opt out if he doesn’t make the roster, and is definitely hoping for a better 2025 season.

Related: Brooks Lee May Not Join Twins on Opening Day

Margot made $10 million in 2024, $6 million of which was paid by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He . He won’t see anywhere near that payday this season even if he’s able to make the Brewers roster.

Manuel Margot, pinch hitting (0-28 as a pinch hitter) earns a walk and jokingly high steps to first pic.twitter.com/pTDlP9YgV9

— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) August 31, 2024

The real ineptitude for Margot last season was an inability to produce as a pinch hitter. Rocco Baldelli continued to trot him out there, and Margot responded by going a franchise-worst 0-for-30 in pinch hitting situations. As a substitute, routinely inserted as a platoon player, Margot went a dismal 8-for-68 with two extra-base hits.

Broadcaster Cory Provus specifically alluded to Baldelli’s usage of Margot when wondering if the Twins will change managerial style in certain situations this year.

Can Manuel Margot bounce back with Brewers?

It’s not exactly shocking that the Minnesota Twins had belief Margot could be of benefit to them. With Tampa Bay in 2023 Margot slashed .264/.310/.376. He also had a .713 OPS against southpaws, and that certainly lined up with what Minnesota was attempting to get from him.

There was probably no reason to believe that Margot would find the 104 OPS+ he posted with the Rays back in 2022. What the MN Twins didn’t expect was for Margot to a negative defensively. But that’s what they got.

Manuel Margot owned a -3 DRS (defensive runs saved) and -5 OAA (outs above average) across all outfield positions last year. Those were easily the worst marks of his career. Now into his 30’s, he’ll need to prove he has more in the tank.

Related: Carlos Correa Not Wearing Cleats at Twins Practice?

It was a tough pill for Minnesota to swallow after getting exceptional defense in the same role from Michael A. Taylor last season. Not only did Taylor have a 92 OPS+, but his 5 DRS and 8 OAA weren’t much of a drop-off from Buxton’s typical production. It remains to be seen where Margot fits for Milwaukee.

He won’t play over star youngster Jackson Chourio. He’s also a lesser option than Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick. The veteran may provide insurance for lefty Christian Yelich. If Margot does make the roster and stick around, he’ll see his former Minnesota Twins teammates for a matchup in mid-May and late-June.

Derek Falvey had little ability to do much besides sit on his hands and wait for the bargain bin to shake out. He worked through moves to grab Danny Coulombe, Ty France, and Harrison Bader. If that’s uninspiring, it’s because it was always going to be.

MN Twins offseason near-bottom of entire Major League Baseball

Spring Training has kicked off and the Twins play their first game on Saturday. Non-roster invitees joined for full squad workouts this week. That doesn’t mean reflecting on how they got here brings any sort of warm fuzzies.

The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman handed Minnesota a “D” grade. That ranks better than only the Colorado Rockies (F) and St. Louis Cardinals (F) for the winter.

“After three months of browsing in the bargain bin because of the outgoing ownership’s payroll constraints, the Twins signed Harrison Bader, Danny Coulombe and Ty France to one-year deals totaling $10.25 million just before camp opened. They’re all useful depth pieces, but the Twins made no other additions to the major-league roster and opted against bringing in a higher-upside replacement for Santana at first base.

No one in Minnesota is shocked by the offseason inactivity, and criticism should be directed more at ownership than a front office with very little spending room, but it would be hard to argue the Twins have made a meaningful effort to improve last season’s fourth-place roster that collapsed down the stretch. Bader at $6.25 million is the Twins’ most expensive pickup, via signing or trade, in the past 25 months.”

Aaron Gleeman on the Minnesota Twins offseason (The Athletic)

On one hand, it’s understandable (even aside from the financial limitations) that the Twins did so little. The bulk of the roster is already decided upon, and strength of their season will be reflective of health and internal depth.

Related: New Twins Hitting Coaches Mandating More Preparation and Structure

On the other hand, it’s disappointing that Minnesota again failed to supplement a team that crumbled down the stretch despite being in postseason contention.

Bader’s addition can’t be worse than what Manuel Margot provided, and should be substantially better. Coulombe should clear the bar that Caleb Thielbar left. The biggest question mark is just where France will land in relation to what Minnesota got from Carlos Santana.

The Twins have spent next to no money after locking down Carlos Correa to a six-year deal. That isn’t the sort of situation he had to believe he was joining. The hope remains a new owner will quickly infuse the organization with a boost of cash.

Not just the Twins came up short

For all of the consternation that gets directed at the Los Angeles Dodgers, their desire to spend isn’t the greatest problem. Of course the amount of significant additions the reigning champions earned them an “A.” The amount of other owners and organizations unwilling to add is lengthy though.

The MN Twins are joined by three other franchises (Milwaukee, San Diego, and Seattle) to earn “D” grades this offseason. Effectively that makes Minnesota’s offseason one of the six-worst across the entirety of the sport.

Related: Harrison Bader’s Main Role with Minnesota Twins Revealed

A greater desire to spend any amount of money would be something of praise. It’s been two years since the Twins carried a franchise-record payroll north of $160 million. It’s probably not a coincidence that the 2023 season resulted in the greatest postseason run in decades.

Jim Bowden previously praised the Twins this offseason for “standing pat.” While they have plenty of talent internally, I’m not sure that’s necessarily something to be admired for.

AL Central leaves Minnesota in the dust

Although Gleeman is a writer for the Twins beat, he has a strong grasp of the AL Central as a whole. Tasked with evaluating the entire division, only Minnesota’s offseason was hit with such a low grade.

Both Kansas City and Chicago were given “C” grades for their efforts. The Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians earned “B” marks from Gleeman. The division is currently projected to go through Minnesota, but how much Detroit and Cleveland separate themselves will be worth watching.

Related: Top Projection System Says Minnesota Twins Win Division

The Twins need to lean into their stars and have them healthy this season. As is always the case, the more Correa, Royce Lewis, and Byron Buxton are on the field, the better.

Jim Bowden praises Minnesota Twins patience

After the Pohlads cut spending substantially before the 2024 season, money has been tight. While not everyone paying attention is happy with what Derek Falvey has done with the few dollars he has, but one MLB insider loves what this front office has done during the past few months… even if it was mostly nothing.

The Athletic’s Jim Bowden agrees.

“The Twins didn’t have any glaring weaknesses on their roster outside of a possible need for a right-handed-hitting outfielder, which they finally addressed with last week’s signing of Harrison Bader. Apart from that, they signed lefty reliever Danny Coulombe to a $3 million deal, added first baseman/DH Ty France on a non-guaranteed $1 million contract and made two small trades to acquire catchers Mickey Gasper and Diego Cartaya. Largely standing pat made sense for business reasons (ownership is exploring a sale of the franchise) but also baseball reasons: Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis all spent considerable time on the injured list last season, and if the Twins can keep their star trio relatively healthy this year, that should be enough to get Minnesota back to October baseball.”

Jim Bowden on the Twins offseason (The Athletic)

If your goal is to “stand pat,” then Bowden’s designation of the MN Twins doing the best job of it is probably fair. As they have made a habit of in recent seasons, Minnesota sat back. It’s only been over the last week that bullpen help, and outfield addition, and a first baseman were signed.

Danny Coulombe, Wicked 85mph Breaking Ball. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/i0K1ylKIZV

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 14, 2024

So much of what the Twins intend to do this season remains reliant on the core they return from 2024. That’s understandable though given the commitments already made to players like Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, and Royce Lewis. Last season they got just 86, 102, and 82 games respectively from that trio.

Sure, Minnesota could have (and should have) spent substantially more on higher-tier upgrades. The spots they had available to do so were understandably limited though. Any chance for the Twins to win the division rests on the production and availability of players already on the roster.

Related: 2025 Minnesota Twins Opening Day Roster Projection (1.0)

Spring Training kicks off this week. It was the end of the time in Fort Myers last year that saw the bullpen get decimated. The team needs a clean bill of health as they head to St. Louis, and they need that to continue throughout the year.

This team is a solid club as currently constructed. Angst can still be sent towards the Pohlad family, and they can’t leave soon enough. That doesn’t change the fact that the front office didn’t have significant heavy lifting to do.

That’s when the Twins signed familiar lefty reliever Danny Coulombe to a one-year deal. To that point, he was the first and only big-league free agent signing of the offseason for Minnesota. On Wednesday, Derek Falvey found the center field help he sought.

Harrison Bader signs with the Minnesota Twins

Over the past few seasons the Minnesota Twins have acquired a right-handed insurance policy for Byron Buxton in center field. Michael A. Taylor worked out pretty well for them in 2023. Last season, Manuel Margot showed us what a bad insurance policy looks like.

In 2025, according to Jon Heyman (NY Post, MLB Network), the Twins will turn to 30-year-old former Gold Glove winner Harrison Bader, who signed a one-year deal with Minnesota on Wednesday.

Harrison Bader to Twins. 1 year deal plus mutual option for 2026

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 5, 2025

Last season Harrison Bader looked like a fit for the Minnesota Twins. Both he and Kevin Kiermaier found $10-million deals as free agents, though. Bader get’s just $6.25 million this year guaranteed.

After posting a .236/.284/.373 line for the New York Mets, that number wasn’t realistic this time around. Bader was a Rookie of the Year candidate in 2018 and won a Gold Glove in 2021.

He owns just a 91 OPS+ over the course of his career, and it seems unlikely the Twins will revive the 101 OPS+ Bader posted across 419 games from 2018 to 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals. However, they did get a resurgence out of Taylor at 32 years old.

What else are the Twins getting in 30-year-old Bader?

Bader posted reverse splits in 2024 with a .681 OPS against righties. Over the course of his career though, the .776 OPS against southpaws outpaces his .669 OPS against right-handers. But where Harrison Bader makes his money and why he is now a Twin is his defense. Last season with the Mets, Bader posted 10 OAA (outs above average) across 1,025 innings.

A sliding catch from Harrison Bader! pic.twitter.com/DSlHPeR1Ky

— SNY (@SNYtv) May 2, 2024

Throughout his career, the Bronxville, NY native has consistently been in the double digits for OAA, which is a very telling defensive statistic. Now entering his 30s, Harrison Bader remains one of the more elite defenders in Major League Baseball.

In signing Bader, the Twins have someone capable of starting on a regular basis should Byron Buxton hit the injured list. He will also provide an opportunity for Buxton to get breathers, and there will be nothing lost defensively as opposed to starting Austin Martin or Willi Castro in center field.

Related: Royce Lewis Ultimately Destined to Play… First Base?

A mutual option tagged to the deal likely won’t be exercised. If Bader outperforms his contract, he’ll hit the open market again. If he plays anything close to Manuel Margot, Minnesota won’t want him. For now though, this is a perfect fit for a roster that was looking for this exact type of player.

When we all woke up on Tuesday morning the Twins bullpen — which is projected to be among the best in baseball — was looking like one of the better sections of their baseball team. The one thing they needed, however, was a lefty specialist.

Well, that isn’t the case anymore, Danny Coulombe should bring the exact veteran southpaw presence that the Minnesota Twins reliever core desperately needed. Better yet, he’s already familiar with the organization, which should make his transition seamless.

Danny Coulombe rejoins the Minnesota Twins

Out of all the holes left to fill in the Twins roster, this sort of deal seemed most inevitable. Coulombe is an affordable free agent who fills an exact need for the MN Twins. Coulombe will make $2.5 million in 2025. This is the first major league deal of Minnesota’s offseason… which ends in two weeks.

Danny Coulombe to the Twins, pending physical. Very solid back end bullpen now for Minnesota with Duran, Jax, Sands, etc.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 4, 2025

After three years with Minnesota, Coulombe spent a couple of years in Baltimore. His career was largely a mixed bag through the first five years. He joined the Twins in 2020 and unfortunately got hurt. He rebounded nicely in 2021 and took off from there.

Coulombe posted a 3.67 ERA with 33 strikeouts across 34 1/3 innings for the 2021 Twins. He’s a guy that doesn’t give up walks or home runs. Although Coulombe is best against lefties, he doesn’t have to be a strict LOOGY (lefty one out guy). The Twins have already signed plenty of those to minor league deals, anyway.

Danny Coulombe, Wicked 85mph Breaking Ball. 🤢 pic.twitter.com/i0K1ylKIZV

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 14, 2024

In two seasons with the Orioles, Coulombe threw 81 innings and compiled a 2.56 ERA. He had 90 strikeouts and allowed just seven home runs. He did deal with some injury concerns last season, and his durability is not necessarily the greatest.

Related: Top Projection System Says Minnesota Twins Win Division

Coulombe joins a loaded backend for Minnesota in the bullpen. Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran should shut down games late. The lefty takes over for Caleb Thielbar but offers more predictable production.

If Minnesota can keep the bulk of their relievers healthy, they have a strong group with a good mix of skills. Baldelli should feel a relative sense of comfort when needing to rely on that unit.

Minnesota was never going to be a real player in the Roki Sasaski sweepstakes, but their front office took advantage of Sasaki’s delayed decision by swooping in on another top-50 international prospect who planned to sign for the Dodgers but wasn’t willing to wait for LA, while they wait for Sasaki.

Minnesota Twins international free agents are piling up

We won’t know for sure until a decade from now, but when the dust settled on day one of MLB international free agency, new Twins president Derek Falvey and his small army of international scouts have to feel good about their haul of 17 international free agents… even if they won’t see the payoff for years to come.

So, without further ado, here is the entire list of Minnesota Twins international free agents for 2025 (per Baseball America). If more are added today, or in the future, this list will be updated.

Minnesota Twins signings today to start the 2025 signing period.

A breakdown of the players in the Twins class: https://t.co/uA9gWvhA7C pic.twitter.com/PRPoxjZBbS

— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) January 15, 2025

Minnesota’s international bonus pool was the largest of any team in the big leagues, at $7,555,500, money the Twins are able to allocate across their international free agent signings, at their own discretion.

Leon (24th ranked), a shortstop from Venezuela, generated the largest bonus at $1,697,500. Taveras (26th), should land a bonus above $1 million. Castillo (43rd) signed for $947,500 and Serrano (50th) is reported to have gotten around $1 million.

Related: Minnesota Twins Steal Top-50 International Prospect From Dodgers

What to know about the Twins new international prospects

Last season Minnesota signed just two top 50 international prospects in the form of Daiber De Los Santos and Eduardo Beltre. Each debuted in the organization this year for the Dominican Summer League team. That is also where this crop should be expected to head.

With four top 50 prospects in their class, the Twins did well to bring in talent. None rank quite as highly as De Los Santos (9th) in 2024, but the group shows quality and quantity as a whole.

Santiago Leon, SS

The top of the class is represented by Santiago Leon. His father, Jose, previously worked as a scout for Minnesota. Power is the carrying tool here, and he does have a chance to stick at shortstop. Even if he moves to third base, his arm strength should play enough to be dangerous.

Santiago Leon, one of the top shortstops in Venezuela, signs with the Minnesota Twinshttps://t.co/aCRAKA5LSP pic.twitter.com/yGDHcliIKT

— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) January 15, 2025

Carlos Taveras, OF

At just 16 years old, Taveras is already six foot and 185 pounds. He is an above-average runner, but not necessarily a burner. Right now there is hope he can stick in centerfield, but the totality of tools make him dangerous if things click even after moving to a corner.

Haritzon Castillo, SS

One of eight prospects to sign with Minnesota from Venezuella, Castillo joins Leon among the top 50 grouping. Castillo is a switch-hitting infielder that stands six feet tall. There isn’t a significant ceiling to drew on here, but the bat plays well already and he has a set of tools that should set him up for success as he progresses.

Venezuelan shortstop Haritzon Castillo signs with the Minnesota Twins. One of their top 2025 signings.https://t.co/aCRAKA5LSP pic.twitter.com/AQ2YsCWI2t

— Ben Badler (@BenBadler) January 15, 2025

Teilon Serrano, OF

Flipped to the Twins with Los Angeles pursuing the Roki Sasaki move, Serrano is a nice get to round out the ranked prospects. His speed is plus-plus and already grades out at 65. The bat will need help if everything is going to work, but he can track the baseball all over an expansive outfield. Even if he winds up being just a defender, those wheels should play.

Other highlights on 2025 Minnesota Twins international free agents

Infielder Jose Barrios — no not the former top pitching prospect who developed into an underwhelming starter who eventually got traded to Toronto — got a sizable signing bonus, as well, which means the Twins must believe in his upside. Pitcher Santiago Castellanos is already flirting with triple-digit velocity, at just 16 years old.

Related: Former Minnesota Twins Player Retires from Broadcast Booth

The practice of scouting international free agents is a difficult beast. A veteran scout named Roman Barinas now handles Latin America scouting for the Minnesota Twins. He was brought in from the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, where Serrano was originally supposed to land. No doubt Barinas fingerprints are all over the Minnesota Twins international free agent class of 2025.

Of course there are lots of dart throws in international free agency. Not everyone is a well-polished Shohei Ohtani, and not everyone turns into Juan Soto. Still the Twins wouldn’t mind another Emmanuel Rodriguez or two panning out from this group.

Max Kepler’s free agency should be fascinating for Minnesota Twins to observe

Max Kepler has known nothing but the Minnesota Twins over the course of his professional career. He signed with the organization as a teenager out of Germany, and now at 31 years old, he gets to experience free agency for the first time. MLB insider Mark Feinsand placed the outfielder amongst the third tier of his comprehensive free agent rankings.

“It’s been five years since Kepler’s breakout 2019 season, during which he set career highs with 36 home runs and 90 RBIs. He might have to settle for a one-year pillow deal to reestablish his value, but Kepler remains a solid defender with 25-home run power, making him a solid risk-reward candidate.”

Feinsand on Max Kepler (MLB.com)

Minnesota extended Kepler on a six-year, $41.13 million deal prior to the 2019 season. They certainly didn’t know the baseball was going to be juiced, but he became a key member of the Bomba Squad. That 123 OPS+ has never been matched by Kepler, and the years since have been largely mediocre. Across 519 games, he owns a 102 OPS+ that includes average counting stats across the board.

Related: Minnesota Twins Protect Two Rule 5 Prospects in 40-Man Moves

Kepler’s offensive profile has always been limited because of his approach at the plate. He doesn’t hit the ball hard, and doesn’t lift the baseball. He also doesn’t draw walks. The path to success is such a tight threading of the needle that it has always resulted in substantial ebbs and flows.

Related: Former Minnesota Twins Prospect Wins Rookie of the Year

There’s no reason why Kepler won’t find a home though. His defense remains well above average as a corner outfielder. If he can land in an advantageous ballpark like Cleveland or New York, then the offense could come back around as well. It would be a shock to see the Twins bring him back, and someone should be willing to pay him in the $10-15 million range per season.

MIGHTY MAX 💪💪💪

Max Kepler takes Trevor Bauer yard AGAIN. #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/4kB6MB2MJc

— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) July 13, 2019

Related: Former Minnesota Twins Closer Makes BBWAA Hall of Fame Ballot

No matter where he ends up, seeing Kepler in a different uniform is going to be jarring for a bit. You can bet there will be a tribute video the first time he returns to Target Field.

Former Twins litter lower tiers of free agency

It’s not just Max Kepler that is hitting the open market. Minnesota had multiple veterans depart this offseason, and there are plenty of players with ties to the organization that show up on Feinsand’s breakdown. Unfortunately for all of them, they check in among the lower tiers.

It seems relatively unlikely that Minnesota would be interested in the vast majority of their former talents. Jorge Polanco could be a decent stopgap at second base if he wanted to return on a cheap deal. There is a need at first base, but Santana may have had the last productive season of his career.

Related: Minnesota Twins Insist They Aren’t Interested in Trading Star Players

The Twins could be suitors for names like Roki Sasaki (Tier 2), Yusei Kikuchi (Tier 3), Tyler O’Neill (Tier 3), or any number of players in the lower tiers. Falvey must work his magic this offseason due to payroll constraints, and how that shakes out will determine where Minnesota finds themselves once the regular season begins.

Minnesota Twins sign former Royals reliever Josh Staumont

Well, whether it’s an old story or not, that’s what happened on Wednesday, when the Twins finally made their first move of the 2023-24 offseason, signing 30-year-old former Kansas City Royals reliever, Josh Staumont, to a one-year contract worth just under $1 million.

The Twins signed righty reliever Josh Staumont to a one-year deal. He spent the last five seasons in the Royals bullpen and underwent thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last summer.

— Bobby Nightengale (@nightengalejr) December 27, 2023

Related: Minnesota Twins Starters Project Top-10 in MLB; Near Best in AL

Staumont made his debut with the Royals as a 25-year-old and immediately made an impact out of their bullpen. By his third season (2021), he had become one of the best bullpen arms in baseball, posting a 2.88 ERA, 159 ERA+ and 1.066 WHIP in 65.2 innings.

But, as mentioned earlier, he’s struggled with injuries since then and he’s trying to make his legendary comeback in a Minnesota Twins uniform. Derek Falvey & Co have had some hits and misses in situations like this. Let’s hope Staumont is a hit.

What can Twins fans expect from Josh Staumont?

Josh’s biggest weakness has been lack of control. He’s prone to walking dudes regularly and beaning some every once in awhile, too. But you’ll have that sometimes with a guy that throws as hard and has as much movement as Staumont does.

You can see his elite stuff, and why the Twins are interested in him (especially for under $1 million), in these two strikeout pitches dating back to last summer, when he started a game for Kansas City as their ‘opener’.

Josh Staumont's 2 1st Inning Ks. pic.twitter.com/Rg1EDz5hlR

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 29, 2023

With the first batter, he drops a pretty disgusting 86 MPH slider on the outside corner vs a righty. In the same inning, he shaves the other corner with a 98 MPH heater that leaves lefty Nolan Gorman (Cardinals) wishing he had never stepped into the box.

Josh Staumont’s fastball averaged 95.6 MPH in 2023, down 1 MPH from 2022 and down 2.4 MPH from his shortened 2020 season average of 98 MPH. To end this post, here is Josh throwing some 99 MPH high heat in April, 2021.

Mr. Steal Yo Girl Josh Staumont just obliterating grown men this year: pic.twitter.com/Fi7XqkSl0t

— Matt C (@MattfromKC) April 29, 2021

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