It has been a quiet offseason for the Twins because the entrance workplace faces payroll constraints for a second straight offseason. Minnesota’s signing of Carlos Correa and extension for Pablo Lopez within the 2022-23 offseason — amongst different strikes — pushed the membership’s payroll up into the $150-160MM vary. Each offers got here simply months after proprietor Jim Pohlad took a step again as his nephew, Joe Pohlad, took on a much more outstanding position. That possession shuffle, coupled with the long-term nature of these offers, made it seem like there’d be an enduring bump in payroll.
Clearly, that hasn’t been the case. Amid uncertainty concerning the crew’s tv broadcast rights, possession slashed payroll again all the way down to the $130MM vary for the 2024 season. The Twins largely sat out the 2023-24 offseason, with their largest strikes coming through the commerce market (dealing Jorge Polanco to Seattle) and within the cut price aisle of free company (a $5.25MM deal for Carlos Santana being their costliest). On the finish of the 2024 season, Joe Pohlad introduced his intent to discover a possible sale of the crew.
That is led to much more uncertainty and inflexibility with the finances this offseason, as evidenced by the Twins’ full lack of exercise. RosterResource initiatives the Twins’ payroll at about $142MM. Possession would love that again into the $130MM vary once more. It is anticipated that in some unspecified time in the future they will commerce righty Chris Paddack, whose $7.5MM wage seems to be fairly reasonably priced when juxtaposed with the aggressive marketplace for starters this winter. They’re going to store Christian Vazquez however would wish to eat a few of his $10MM wage. A commerce of their glorious utilityman, Willi Castro, may be explored.
Hypothesis concerning the opportunity of larger-scale offers was inevitable, however president of baseball operations Derek Falvey stated early within the offseason that the crew views Correa, Lopez and Byron Buxton as “key” gamers to the crew’s 2025 outlook. Falvey has emphasised that the Twins are intent on contending in 2025, even because it seems to be like he’ll be compelled to search out methods to trim participant payroll earlier than making a single addition.
A Correa commerce at all times appeared far-fetched. He is owed $128MM over the subsequent 4 years and has a full no-trade clause. Buxton additionally has full no-trade safety. Nonetheless, the current report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan that the Twins have no less than listened to affords on Lopez presents a much more compelling thought train. Lopez’s contract is teeming with surplus worth in a means that is not true — or is not as true, anyway — of the Twins’ different costliest gamers.
Buying and selling Lopez would ignite swift backlash from an already annoyed and put-off fanbase. On the identical time, the large return and the potential avenues for restructuring the crew within the wake of such a shocking deal are compelling sufficient that it is comprehensible if the Twins carry out due diligence to no less than see what the market would possibly bear.
Let’s dive into an admittedly very hypothetical have a look at why a Lopez commerce might truly enchantment to the Twins, who might be concerned, and the way the Twins might proceed (and probably enhance) within the aftermath.
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