3 free agents the Minnesota Twins should sign
BASEBALL IS BACK.
That feels so good to say. I wasn’t feeling confident in a deal getting done anytime soon. Just the other day it was reported that the first two weeks of the season would be canceled.
Nonetheless, free agency is back, but who could the Minnesota Twins sign before the start of the 2022 MLB season?
1. Trevor Story, SS
The Twins have a hole to fill at shortstop, and signing Trevor Story to a one-year deal seems like the most ideal situation.
Story would instantly add some pop into Minnesota’s starting lineup. The two-time All-Star finished the 2021 season hitting .251, with 24 home runs and 75 runs batted in. It wasn’t his best offensive season, but he’s still in the prime of his career and could easily get back to those 2018 and 2019 seasons.
The only concern would be how he plays away from Coors Field. Since 2016, he’s played five more games at home, but his numbers are drastically different.
- Home: 375 G, .303 BA, 95 HR, 279 RBI
- Away: 370 G, .241 BA, 63 HR, 171 RBI
The altitude helps batters out in Denver, and it’s exactly why I’d only give him a one-year deal. Plus, the Twins are anticipating Royce Lewis and Austin Martin in the coming years.
Story is a good defender and would fit in nicely alongside Josh Donalson and Jorge Polanco.
Hopefully, the Twins can fill a position of need and get a deal done with Story.
2. Yusei Kikuchi, SP
The Twins need starting pitching, and Yusei Kikuchi fits the bill.
The Japanese star pitcher made his MLB debut in 2019, and things didn’t go the way he would have liked. However, he finally made the All-Star game last season after putting up a 7-9 record and an ERA of 4.41.
If you look at his percentile rankings on Baseball Savant, you won’t be impressed. A lot of categories weren’t too kind to him, but that doesn’t necessarily tell the full story.
Kikuchi is great at striking out hitters. Per nine innings, the 30-year-old hit a career-high of 9.3.
If the Twins offense can play as we’ve seen in the past, Kikuchi would find a lot of success in Minnesota. There are some injury concerns, but if I’m the front office, I’d be good with giving him a one-year deal.
Minnesota will have a better opportunity next offseason to go after free agents.
Kikuchi makes a lot of sense on this Twins roster and would immediately be penciled in as a No. 1 or 2 starter.
3. Chris Archer, SP
Here’s another one-year candidate. I’m a huge fan of his game, but he’s coming off a serious injury in which he missed practically the full season. There’s a major concern there, especially since he’s 33 years old. He should be good to go by the start of the season if the Twins signed him today.
The two-time All-Star has been around the block for quite some time, and he would add a lot of veteran experience to this young starting rotation.
Last season he went 1-1, with an ERA of 4.66. One thing that’s stayed consistent since he’s entered the league is his ERA.
If Archer signed with Minnesota on a one-year deal, there wouldn’t be any pressure. It’s likely this is a rebuilding season, and maybe the Twins can bring him back to form.
One thought on “3 free agents the Minnesota Twins should sign”
Comments are closed.