How active will the Minnesota Twins be when MLB free agency officially opens at 4 p.m. Monday?
Nobody knows, but MLB.com’s Jim Duquette predicts the Twins will be interested in signing a starting pitcher and a closer. Here’s who he has on Minnesota’s radar.
Jason Vargas
Vargas was 12-3 with a 2.62 at the All-Star break before finishing 18-11 with a 4.06 ERA.
Fun fact about Vargas: He owned the slowest average MPH fastball (excluding knuckleball pitchers) among starting pitchers last season, according to the Kansas City Star. The soon-to-be 35-year-old left-handed starter rarely tops 87 mph with his heater.
If the Twins get him, he’d join Ervin Santana and Jose Berrios as sure things in the starting rotation. The other two spots would likely be up for grabs between Kyle Gibson, Adalberto Mejia, Phil Hughes, Felix Jorge, Stephen Gonsalves, and Fernando Romero, among other long shots.
Duquette projects Vargas is in line for a two-year, $24 million contract.
Wade Davis
The right-handed reliever was top 10 in Cy Young voting in 2014 and 2015 and he was pretty much unhittable in 2016 and 2017.
- 2014: 72 innings, 8 earned runs, 109 strikeouts, 23 walks
- 2015: 67.1 innings, 7 earned runs, 78 strikeouts, 20 walks
- 2016: 43.1 innings, 9 earned runs, 47 strikeouts, 16 walks
- 2017: 58.2 innings, 15 earned runs, 79 strikeouts, 28 walks
Duquette predicts Davis will get a four-year deal worth about $60 million.
The Cubs have until 4 p.m. to extend to Davis a $17.4 qualifying offer, which he could choose to turn down in favor of a multi-year deal, according to the Sun-Times.
GoMN sports producer Declan Goff will have more on Davis coming soon.
Greg Holland
Holland led the National League with 41 saves for the Rockies last season, which is impressive considering he didn’t pitch in 2016 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Like Davis, whom he was teammates with in Kansas City, Holland is capable of racking up strikeouts and making ninth innings very comfortable.
- 2013: 67 innings, 9 earned runs, 103 strikeouts, 18 walks
- 2014: 62.1 innings, 10 earned runs, 90 strikeouts, 20 walks
- 2015: 44.2 innings, 19 earned runs, 49 strikeouts, 26 walks
- 2017: 57.1 innings, 23 earned runs, 70 strikeouts, 26 walks
Holland turned down a $15 million player option he had to stay with the Rockies, so either he’s probably looking for more security in the form of a multi-year deal.
Greg Holland let his $15M player option with rockies expires, so he is a free agent
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 6, 2017
