Carlos Correa to the Giants. Carlos Rodon to the Yankees. Even old friend Trevor May is off to Oakland. Who is coming to Minnesota? So far, the only player of note to sign with the Twins is 32-year-old catcher Christian Vazquez.
There are still a ton of quality players available, but the high-end starting pitchers are gone and the biggest name remaining is shortstop Dansby Swanson. With a lineup loaded with players who either can’t avoid injury or haven’t proved themselves at the big-league level, the Twins either have to start making moves or enter 2023 with very modest expectations.
Just three of the top-25 free agents on Jim Bowden’s list entering free agency are still available: Swanson (#9), Nathan Eovaldi (#13) and Andrew Benintendi (#17).
Dan Hayes of The Athletic says the Twins landing Swanson “could be difficult” because other teams, including the Cubs and Braves, want him. Throw the Red Sox in the Swanson mix, too, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Three free agents Hayes named in his Friday column (subscription required) are third baseman Justin Turner and outfielders A.J. Pollock and Joey Gallo. Turner is 38, Pollock is 35 and Gallo, even though he’s 29, hit .160 and struck out in 39.7% of his plate appearances last season. None of them would come close to replacing the all-around game that Carlos Correa provided.
The best remaining starters are Eovaldi, Corey Kluber, Michael Wacha, Johnny Cueto and Zack Greinke. What do they all have in common? They’re all aging and there aren’t any substantial reports connecting the Twins to any of them.
- Eovaldi, 32, had a 3.87 ERA in 109.1 innings with the Red Sox last season
- Kluber, 36, had a 4.34 ERA in 164 innings with the Rays
- Wacha, 31, had a 3.32 ERA in 121 innings with the Red Sox.
- Cueto, 36, had a 3.35 ERA in 158.1 innings with the White Sox
- Greinke, 39, had a 3.68 ERA in 137 innings with the Royals
Kluber and Cueto will both be 37 by the time next season begins.
After losing out on Correa and Rodon, the Twins have their work out for them. Right now, all is rather quiet on the front.
