2 weeks Ago
As they discussed increasing payroll for the upcoming season, Derek Falvey stressed the need for roster depth to Minnesota Twins chairman Joe Pohlad. Recent talks between Pohlad and the Twins president of baseball operations led to a $9.25 million increase in the team’s payroll this week as the Twins signed outfielder Harrison Bader and left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe .
Advertisement On Friday, the club officially announced the one-year deals for Bader, who is guaranteed $6.25 million and has a mutual option for 2026, and Coulombe, who will make $3 million. To clear space on the 40-man roster, the Twins designated reliever Ronny Henriquez for assignment a day after trading outfielder Michael Helman to the St.
Louis Cardinals for cash. Falvey said adding depth was a priority established early in the offseason by the team’s front office after the club struggled to handle injuries to key players during a 12-27 end-of-season collapse that resulted in the Twins missing the playoffs. “We’re talking about this on Nov.
1,” Falvey said. “What the goal is, what we think the roster could look like. We don’t know how (the offseason is) going to play out in terms of trade opportunities or free agents that’ll fit us, but we talk about the areas that, if we get to February and we get to Fort Myers, what would we have liked to do? .
.. We almost always talk about depth.
” Having — or not having — the necessary depth to withstand personnel losses has been critical to how each of the past three Twins seasons ended. The Twins thrived in the second half of the 2023 season en route to a division title as they relied on veterans like Michael A. Taylor, Kyle Farmer and Donovan Solano to help absorb losses of key players.
But a $30 million payroll reduction ahead of the 2024 season left the Twins running on fumes when they endured injuries to Carlos Correa, Byron Buxton, Joe Ryan and Chris Paddack. Similarly, health issues crushed the Twins at the end of the 2022, when they experienced a free fall from first place on Labor Day to finish the season 14 games back of Cleveland. As they contemplated roster construction for 2025, the Twins’ brain trust thought it was pertinent to acquire a player who could back up Buxton with elite defense in center.
Buxton played 102 games last season, the second-most of his career, and the Twins are encouraged by how he performed. Still, he turned 31 this offseason, his right knee has required two surgeries, and he’s dealt with hip injuries over the years. The front office wanted to emphasize center field defense for potential Buxton absences.
Advertisement The Twins believe they’ve found that skill set in Bader, a 2021 Gold Glove award winner who ranked in the 92nd percentile in Fielding Run Value and 74th in sprint speed last season, according to Baseball Savant. After several years of inquiring about Bader at the trade deadline, the Twins finally found a good fit. “The number of players that exist that are available and center field-capable is not actually that long,” Twins general manager Jeremy Zoll said.
“Then never mind the players that we see as a competitive advantage in center field to be that support for Buck when he needs a day or he’s going to be in the DH spot.” The Twins may be seeking a similar defensive stalwart at shortstop in case they need to replace Correa, who has dealt with plantar fasciitis in each of his feet the past two years and was limited to 86 games last season. While he missed minimal time with plantar fasciitis in his left foot in 2023, Correa’s right foot injury resulted in a 53-game injured list stint in 2024.
He is optimistic about his offseason preparation and knowing what treatment is required to manage his feet going forward. But the Twins ideally prefer a steadier glove at shortstop than utilityman Willi Castro, whom they like to move around the diamond, in the case of a long-term absence for Correa. Earlier this week, multiple league sources confirmed the Twins inquired about backup shortstop options Luis Urías and Paul DeJong after previously reaching out to infielder Jon Berti before he signed with the Chicago Cubs.
Even though t he Twins’ $141.6 million payroll is much more than it was believed they had to spend, potentially there could be more wiggle room if the fit is right. Falvey suggested Pohlad has been open-minded to adding payroll even though his family put the team up for sale in October with a winning bidder expected to be selected by Opening Day .
Advertisement “We almost always talk about what are the layers beneath what we have, because you know you’re going to deal with some unexpected injuries along the way, and do you have enough to push yourself?” Falvey said. “We knew that early on in the offseason, maybe some of those (opportunities) weren’t going to present as well in terms of the fit financially and on the roster. We knew we might have to just be patient.
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I’ve had active conversations with Joe the last couple of weeks and he greenlighted the ability to add a little bit.” With the start of spring training less than a week away, Falvey said the club’s trade talks have slowed as teams are “internally focused.” Though the Twins are comfortable with a mix of Jose Miranda, Edouard Julien and even Castro at first, they’re still open to finding a more experienced first baseman.
Falvey said the front office is also open to adding non-roster invitees and increasing the team’s depth however they can. “We’re open-minded to anything that comes across our desks,” Falvey said. (Top photo of Harrison Bader: Elsa / Getty Images).
