Free Agency Exodus Expected for Minnesota Twins

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Minnesota Twins, Carlos Santana
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Even before the Pohlad family announced their intentions to sell the Minnesota Twins, this offseason seemed likely to be slow. There has been an announcement stating payroll won’t drop further, but that leaves the front office with few dollars to spend. Expect a free agent exodus for Minnesota.

Minnesota Twins free agents are going to head elsewhere

On one hand, it’s a positive thing that the Minnesota Twins won’t retain the vast majority of their free agents. Many of them are veterans that failed to contribute much this season. On the other hand, it’s a problem considering the relative lack of available money needed to replace them. The list of impending free agents is as follows:

  • Max Kepler, RF
  • Carlos Santana, 1B
  • Kyle Farmer, INF
  • Manuel Margot, OF
  • Caleb Thielbar, RP
  • Anthony DeSclafani, SP

If that looks like it’s an ugly group, that’s because it is. It should be a near-certainty that everyone-not-named-Carlos-Santana is gone. That leaves the first baseman as an intriguing option. The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman weighed in as to a potential reunion there.

“It didn’t look promising when Santana hit .141 in his first 20 games, but he rewarded the Twins’ patience by batting .253/.342/.460 with a team-leading 23 homers in his final 130 games to finish with a solid 109 OPS+ overall. But it was his defense that really stood out, as he constantly robbed hits, saved would-be errors and led MLB first basemen with 14 Outs Above Average… the Twins don’t have any obvious in-house replacements at first base, as the fielding drop-off to Jose Miranda or Edouard Julien might be too much to stomach and Alex Kirilloff’s injury history makes him a major question mark (and a non-tender candidate). Even with their tight payroll situation, re-signing Santana to a similar one-year deal would make sense.”

Aaron Gleeman on the Twins possibility to re-sign Carlos Santana (The Athletic)

What Minnesota does in regards to Santana will be fascinating. After a year in which he should win his first Gold Glove, getting him back for $5.25 million seems unlikely. How much the club wants to extend beyond that remains to be seen. He would be a better option than virtually any in-house candidate.

Related: The Story Behind Carlos Santana’s Pink Glove

Does Carlos Santana have more in the tank for the Twins?

Any decision to re-sign Santana comes down to a pendulum weighing his cost against the expected regression. Internal candidates like Miranda, Kirilloff, or even Yunior Severino all represent a fraction of the defensive play that Santana provided this season. Each carries a lesser salary though, and could conceivably be turned to. It’s not lost on Minnesota how much the veteran meant, however.

“Santana played a huge role for us this year, defensively and offensively. I knew the defense would be good, but it was absolutely Gold Glove caliber. And the offense came along with it, too. Carlos was awesome for us. We’re not ruling out anything for the future for him. I know his free agency is coming.”

Derek Falvey on Carlos Santana (The Athletic)

It’s impossible to overstate how good Santana was in the field. His bat turned around in a big way as well. Even despite a late-season swoon, he finished with a 109 OPS+ on the year. It’s better to cut bait a year too early than one too late though, and the Twins exercised that understanding when they traded Nelson Cruz for Joe Ryan.

Related: 3 Rich People Who Make Sense as New Minnesota Twins Owners

Santana will be 39 years old next season, and it will be his 16th season in the big leagues. Since leaving Cleveland in 2020, he has played for five different franchises and none have accounted for two seasons.

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