The Minnesota Twins started their offseason early after a colossal collapse to miss the postseason. The Pohlad family announced their intention to sell the franchise. Derek Falvey returns as the President of Baseball Operations. He’ll have some difficult roster decisions to make with a payroll not expected to go up. That means some key names could be sent packing.
Minnesota has 13 players due for arbitration salary raises. Players will need to agree to new contracts or be non-tendered and made free agents. Most of the Twins candidates are straightforward, but there is a foursome that could find themselves as surprise non-tenders.
Would the Minnesota Twins really drop All-Star Willi Castro?
Well, yes, maybe they would. Willi Castro was an All-Star last year for the Minnesota Twins. He replaced teammate Carlos Correa. Castro produced a career-high 3.1 fWAR and has had the two best seasons of his career with Minnesota. He is also projected to receive something north of $6 million in arbitration.
Willi Castro – Minnesota Twins (11)
— MLB HR Videos (@MLBHRVideos) August 25, 2024
pic.twitter.com/GysyCSAMlG
For a franchise threading the needle when it comes to spending, a near-doubling of his salary may be problematic. Austin Martin was used in a similar capacity this season. The rookie wasn’t as productive offensively, but also plays everywhere and could grow into that role.
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A year after Kyle Farmer was a rich decision in arbitration, the Twins may opt against doing something similar with regards to Castro.
Jorge Alcala might be done with the Minnesota Twins
Last offseason the Twins signed Alcala to a two-year deal but brought him back at the same $790,000 figure he pitched on in 2023. He has a $1.5 million contract for 2025, but the buyout is a paltry $55,000. He was one of the best relievers in the bullpen at times, but Minnesota used him curiously and constantly shuttled him around.
Jorge Alcala (1.1IP 2H 0R 0BB 3K) was very strong in the @Twins win over the Rays yesterday. His slider won our Relief Pitcher Pitch of the Day pic.twitter.com/DLYqP0IXvb
— Baseball Prospectus (@baseballpro) September 3, 2024
It has been made clear for a while that the Twins don’t exactly value Alcala as a consistent member of their bullpen. The relationship may have run its course on both sides, and Minnesota may opt to change out some of their relief options. $1.5 million isn’t much for a reliever, but a $55,000 buyout is nearly unheard of.
Related: Free Agency Exodus Expected for Minnesota Twins
This could wind up being a situation where the Twins look back and regret seeing what Alcala becomes somewhere else.
The Twins might be sick of Alex Kirilloff
Minnesota made Alex Kirilloff their 1st overall pick back in 2016 out of Plum High School. The smooth swing was supposed to translate into both a high average and solid power. Thus far, neither of those things have taken place. His 116 OPS+ in 2023 is the only time he has produced above league average offensively. He was great in April, and then fell off a cliff during 2024.
Alex Kirilloff sends the @Twins home in #Walkoff fashion! pic.twitter.com/6SChLGmzjC
— MLB (@MLB) April 24, 2024
The storyline for Kirilloff isn’t just a lack of production, but it’s an inability to stay healthy as well. He has played more than 60 games in a season just once. Last year, following a demotion, he announced a back injury that kept him on the big league roster. It was beyond frustrating for Minnesota.
Related: Alex Kirilloff Forced to Shut Down Rehab Assignment Almost Immediately
Projected to earn just $1.8 million through arbitration, a non-tender would be more about needing to move on rather than being strapped for cash.
Justin Topa isn’t safe for Minnesota
When the Twins traded Jorge Polanco they did so in an effort to shuffle the roster. His salary was spread to acquire pitching, and they moved on from a constant injury concern. None of the big league acquisitions from that deal factored in last season, and Topa isn’t a certainty to be back in 2025 either.
Apologizing to Justin Topa as I was not familiar with his game #Filth pic.twitter.com/oaklnjmDik
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) September 26, 2024
Topa was great for the Mariners in 2023 with a 2.61 ERA across 61 games. He pitched in just three games for the Twins after a spring training knee issue caused him to miss virtually the whole season. His knee issue could be enough reason to cause uncertainty as to what his ability will be going forward. A projected $1.3 million salary would be just a $500,000 bump from 2024, however.
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If the Twins think Topa can be healthy from the get-go, then he should be back with an opportunity to pitch high-leverage innings. If they aren’t certain about that, then Gabriel Gonzalez remains the only piece from the Polanco deal.