2022-2023 Offseason Blueprint: What I'd Do

Here's what I would do -- Part I -- this offseason if I was in charge of the Minnesota Twins

The better part of a month will have passed by the time the World Series is completed since the last time the Minnesota Twins have taken the field, and in some ways it feels longer than that.

But a long, cold winter is ahead of us. We lap up the last remaining bits of baseball we can, perhaps cheering for former Twins still playing like Kyle Gibson or future Twins like Brad Hand, before we head into the frozen abyss.

But winter promises hope, not only in the hot stove but also spring behind it. There’s no shortage of ways to feed the hot stove #content machine, but why not get out ahead of it with an offseason blueprint?

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I’m not going to spend a lot of time paying attention to the team’s budget. We spill a lot of digital ink wondering what the payroll will look like, but I’m instead going to choose to focus on what I think the team should look like.

If you don’t like it, or don’t think it’s reasonable — that’s fine. You’re more than welcome to do your own.

So here’s what I would do, Take I. There will be more.

Let’s talk to it:

Call up old pal Brian Cashman

This will not be popular, but I’m calling Cashman to take a couple of pieces off his hands. It’s two guys who, if we’re being honest, probably shouldn’t show their faces in the Bronx again.

It’s also a couple of #oldfriends, though…not really?

Let’s talk about Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

Let’s also talk about Aaron Hicks.

Despite what Cashman might have said in his year-end presser, I don’t see any way the Yankees can bring either of these guys back. Neither had particularly good seasons in 2022, per se, but in the proper role, they can be used to a team’s advantage.

For all the hand-wringing about Kiner-Falefa by Yankees fans, he was a 2.9-win player via bWAR and 1.3 wins according to fWAR.

This is a perfectly competent player to fill in at short until Royce Lewis is healthy.

Yes, this is an endorsement of Lewis as the future at short — even if it’s just the immediate future. Beyond that, maybe it’s Brooks Lee’s spot. Beyond that, well, back to the drawing board.

Kiner-Falefa was basically the player he’s always been in 2022. In fact, his lines from the last two seasons are virtually indistinguishable:

(image courtesy of Fangraphs)

Kiner-Falefa can mix and match at short with Nick Gordon and Jorge Polanco until Lewis is ready. If Lewis isn’t the future there, he may be the future at third, with Jose Miranda at first and Alex Kirilloff in the outfield.

And once Lewis returns, Kiner-Falefa can become a super-utility man — a role he filled more than capably with the Texas Rangers.

Kiner-Falefa is projected to make $6.5 million next season, his final year of arbitration, according to MLB Trade Rumors.

With Hicks, it’s a little trickier. He’s signed for the next three years at roughly $30 million total with a $1 million buyout on a 2026 option (what a weird contract, by the way).

If the Yankees were to kick in, say, half of that, Hicks on a three-year deal for about $15 million as a fourth outfielder/Byron Buxton insurance isn’t the worst gamble in the world.

Hicks hit just .216/.330/.313 last year for an 86 OPS+, but was still worth nearly two wins according to Baseball Reference (1.8 bWAR) and 1.5 wins via Fangraphs due to still fairly solid outfield defense.

Where Hicks fits in offensively is that, as a switch hitter, he gives the Twins an added element that is lost with Trevor Larnach, Max Kepler and Kirilloff. To put it plainly, someone who can add some protection from the right side, and unlike Kyle Garlick, play a respectable center field.

A three-year commitment to a fourth outfielder is a long one, and I get that. Can Gilberto Celestino do the same things Hicks does for much less money? Maybe. But we saw how deep into their bag of tricks the Twins had to go this season, so adding more depth can’t be a bad thing.

Sign two starting pitchers

Here’s where we re-invest the Carlos Correa money. As much as I’d like to bring him back, he’s an unnecessary luxury at a position the Twins have more depth than, say, top-of-the-rotation starting pitching.

Here, I’m shopping at the top of the market.

Ideally, I’m signing Carlos Rodon — and to something like a three-year deal for high-end money rather than shelling out four-plus years if I can help it.

I’m willing to go three years and $100 million if that’s what it takes.

The one thing the Twins don’t have right now is front-line starting pitching. I like Tyler Mahle and Sonny Gray more than most, but a truly strong rotation will have those guys as Nos. 2-3 rather than 1-2.

Other pitchers you could sell me on here are Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt, Justin Verlander or possibly Kodai Senga. Again — I’m thinking BIG.

But I’m not stopping there.

Next, I’m going to Nordstrom Rack. We’re not shopping at the bargain bin but we’ll take a luxury item at a reduced cost.

I want Noah Syndergaard here. I think he’s a tremendous gamble with guys coming back from Tommy John surgery often looking better in Year 2, and I think he’d cost a very reasonable sum compared to what he might have garnered if he’d hit free agency after one of his big years with the Mets rather than a respectable year between the Angels and Phillies.

Other pitchers I’d be on board with at this level would be Tyler Anderson, Nathan Eovaldi and Jameson Taillon.

I’m also not entirely opposed to the following, though I’d be a bit less enthusiastic: Andrew Heaney, Mike Clevinger, Zach Eflin, Corey Kluber, Sean Manaea, Jake Odorizzi (player option), Martin Perez, Jose Quintana, Ross Stripling and Michael Wacha.

Sign a capable co-catcher

I like Ryan Jeffers as much as anyone — especially defensively — but adding another MLB-caliber catcher is a must. Like the Twins did with Jason Castro and Mitch Garver, I think some sort of timeshare is a really, really good thing to do in today’s MLB.

Castro is a free agent again, but he is heading into his age-36 season, hardly played this last season and when he did, he was bad (11 OPS+).

He’d be a perfectly reasonable flyer to take if the Twins had another youngster they could potentially slot in, but that’s just not the case right now.

My eye right now is on Omar Narvaez, mostly as a lefty-swinging backstop who has, at least at times, hit fairly well in the big leagues. He wasn’t great this year (71 OPS+), but he’s heading into his age-31 season and is a career .268/.345/.406 hitter against righties who grades out very well defensively.

At that age and coming off a down season, he should be right in the team’s price range.

I could also be talked into Tucker Barnhart, Austin Hedges (defense), Roberto Perez (defense), Christian Vazquez or Mike Zunino.

Fill out the bullpen with interesting flyer types

I don’t know exactly where to go with this, but if the medicals check out on a couple of guys like Hand, Archie Bradley, Mychal Givens, Michael Fulmer, Seth Lugo, Chris Martin, Adam Ottavino or whoever else, I’m game. I like the framework of the bullpen but it can’t hurt to add depth. Bring back Taylor Rogers for all I care!

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So, where does this leave us?

C- Ryan Jeffers
1B- Jose Miranda
2B- Jorge Polanco
3B- Gio Urshela
SS- Isiah Kiner-Falefa
LF- Alex Kirilloff/Trevor Larnach
CF- Byron Buxton
RF- Max Kepler
DH- Luis Arraez

C- Omar Narvaez
IF- Nick Gordon
OF- Aaron Hicks
OF- Whoever doesn’t start in LF

SP- Carlos Rodon
SP- Tyler Mahle
SP- Sonny Gray
SP- Noah Syndergaard
SP- Joe Ryan

RP- Jhoan Duran
RP- Jorge Lopez
RP- Griffin Jax
RP- Jorge Alcala
RP- Kenta Maeda
RP- Caleb Thielbar
RP- Emilio Pagan/RP flyer
RP- RP flyer

Extra pitchers bin: Ronny Henriquez, Chris Paddack (hurt), Jovani Moran, Trevor Megill, Bailey Ober, Cole Sands, Cody Stashak, Louie Varland, Josh Winder, Simeon Woods Richardson

The final analysis:

This is a division-winning team.