The Twins finished their opening road trip with a winning record, then came back and won the home opener against the A’s giving them a 5-3 record, and they sit a game back of the surprising Kansas City Royals.
The big news for the Twins, however, was the surprise that they gave home fans before their home opener. Byron Buxton, hot off one of his best seasons as a major leaguer, and dispate a cool start to 2020, signed a 4 year deal that wraps up his final arbitration seasons, and extends him to 2024 for a total of $45.2M.
That deal financially, is quite a discount for Buxton, but he makes up for it by still maintaining eligibility for free agency by the time he turns 30, and assuming a few healthy years, may yet get a huge pay day on the open market. It also ensures that the Twins offensive core remains even more solidly in place, with Max Kepler, Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sano already around at affordable deals.
With Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach on the way, one must also wonder what this means for Eddie Rosario’s future with the team. Will he remain in Minnesota to fulfill his contract? Will he be moved before it expires as a bargain for another team? Or will Kirilloff and Larnach be candidates for a deadline deal to patch up one of the holes that invariably crops up in a season?
One hole that probably won’t come up will be first base depth in the minor leagues. In other news, the Twins signed another veteran first baseman, Mark Reynolds. They also signed old friend Addison Reed to a minor league deal. Fernando Romero came off the IL as well, and was placed on the Major League Roster, rendering Blaine Hardy a short timer with the Twins, as he was shipped back to Rochester.
The pitching may be in constant flux, but it looks the position players are going to be sticking around for the long haul.
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