It seems like the offseason is moving a little bit quicker this year. That might be true, it might end up not being the case, but it feels like there has already been a lot of news. All of the catchers seem to have found homes, while we’ve seen a handful of other signings and even a couple of trades.
Like I said, the pace might or might not be faster than the last couple of years. That shouldn’t matter much to the Twins, in particular. The last two offseasons, the new front office has waited to the bitter end, then made some low cost moves to bolster their team. It worked in 2019, but not so much in 2018.
It was the right strategy for the team at the time, make no mistake about that. The Twins are in an upward trajectory, and have been for a while, but the thing about a team’s development is that it’s path is parabolic. It can seem like there is no motion for a long time, and then suddenly, they are brilliant (or extra terrible. See: 2011).
There was no downside to the signings of someone like, say, Logan Morrison, Lance Lynn or Jonathan Schoop on the cheap as spring training approaches or carries on. If the Twins weren’t at the upward part of the bell curve, then if a player was bad, there was no need to commit for the long term. If they provided value, they could be dealt for some sort of asset. Or, if the team finally made strides, they could contribute to the success of the team.
Now, however, the Twins recognize that the window is open, and rather than accumulating talent at a bargain rate, they need to target acquisitions for specific roles. The bargain bin filler won’t be as valuable unless they fill a role the Twins need to advance their postseason aspirations.
This might be why, as a Twins fan, the offseason seems to be moving a bit quicker. Instead of previous iterations, where the Twins collected guys, Minnesota is looking for a specific guy for a specific spot. The longer the team remains inactive, the more likely it is that specific guy finds a job with a different team.
The Twins aren’t just adding talent now, they are in a phase where they need to patch holes. Some of those holes are big, and rather than lying in wait, as in previous seasons, Minnesota needs to go out and find the piece that fit, and it would suit them to get moving.
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