The Twins made and brought in a Spring Training acquisition this afternoon Manuel Margot from the Dodgers. Derek Falvey, president of baseball operations, told reporters that adding a right-handed batting outfielder has been the team's main focus in recent weeks (link via Aaron Gleeman of the Athletic).
While Falvey did not rule out the possibility of further acquisitions, he did indicate that most of the team building was completed in the offseason. “Realistically speaking, where our team is, how the squad is structured now, what it looks like, we will obviously continue to monitor where our squad is and how healthy it is. But this was the main focus for us in the final part. I would say those are broadly the big points, but we remain open to the different opportunities that come along the way,” the head of baseball operations said (via Gleeman).
Roster Resource calculates their payroll in the $127 million range, which is consistent with reporting earlier in the offseason that they were targeting a payroll between $125 million and $140 million. Margot adds insurance at the back Byron Buxton, who returns to center field after knee injuries limited him to designated hitter a year ago. He also complements left-handed corner-hitting outfielders as a right-handed hitter Matt Wallner And Max Kepler. The twins have recently arrived Carlos Santana — a switch-hitter who typically performs better on the right side — to make up for a lineup that was noticeably better against righties than lefties a year ago.
They also retain the right-handed utilityman Kyle Farmer for a second season. Minnesota acquired Farmer from the Reds last winter. He had a decent year, appearing in 120 games and hitting .256/.317/.408 with 11 home runs. Between league-average offense and the ability to handle anywhere in the infield, Farmer is a player with good depth. Still, his rising arbitration price led to speculation that he would be traded or non-tendered, especially after the Twins announced earlier this winter that they would be reducing their spending compared to last year.
Farmer admitted this weekend that he doubted whether he would be back in Minnesota (link via Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune). “I always saw myself here, but with all the trade rumors and things not being tendered, I thought I wouldn't be here. It worked out well,” Farmer said. He admitted that this only happened when the contract was submitted at the end of January Jorge Polanco to Seattle that he was confident he would stay with the Twins.
Minnesota and Farmer agreed to a salary of $6.05 million for his final arbitration season. He will likely receive a $250,000 buyout instead of a $6.25 million mutual option and become a free agent for the first time next winter. Farmer should take on a similar multi-positional role as he did a year ago. Edouard Julien also fills in at second base Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis and the Santana/Alex Kirilloff Tandem throughout the infield.
Lewis showed the talent that made him the first overall pick seven years ago. He hit .309/.372/.548 in 58 regular-season games and hit four home runs in six playoff games. He's locked in as the starter at third base and looks like a building block for the franchise as long as he can stay healthy after twice tearing the ACL in his right knee.
The Twins have Lewis under club control for another five seasons. He will play at a salary close to the minimum this year and will qualify for early decision as a Super Two player next winter. There's no particular urgency for Minnesota to lock him down to a long-term deal, which Lewis admitted (via Dan Hayes of The Athletic).
“I would like to hear everything, but I don't think they're in a position to do that right now,” Lewis said of an extension. “Especially with payroll and TV things going down, they need to figure out some things financially first. I'm last on the totem pole.” The 24-year-old indicated he would be open to extension offers from the organization, but downplayed the urgency of securing short-term gains. Lewis admitted he was “definitely financially secure” after signing on for a $6.73 million bonus upon graduating high school.
His price for an extension would only go up as long as he stays healthy in his arbitration season. Still, it's understandable if the Twins want to compete against the MLB for a full year (not to mention clarity on their local TV deal) before engaging in serious talks. Falvey spoke broadly about a willingness to explore extension opportunities with the team's young players, but told Hayes and other reporters that the focus with Lewis was to “make sure he's on the field all year, and (continue to) build on what he has already achieved in his career.”