Minnesota Twins Rumors: Team Listening on Ervin Santana

While Brian Dozier is a hot topic at the moment, the Minnesota Twins could shop another veteran as well in Ervin Santana.

The Minnesota Twins have drawn attention recently over the possibility they might trade second baseman Brian Dozier, but he might not be the only recognizable veteran the team could move. According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Twins have taken calls about starting pitcher Ervin Santana, and they are open to dealing the right-hander.

Santana just turned in his best season of the past three years. He posted a 3.38 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 2.81 K/BB ratio over 181.1 innings, making him the most dependable starter on the league’s worst club.

Santana’s numbers were buoyed by particularly good performances away from home and in the second half of the season. Outside of Minnesota’s Target Field – which has typically been friendly to pitchers – he put up a 2.95 ERA over 15 outings (3.75 ERA in 15 starts at home). And after managing an unremarkable 4.06 ERA through 16 first half starts, Santana improved to a 2.65 mark over 14 outings after the All-Star break.

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While it was certainly a good year overall, it was somewhat representative of what has largely been an erratic 12-year big league career for the now 34-year-old Santana. His lifetime 101 ERA+ suggests he’s pretty much been a league average pitcher, but he’s been fairly inconsistent from year to year. He’s put together his share of sub-4.00 ERA campaigns, but there are a few 5.00+ clunkers sprinkled in. Any team trading for Santana would hope for a repeat of 2016, but there’s no guarantee given his track record.

Nevertheless, with the starting pitching market as weak as it is, Santana should be a rather appealing option for clubs in need of rotation help. He’s an experienced veteran who should be able to adequately fill a mid-rotation spot on many staffs. He has also been quite durable throughout his career, making at least 30 starts in seven of the last nine seasons. A team like the Astros makes sense as a potential landing spot, as they are known to be searching for pitching. Already interested in Dozier, might the Dodgers be convinced to take Santana as well for rotation depth?

Santana is under contract for two more years at $13.5 million per season. He also has a $14 million option with a $1 million buyout for 2019. Hardly the most crippling deal. But for that reason, the Twins might think it better to keep Santana around to provide a veteran anchor to their staff as they aim to become more competitive in the next couple seasons.

Next: Dozier a Must-Get for Dodgers?

However, if they do indeed end up trading Dozier, they could decide to continue the process by shipping out another valued asset in Santana in exchange for young talent. The Twins should be an intriguing franchise to watch as they attempt to climb out of MLB’s cellar and back into the playoff picture they were a part of only a year earlier.