Trade options
Obviously a shortstop is not just lying around that someone doesn’t need, and acquiring one, especially this close to the season, could require a premium. That all said, there are a few options out there to explore.
The Tampa Bay Rays would be an interesting team to approach again in trade, after acquiring Jake Odorizzi already this offseason. Starting shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria is not a great hitter, but he’s an elite defender. The team did acquire an infielder from the Oakland A’s in Joey Wendle that they want to see get more time, and they have top prospect Willy Adames ready for the big league jump. This might be a deal that the Twins have to wait a few weeks to do, so the Rays can hold Adames in the minors long enough to get the extra contract control before calling him up after the deal before they’ll ship away Hechavarria, but they likely won’t get a better defender in a trade.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Texas Rangers have locked in starters Elvis Andrus and Rougned Odor up the middle for years to come, and now former top prospect Jurickson Profar has run out of options. Profar has certain skills with the bat, walking more than he struck out in AAA, with an .800+ OPS while primarily playing shortstop. He’s shown his arm no longer to be the elite arm it once was, but it’s average at shortstop, and he has good hands at the position, so his quality bat plus an average glove would be quite valuable if he could get out of Texas.
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Expected to get the starting job at shortstop in 2018, the Kansas City Royals oddly blocked young Adalberto Mondesi this offseason when they re-signed Alcides Escobar. That would give Mondesi no place to play, and while he may not be refined at the plate, he does offer incredible speed along with electric skills defensively, albeit also unrefined defensive skills.
One of the big “launch angle” stories of the spring has been Chad Pinder of the Oakland Athletics. The main issue for Pinder is that there are veterans at both 2B and SS, and star prospect Franklin Barreto may have had the best spring of any A’s infielder, making it likely he’s up early in 2018. He could be better suited where he’d get more consistent playing time.
Last, but not least, the Milwaukee Brewers have ridiculous depth throughout the field, but Jonathan Villar has become expensive, making $2.55M in 2018 in arbitration and without a starting position at either middle infield spot. Villar had his biggest season in 2016 when he was primarily playing short, and he could have a revival with a starting role, though he could be an expensive piece to acquire.
Next: Lynn signing makes Twins favorites
No matter the direction the Minnesota Twins go, it does seem that the additions made throughout the offseason has improved the roster enough that whomever is plugged into the shortstop role should not terribly take the team off course, as any poor play will simply lead to a quick hook and a “next man up” sort of system until the right fit is found.