Minnesota Twins decline options on Santana, Morrison

As the deadline for option decisions near, the Minnesota Twins have bought out two key players ahead of the commencement of the offseason.

According to an official team release, the Minnesota Twins have declined the options of right-handed starting pitcher Ervin Santana and first baseman/outfielder Logan Morrison. NBC Sports notes that Santana will receive a $1 million buyout, while Morrison will earn the same, per CBS Sports.

This one could come from the “as expected” category of baseball moves, as neither player, though valuable in the past, performed this season to warrant the salary they were set up to receive next season. Santana was scheduled to earn $14 million, and Morrison was to earn $8 million, had his option been picked up.

Santana, 35, had a tremendous 2017 campaign, pitching to a 3.28 ERA in 211.1 innings, striking out 167 while walking just 61. This season, however, saw him struggle heavily with injuries, culminating in a 60-day DL stint due to finger surgery. In the five games he made it into this year, he pitched to a lousy 8.03 ERA in just 24.2 innings.

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Morrison, 31, similarly failed to capitalize on his stellar 2017, slashing .186/.276/.368 in 95 games, with 80 strikeouts in 318 at-bats. This was, by all accounts, a far-cry from his 38 home run 2017 season with the Rays in which he drove in a career-high 85 while mashing 22 doubles.

Now, the Twins will have to cleverly find some starting pitching, because, as Mark Feinsand of MLB.com recently suggested, pitching may be their most crucial need entering a pivotal offseason.

With the market flooded with low-cost pitchers of every variety, the front office looks poised to add at least one arm to their seemingly questionable starting staff.

As for their offense, the potential resurgence of Miguel Sano, and the healthy play of Byron Buxton could greatly make up for LoMo’s absence. Still, it might be a good idea for them to add a bat or two.

While the above two moves weren’t exactly surprising, they will undoubtedly prove to be vital in deciding how the Minnesota Twins will spend their money over the next few seasons.