Minnesota Twins sign Swiss Army Knife Marwin Gonzalez to cheap deal
By Ryan Sanders
The Minnesota Twins have found their Swiss Army knife in Marwin Gonzalez.
Marwin Gonzalez has signed with the Minnesota Twins on a two-year contract valued at $21M.
After drawing comparisons to Ben Zobrist, he ultimately settled for a smaller guarantee but still provides value in the same ways that prime Zobrist did. Gonzalez can start adequately at any non-catcher defensive position and provide at least league average offense.
Having Gonzalez around also allows you to carry an extra pitcher since you need less flexibility among your reserves. He was an unsung hero and major contributor to the World Series winning Astros. At the outset of free agency, he was expected to receive a significantly larger offer. The Twins were wise to sign him up on the cheap.
Gonzalez is now 30 years old will likely continue to fill the same role he did in Houston. Looking at the Fangraphs depth chart, they don’t have an obvious weakness among their starting fielders, projecting for at least 1.7 WAR at every position.
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But we know what is projected rarely comes to fruition. Players get hurt, under-perform, and need rest in general. Even though there he doesn’t have a dedicated position, Gonzalez will likely get close to a full season of at-bats. With free agency continuing to be harsh to players, Gonzalez having 1.5 WAR in each of his seasons will be a steal for the Twins and there is a strong chance he will likely do better.
Having already signed Nelson Cruz, several extensions, and bringing in quality role players like C.J. Cron and Jonathon Schoop, the Twins have had themselves a quiet but decent off-season. They still have the payroll to make some more upgrades. Dallas Keuchel would look good in that rotation and division but that’s a different conversation.
Today, the Twins signed a good player and made their team better. Across the board, they have a solid team and with steps forward from Max Kepler and rebounds from Buxton and Sano, could push the Indians who continue to look vulnerable. Gonzalez is a solid player who can contribute across the diamond in the Swiss Army knife role that has become critical for flexibility in team building.
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Every team is looking for their version of Marwin Gonzalez, and the Minnesota Twins got the real thing.