MLB Teams: Buyers in 2020
Minnesota Twins
Like the Dodgers, the Twins are an intriguing case precisely because they begin with a playoff-caliber core. That includes players of the stripe of Mitch Garver, C. J. Cron, Jorge Polanco, Miguel Sano, Eddie Rosario, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Jose Berrios, and Martin Perez. The $38.5 million in ongoing Twins commitments cover all nine of those vital parts from the 2019 AL Central champions.
It also affords Twins management plenty of payroll flexibility given their $119 million 2019 payroll or their recent payroll range, which peaked at $129 million in 2019.
The Twins’ commitment does go up if, as seems logical, they exercise their $12 million option on DH Nelson Cruz, whose 41 2019 home runs would be well worth the investment.
Their flexibility might narrow even more if they elect to try to extend part of that young core. Polanco, who will be 26, batted .296 with 22 home runs last season, is the prototype in that respect. He is signed through 2025 for a total of $44 million across those six seasons.
That would still leave them positioned to shop for a second baseman to replace Jonathan Schoop, or a starter to offset the potential loss of Jake Odorizzi. Or they might just re-sign Odorizzi.