Minnesota Twins, Thad Levine, -8.5 games.
Since the Twins, a preseason division challenger to the White Sox, are sitting 13 games below .500, they’re obviously one of MLB’s major disappointments.
With a team-rattling 26 personnel additions of statistical significance — only six of which have produced positive value — Levine has to end up taking some of the fall.
The only truly useful move has been the re-signing of 41-year-old Nelson Cruz (+1.2) for another year. Cruz is sitting on a .310 average and 18 home runs. The addition of free agent shortstop Andrelton Simmons (+0.2) has been s modestly positive, if hardly transformative, move.
Other than that, pretty much everything Levine has touched has turned to dirt. Here’s a recap.
He acquired pitchers Shaun Anderson (-0.7) and Brandon Waddell (-0.4) on waiver claims from Texas and Pittsburgh respectively. Waddell has since been forwarded to Baltimore and St. Louis, producing a combined +0.2 value for those teams. Net impact on Minnesota: -1.3.
He signed veteran free agent pitchers J.A. Happ (-1.3) and Matt Shoemaker (-2.3) along with veteran reliever Alex Colome (-1.1). Net impact: -4.7.
He signed pitcher Randy Dobnak (-1.6) to a five-year, $9.25 million. Since signing that deal in March, Dobnak is 1-6 with a 7.83 ERA.
He has promoted 11 first-year players for all or part of 2021, eight of whom have produced negative values to the Twins. The two most frequently used are pitcher Bailey Ober (-0.3) and outfielder Trevor Larnach (+0.1). Net impact: -2.8.