Chicago White Sox: Three Minnesota Twins free agents to consider
There are some good Minnesota Twins free-agents for the Chicago White Sox to consider.
The Chicago White Sox and Minnesota Twins are great rivals in the American League Central. For a long time, the White Sox have been the inferior team but they are the ones with the World Series championship this century. The Twins have been better overall but struggle when they actually get to the playoffs. Things are starting to point in the direction of the White Sox as the Twins reign as the class of the division is coming to an end.
Chicago has loads of young talent. The great part about that young talent is the fact that they are all locked up long term so they will be with the team for a long time. They are build to win and have sustained success which is something we aren’t used to. They finished a game behind Minnesota in 2020 which was their first year making the playoffs in over a decade but that seems like it was Minnesota’s last chance to take advantage of being slightly better.
The Twins are going to be missing a few key free agents this winter if they don’t figure out a way to bring them back. They have guys who are more than likely leaving that are going to be hard to replace. They will still be a really good team but the additions the White Sox have made along with the subtractions that the Twins have made might be enough to get the White Sox over them.
One thing that would be awesome is if the White sox can land a free agent or two from them. This is a good young team playing in a world-class city that should attract people to come and want to play with them. These are the three Minnesota Twins free-agents to consider this Winter:
Nelson Cruz. 23. player. 2. . DH. Minnesota Twins
The Chicago White Sox have not really addressed their need for a proven designated hitter yet. The hope is that Andrew Vaughn can help them with that role to start his career but that might be a year away. For Vaughn, it will all depend on how he comes out to Spring Training and beyond in 2021. One player that might be able to help is Nelson Cruz. He would be the perfect DH for the White Sox on a one-year deal for next season.
Cruz is 40 years old and he still managed to be one of the best players in all of baseball during 2020. He had an MVP case by the time the season was over. He had a slash line of .303/.397/.595 with an OPS of .992. He also had 16 home runs and 33 RBIs which all led to a 1.8 WAR during the 60 game campaign. He came in sixth place for the American League MVP and added his fourth career Silver Slugger to his resume.
Cruz spent his career with a few teams but with the Minnesota Twins, he had noted dominance over the Chicago White Sox. He absolutely loves playing them because of how good he plays. If anything, he enjoys playing on the South Side of Chicago so he might as well make it his home stadium for a year. At 40, you have to figure the end is somewhat near but he is worth the risk on a one-year deal.
SP. Minnesota Twins. Jake Odorizzi. 12. player. 2.
The Chicago White Sox have a top three in their rotation that can battle against any top three in all of baseball. Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, and Lance Lynn are going to be relied on heavily to be great in 2021 and possibly beyond. After them, there is probably going to be somewhat of a competition for those spots as the fourth or fifth starter. Dylan Cease has a good chance of being one of those guys and there is Michael Kopech looking to take a big step.
Jake Odorizzi might be able to help them with depth until more of the young guys are ready. He was a pretty good pitcher throughout his career for the Kansas City Royals, Tampa Bay Rays, and Minnesota Twins. He had a down year in 2020 but he didn’t play that much due to injury.
His last full and healthy season was 2019 and he was so good. He was an American League All-Star who had an ERA of 3.51. He went 15-7 and helped lead the Twins to a division title. At 30 years old, there is no reason to believe he can’t be that good again in 2021 as long as he stays healthy. If a pitcher like that joined this staff, they would have an even better chance of being one of the best.
Eddie Rosario. 20. player. 2. . LF. Minnesota Twins
It was a surprise to the baseball world when the Minnesota Twins decided to non-tender Eddie Rosario earlier this month. He is a good player that is only 29 years old. Whoever adds him is going to be very happy with what they get because you become a little bit better of a team if you bring in a guy like that. He isn’t a superstar or anything but he is just a good player that can help you win some baseball games.
In 2020, he had a good year for the AL Central champion Minnesota Twins. He slashed .257/.316/.792 with an OPS of .792. He hit 13 home runs and had 42 RBIs and 31 runs scored so he was definitely a difference-maker. He finished as a top-20 MVP candidate in both 2019 and 2020 which is saying something. In 2019, the last full MLB season, he hit 32 home runs and had 109 RBIs which are elite totals.
Hot. The White Sox are the big winners of the 2020 Winter Meetings. light
If the White Sox wanted to add a guy like this, it would be great for their organization. There is the idea that Eloy Jimenez can be the designated hitter if he doesn’t improve in left field which would allow someone else to play that spot defensively. Eddie Rosario would be a good candidate for that job. A four to five year deal for a player like him should absolutely be something worth considering if you are a team going for it in 2021 and beyond.