AL Central champs look to reload
Five issues facing the Twins:
Replacing Nelson Cruz: In two seasons (173 games) with the Twins, the designated hitter slugged 57 home runs with 141 RBI and a 1.020 OPS. If the free agent signs elsewhere, how are they going to replace that production? It’s also a lot of pressure to put on top prospect Alex Kirilloff, who made his MLB debut in the playoffs last season.
Kirilloff, the Twins’ first-round pick in 2016, has had his pro career slowed by injuries but was a .317 hitter in the minors and can be expected to see at-bats in the outfield, first base and designated hitter.
Josh Donaldson’s health: The 2015 AL MVP missed more than half of his first season with the Twins due to injury, two years after being limited to 52 games in 2018.
Minnesota was confident enough to give him a four-year deal but the team isn’t as deep as in recent years, so the impact of any time Donaldson spends on the injured list is going to be even more significant. The 35-year-old’s defensive numbers also dipped in 2020, albeit in the very small sample size.
Jose Berrios’ development: Berrios, 26, has a 3.82 ERA and two All-Star nods over the past four seasons but has struggled with consistency. He only turned in four quality starts in 12 outings in 2020 and his WHIP has gone up the past two years.
The right-hander has shown flashes of greatness but this is an important year for Berrios to take a big step forward. He becomes a free agent after the 2022 season and the Twins will want to see further improvement from their homegrown pitcher.
Back end of the bullpen: The Twins handled the ninth inning by committee in 2020, with Taylor Rogers’ nine saves leading the team. Tyler Duffey (1.88 ERA in 24 innings) and Jorge Alcala (2.63 ERA in 24 IP) are still here, but Trevor May (38 K’s in 23 1⁄3 IP) and Matt Wisler (1.07 ERA in 25 1⁄3 IP) both departed.
Sergio Romo is yet to sign as a free agent and his versatility would make him an ideal candidate for Minnesota to bring back to shore things up.
KEY NUMBER 2
The number of walks drawn by center fielder Byron Buxton in 2020, the fewest by any player with at least 100 plate appearances.
Catching competition: Mitch Garver hit 31 home runs with a .995 OPS in 2019 but only hit .167 in 72 at-bats last season. Heading into 2021, Garver will be battling for starts with 23-year-old Ryan Jeffers, who looked good (118 OPS+) in a small sample size in 2020.
Don’t forget about versatile Willians Astudillo, who dealt with injuries in 2019 and barely saw time in the major leagues last year after being diagnosed with COVID-19 in July.