FORT MYERS, Fla. — After spending months pursuing numerous free-agent outfielders, from Michael A. Taylor and Kiké Hernández to Adam Duvall and Tommy Pham, the Minnesota Twins in the end pivoted to the commerce market on Monday to search out the right-handed bat they’ve been looking for.
In a transfer set in movement by Hernández re-signing with Los Angeles, the Twins acquired veteran outfielder Manuel Margot from the Dodgers, together with low-minors infield prospect Rayne Doncon and money, in change for shortstop prospect Noah Miller.
Margot, who moved from the Rays to the Dodgers in December as a part of the Tyler Glasnow commerce, is owed $10 million for this season and has a $12 million mutual choice or $2 million buyout for 2025. Per league sources, the Twins will obtain $6 million to cowl Margot’s 2024 wage and gained’t be chargeable for the buyout, primarily making it a one-year, $4 million deal.
And simply to place a bow on this bizarre recreation of right-handed outfield bat musical chairs: Hernández’s deal to return to the Dodgers is for one 12 months and $4 million.
Mainly, the Twins swapped Miller for Doncon so as to add Margot to their outfield combine for $4 million, a logical pickup that checks two necessary containers with one roster spot: Byron Buxton insurance coverage in heart subject and a veteran right-handed bat able to platooning with left-handed hitters Matt Wallner, Max Kepler, Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach within the outfield corners.
“We expect he has heart subject functionality,” president of baseball operations Derek Falvey stated. “But in addition there’s no secret about our roster, that we have now some left-handed nook outfield bats. We expect that match for us, the mix of center-field capability, the plus within the corners, with the power to hit left-handed pitching, was type of the very best mixture of all issues.”
Full extension from Manuel Margot on this snag 👀
🎥 @RaysBaseballpic.twitter.com/Au1e9MuGfQ
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) March 30, 2023
Merely re-signing the 33-year-old Taylor would have made loads of sense for the Twins after he hit a career-high 21 homers and performed Gold Glove-caliber protection final season, however they weren’t keen to fulfill his contract calls for and had reservations about his age. Margot is sort of 4 years youthful and fills the identical function in a equally efficient approach, however they’re a lot totally different stylistically.
Taylor has elite pace and 20-homer pop, however his 33.5 p.c strikeout price final 12 months was seventh-highest in MLB and he batted simply .220 with an unsightly .278 on-base proportion and 130-to-26 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Margot has merely good pace and restricted energy, however he struck out half as typically final 12 months (16.4 p.c) whereas besting Taylor by 44 factors of batting common and 32 factors of OBP.
“We had been in touch with quite a few free brokers on this area, totally different outfielders that match,” Falvey stated. “There are nonetheless loads of guys who’re on the board that we had talked to fairly early within the offseason. We’ve talked totally different commerce angles and we’ve talked totally different free brokers. We felt like we lastly had a path to buying one that may actually match us nicely.”
Margot hit .263/.316/.378 for a 97 OPS+ the previous three seasons and he posted an OPS+ above 90 every of the final 4 years. By comparability, Taylor had a 94 OPS+ for the Twins final 12 months, his first time with an OPS+ above 90 since 2017. Inside that middling general manufacturing, Margot hit .290/.348/.410 off lefties throughout these three years, making him a stable, much-needed platoon choice.
Margot’s defensive metrics have slipped from nice to excellent in his late 20s, however he stays a high quality heart fielder and a very good nook outfielder. Given their age distinction, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to venture Margot and Taylor as roughly equals defensively.
“He can play all three outfield spots and suits us rather well,” Falvey stated. “There have been different guys available on the market we felt had been perhaps extra center-field oriented, however probably not the corners or perhaps not the left-right break up we had been on the lookout for. He added a bunch of dynamics to the lineup in a approach we expect suits this roster.”
Manuel Margot with a laser down the left subject line to stroll it off for the Rays.
🎥 @BallyRays pic.twitter.com/ueo4pYCvpE
— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) April 13, 2022
Miller was a supplemental first-round choose in 2021 and his glove could carry him to the majors, however his bat hasn’t developed as hoped. He attracts walks and makes loads of contact, optimistic indicators for the Wisconsin highschool draftee who performed final season at Excessive A as a 20-year-old, however Miller has hit simply .220 with a .318 slugging proportion in 250 professional video games.
And but it wouldn’t take a lot enchancment offensively for the change hitter to profile as a giant leaguer. Miller is a legit defensive shortstop with standout vary, arm energy and instincts, profitable the Gold Glove Award for the entire minor leagues regardless of his comparatively low prospect profile. I ranked Miller as the No. 26 prospect within the Twins’ farm system final month.
Doncon ranked equally inside the Dodgers’ farm system, and the 20-year-old is nearer to a lottery ticket than a toss-in. Signed internationally for $500,000 as a 16-year-old, he’s proven some offensive upside however struggled final season as one of many youngest Low-A hitters. Given their lack of distinction in prospect worth, it’s clear the Dodgers made this commerce largely to clear room for Hernández.
Margot’s arrival will increase the Twins’ payroll from $123 million to $127 million, which is round $30 million beneath final season and ranks nineteenth out of 30 groups. Whereas there are actually nonetheless areas that could possibly be upgraded, a right-handed bat able to protecting all three outfield spots fills the final gaping gap on the roster and Falvey hinted extra big-league additions are unlikely earlier than Opening Day.
“Realistically, with the place our group is, with how the roster now’s constructed out, with the best way it seems, clearly we’ll maintain monitoring the place our roster is, the well being of it,” Falvey stated. “However this was the first focus for us over the past little bit. I’d say that’s by and huge the big-picture gadgets, however we’ll maintain an open thoughts about totally different alternatives that current alongside the best way.”
(Photograph of Manuel Margot celebrating a win with the Rays final season: Scott Taetsch / USA In the present day)
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