It’s been a quiet offseason for the Twins as the front office faces salary constraints for the second consecutive offseason. Minnesota signing Carlos Correa Moves like Pablo Lopez’s extension in the 2022-23 offseason pushed the club’s payroll into the $150-160 range. Just months before both deals were struck, company owner Jim Pohlad took a step back as his nephew, Joe Pohlad, took a more prominent role. This ownership shuffle, combined with the long-term nature of these deals, makes payroll growth look set to last.
Apparently, this is not the case. Ownership slashed the salary to $130MM for the 2024 season due to uncertainty over the team’s television rights. The Twins largely sat out the 2023-24 offseason, with their biggest move coming on the trade market ( Jorge Polanco to Seattle) and free-agent bargain lanes ($5.25 trade Carlos Santana is their most expensive). At the end of the 2024 season, Joe Pohlad announced his intention to explore the possibility of selling the team.
This has led to more uncertainty and inflexibility in the budget this offseason, as evidenced by the Twins’ complete lack of activity. RosterResource projects the Twins’ salary to be around $142MM. The owner wants it back in the 130MM range again. Expect them to make the right trade at some point Chris PaddackHis $7.5MM salary looks pretty affordable compared to this winter’s intense rookie market. They would buy Christian Vazquez, but would need to eat into his $10MM salary. A deal for their excellent utility workers, willy castrocan also be discussed.
Speculation about the possibility of a larger trade is inevitable, but president of baseball operations Derek Falvey said early in the offseason that the team believes Correa, Lopez and Byron Buxton As a “key” player for the team’s 2025 outlook. Falvey stressed that the Twins are determined to compete in 2025, although it appears he will be forced to find ways to cut player salaries before adding players.
The Correa deal always seemed far-fetched. He’s owed $128MM over the next four years and has a full no-trade clause. Buxton also enjoys full non-trade protection. However, ESPN’s Jeff Passan recently reported that the Twins at least listened to Lopez’s offer, which presents a more convincing thought exercise. Lopez’s contract is loaded with residual value, but that’s untrue — or not true as Regardless, it’s true – the Twins’ other most expensive player.
Trading Lopez would quickly spark a backlash from already frustrated and put off fans. At the same time, the massive payoff and potential path to revamping the team after such a surprising deal are compelling enough that it would be understandable if the Twins did their due diligence to at least see what the market might bear.
Let’s dig into why a Lopez trade would actually appeal to the Twins, who might be involved, and how the Twins can continue (and potentially improve) afterward.
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