Minnesota Twins

Fresh off a bounce-back 2019, Josh Donaldson has signed a four-year deal with the Minnesota Twins, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the contract is worth $92 million with a fifth-year option that can take it to $100 million.

The 34-year-old spent the 2019 season with the Atlanta Braves on a one-year contract. After struggling mightily with injuries in 2018, Donaldson returned last season to be one of the Braves' best players. He hit .259/.379/.521 with 37 home runs and 94 runs batted in, earning a Comeback Player of the Year nomination.

Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos told reporters he wanted to keep Donaldson but acknowledged it might be tough to compete financially:

"He's a key part of our team. Great player, complete player. Things we look for. Great offensive player, on-base skills, great defender, intense competitor, toughness. Fits us in every way we want to. 

"With that being said, when we entered into this agreement with him, the understanding and the hope was that he'd be in position to rebuild his value. And I believe we positioned ourselves, if all things are equal from a contractual standpoint—I haven't had this discussion with him or his agent—but I believe this would be where he wants to be. I know he enjoyed it here."

Donaldson had just three hits in 19 at bats during the Braves' National League Division Series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Florida native expressed an interest in going back to Atlanta but made no commitments.

A three-time All-Star and 2015 AL MVP with the Toronto Blue Jays, Donaldson's effectiveness moving forward likely comes down to his health. He played 155 games in 2019 and no fewer than that from 2013-16 before struggling the next two years.

The 101-win Twins will look to use Donaldson to help an offense that ranked among the best in baseball last season. The AL Central champions' third base slot was a gulf that lacked production for most of 2019, so Donaldson is an instant upgrade.

The Minnesota Twins and third baseman Miguel Sano agreed to a three-year contract extension on Friday, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal noted the deal is worth $30 million guaranteed: 

Sano, 26, had 34 home runs, 79 RBI and a .923 OPS for a 101-61 Twins team that won the AL Central after improving by 23 victories from the year before.

He was part of a powerful Twins offense that set the MLB single-season record with 307 home runs.

Sano would have been eligible for free agency in 2022 if not for the extension.

The third baseman began his MLB career with the Twins in 2015. The highly touted prospect burst onto the scene with 18 homers and a .916 OPS in 80 games.

The next three years did not go nearly as well for the most part, however, as Sano's OPS dipped to .787. The power still showed itself on occasion, like when he smacked 28 home runs in 114 games during a 2017 All-Star campaign.

But the bottom fell out in 2018 as Sano hit just .199 and even spent some time in the minors to work things out.

Sano blossomed in 2019, though, as he posted career highs in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and OPS.

Sano and the Twins will look to build off their promising 2019 campaign beginning Thursday, March 26, in a road game against the Oakland Athletics to kick off the 2020 season.

The Minnesota Twins announced Tuesday they have signed free-agent starting pitchers Rich Hill and Homer Bailey to one-year contracts.

Dan Hayes of The Athletic first reported the signings.

The 39-year-old Hill went 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 13 starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers last season. He struck out 72 batters in 58.2 innings and posted a 1.13 WHIP. He has gone 41-20 with a 2.91 ERA since 2015, striking out 10.7 batters per nine innings.

The left-hander also proved to be a reliable postseason asset, posting a 2.17 ERA in his last 11 playoff appearances. He's turned it up in the World Series, giving up only three earned runs in 15 innings.

Unfortunately, injuries have prevented him from enjoying a full season in a rotation outside of 2007, when he made 32 starts for the Chicago Cubs. Hill hasn't started more than 25 times in a season otherwise. Blister issues limited him in 2017 and 2018, and a forearm strain sidelined him for much of 2019.

Bailey, 33, went 13-9 with a 4.57 ERA in 31 starts for the Kansas City Royals and Oakland Athletics. He punched out 149 batters in 163.1 innings to go along with a 1.32 WHIP, which was his lowest mark since 2014.

The right-hander struggled mightily from 2015 to 2018 as injuries kept him off the mound for all but 46 starts, in which he went 9-27 with a 6.25 ERA for the Cincinnati Reds.

But Bailey, who played 12 seasons for the Reds, improved in 2019 with a fresh start in Kansas City. The Royals traded him to Oakland in July, and he finished the year with the playoff-bound A's.

The Minnesota Twins are reportedly pursuing Hyun-Jin Ryu, Dallas Keuchel and Madison Bumgarner to improve their starting rotation. 

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported the news, though there was no indication whether any of the free-agent trio have a mutual interest.

Minnesota appears to be focusing on the second tier of the pitching market, as Gerrit Cole's demands take him well out of the small market's price range. Stephen Strasburg agreed to a reported record-setting $245 million contract Monday, which Cole could even surpass.

This article will be updated to provide more information soon.

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Starting pitcher Michael Pineda helped the Minnesota Twins win the American League Central last season, and they are reportedly bringing him back.

On Thursday, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported the Twins are signing the right-hander to a two-year deal worth $20 million. The contract is pending a physical, and Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press also noted Pineda will have to finish his suspension at the start of the 2020 campaign.

In September, he was suspended 60 games after testing positive for hydrochlorothiazide, and he missed the playoffs as a result. According to the Associated Press (h/t the Los Angeles Times): "The 6'7", 280-pound Pineda said in a statement that he took an over-the-counter medication given to him by an acquaintance to help him manage his weight. The pills contained hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic that can mask other substances."

Pineda, 30, finished the 2019 season with a 4.01 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 140 strikeouts in 146 innings, which represented his best ERA and WHIP since he was a member of the New York Yankees in 2014. It was a strong bounce-back effort after he missed the 2018 season because of a knee injury and Tommy John surgery.

Even with Pineda's return, the Twins rotation could look quite different in 2020, as Kyle Gibson joined the Texas Rangers in free agency, and Martin Perez remains a free agent. However, Jake Odorizzi is returning on a one-year deal, and prospects Lewis Thorpe and Randy Dobnak may see more action in 2020. Other possibilities include Brusdar Graterol and Devin Smeltzer to join Jose Berrios in the rotation.

Minnesota Twins prospect Ryan Costello died overnight at the age of 23 in New Zealand.

"Preliminary indications suggest he died of natural causes," according to Australian Baseball League club Auckland Tuatara.

"We are saddened to learn of the untimely passing of Ryan Costello," the Twins said in a statement. "The entire Twins organization sends our most sincere condolences to Ryan's family, friends, coaches, and teammates."

Costello had been expected to play in the Australian Baseball League for the Tuatara, with the season beginning Wednesday. He arrived to Auckland last week.

Taken in the 31st round in the 2017 MLB draft, Costello spent the first season-plus of his professional career in the Seattle Mariners organization. He was traded to Minnesota on July 30, 2018, along with Chase De Jong in exchange for veteran reliever Zach Duke.

His go-ahead, three-run homer in Game 4 of the 2018 Florida State League Championship Series helped the Fort Myers Miracle win the league title. 

Costello split time between Single-A and Double-A in 2019. The third baseman hit .223/.343/.412 with 15 home runs, 16 doubles, two triples and 46 RBI in 108 total games with the Miracle and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos this past season.

He had a career .256/.361/.468 with a .829 OPS in three minor league seasons.

With the MLB playoffs in full swing over the past few days and the World Series beginning Tuesday, the trade rumor mill has quietened down.

But bits and pieces of information still float out every so often.

For instance, the Boston Red Sox face a critical financial dilemma this offseason, and rumors have abounded that a likely sacrificial lamb from Boston's current roster could be outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.

The Cincinnati Enquirer's Bobby Nightengale reported Friday that the Reds discussed Bradley with Boston last offseason, and though that's quite a long time ago in baseball terms (especially considering Bradley wasn't great in 2019), it's still a potentially interesting destination for the outfielder.

He could be especially useful if the Reds decide to use Nick Senzel at second base instead of center field, as Senzel is a clear upgrade over Bradley from an offensive perspective. 

Another team potentially looking to move an outfielder is the Minnesota Twins.

Minnesota clearly had a banner year at the plate, coming out of nowhere to break the single-season record for team home runs. However, they were easily dispatched by the Yankees in the playoffs, and that was in large part due to pitching deficiencies.

But not to worry, Twins fans. During exit interviews following their ALDS loss, Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey notably said that he would like to "target impact pitching."

That was not an issue for Minnesota in the regular season—they finished 11th in starter ERA and 10th in bullpen ERA—but they imploded against the Yankees, recording a postseason-worst 7.56 ERA through the three games.

So, how could the Twins get better pitching if they're presumably going to be outbid for the likes of Gerrit Cole and Madison Bumgarner? Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune suggested they trade outfielder Eddie Rosario for a big-ticket arm, and he might be right.

Rosario had a career year in 2019, hitting 32 home runs and driving in 109 runs, but he could be the odd man in a crowded group that already features Max Kepler, Byron Buxton, and Marwin Gonzalez, as well as prospects like Royce Lewis and Alex Kirilloff waiting in the wings.

You'd hope the Twins won't have to trade Rosario, but if he's the key piece in a trade that nets them a stone-cold, playoff-tested ace, then it'll be worth it. 

The Minnesota Twins got an early start on planning for next season by reportedly exercising their 2020 option on Nelson Cruz. 

Per MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the American League Central champions will pay Cruz $12 million in the second year of his deal.

Minnesota signed Cruz in December 2018 to a two-year, $26 million contract with the second year being a team option for $12 million. 

There was little chance the Twins were going to let Cruz hit free agency coming off an excellent 2019 performance. The six-time All-Star had a career-high 1.031 OPS and led the team with 41 homers despite playing just 120 games. 

Cruz was an instrumental part of the Twins' historic 2019 campaign. They became the first team in Major League Baseball history to have five players who hit at least 30 homers and set a single-season record with 307 home runs. 

That offensive output carried Minnesota to 101 wins during the regular season, the second-most in franchise history, and its first AL Central title since 2010. 

Cruz has been one of the most consistent power hitters in MLB since becoming an everyday player in 2009. He's hit at least 37 homers in each of the past six seasons and has slugged over .500 every year since 2013. 

The Minnesota Twins announced rookie Randy Dobnak will be the team's starting pitcher for Game 2 of the 2019 American League Division Series against the New York Yankees on Saturday.

A postseason start at Yankee Stadium is the latest eye-opening stop on a whirlwind journey for Dobnak, who spent last winter as an Uber driver. He proudly boasts about his near-perfect 4.99 Uber rating on his official Twitter page.

ESPN's Joon Lee provided comments from the 24-year-old Pennsylvania native, who's also just one week removed from getting married.

"It's been the greatest week of my life," Dobnak said. "Got married, clinching the game and now a postseason start. I don't think it's going to get any better than this."

Dobnak posted a 1.59 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 23 strikeouts in 28.1 innings across nine appearances (five starts) for the Twins this season. He compiled a 2.07 ERA across three levels of the minor leagues before getting called up to the majors in August.

Along with those terrific numbers, manager Rocco Baldelli pointed to the right-hander's 52.9 percent ground-ball rate as a key reason to start him against the hard-hitting Yankees on the road, per Lee.

"It's a fine line. It was not an obvious move in any way," Baldelli said. "I think in this ballpark, the guy that throws the ball, keeps it on the ground pretty well, was a good guy to look to. [Dobnak] has been throwing the ball great for us, so I thought it made sense."

New York, which took Game 1 by a 10-4 score, will send Masahiro Tanaka to the mound.

A shutdown outing by Dobnak would add another chapter to his amazing rise over the past 12 months.

Minnesota Twins president Dave St. Peter is embracing the team's American League Division Series matchup with the New York Yankees despite the Twins' lack of success against the Yankees during the playoffs.

In an interview with SKOR North, St. Peter expressed no apprehension about facing New York again in October: "We understand the history. That's my history—it isn't [manager] Rocco Baldelli's history, it certainly isn't [designated hitter] Nelson Cruz's history. So I think that'll be overblown. Organizationally, I just say it's time to slay the dragon, right?"

The Yankees have eliminated the Twins from the playoffs five times since 2003, and Minnesota has failed to win all four of its playoff series against New York.

Most recently, the Yankees beat the Twins 8-4 in the 2017 American League Wild Card Game. Both teams have made significant changes since then, however.

St. Peter acknowledged Minnesota may have some pitching deficiencies behind top starters Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi but believes New York has similar holes:

"We look forward to the challenge. I know people will look at our pitching staff and point to certain deficiencies — I mean, you frankly could argue the same thing about the Yankees. They're going to arguably go with two openers in the postseason. So it'll likely be high-scoring, particularly at Yankee Stadium. I think it'll be fun. And I think this team's offense has been not only resilient all year but it's also been pretty consistent.

"Let's go. Bring 'em on. We don't get to pick who we play. No time like the present to break that curse, so to speak."

James Paxton and Masahiro Tanaka look to be New York's top two starters, while Luis Severino could play a huge role as well as the No. 3 starter after recently returning from shoulder and lat injuries that cost him most of the season.

Beyond that, the Yankees boast one of the best bullpens in MLB with Aroldis Chapman, Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino and Tommy Kahnle. That unit ranks ninth with a 4.00 ERA, while the Twins bullpen is 10th with a 4.18 ERA. The teams rank second and third in bullpen WAR, per FanGraphs.

The Yankees and Twins are arguably the two best offensive teams in baseball. New York is first in runs (938) and home runs (305) and third in batting average (.269). Minnesota is second in runs (931), homers (303) and batting average (.270).

The Twins haven't made it past the ALDS since losing to the then-Anaheim Angels in the 2002 American League Championship Series, and the Yankees have eliminated them in four of the Twins' five ALDS during that time.

If Minnesota is going to finally get over the hump, it will likely need Cruz, Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler and Miguel Sano to outslug Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres and DJ LeMahieu.