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After 3,000 man-hours and nine transactions, the Twins’ front office feels that they are halfway to finding a backup shortstop. In an offseason defined by the gaping holes in the bullpen, the Twins have been single-minded in their pursuit of a backup shortstop who is not Twins legend Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the only backup shortstop on the market.
Kiner-Falefa spent 19 hours as the Twins’ starting shortstop in March of 2022, and they’re determined not to make that mistake again.
“It seems straightforward to add IKF to backup Brooks Lee,” an unnamed executive told Twins Daily. “But, ultimately, sometimes, the most obvious thing is the most obvious wrong thing.”
Instead of paying Kiner-Falefa the five million dollars it would take to purchase his services for the year, the team would prefer to spend that money on [unclear].00
Since the end of the season, the Twins have added significant depth at the position, including recent trade acquisition Tristan Gray, waiver claims Ryan Kreidler and Vidal Bruján, and minor league free agent Orlando Arcia. The cost? Pretty modest:
Backup shortstop candidate Ryan Fitzgerald (claimed by Los Angeles)
Utilityman Mickey Gasper (claimed by Washington)
$500,000 owed to Vidal Bruján if he’s in the minor leagues
Catching prospect Nate Baez (traded to Boston for Gray)
Backup shortstop candidate Vidal Bruján (traded to New York)
Lefty relief prospect Kade Bragg (traded for heretofor unmentioned backup third base candidate Eric Wagaman)
Many very original comments from Twins fans like “Plan the parade” or “This will get me to renew my season tickets” or “Wagaman? I hardly Knowaman”
The offseason is still young, and the Twins have many other levers to pull. They have active feelers out on former shortstop Andrelton Simmons, general nuisance Jeff Frye, and local businessman Alex Rodriguez, hoping to add at least two of the names to their pile of backup shortstops who are not Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The list is now longer than the team’s bullpen hierarchy.
Other options who have been bandied about:
Joe Pohlad, who has a lot of free time on his hands to learn new skills. Putting him on the roster would mean $780,000 of the payroll would stay in Pohlad hands
Nick Punto, though this was suggested by your mother. Yes, you, the person reading this. Your mom loved Little Nicky, didn’t she?
JJ Hardy, finally righting that wrong
Ryan Fitzgerald
Clyde Sneavly, a 34-year-old kindergarten teacher with a glove and a dream
A man in a Groucho Marx mask named “Kisiah Finer-Alfalfa”
At the time of publication, Kiner-Falefa is still available for five million dollars, but the Twins’ most recent unsuccessful attempt was to trade for a mysterious Rockies shortstop named Ryan Ritter. I’ve never heard of him, and neither, apparently, had the Twins until 11 minutes ago.
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