Los Angeles Dodgers: Four potential suitors for Yasmani Grandal
By Jason Reed
Minnesota Twins
Joe Mauer is retiring from baseball and the Minnesota Twins need a catcher for the 2019 season (although Mauer has not played catcher since 2013. Mitch Garver spent most of the time behind the plate for the Twins last season and was fine in his role.
But if the Twins want to make another playoff push, they need to add pieces and Grandal is a great middle of the order bat they can add.
The Twins have no long-term plan at the catcher position. Garver is under team control until 2024 but with just one decent season under his belt, is not someone to bank on long-term. Jason Castro is a free agent after 2019 and was fairly bad last year and the organization’s top catching prospect is the 24th-ranked and isn’t estimated to be in the bigs until 2021.
Minnesota has the pieces to make another playoff push and was not terrible last season. Playing in baseball’s weakest division always makes them a contender, especially if the Cleveland Indians due indeed trade some pieces away this winter.
The Twins were 23rd in the MLB in home runs last season and ranked 18th in slugging percentage. Those are numbers that can be improved upon with some key signings, Yasmani Grandal is one of them.