Erick Aybar, who we forgot was with the Twins, could be their starting shortstop

If you forgot Erick Aybar — a 2014 All-Star — was on the Minnesota Twins, it’s time to start getting familiar.

As the Twins plan to play their first 80 games without their young shortstop Jorge Polanco, who was suspended after testing positive for PEDs, an unlikely veteran has emerged as a stop-gap for Minnesota.

Erick Aybar, who spent his most prolific years with the Los Angeles Angels, was quietly signed by Minnesota last month. He has a clause in his contract that stipulates he can request release if he’s not on the Opening Day 40-Man roster, but Polanco’s suspension might have changed that.

Despite Jorge Polanco being ‘really sorry’ for having the steroid Stanozolol in his system, the Twins are now being saddled with the task of replacing their suspended starting shortstop.

While there are some clear in-house options like Eduardo Escobar, who clubbed 21 dingers last season, or the glove-first shortstop Ehire Adrianza, there’s a decent chance Aybar gets a shot.

Aybar has swung the bat well in Florida, slashing .296/.321/.407, and his 12 years of experience gives the Twins another veteran to help mentor the Twins young core. He also brings more proven depth to their bench when Polanco does return.

Minnesota could always roll with the combination of Escobar and Adrainza as starters and still add Aybar as a depth piece anyways. It would also give the Twins a versatile bench, as all three players hit from both sides, giving skipper Paul Molitor plenty of pinch-hitting options.

It’s also worth noting that Aybar has been on a massive decline since the 2014 season. After posting a career-best 4.2 WAR in 2014, he has been a negative WAR player the last two seasons.

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The Twins have options on the roster to replace Polanco, and while they aren’t terribly impressive, Aybar feels like a player who could reinvigorate his career on an exciting Twins roster in 2018.