3 offseason moves Minnesota Twins must make after postseason embarrassment

1. Trade Eddie Rosario

From his tendency to make bone head throws in the outfield, run into outs on the bases and a patent unwillingness to work a walk, Rosario’s act has grown tired. Baldelli has given him a very long leash, while effectively benching Kepler for a game after a dropped flyball at one point this season. Rosario does offer a certain level of Teflon, unaffected swagger in big moments, but coming through in those moments is too few and too far between in the big picture.

Bad umpiring aside, this might be Rosario’s last moment in a Twins’ uniform.

Rosario is arbitration-eligible for the final time this offseason, so moving him in a trade should be fairly easy. The Twins may want to reduce payroll, and there’s no way they’re signing Rosario to a contract extension of any note (if they’re even thinking about that). As mentioned with Kepler across the way in right field, Alex Kirilloff and/or Brent Rooker, in particular, could take over in left field next year. The Twins can deal from a position of strength in both cases.

What the return in a Rosario trade would be is unclear. But a team might see his on-base growth in a short sample this year –19 walks in 231 plate appearance, after 22 walks in 590 plate appearances last year — to go with solid power and see a one-year flier worth taking on a looming free agent.