Twins daring teams to sign Eddie Rosario in cheap decision

The Twins aren’t as big of fans of Eddie Rosario as we are.

Rosario has finished on the MVP ballot the past two seasons, including an 18th place finish in 2019, and a 17th place finish in the shortened 2020 season. He’s a staple in the Twins lineup, racking up numbers on a consistent basis since the start of the 2017 season.

So, why would the Twins be shipping him away?

Well, Rosario’s become a bit of a liability in the outfield after rolling his ankle in a freak injury on the basepaths in 2019. He’s still an average left fielder, but he’s trending in the wrong direction. And while his offensive numbers look good, they’ve also gotten worse over the last two seasons. In 2020, his slash line of .257/.316/.476 was among the worst of his career, at least since he’s become an established hitter in the middle of the Twins lineup.

In the end, the Twins don’t deem him worth the projected $9.6 million it would cost to keep him.

Are the Twins right to send away Rosario?

Minnesota’s been trying to trade Rosario for the better part of two offseasons. Part of that is wanting to get maximum value for him while his numbers were peaking. Another, less optimistic viewpoint is that as a mid-market team, the Twins simply don’t want to afford Rosario when his contract is up. In yet another arbitration year, he could cost them upwards of $10 million.

It’s unlikely that Rosario will be back with the Twins unless it’s at a discount. It’s easy to look at his statline and predict he signs elsewhere, though. $10 million is a lot in Minneapolis, but not so much for major MLB markets in need of an upgrade offensively.