The Twins are healthy (for now)

 The Twins haven't been flashy this offseason, and given how many people expected the winter to go, that might be a good thing. Now with their stated goal of contention in 2026, there is growing discontent with the slow pace of the offseason, but if you ask me, the team has been moving at a brisker clip than normal. I take this as growth.

    

Well, OK, MLBTR commenter, maybe we are putting too much pressure on Eric Wagaman, but the Twins have shown that they are adapting to their own personalities. 

Injuries have been a massive part of the story for the Twins for the last several years. Payroll wsa certainly higher than it was relative to the league in 2022 and 23, but the year that they were the most successful, the Twins did something a bit differently: They stocked up on depth pieces. Michael A. Taylor and Donovan Solano played important roles, and were present for the playoff runs. 

Another trait that the Twins have had ever since Derek Falvey came aboard was a level of patience to wait out the entirety of the market and find deals on the players still available. The Twins have had some decent success in finding players late in the offseason: Carlos Santana, Carlos Correa, other players not named Carlos. It stands to reason that the Twins are going to hold on and take a bigger - not necessarily BIG, just bigger - stab as late as March. We should acknowledge this track record for our own self preservation. 

But there has been a lot more nibbling at the corners this winter than we saw in the last couple of years. The Twins are going to wait for prices to come down on players that they hope may be their primary option, but unlike the last couple of years, they are wasting no time in setting the floor on offense. After struggling through a few months, the Twins grabbed Jonah Bride and Kody Clemens in what can only be viewed as panicked acquistions. This year, those kinds of moves will hopefully be less urgent, thanks to recent acquisitions of Wagaman and Orlando Arcia. Not starters, but Major League players should the wheels start coming off. 

One can argue with the specific moves the Twins have made, but the strategy is clear. For a team beset with misfortune for many years in a row, the only time they have been truly successful is when they worked to set a floor, rather than to raise their ceiling. Before they can start raising the ceiling, the Twins, for once, are working on setting the foundation.

If the Twins hope to contend this year, they will need to remain healthy and see their young core take a huge step forward. Some pitchers are going to have to adapt to new roles. It's not a completely unreasonable hope, given the division the team plays in. Recent reports suggest good health all around, but they front office is working to ensure that the team doesn't fall out of contention at the first hint of trouble.