Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
There are usually one or two players on the free agent market each season that end up staying on their way longer than anyone thought they would have. That person this offseason could very well be Ervin Santana. He has all the tools to be one of the hotter commodities on the market but he could see his value fall thanks in part to coming with draft pick compensation. That isn’t the only think behind why the Minnesota Twins should stay away from him however.
As a matter of fact the Twins have a protected first round pick so the compensation pick isn’t as big of a deal for them as it would be for other teams. For them it comes down to the simple fact that they shouldn’t put all their eggs in one basket. They aren’t going to be a World Series contender right now anyway as all they really hope for in 2014 is to be a better team than they were in 2013 and remain competitive all season. A winning season could be a big goal.
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Considering that, they would be much better served in signing more middle rotation level free agents that are out there like Ricky Nolasco who aren’t a grand slam guarantee but do provide some level of consistent success as well. Ubaldo Jimenez might be about the biggest name they could go for and not shoot themselves in the foot on other possible moves to make the team better. Santana is good but they should wait on him.
If the trade rumors of some of the top MLB pitchers come through, it would remove some bigger teams from the free agent pitcher market. That might be the only case where Santana would fall far enough for the Twins to take a real shot at him. Other than that they should definitely spend money in other places.
David Miller is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @davidmillerrant, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google
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