Minnesota Twins

Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was ejected from his team's 6-1 loss to the New York Yankees on Saturday after arguing with the umpires over Yankees pitcher Domingo Germán.

Baldelli, who was ejected for the 12th time in his career, wanted Germán ejected for using excess rosin despite the umpires telling him to wipe it off in previous innings, according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman.

Germán was told by crew chief James Hoye to clean off the rosin following a third inning check but continued with it in the fourth and—after another prolonged check—was allowed to continue pitching.

Although he didn't wash off the rosin, the umpires found no evidence of sticky material that helped with Germán's grip and control, which allowed him to stay in the game and led to Baldelli's ejection.

German explained to the umpires that he prefers to put rosin on while he's in the dugout instead of on the mound, which they accepted.

Rosin is allowed as long as it's not used on a pitcher's glove or uniform. The rosin is also not allowed to be mixed with anything like sunscreen, according to MLB.com.

Before the start of the season, MLB announced that it would be enforcing its pitching checks rules more forcefully in 2023. Umpires can now conduct the checks more throughly and randomly than they did in the past.

Saturday was a clear example of what can be expected more as the season moves along.

Germán, who entered the game with 5.87 ERA through his first two starts of the season, was dominant against the Twins, which led to increased suspicion. He was perfect through the first five innings and ended up allowing just one run on three hits through 6 1/3 innings with a career-high 11 strikeouts and no walks.

Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters that shortstop Kyle Farmer will undergo surgery to realign his teeth after being struck in the face by a Lucas Giolito 92 mph fastball during Wednesday's matchup against the Chicago White Sox.

Per Baldelli, Farmer avoided breaking his jaw but will require dental work. He also suffered a laceration.

Giolito looked visibly distraught after the fastball got away from him and struck Farmer.

"Thank god we got news that was better than what we were expecting," Baldelli told reporters, adding that it was "some sort of miracle" that Farmer didn't suffer a fracture.

"One of the more difficult days that you're going to have at a ballpark," he continued. "... You just can't stop thinking about him, what he's gone through and what he's about to go through. The players around this team, they're amazing. Somehow had the ability—I barely had the ability to do my job, and they're going out there playing."

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol also commented on Farmer's injury.

"My gosh, you never want to see that in a game," he told reporters. "I was just hoping and praying that it nicked him or something like that, but I guess it squared him up pretty good. My prayers go out for him and his recovery. You never want to see that."

The Twins managed to beat the White Sox on Wednesday 3-1. The victory moved Minnesota to 8-4, first place in the AL Central.

The 32-year-old Farmer, who was acquired from the Cincinnati Reds this offseason, has appeared in 11 games for the Twins as a shortstop and second baseman, hitting .226 with a homer, five RBI, six runs and a .641 OPS.

Minnesota Twins pitcher Kenta Maeda was so good against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday, the batters knew what was coming and still couldn't get anything going against the right-hander.

Apparently the PitchCom device used by catcher Tony Wolters was louder than the norm to the point where the home plate umpire and batter could hear the call. This didn't affect Maeda at all, however.

He still threw two scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out two batters.

"I said nicely done," Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. "By the way, something to note, they knew every pitch that was coming."

Adjustments were eventually made to the device after Baldelli had a conversation with the umpires after the second inning.

Maeda, 34, is in his sixth year in the league after coming in from Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. He started his MLB career with the Dodgers where he spent four seasons before getting traded to Minnesota in Feb. 2020.

He had an excellent debut season with the Twins, going 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA and led the league in WHIP (.750). He finished as the runner-up for the AL Cy Young Award in 2020, losing out to Cleveland's Shane Bieber.

Maeda ended up having to miss the entire 2022 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in Sept. 2021. Thursday was just his second spring start since the surgery.

The Minnesota Twins acquired veteran outfielder Michael A. Taylor from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for left-hander Evan Sisk and right-hander Steven Cruz on Monday.

ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel and MLB.com's Anne Rogers initially reported the details of the deal.

The move comes days after Minnesota landed starting pitcher Pablo López in a deal that sent reigning American League batting champion Luis Arraez to the Miami Marlins.

Taylor made 124 appearances for Kansas City in 2022. He finished with a .254 average and a .313 on-base percentage. His 90 OPS+ was the second-highest of his career, per Baseball Reference.

The 31-year-old brings some depth to the outfield. He has patrolled center field (692 games) for the majority of his career but has lined up in left and right field on occasion.

As a fourth outfielder, Taylor is an upgrade over Gilberto Celestino, who has a .222/.292/.300 slash line through his first two MLB seasons.

And having a proven backup to Byron Buxton is important if his poor injury luck carries over into 2023.

Buxton's raw talent has never been in doubt, and he has translated that into elite production over the past two seasons. Since 2021, he has slugged .576 with 47 home runs and 15 stolen bases.

Unfortunately for the Twins, the 2022 All-Star has logged just 585 appearances over eight years since making his MLB debut in 2015. Last season alone, he battled hip and knee trouble before arthroscopic surgery ruled him out for good in September.

From Minnesota's perspective, having Buxton on the field for 140-plus games would be great, but you have to put contingencies in place.

The Royals, meanwhile, add to their farm system as they embark on a franchise-wide reset. They have a new manager with Matt Quatraro, and this is the first offseason with J.J. Picollo in charge after he replaced Dayton Moore as general manager last September.

Taylor is the final year of his two-year, $9 million contract, so flipping him for prospects was inevitable.

Kansas City didn't extract a significant haul. Cruz ended the year at 28th in MLB.com's list of the Twins' top 30 prospects, and Sisk failed to make the cut. But the Royals are in a good position to give both an extended look this spring.

Taylor's departure also opens the door for Nick Loftin, Kansas City's No. 4 prospect in 2022, to potentially earn an everyday role in the outfield.

Luis Arráez broke through as a first-time All-Star for the Minnesota Twins last season, but he will attempt to make his next appearance on a different team.

That's because Minnesota reportedly traded the second baseman to the Miami Marlins on Friday in exchange for pitcher Pablo López, per ESPN's Jeff Passan. Passan noted there are "more" pieces in the trade, but Arráez and López are the headline names.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted Minnesota also landed a notable prospect in infielder Jose Salas:

Both sides have been working toward such a trade.

Dan Hayes of The Athletic reported the Twins were looking to "improve their roster" with eyes on a potential playoff run with the return of Carlos Correa and discussed acquiring López to do so. Jon Heyman of the New York Post also noted Minnesota had previously had discussions surrounding the right-hander.

Yet Heyman also reported the American League Central team was reluctant to part with Arráez.

That reluctance didn't prevent a deal from coming together Friday, though, and the inclusion of such a promising young player in Salas surely helped.

The Marlins now have the winner of last season's American League batting title in their lineup in Arráez, who slashed .316/.375/.420 with eight home runs and 49 RBI in 144 games. He earned a Silver Slugger and that All-Star selection as a result and even finished 13th in American League MVP voting.

While it was a breakthrough effort for someone who isn't necessarily a household name, it wasn't a complete surprise. He hit .334 in 92 games in 2019 and is a career .314 hitter across four seasons and 389 contests.

He is a significant loss for Minnesota, but it upgraded its starting rotation with the addition of López.

The 26-year-old finished the 2022 season with a 3.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 174 strikeouts in 180 innings. It was the third straight campaign he posted a sub-4.00 ERA, and he set career-best marks in innings and strikeouts.

The Twins are surely eyeing a run at an American League Central title, and López has the upside to be a valuable piece in the middle of the rotation. Losing someone like Arráez is never easy, but the return of Correa also made him more expendable for important pitching depth.

An unnamed New York Mets player called losing shortstop Carlos Correa to the Minnesota Twins a "big letdown," per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

One of the hottest names in this year's free agent market initially signed a 13-year, $350 million deal with the San Francisco Giants, but that deal fell through because of the team's long-term concerns with his right leg due to a fractured right fibula suffered during a slide in a 2014 minor league game. A minor ligament issue was also fixed at the time of the surgery.

Correa's agent, Scott Boras, then continued negotiations with other teams and agreed to a 12-year, $315 million contract with the Mets. However, New York also had concerns about the right leg after his physical, leaving the shortstop in limbo.

Ultimately, Correa headed back to the Twins—where he spent the 2022 campaign after a seven-year stint with the Houston Astros—on a six-year, $200 million contract. He's passed his physical, so that deal is now official.

The Mets have still done well for themselves this offseason despite losing out on Correa. They lost staff ace Jacob deGrom but replaced him with two-time American League Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, whose 1.75 ERA led the major leagues in 2022.

New York also re-signed leadoff hitter and outfielder Brandon Nimmo and added Nippon Professional Baseball star pitcher Kodai Senga, who should slot in as the team's No. 3 starter in the rotation. Other additions include catcher Omar Narvaez and relief pitchers Adam Ottavino, David Robertson and Brooks Raley. The Mets also locked up closer Edwin Diaz long-term.

Still, Correa would have been a massive addition for owner Steve Cohen and the Mets, who won 101 games last year but lost in the first round of the playoffs to the San Diego Padres. The 28-year-old hit .291 (.834 OPS) with 22 home runs and 64 RBI last year. He has a 162-game average of 28 home runs and 101 RBI for his career and sports an .836 lifetime OPS.

Cohen told Heyman "nope" when asked if he had any comment about losing Correa, and it's assuredly frustrating for a person who previously said the signing "was important...this puts us over the top."

The Mets can certainly win the World Series without Correa, who would have played third base for the team with Francisco Lindor already at shortstop. It's still a tough blow for the Mets, though, as they look for their first NL pennant since 2015 when they begin this season on March 30 at the Miami Marlins.

Carlos Correa's strange free agency finally came to an end on Wednesday when he officially signed his six-year, $200 million contract with the Minnesota Twins after passing his physical.

Speaking to reporters about his free-agent journey, Correa said it was "shocking to me" when the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets backed out of their agreements with him due to concerns over his ankle.

"It was definitely an emotional roller-coaster," he added.

The Giants were the first team that reached an agreement with Correa on a deal worth $350 million over 13 years. He was set to be officially introduced by the club on Dec. 20, but the team postponed his press conference due to an issue with his physical.

As the Giants wavered on their agreement, the Mets swooped in with a 12-year, $315 million deal that Correa agreed to on Dec. 21.

"We needed one more thing, and this is it," Mets owner Steve Cohen told Jon Heyman of the New York Post about the deal with Correa. "This was important … This puts us over the top. This is a good team. I hope it's a good team!"

Three days later, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes reported New York's medical staff raised concerns about the long-term health of Correa's ankle that gave the Giants pause.

The issue stems from an injury Correa suffered in the minors during the 2014 season. He had surgery to repair a fractured right fibula and ligament damage, but it hasn't given him any issues so far in his MLB career.

Hayes noted on Dec. 22 that Correa mentioned the plate he had inserted in his right leg after limping off the field when he was thrown out trying to steal a base on Sept. 20. Correa stayed in the game.

"He just hit my plate," Correa said. "I had surgery and he hit it. Just kind of felt numb. Vibrating. So I was just waiting for it to calm down. It was a little scary, but when I moved I knew I was good."

As negotiations with the Mets stalled out, Correa's camp went back to the Twins. His deal with Minnesota guarantees him $200 million for six years, but it includes vesting options that could make it worth $270 million over 10 years.

"We were unable to reach an agreement," the Mets said in a statement on Wednesday. "We wish Carlos all the best."

Correa originally joined the Twins last year when he signed a three-year, $105.1 million deal that included opt outs after each of the first two seasons. The 28-year-old hit .291/.366/.467 with 22 homers and 64 RBI in 136 games during the 2022 campaign.

The Twins finished third in the AL Central last season with a 78-84 record. They have missed the playoffs in each of the previous two years after winning back-to-back division titles in 2019 and 2020.

After a lengthy offseason saga involving contract agreements with three different teams, star shortstop Carlos Correa is officially back with the Minnesota Twins.

Correa has passed his physical, which was the hindrance that caused his deals with the San Francisco Giants and New York Mets to fall through.

Correa re-signed with the Twins on Tuesday after agreeing to a reported six-year, $200 million contract with a vesting option for four years and $70 million. He agreed to a 13-year, $350 million deal with the Giants last month and later a 12-year, $315 million deal with the Mets, but both teams raised concerns over the long-term health of his right leg, which he broke in 2014 and had surgically repaired.

One of the best shortstops in the majors, Correa has not missed time because of a right leg ailment during his eight-year MLB career. After seeing him in action throughout the 2022 season, Minnesota was comfortable with his ability to stay on the field.

In his first season with the Twins, Correa hit .291/.366/.467 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI while also playing stellar defense, finishing as a Gold Glove finalist. However, the team finished third in the AL Central with a 78-84 record.

While staying in Minnesota likely was not Correa's desired outcome, the 28-year-old may welcome the end of a dramatic offseason. He can turn his attention to helping the Twins put forth a better showing during the 2023 season and hopefully compete for a division title.

The San Francisco Giants are showing interest in veteran free-agent catcher Gary Sanchez, according to MLB insider Héctor Gómez.

Sanchez is one of the top catchers remaining on the market and spent the 2022 campaign with the Minnesota Twins.

Sanchez is a solid power hitter, having hit 16 home runs and 24 doubles while driving in 61 runs during the 2022 campaign, though don't expect him to hit for average as he's strikeout-prone.

In 128 games, he slashed .205/.282/.377 and struck out a career-high 136 times, which was the most among MLB catchers.

Additionally, Sanchez's defense is questionable, and the Twins ended up replacing him with a better all-around catcher this winter by signing former Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros backstop Christian Vázquez.

Sanchez still has value, though, having earned two All-Star Game selections and a Silver Slugger award during his seven-year tenure with the New York Yankees. Additionally, he ranks second among MLB catchers with 154 homers since 2016, behind only Salvador Perez.

It's no secret the Giants could use some catching help, and it's reasonable to believe Sanchez could return to form in a fresh setting.

Joey Bart is expected to be San Francisco's starting catcher in 2023. Once a top-notch prospect, Bart has shown flashes of greatness at the major league level, but he just completed his first big league season in 2022 and has a lot to learn.

Bart slashed .215/.296/.364 with 11 home runs and 25 RBI in 97 games last season.

Aside from Sanchez, the Giants could turn to Blake Sabol alongside Bart, though he has no major league experience under his belt, and it's hard to imagine the 25-year-old cracking the roster.

San Francisco could end up seeing some competition for Sanchez's services. The Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins could still use a catcher, though it's unclear if any of those teams have expressed interest in Sanchez this winter.