Minnesota Twins Could Be In Position To Sign Ian Desmond

Well, I don’t think anyone in baseball is too surprised that Ian Desmond is still a free agent these days. If you recall, he infamously turned down $100 million from the Washington Nationals and gambled on himself. At this point, it’s clear that he lost that bet the second he said no.

It’s unclear what his agent is asking for these days, but if Desmond turned $100 million down, he clearly thinks he’s worth more than that — and I can’t imagine there’s a single organization that will give it to him. This is where I actually think a team like the Minnesota Twins could sign him as a placeholder until someone like Nick Gordon is ready in a few years.

Why not just make a three-year offer to Desmond at around the $50-55 million marker? That kind of deal would benefit the Twins even though it’s a ton of money annually. Desmond would fit perfectly on a Twins team with so much young talent. He’s used to playing in a bigger park as a hitter, and I think he’d show up everyday for a Hall-of-Fame manager like Paul Molitor.

Sure, it’s a ton of money for a small-market team, but the Twins will draw a ton of folks if they’re competitive in the AL Central, and I think they will be. It’s a short-term deal in a position that they could use some more pop in, and it might be the best offer on the table for Desmond. On top of that, he’s still young enough that he’ll be able to go out and get another three-year deal if he performs, maybe in the same monetary range as the deal Ben Zobrist got.

Put that together, and he could end up making the $100 million that he turned down.

For the Twin fans who are against this idea because Gordon or Jorge Polanco might be ready before the end of a three-year deal: Someone can easily play a different position for a year, or the Twins could trade Desmond when that time comes. He wouldn’t be unmovable from a contract standpoint (assuming he doesn’t just downright suck).

It’s an interesting idea, really. I’m sure most thought Desmond would be a much better fit with a team like the New York Yankees, but as the days go by, it’s becoming clear that someone can scoop him up for a discount. It might as well be a team that has a chance to win now.