Twins value depth signings Bader and Coulombe despite offseason holding pattern for payroll

By Canadian Press on February 7, 2025.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins collapsed down the stretch last season, a lack of productive replacements for several key injured players serving as one of the culprits.

Investing in depth is important, clearly, even in a holding pattern with player payroll.

The Twins finalized one-year contracts on Friday with outfielder Harrison Bader and reliever Danny Coulombe to strengthen two key position groups. Bader ($6.25 million) and Coulombe ($3 million) added a guaranteed $9.25 million to the 2025 payroll, a price ownership deemed worth committing even with the club for sale and the recent loss of regional television revenue.

“When we’ve come up a little bit short or not played the way we wanted to, it’s felt like our depth got tested in a way that we couldn’t quite fill the holes the way we needed to,” president Derek Falvey said during a video news conference. “You’re always going to be short in some areas. No one ever has a full line change worth of players, where you still feel like you could compete at the highest possible level, but I do think that we feel like now we have a lot of working parts on our roster that, if something happens somewhere, you can kind of plug in different directions.”

Falvey confirmed executive chairman Joe Pohlad approved the additional spending.

“I’ve had active conversations with Joe the last couple of weeks, and he green-lighted for sure the ability to add a little bit here to this team. So I think that’s a credit to them and certainly a tick up for us that allows us to add a little bit more to this roster that we feel already had a good base,” Falvey said. “Now we’ve clicked off some of those needs.”

The 30-year-old Bader, whose deal includes a mutual option for 2026, started 108 games in center field for the New York Mets last season. He’s not only a capable backup for Byron Buxton, whose injury history has severely hampered his 10-year career, but he’s a Gold Glove Award winner — in 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals — at that. Bader has joined his fifth team in five seasons.

After losing right fielder Max Kepler, a solid defender, in free agency, the Twins wanted to make sure outfield defense was shored up.

“When we look at our pitching staff, it’s a flyball-oriented staff, and anything you can do to enhance the strengths of the team you have already, that feels really good,” recently promoted general manager Jeremy Zoll said. “That was definitely part of the calculus for us along the way.”

In their most common lineup, against right-handed pitchers, the Twins are planning on Matt Wallner in right field and Trevor Larnach in left. But if either needs a break or faces a disadvantageous matchup against a difficult lefty, Bader can easily play one of the corner spots. All-Star multi-position player Willi Castro is another option and any of the top four outfielders would be a viable designated hitter for manager Rocco Baldelli on any given day.

The 35-year-old Coulombe took the 40-man roster spot vacated by outfielder Michael Helman, who was traded for cash to the Cardinals on Thursday. To make room for Bader, the Twins designated reliever Ronny Henriquez assignment.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Dave Campbell, The Associated Press