Eddie Rosario will remain in the American League Central and join Cleveland as a free agent, agreeing to a one-year, $8 million offer. The deal was reported by MLB Network and is contingent on Rosario passing a physical.
Eddie Rosario gets one-year, $8 million deal with Cleveland
The 29-year-old left fielder played the past six seasons for the Twins.
January 30, 2021 at 5:13AM
On Instagram, Rosario posted a video of his birthday present to his mother: a Cleveland hat.
Rosario, 29, played six seasons for the Twins before they declined to offer him a contract tender in December. The team's regular left fielder, he hit .277 with 119 home runs in six seasons, and had 32 homers and a team-high 109 RBI in 2019.
Cleveland needs outfielders, and signing Rosario also prevents him from feasting on their pitching (the Sid Hartman theory). In 93 career games for the Twins against Cleveland, Rosario hit .301 with a .560 slugging percentage and 22 home runs in 93 games.
Alex Avila, who was a backup catcher with the Twins last season, agreed to a one-year contract with the Washington Nationals on Thursday. The Twins have also lost utility player Ehire Adrianza, who signed with Atlanta.
The Twins, who are having an online TwinsFest on Saturday, have started laying the groundwork for the return of fans to Target Field.
Talk of competing for the best players or of a potential new owner wielding big bucks doesn’t change this: They are last in popularity among the four major men’s pro sports.
