Eddie Rosario clears waivers, expected to be non-tendered by Twins

In an expected move, Minnesota Twins outfielder Eddie Rosario has cleared waivers, and the Twins are expected to non-tender him today, before the 7pm central deadline. The 29-year-old Puerto Rican was slated to receive anywhere between $8.6m to $12.9m in his last year of arbitration this winter, according to MLB Trade Rumors. However, the front office most likely did not believe that Rosie was worth that salary range, or that the money can be used better elsewhere this winter. He was reportedly on outright waivers yesterday, but no teams took a chance of scooping him up.

Rosario was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft out of high school. Although he saw time as a second baseman in the minors, he eventually was a fixture in the outfield. In parts of seven seasons in the minors, he posted a .294/.340/.484 (.825) triple slash with 67 homers and 310 RBI. After being called up in 2015, Eddie turned in a .277/.310/.478 (.788) line with 119 homers and 388 RBI. His debut season included a home run in his first major-league at-bat while totaling a league-best 15 triples in 2015. He reached the 30-plus home run plateau and notched 109 RBI as part of the 2019 Bomba Squad to help propel the Twins to their first American League Championship in years.

Some writers have made a case for taking on Rosario for their favorite teams, including the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants, as well as a hypothetical pairing with former Twins coach James Rowson and the Miami Marlins.

The move opens up opportunities for a logjam of outfield prospects. Brent Rooker made his major-league debut this season and fared well, batting .316/.381/.579 (.960) with a homer and five RBI in 19 at-bats before being hit by a pitch, resulting in a broken forearm. He is still slated to return for 2021. His 2019 in Triple-A Rochester resulted in a .281/.398/.535 (.933) triple slash with 14 homers and 47 RBI.

Alex Kirilloff uniquely made his major-league debut in the postseason this year, going 1-for-4 against the Houston Astros. The first-round draft pick from the 2016 MLB Draft has put up a .317/.365/.498 (.863) line in his three season of minor-league action. He spent 2019 with Double-A Pensacola, which resulted in nine homers and 43 RBI.

Another name that has been thrown out there is Trevor Larnach. The lefty-batter/righty-thrower has also not seen any action higher than Double-A Pensacola in his career. However, he posted a .309/.384/.458 (.842) stat line with 13 homers and 66 RBI in 2019 between the Blue Wahoos and High-A Ft Myers.

Certainly fans will miss chanting (or hearing the chants) of “Eddie! Eddie!” at Target Field. Best of luck to Rosie, unless it’s against the Twins, of course.