Minnesota Twins Decline Contract Option On Miguel Sanó, Retain Sonny Gray

A spending 13 years with the Minnesota Twins organization, it appears that Miguel Sanó will become a free agent for the first time in his career. It's a shame, really, when you consider what his potential seemed to be when he joined the franchise as a high-profile amateur signee out of the Dominican Republic.

At that time, Sanó was considered one of the best prospects in the game and when he made his major league debut in 2015, he was an imposing force. Showing off his power right off the bat, he made the American League All-Star team in 2017.

However, he also struck out at an alarming rate. In fact, since his 2015 debut, no major league player struck out more than Sanó, with 1,042 in 694 games. As the strikeouts and injuries mounted, Sanó could not recapture that original magic.

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On Monday, the Minnesota Twins made several roster moves, one of which was to decline the $14 million contract option on Miguel Sanó. Not a shocking move, but a disappointing end to his career in Minnesota. Perhaps a change in scenery will put Sanó back on track. Many Twins fans now have visions of David Ortiz dancing in their heads.

The Twins also declined contract options on starting pitchers Chris Archer and Dylan Bundy.

On the plus side, the Twins are brining back starting pitcher Sonny Gray, who had joined the team this season. The team announced it is picking up Gray's $12.5 million contract option.

Gray had a 3.08 ERA in 24 starts after arriving in a trade with Cincinnati that sent 2021 first-round draft pick Chase Petty to the Reds. Gray had 117 strikeouts in 119⅔ innings.

While he will likely lead the Minnesota Twins rotation in 2023, Gray will become a free agent after the season unless a long-term deal is reached.