Twins sign former SF Giants fan favorite Donovan Solano to MLB deal

Former SF Giants second baseman, and Silver Slugger Award winner, Donovan Solano has inked a one-year, $2 million contract with the Minnesota Twins.

Marc Delucchi | Feb 23, 2023

Twins sign former SF Giants fan favorite Donovan Solano to MLB deal /

In this story:

The Minnesota Twins have signed infielder Donovan Solano to a one-year, $2 million contract that includes $250,000 of incentives. The former SF Giants second baseman is slated to be the Twins utility infielder, likely platooning with second baseman Jorge Polanco and first baseman Alex Kirilloff. The agreement was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and terms of the deal were later reported by Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

SF Giants second base Donovan Solano (7) catches a line drive to retire Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner. (2021) — SF Giants second base Donovan Solano (7) catches a line drive to retire Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner during Game 5 of the 2021 National League Divisional Series / Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

Solano was one of the best acquisitions of Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi's tenure. Solano signed a minor-league contract with San Francisco prior to the 2019 season and proved to be the best second baseman in the organization. Nicknamed 'Donnie Barrels' for his knack for squaring up opposing pitching, Solano hit .330/.360/.456 in 81 games with the Giants that season.

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, Solano won a Silver Slugger Award, building off his breakout season. He appeared in 54 of the Giants' 60 games, hitting .326/.365/.463 with 15 doubles, a triple, and three home runs. While the Giants finished the season one victory away from reaching the playoffs, Solano played a pivotal role in their contention.

Solano's performance took a step back in 2021 when the Giants won 107 games, but he still managed an above-average .280/.344/.404 triple-slash in 344 plate appearances. However, by the end of the season, Solano was ceding playing time to Thairo Estrada and Wilmer Flores. So, it was no surprise when he departed in free agency, signing a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Reds.

The Reds deployed Solano as a utility infielder, primarily against left-handed pitching. While he primarily played second base with the Giants, he actually saw more playing time at first and third base in Cincinnati, showcasing some improved versatility. While his power continued to dip, he still made contact at a solid clip, finishing the season with a .284/.339/.385 line.

At this point in his career, Donovan Solano is likely at his best as a platoon bat against left-handed pitching. Since he joined the SF Giants in 2019, he has a .321/.363/.461 triple-slash against southpaws. With a left-handed hitting first baseman and switch-hitting second baseman, it is easy to see why the Minnesota Twins added Donnie Barrels.

Published Feb 23, 2023

MARC DELUCCHI

Marc Delucchi (he/they/she) serves as the Managing Editor at Giants Baseball Insider, leading their SF Giants coverage. As a freelance journalist, he has previously covered the San Francisco Giants at Around the Foghorn and McCovey Chronicles. He also currently contributes to Niners Nation, Golden State of Mind, and Baseball Prospectus. He has previously been featured in several other publications, including SFGate, ProFootballRumors, Niners Wire, GrandStand Central, Call to the Pen, and Just Baseball. Over his journalistic career, Marc has conducted investigations into how one prep baseball player lost a college opportunity during the pandemic (Baseball Prospectus) and the rampant mistreatment of players at the University of Hawaii football program under former head coach Todd Graham (SFGate). He has also broken dozens of news stories around professional baseball, primarily around the SF Giants organization, including the draft signing of Kyle Harrison, injuries and promotions to top prospects like Heliot Ramos, and trade details in the Kris Bryant deal. Marc received a Bachelor's degree from Kenyon College with a major in economics and a minor in Spanish. During his time in college, he conducted a summer research project attempting to predict the future minor-league performance of NCAA hitters, worked as a data analyst for the school's Women's basketball team, and worked as a play-by-play announcer/color commentator for the basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. He also worked as an amateur baseball scout with the Collegiate Baseball Scouting Network (later renamed Evolution Metrix), scouting high school and college players for three draft cycles. For tips and inquiries, feel free to reach out to Marc directly on Twitter or via email (delucchimarc@gmail.com).