A's spending big in free agency is a reminder of the current state of the Twins

The Athletics have signed their biggest free agent contract in franchise history.

Feb 15, 2024; Tampa, FL, USA; Minnesota Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey talks with media at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

MLB free agency is in full swing and the A's are expected to sign former Mets starting pitcher Luis Severino to a three-year, $67 million contract, the biggest free-agent deal in franchise history, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.

BREAKING: Right-hander Luis Severino and the A’s are in agreement on a three-year, $67 million contract, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest guarantee in the history of the A’s franchise. And even with the qualifying offer attached, Severino got well over market expectations.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 5, 2024

The Twins' struggles down the stretch of last season — they went 9-18 in September — showed that they could've used a starting pitcher of Severino's caliber. He started 31 games last season and finished 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA.

The Pohlad family announced intentions to put the Twins up for sale earlier this offseason, so it would been naive to expect them to be big spenders in the offseason. But, it's hard to find an excuse to be outspent by the A's, as their franchise faces even more uncertainty. They will play their 2025 games in Sacramento and they've completely dropped the Oakland name. They're just the Athletics.

Outside of Pablo Lopez making $21.5 million in 2025, Chris Paddack is the only other starting pitcher on the roster expected to make at least $7.5 million next year. Bailey Ober is at $3.7 million and Joe Ryan is at $3.65 million. Severino will be making $22.3 million next year and he's entirely a player that Minnesota could've targeted to improve the rotation.

If the Twins were willing to give a marquee free agent $20+ million annually, they might be in the conversation for a big free-agent bat like former Arizona MVP candidate Christian Walker, who has slugged 95 homers and driven in 281 runs over the last three seasons.

The Twins ranked 19th in payroll last season and the A's ranked dead last, so even with Severino's big contract the A's won't be spending as much as the Twins will in 2024. But in the current state of the Twins, the A's are clearly more comfortable doling out significant contracts.