Twins Non-Tender CJ Cron as Arbitration Looms

The Twins would rather not pick up the lofty arbitration price coming their way had they kept first baseman CJ Cron, and given their options in free agency, we don't necessarily blame them.

Per MLB Trade Rumors, Cron was likely due nearly $8 million in arbitration, which is a number Minnesota clearly wasn't comfortable with, given their decision to non-tender him before the 8 p.m. deadline.

With Cron on the free agent market, a return to Minnesota at a smaller price isn't out of the cards. However, the Twins' long-term plan remains to move Miguel Sano from third base to first, or designated hitter should they choose. This leaves little room for Cron on the roster.

Cron definitely has a spot on a major league roster waiting for him in free agency, but it's unlikely to come at that price range.

Should Minnesota wish to look in another direction, the third base market is flush with cheaper options if they want to move Sano to first.