Thrifty Twins relish the challenge of facing big-spending Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers, a team that committed $1.4 billion to five players this offseason, don’t let opposing pitchers ease into their lineup. The top three hitters in the batting order have been the same for all 12 games this season.

Mookie Betts, who leads the majors in several major categories, bats leadoff with Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman hitting behind him. Among the three, they have four Most Valuable Player awards, 17 selections to the All-Star Game and three World Series rings.

Navigating that part of the batting order will be the first test for the Twins, who will play host to the Dodgers for a three-game series at Target Field beginning Monday.

“They are a really good team,” Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers said. “They’ve got a lot of money in that team. I think we’re a team that we trust can hang with anybody. They’re not a daunting task, seeing them come into town. It’s excitement. We’re excited to get out there, play against them and see how it goes.”

In an era with stark payroll disparities between teams, the star power on the Dodgers’ roster stands out compared to other high spenders. The Twins won’t face Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed a 12-year, $325 million deal in December, but they’ll see a lineup that could feature seven players making more than $9 million this season.

“Those are some of the biggest stars in the game,” said Twins rookie Austin Martin. “Guys that I’ve watched for a long time, even before my professional career. Just being able to share the field and compete against those guys means a lot to me, especially to win. That’s what I’m here for. Getting to compete against the best is why I truly play this game.”

There is no one more excited about facing the Dodgers than Louie Varland if his older brother makes the trip. Gus Varland was called up to the Dodgers’ bullpen Saturday, and he immediately called his brother to share the news.

“We might have hundreds of people here,” said Louie Varland, who is scheduled to start Tuesday. “It’s going to be a party.”

The Varland brothers, North St. Paul natives, played together from Little League to college. They pitched against each other in two Class AA games in 2022, including one game where they were opposing starting pitchers. The Dodgers need a roster spot when they activate Connor Brogdon on Monday, a reliever they acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies, but Louie is hoping he can watch his brother pitch in the big leagues for the first time in person.

The Twins enter their series against the Dodgers in an offensive funk. They went 0-for-23 with runners on second or third base in their two losses to the Cleveland Guardians, and they have an .191 batting average that ranks third-last in MLB. The Dodgers dropped two of three road games to the Chicago Cubs over the weekend.

When Kyle Farmer, a former Dodger, was asked whether the upcoming series could serve as an early-season measuring stick, he said, “Right now every game is a measuring stick for us. I mean, we need to start hitting more. But yeah, they are the pick of the league to win the World Series, so it’ll be fun to play someone being the underdog.”

The Twins won’t prepare for the Dodgers any differently than they would for any other team. There’s an appreciation for what some of their players have accomplished throughout their careers, but the Twins view themselves similarly.

“We’re not blind to the fact to the Dodgers being a good club and having a lot of ability out there,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said. “A club that if we go out there and do a good job against, we should stand a good chance of winning some ballgames. It’s not changing much for us in any way, shape or form. We know they are good, but so are we.”