Twins fans of a certain age still bear the wounds of Terry Ryan non-tendering David Ortiz prior to the 2003 season prior to his first year of arbitration. Ryan was infamous for this — saving ownership money even when he didn’t have that specific mandate. After the non-tender, Ortiz, of course, went on to become Big Papi. He led the Red Sox to multiple World Series titles. Over his career, he was a 10x All-Star, and won Silver Slugger at DH no fewer than 6 times. He’s in the Hall of Fame, and went on to accumulate over 50 bWAR.

This article is not about David Ortiz, however. It’s about another player who was non-tendered, and this time, the Twins were the beneficiary. We are, of course, talking about Willi Castro. As you read on, you will see a direct side-by-side comparison of the two players who found themselves in similar situations, for similar reasons, two decades apart.

To be clear, Ortiz and Castro are not similar players. One was a hulking slugger with a great eye at the plate, and the other is a toolsy, speedy utility player. As such, we won’t be looking at hitting profiles or batted ball data. What we will be looking at are some commonalities in the value they provided (and in Castro’s case, continue to provide) their respective teams.

First, let’s look at Ortiz’ last season with the Twins, and the first two seasons after the Red Sox signed him.

Next, here’s the same time window for Castro - his last season with the Tigers, and his first season and change with the Twins.

Looking just at this data, a few things stand out.

1. The bWAR they produced over the three year stretch is strikingly similar. Ortiz was slightly more valuable over that stretch, but it’s close. If Castro continues his production for the first half of this season, he is set to outpace Ortiz’ first All-Star season in 2004, during which he won Silver Slugger and received down ballot MVP votes.
2. The teams’ winning percentages are also almost identical when they are playing. Again, Castro has a very slight edge over Ortiz.
3. Castro is a year younger than Ortiz was in his second season with the Red Sox, and Castro is just hitting his prime. Castro, of course, has also been much cheaper - this season, he’s making maybe a third of what Ortiz was making, adjusted for inflation, in 2004.

After unpacking all of this, it seems that Willi Castro is deserving of a new nickname - Little Papi.

Will he have a HOF-worthy career like Big Papi, or is this the best he has to offer? Realistically, the latter is more realistic. However, it’s great to be the recipient of another team’s self-scouting error, and it helps the Twins’ changes for a deep postseason run when they can find this kind of surplus value - and in general, when they can sign a borderline All-Star for next to nothing. He has been one of the Twins’ most consistent - and valuable - players over the past year of a half, and his style of play brings a different dynamic than many of their other players. He has also brought tremendous defensive flexibility, playing every position so far this season except 1B and C.

Should my Little Papi nickname stick? Is it a fun comparison? What do you think about the surplus value he has added with his bat, speed, and versatility? Comment below with your thoughts!