Here are Five Options If Alex Kirilloff Misses Time

[Heistyman]

I don't get moving Gallo, a gold glove outfielder to 1B that seems like you are weakening 2 positions defensively.  Plus, that cannon in the outfield controls the run game.  

[TwinsDr2021]

29 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

Yeah, that was the whole "lefty masher, part-time player" part of my comment. I never advocated for him being a full-time player or anything. He's got a very specific role on this roster. Just wanted to give an above average MLB player his due. He's been far better than the "career OPS+ of 92" hitter you were painting him as since his return to MLB in 2019. I don't want him as the full-time 1B for more than a week at any point in the season. But I do want to give the man credit for the hitter he's turned himself into since 2019 by providing a little context to his career stats.

I agree with you, his last two years his OPS+ average is up to 100, I am hoping our stud prospects are better than that at key positions. In 19 and 20 he was far better (116,127) but he has regressed since then. I will give him his props he is a really good 25 or 26 man on the active roster at a great price for the Twins. But at every turn that is more than a couple of days others should move above him in the pecking order

[Wizard11]

It is hard not to look wistfully at Encarnacion-Strand and think that we already had our future 1B. At this point I would venture he has a better MLB career than Kirilloff.  I hope I am wrong.  The all too familiar injury update/word salad from the FO office is ominous.

[saviking]

Waiting for Krilloff and Lewis to be healthy enough to make the big league roster is like waiting for Buxton to get back from injury. Feels like a jinx to me ..

[JD-TWINS]

16 hours ago, Althebum82 said:

Clearly no love here for Tyler White?

Clearly!

Gallo at 1B v. RH pitching to start year

Larnach - Gordon - Kepler v. RH pitching 40 games……..with Buxton at DH or resting….he starts 80 games v. RH pitching in CF

Taylor in CF v. LH pitching

Miranda at 1B v. LH pitching 

Solano at 2B v. LH pitching

Farmer at 3B v. LH pitching 

Julien up in June if Kiriloff washes out.

[Whitey333]

Solano should be filling in for AK.  That way not so many players need to play out of their position.  I'm hoping AK can make it.  But if he is injury prone again this year it will be his third year Ina row.  Then it's time to cut bait so to speak. We don't want or need or can we afford to give up a roster space for a full time player to play part time.  We already have one in Buxton.

[laloesch]

Maybe the Twins should consider bringing back Sano on a minor league deal.  I don't know at this point but another option.

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, Heistyman said:

I don't get moving Gallo, a gold glove outfielder to 1B that seems like you are weakening 2 positions defensively.  Plus, that cannon in the outfield controls the run game.  

My opinion……Gallo was picked up for Power in the line-up or due to lack of, with proven players. His OF prowess was/is a bonus - it was a depth move, particularly due to his often discussed positional flexibility. Last year’s starting LF & next year’s starting LF is Nick Gordon, with Larnach trending. Using Gallo at 1B because that’s where he best fits in April/May from a depth standpoint is the best move. Guys can’t play, gotta make adjustments. He doesn’t weaken 1B at all defensively.

[JD-TWINS]

14 hours ago, PatPfund said:

There are two options on Kirilloff. A (hopefully) he is still in recovery from a fairly experimental surgery, and we might see him in a month or so. B (fearfully), the radical surgery, essentially deemed a 'last resort' by the Twins has failed, and Kirilloff will never play in the majors again. I don't expect either Alex or the team will give up without giving the young man every chance, but option B now looms, and certainly has to be planned for at this point. 

Most of the options here are frankly weak. On many days (especially if Polanco and/or Buxton are also limited) the Twins' order would have these below average 2022 OPS+ ratings: Gallo (79), Kepler (90), Farmer (90), Solano (97), Taylor (90). A couple of them playing DH and 1B where you are supposed to have premium bats. That is crossing your fingers for a whole lot of bounce-back seasons, or hoping your pitchers throw a LOT of shutouts.

Larnach (if healthy) must be on the roster if Kirilloff is not, and he and Gordon need to play in front of Farmer and Solano. @TwinsDr2021 is absolutely correct in this, and in the alternatives (Wallner and Julien who clearly looks ready to hit MLB pitching). Frankly, if Solano doesn't hit better than his current spring average of .067, by the end of March he is the guy I'd cut to make room for a youngster. He's 35, coming off a down year, and a "utility" guy likely to play sub-par D at most of his positions without the bat to make up for it. Julien can do that and likely hit much better.

Gloom & doom……

Buxton’s hurt - Kiriloff is done - Polanco’s hurt. Sure it could happen, not likely for all 3 though.

My slant…….

Gallo is going to play & we needed to get used to this the day after his signing. Whether it’s in LF or 1B has no bearing on his OPS+. He’s a starter 125 games plus.

Kepler is a known as well - hoping for better results - pencil him in right 115 games plus w/o a deadline trade, that is unlikely!

Correa SS - Solano 2B - Farmer 3B - Miranda 1B - Taylor CF - Buxton DH - Gallo LF - Jeffers C - Larnach LF v. LH pitching is not weak.

Correa SS - Gallo 1B - Miranda 3B - Gordon CF - Larnach LF - Polanco 2B - Kepler RF - Vazquez C - Larnach DH v. RH pitching is not weak.

Can’t take intended platoon players stats & generalize their weaknesses into the plan. We signed older guys for depth and to be able to play to everyone’s strengths.

Julien is an option 45-60 days into the season if Kiriloff can’t play.

[PatPfund]

37 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Gloom & doom……

Buxton’s hurt - Kiriloff is done - Polanco’s hurt. Sure it could happen, not likely for all 3 though.

My slant…….

Gallo is going to play & we needed to get used to this the day after his signing. Whether it’s in LF or 1B has no bearing on his OPS+. He’s a starter 125 games plus.

Kepler is a known as well - hoping for better results - pencil him in right 115 games plus w/o a deadline trade, that is unlikely!

Correa SS - Solano 2B - Farmer 3B - Miranda 1B - Taylor CF - Buxton DH - Gallo LF - Jeffers C - Larnach LF v. LH pitching is not weak.

Correa SS - Gallo 1B - Miranda 3B - Gordon CF - Larnach LF - Polanco 2B - Kepler RF - Vazquez C - Larnach DH v. RH pitching is not weak.

Can’t take intended platoon players stats & generalize their weaknesses into the plan. We signed older guys for depth and to be able to play to everyone’s strengths.

Julien is an option 45-60 days into the season if Kiriloff can’t play.

Not likely all three? The Twins admit that Kirilloff is behind their recovery timeline for what they also called a last resort surgery (hence the article we are commenting on). Polanco has yet to appear in a game, and Gordon is set (according to Baldelli) to play a lot of 2B in the coming week. (Which appears to be both concern about Polanco, but also the best current plan, because Gordon is a better move than Solano there.) That leaves Buxton, who DID play yesterday against minor leaguers, and hopefully is healthy, though there is pretty much nothing in his history that says he will play over 100 games.

And yeah, I can take platoon players and point out their deficiencies, because having to play them out of their 'platoon' strength situations is highly likely if two or all three 'missing' Twins remain out or limited. I'm not actually gloom and doom, because there do seem to be rays of hope from Gallo and Kepler this spring, and those two could pick up the offensive loss of Kirilloff, and cover for the drop of leaning on platoons.

But until Solano hits, he just looks like a position player version of Joe Smith. I agree with you about the timing for Julien, and if Donnie doesn't start hitting some barrels, cutting Solano is how I'd make space for him.

[joefish]

Defense has to be a priority. Even at 1b. Ask the pitchers please.

[JD-TWINS]

30 minutes ago, joefish said:

Defense has to be a priority. Even at 1b. Ask the pitchers please.

Don’t understand the concern? If Kiriloff was 100%, Miranda was going to play 25% of the starts there v. LH pitching. That will remain the same.

Gallo came up as a 3rd baseman - has played 1B, not much & not for a few years - great athlete - 6’5”…….if Arraez made an impromptu everyday showing last year at 1B, there’s no reason to think that Gallo is going to be a deficiency at 1B.

[jmlease1]

I'm really surprised at how many people seem ready to throw Kirilloff on the trash heap. When he was right (admittedly, hasn't happened for long enough) he was lashing line drives and really punishing the ball. He's a little behind schedule coming off a fairly radical and unusual procedure. That's not a massive deal: he's been swinging the bat and hasn't been shut down in spring training. He just might not be ready by Opening Day.

So the most likely outcome is Gallo plays 1B against righties, Solano plays 1B against lefties, and Nick Gordon or Trevor Larnach slides in to LF against righties (and Gallo, who has relatively neutral splits, jumps back to the OF against lefties). That should be fine for a couple of weeks. There's nothing that says Kirilloff is going to need months, literally nothing, other than Twins fans assuming the worst must be true.

I'm unenthusiastic about moving Miranda over; he wasn't great at 1B and would probably be best served to just slot in at 3B every day. It's waaaaay too early to look at making a deal for 1B, especially with the options the Twins have. Ed Julien is a player I like a lot, but he's never played above AA. Let's calm down a little. (Same with the people ready to drop Brooks Lee in the lineup already, a dude who has barely played at AA)

[Adam Friedman]

5 hours ago, Heistyman said:

I don't get moving Gallo, a gold glove outfielder to 1B that seems like you are weakening 2 positions defensively.  Plus, that cannon in the outfield controls the run game.  

I absolutely agree with this. However, they seem intent on doing it at least part time. On the flip side, Larnach is about average in left and seems to be healthy for now. Gallo is a terrific (and large) athlete, so I think he is a safe bet to be solid over there. 

[Adam Friedman]

1 hour ago, jmlease1 said:

I'm really surprised at how many people seem ready to throw Kirilloff on the trash heap. When he was right (admittedly, hasn't happened for long enough) he was lashing line drives and really punishing the ball. He's a little behind schedule coming off a fairly radical and unusual procedure. That's not a massive deal: he's been swinging the bat and hasn't been shut down in spring training. He just might not be ready by Opening Day.

So the most likely outcome is Gallo plays 1B against righties, Solano plays 1B against lefties, and Nick Gordon or Trevor Larnach slides in to LF against righties (and Gallo, who has relatively neutral splits, jumps back to the OF against lefties). That should be fine for a couple of weeks. There's nothing that says Kirilloff is going to need months, literally nothing, other than Twins fans assuming the worst must be true.

I'm unenthusiastic about moving Miranda over; he wasn't great at 1B and would probably be best served to just slot in at 3B every day. It's waaaaay too early to look at making a deal for 1B, especially with the options the Twins have. Ed Julien is a player I like a lot, but he's never played above AA. Let's calm down a little. (Same with the people ready to drop Brooks Lee in the lineup already, a dude who has barely played at AA)

From my perspective, writing this was not me giving up on Kirilloff but more to discuss how they handle his absence until he's right. I still believe he can be an outstanding middle-of-the-lineup bat, but it's clear at this point they need to be prepared to deal with him potentially missing time, which they definitely are. Can't speak to commentors' views on him, of course. 

Re Miranda to 1st: I believe it's likely he could improve there with more reps, but I would probably prefer Julien and Kirilloff there from a long-term view. 

[jmlease1]

17 hours ago, Adam Friedman said:

From my perspective, writing this was not me giving up on Kirilloff but more to discuss how they handle his absence until he's right. I still believe he can be an outstanding middle-of-the-lineup bat, but it's clear at this point they need to be prepared to deal with him potentially missing time, which they definitely are. Can't speak to commentors' views on him, of course. 

Re Miranda to 1st: I believe it's likely he could improve there with more reps, but I would probably prefer Julien and Kirilloff there from a long-term view. 

My point was less about the article than the comments, both on this article and elsewhere. They should be prepared for him to miss time, but solutions based on him missing months are premature, and solutions designed around him being hurt all season or no longer being a Twin seem foolish.

[joefish]

22 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

Don’t understand the concern? If Kiriloff was 100%, Miranda was going to play 25% of the starts there v. LH pitching. That will remain the same.

Gallo came up as a 3rd baseman - has played 1B, not much & not for a few years - great athlete - 6’5”…….if Arraez made an impromptu everyday showing last year at 1B, there’s no reason to think that Gallo is going to be a deficiency at 1B.

Think Bucky Dent.

Why are we willing to compromise defense on 1b? 

[stringer bell]

It was reported that Kirilloff played in a minor league game today. That doesn't mean that he will be ready by Opening Day, but it seems like he should be available sooner rather than later, barring a setback. So any first base scenarios would be for the short term. I'll be anxious to see if AK is playing in another game tomorrow or the next day. 

Playing Gallo at first makes sense short term. He has some experience there and he's got a good reach. Larnach and Gordon are decent in left field as his short-term replacement. I don't care for the idea of another short first baseman (Solano) especially if he isn't tearing the cover off the ball. Farmer at third and Miranda either at first or DH works for me against lefties. 

[mickster]

On 3/16/2023 at 1:53 PM, IndianaTwin said:

Sign Sano? 🤣

Although I have had my fill of Sano, I would agree with this one.   sign him to a minor league deal and when he gets in a hot streak you bring him back to the bigs.   Low risk, high reward potential.

[Mike Sixel]

Gordon is at 2B until Polanco is good to go, so not him.

I don't get moving a GG caliber OF to first.......so I hope it isn't Gallo.

Frankly, I'd give Wallner and Larnach first base gloves, but I've been saying that for weeks now.....you never know.

I bet this puts Garlick back on the roster (ugh, who cares, give me a guy with upside and youth).

[stringer bell]

18 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Gordon is at 2B until Polanco is good to go, so not him.

I don't get moving a GG caliber OF to first.......so I hope it isn't Gallo.

Frankly, I'd give Wallner and Larnach first base gloves, but I've been saying that for weeks now.....you never know.

I bet this puts Garlick back on the roster (ugh, who cares, give me a guy with upside and youth).

I don't think there is a great deal of difference between Larnach's defense and Gallo's. Larnach was excellent (SSS) last season and he's experienced in both Target Field corners. Gallo has played first previously and worked at the position in the spring. I think he'll be fine there. We are talking about two of the lower positions on the defensive spectrum.