Is Royce Lewis Going to be Here to Stay?

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I’d love to see Lewis in the dugout for Sunday’s finale against the Blue Jays, then fly with the team to Houston to be activated for his debut the next day! 

[SwainZag]

10 hours ago, Fornasiere-ite said:

Alas, I don't think dear Rocco will take my advice. I think it would be natural to DFA Solano, even though he is one of only a handful of twins consistently getting hits. The more I see Castro, the more I think he could be a better option than Gordon, and he hits from both sides (although his left handed swing is not my favorite, but it doesnt matter because we have enough left handed bats). Going forward, it's hard to imagine Kepler getting back in the lineup, but Rocco seems to love him. Most of it is mute if Buxton doesnt start getting at least semi-regular time in CF. 

Kepler's OPS of .847 since April 18th is why Rocco puts him in the lineup.  His OPS since then is only behind Buxton on the team.  When healthy he deserves and needs to be in the lineup, especially against RHP.

[stringer bell]

57 minutes ago, Craig Arko said:

If he doesn’t get recalled on the 29th, won’t he then have to be optioned and down for 10 days? Barring the inevitable injury, of course.

Not exactly. His rehab (20 days) can be extended through the 31st. The Twins could keep him on rehab through that date and activate him on June 1 without having to option him.

[Fornasiere-ite]

17 hours ago, SwainZag said:

Kepler's OPS of .847 since April 18th is why Rocco puts him in the lineup.  His OPS since then is only behind Buxton on the team.  When healthy he deserves and needs to be in the lineup, especially against RHP.

I would disagree with this as the assessment of why Rocco puts him in the lineup, small sample size metrics where three (I think) of his bombs came at progressive field. I think he just really likes Kepler, period. He played 115 games last year and his OPS was .666 (spooky I know). I know there wasn't alot of other options, but since 2019 he just hasn't been a guy that I have any confidence in. It's my inherent bias against left-handed hitting, left-handed throwing outfielders, with "The Kid" being the only exception to my unjustified rule. 

[Fornasiere-ite]

18 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

I like it. A few small tweeks: Julien, Buxton, Kirilloff, Polanco, Correa, Larnach, Lewis, Kepler, Vasquez with Farmer, Taylor, Castro, and Jeffers as the reserves. If Buck cannot play centerfield, things change.

I have also been trending towards Castro over Gordon the last few weeks as a bench player, but I tend to lean towards homegrown talent. Also, our homerun leader is not on your list but our corner outfield will be the center of roster/lineup debate for months to come. 

[tony&rodney]

4 hours ago, Fornasiere-ite said:

Also, our homerun leader is not on your list

True. I'm not sold. He has a ton to prove in my opinion, but I'm just a small voice that favors different skill sets. I understand those who like his game; I don't.

[ashbury]

7 hours ago, Fornasiere-ite said:

He played 115 games last year and his OPS was .666 (spooky I know).

Max "The Beast" Kepler does have a ring to it, though he'll never be mentioned in the same breath with Jimmie Foxx.

[Nine of twelve]

The day, whether it's tomorrow or Thursday, is drawing very near. Someone will be dropped from the 40-man. I wonder if Maeda's situation justifies moving him to the IL-60. If not, who will go?

[stringer bell]

35 minutes ago, Nine of twelve said:

The day, whether it's tomorrow or Thursday, is drawing very near. Someone will be dropped from the 40-man. I wonder if Maeda's situation justifies moving him to the IL-60. If not, who will go?

Maeda is going on rehab assignment on Tuesday, so he isn't going to be transferred. The candidates in my mind are Gordon and Alcala.

[stringer bell]

Lewis has played in consecutive games and is playing the full nine innings, so I think he could be added on Friday. 

[Major League Ready]

On 5/26/2023 at 2:00 PM, Fornasiere-ite said:

I would disagree with this as the assessment of why Rocco puts him in the lineup, small sample size metrics where three (I think) of his bombs came at progressive field. I think he just really likes Kepler, period. He played 115 games last year and his OPS was .666 (spooky I know). I know there wasn't alot of other options, but since 2019 he just hasn't been a guy that I have any confidence in. It's my inherent bias against left-handed hitting, left-handed throwing outfielders, with "The Kid" being the only exception to my unjustified rule. 

So you would ignore how he is playing now and assign playing time based on him not playing well last year?   Vasquez really sucks right now but he was good last year so should Rocco also ignore Jeffers is hitting far better than Vasquez because Jeffers played poorly last year.   I guess he should quit playing Castro too based on last year.

Kepler's offensive performance this year is well above average and he is a well above average defender.  There should be no mystery as to why Rocco is playing him as long as he keeps it up.

[Fornasiere-ite]

On 5/28/2023 at 8:53 AM, Major League Ready said:

So you would ignore how he is playing now and assign playing time based on him not playing well last year?   Vasquez really sucks right now but he was good last year so should Rocco also ignore Jeffers is hitting far better than Vasquez because Jeffers played poorly last year.   I guess he should quit playing Castro too based on last year.

Kepler's offensive performance this year is well above average and he is a well above average defender.  There should be no mystery as to why Rocco is playing him as long as he keeps it up.

I am not ignoring how he is playing this year, I just don't believe that his performance this year is as strong as the 10-game sample size that you referenced. I am all in favor of giving Jeffers more time, as I think he is a more dangerous hitter than Vasquez. A platoon system at catcher seems completely normal, given it should be (given our talent) our least productive hitting position. Carlos is a different animal because he has performed every year for the last 5 and we paid him a bunch of money. My whole point is that I'm not a Kepler fan, he hasnt consistently played well the last 2 years, and I think we have some other players who could fit into his spot giving the rest of our lineup more flexibility. 

 

[Fornasiere-ite]

On 5/26/2023 at 5:47 PM, tony&rodney said:

True. I'm not sold. He has a ton to prove in my opinion, but I'm just a small voice that favors different skill sets. I understand those who like his game; I don't.

I too am a lover of someone who puts the ball in play, doesnt strike out, and does the little things at the plate. However, this brave new world we live in where the long ball is king and strikeouts don't matter seems to be the norm. If we had other players I was confident would do that, my feelings wouldnt be hurt by getting rid of Gallo.