Should the Twins Give Willi Castro a Pit Stop in St. Paul?

[Lou Hennessy]

Willi Castro did just about everything he could to keep the Twins afloat through a turbulent month of May. But his production has cratered as of late. Is it time to give the versatile utility player a reset at Triple-A?

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Coming out of spring training, the Twins dubbed Willi Castro as the winner of the last spot on their 26-man roster. They may not have intended for him to be so disturbingly valuable in the first few months of the season, but nagging injuries will do that to a club. Thankfully, the multitalented Castro made the most of his opportunities with a truly spectacular month of May (.319/.355/.500 in 72 at-bats). But now that he’s cooled off exponentially (.402 OPS in the month of June), and some of his high-profile teammates are returning to form, it certainly starts a dialogue regarding what should come next. While there is merit to the idea of keeping him around for the foreseeable future, the evidence is mounting on the side of giving Castro a pit stop in Triple-A St. Paul when the roster reaches full strength.

The good news for Castro and his admirers in Twins Territory is that he can be optioned to the minor leagues without being exposed to waivers. That way the team can be assured that he’ll remain in the organization and on the 40-man roster, but the club could use his 26-man MLB roster spot on someone else. And as underwhelming as Castro has been over the last few weeks, he’s almost certainly going to be needed again based on the overall health of the Twins’ collection of players. 

But with such a fragile lead in the AL Central, the Twins can’t afford to wait for the May-version of Castro to reappear, especially when considering his modest overall numbers throughout his career. They definitely can’t afford to give him everyday playing time if everyone is healthy. 

The Twins’ roster is inching closer to what many expected them to look like, with Joey Gallo returning from the IL on Monday and Byron Buxton seemingly due to return in short order. When that happens, the likely outcome will be Trevor Larnach packing his bags for Triple-A yet again. On the surface that move would be fine enough, as Larnach’s offensive production has been subpar for most of this season. 

But what happens when more offensive assets force the hand of the front office? If Matt Wallner or Jose Miranda keep raking with the Saints, and the Twins keep failing to score consistently, it’ll be hard justifying Castro’s roster spot. Wallner currently boasts a hearty .299/.405/.549 (139 wRC+) clip at the Triple-A level and Miranda has gone on a tear in the last few weeks. The 25-year-old has a .356 batting average over his last 11 games with the Saints, and looks as locked in as he was when he raised eyebrows as a rookie in 2022. 

Yes, Castro has far more defensive versatility than either of them, but there’s enough flexibility with the rest of the roster that the club could feasibly make it work without him. And if that leads to a more prudent offense as the team heads toward the heart of the summer, it might be worth it.

Castro has a tendency to swing at everything. When that strategy goes well, and he’s able to lock in on a certain pitch early in counts, things have gone really well. He has a .529 average on the first pitch of his at-bats, which is well above league average (.357 according to Inside Edge). But as pitchers figure him out more and more, Castro has had trouble adjusting his high-swing approach, leading to far too many swings on pitches out of the zone. This is especially true against breaking pitches, where Castro has swung at 45% of those offerings out of the zone. And this is nothing new for him, either. Since the start of the 2021 season, only three players have chased a higher percentage of breaking pitches out of the zone. That’s not a good recipe for a player that has been below-average offensively in four of his five MLB seasons.

The decision might not be imminent, but there’s a likelihood that the Twins will have to make a call on Castro in the near-future if things keep trending like they have been. Maybe a pit stop in Triple-A would benefit Castro and the team simultaneously. As steadier bats return to the Twins’ dugout, they could have better options in their pursuit to increase scoring, and the speedy Castro can refine his approach in the minors while remaining with the organization. It’s reasonable to think a 26-year-old is still capable of changing their ways, but it’s hard to see that happening at the game’s highest level while opportunities become more and more sparse. 

Maybe Castro could carve out a role similar to the one he held on Tuesday night when he came off the bench as a late-inning pinch runner. He does lead the team in steals and currently ranks in the 89th percentile of sprint speed among qualified players. That outcome would be ideal, but it’s hard to reserve a roster spot for such sparse opportunities. It becomes likelier when the roster expands to 28 players in September, but for now the path seems relatively clear. Castro needs to pick up his offensive production, or be subjected to a pit stop in St. Paul to change his tires and refuel for the postseason push.

What do you think? Should Castro get a reset in St. Paul or is he too valuable to the Twins roster? Who would you like to see in his place if he does get optioned? Let us know in the comment section down below. 

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[chpettit19]

I'd rather have Castro than Kepler. Castro is, to me, the ideal bench player. Switch hitter who can play anywhere but catcher, and steal a base. He doesn't need to be an everyday player, but he's exactly what I want out of my 26th guy. Castro is hitting better than Kepler this year. Provides better base running, and more flexibility. If they're making moves for Wallner, Miranda, Larnach, whoever they need to start with Kepler. Castro isn't the problem on this team. He fits the role he should have. And it's a valuable role.

[TwinsDr2021]

11 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

I'd rather have Castro than Kepler. Castro is, to me, the ideal bench player. Switch hitter who can play anywhere but catcher, and steal a base. He doesn't need to be an everyday player, but he's exactly what I want out of my 26th guy. Castro is hitting better than Kepler this year. Provides better base running, and more flexibility. If they're making moves for Wallner, Miranda, Larnach, whoever they need to start with Kepler. Castro isn't the problem on this team. He fits the role he should have. And it's a valuable role.

No need for any other comments this IMO is 💯accurate!

[Craig Arko]

Why?

[wsnydes]

Without trying to replicate @chpettit19s post, Castro's value is in his versatility, which is key for a bench player.  That is huge for a team over the course of a long season.  If he's able to provide something with the bat too, that's just gravy, in my mind.  On this team, I think Castro provides more value than Kepler does.  Kepler has guys waiting in the wings behind him that can play RF and hit to his level.  I don't really think that there's anyone else on the 40-man that has the versatility of Castro.  

Given that, I'm not sure what the point of sending him down would serve.

[Ricky Vaughn]

Agree with chepittit19 100%. I always thought Kepler would become a star. He just looks like a player,  but I don't think it will happen now, at least not with the Twins.

[chpettit19]

10 minutes ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

No need for any other comments this IMO is 💯accurate!

You're going to make me blush!

[Cody Christie]

Castro has over 1200 plate appearances at the big-league level. I'm not sure he has much to gain at Triple-A.  

[Guest]

I agree with the commenters, Castro is far too versatile and speedy to be considering a demotion to AAA.  On the other hand, it wouldn't upset me too much if they set him down temporarily to give him time to think about the stupidity of trying to turn a two-out double into a triple, especially down one run in the 7th inning.

[Mr NovaKid]

Rocco likes having a utility guy so I doubt he goes, unless he becomes unusable in the batters box. He is the perfect bench player. The question is what happens when Gordon comes back?

[wsnydes]

1 minute ago, Mr NovaKid said:

Rocco likes having a utility guy so I doubt he goes, unless he becomes unusable in the batters box. He is the perfect bench player. The question is what happens when Gordon comes back?

What happens will probably depend on what Castro is doing at the time.  If he's ice cold, then sending him down might make sense.  I'm not sure that Gordon is a lock to get right back on the active roster though.  A lot can happen between now and then however.

[Squirrel]

Just now, Mr NovaKid said:

Rocco likes having a utility guy so I doubt he goes, unless he becomes unusable in the batters box. He is the perfect bench player. The question is what happens when Gordon comes back?

I think Castro is a good 26th man on the roster. I don’t think it’s a Rocco thing alone to want a super utility guy. The problem is our starters needing to stay healthy and make starts. Nick Gordon, hmm, that’s going to be a tough one but I think he’s played his last as a Twin. But that’s just my opinion. 

[Danchat]

1 hour ago, chpettit19 said:

I'd rather have Castro than Kepler. Castro is, to me, the ideal bench player. Switch hitter who can play anywhere but catcher, and steal a base. He doesn't need to be an everyday player, but he's exactly what I want out of my 26th guy. Castro is hitting better than Kepler this year. Provides better base running, and more flexibility. If they're making moves for Wallner, Miranda, Larnach, whoever they need to start with Kepler. Castro isn't the problem on this team. He fits the role he should have. And it's a valuable role.

Absolutely, Castro's speed on the basepaths and ability to play multiple positions decently well gives him utility over Kepler - not to mention that his career OPS, which is pretty bad, is still better than Kepler 2022-23. Oh, and he can at least play CF (even if he's not great at it) while Kepler simply won't anymore.

[Stew]

The difference between Castro and Kepler might just be stolen bases? 

[jmlease1]

4 minutes ago, Stew said:

The difference between Castro and Kepler might just be stolen bases? 

and positional flexibility. the only spot on the dirt Kepler can play is 1B. Castro can actually play a passable SS in a pinch.

I don't want to make a bigger deal out of Willi Castro than we need to; he should be a minor part of the team. He's got utility, and more utility than someone like Kepler does at this point, sadly. But sending him down for a week probably won't make much difference...and shouldn't.

I increasingly like Castro as a 26th man; he's been doing all the things you need from that spot: playing wherever we need a guy, giving you a speed option in late games, etc. But he's also going to be overstretched as a starter, and will have weeks where he couldn't hit water if he fell out of a @&%#% boat.

[Mike Sixel]

3 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

I'd rather have Castro than Kepler. Castro is, to me, the ideal bench player. Switch hitter who can play anywhere but catcher, and steal a base. He doesn't need to be an everyday player, but he's exactly what I want out of my 26th guy. Castro is hitting better than Kepler this year. Provides better base running, and more flexibility. If they're making moves for Wallner, Miranda, Larnach, whoever they need to start with Kepler. Castro isn't the problem on this team. He fits the role he should have. And it's a valuable role.

100% truth.

[Mydaughterhastwins]

Im kinda over this up and down to St. Paul thing.  Pick a team and stay with them awhile.  I know injuries dictate roster moves but this is overkill.  Castro is certainly not the problem as stated previously.  I just think the players need to have some confidence that they can work through a poor stretch without facing the threat of a demotion.  Or, maybe we could send Rocco down after a bad game. 

 

[ashbury]

Send him to AA Wichita and then bench him once he's there.

Nah, he's fine where he is.  At least until Nick Gordon is ready to play again.

[Riverbrian]

One step at a time

First Step Kepler

2nd step Finding a replacement for Kepler

[Rod Carews Birthday]

Unless the team really thinks he is lost (or more lost) at the plate, I can't see a reason to send a guy with that many MLB at bats down to AAA.  Having him available and flexible and effective with a bunch of options is a great thing to have.  His presence definitely makes Nick Gordon expendable.  Gordon could possibly be a throw in to a deadline deal this year.  He might be pretty successful in the right situation. 

[Reptevia]

This sounds like a scapegoat move. A move simply to make a move to shake things up. If that’s the case, Castro is about 5th on the list of who to jettison. I like him better than Gordon at this point. 

[Cris E]

I think Rocco is already addressing this when he started talking last week about how valuable Willi is as a late inning pinch runner. Stick him in to run in the 8th and there's little chance he actually comes to bat, plus he can take the field in place of almost anyone else who isn't as good a fielder (Julien, Larnach, Solano, etc.) 

[DocBauer]

Chpettit19 hit it so perfectly, I almost feel guilty trying to add.

Every single roster spot is important. You never want someone taking up the final pen or position player spot just to fill a spot. Everyone serves a purpose. That being said, pre-covid, rosters have been at 25 FOREVER, with the mad experiment/issue of teams playing with only 24 twenty something years ago. So having any sort of specialist or "do it all" player as the last man on the bench is kind of a luxury.

Castro fits that role perfectly. He's not the batter we saw in May, and I think we all knew that. But he's also not probably as bad ax he's looked through the first couple of weeks of June either. He hit the ball well against Detroit well in the 1st game loss and bounced his AVG back to .250 again. (Can't believe he got thrown trying to stretch that double in to a triple)! While by no means a great hitter, he's not horrible, can swing from both sides, has some pop, generally runs the bases well, and is a real SB weapon on a team lacking speed. And to top it off, he can be plugged in just about anywhere defensively and be good to OK everywhere. I've actually been encouraged by his work in CF, though he's obviously a work in progress there.

Despite being promoted too early by Detroit and never developing there, he's spent too much time at the ML level to really gain anything at the AAA level, IMO. He's better, again IMO, working with the Twins coaches. The only thing he might gain is a re-set if he badly struggles. A couple bad weeks is not really a struggle. And again, a good game against Detroit despite the baserunning mistake.

The only reason to option him, really, is if/when Gordon is back, with no options, or if Helman comes back and gets on a roll and they want a close look at him instead, for whatever reason. Otherwise, I think he's pretty safe as well as valuable simply as a "play anywhere" option with pop and much needed speed.

Now, if we want to really explore a position player debate about a hole, it begins and ends with Kepler, very sorry to say. Even with Larnach struggling to take hold of opportunity at this point, he's still outproducing Max and at 4yrs younger actually offers upside. Not to mention Wallner is maybe better than both. And yet, the steadily downturning Kepler is blocking opportunity for BOTH younger bats. Why? Experience and depth? Mmm, OK. So the Twins keep poor production...granted quality defense...over a pair of young players with much higher upsides that might actually improve the lineup. And if anything happens to either of them and they have to dig even deeper, they have a pair of journeymen in AAA having excellent seasons in Contreras and Stevenson. And if said worst case scenario happened, either would have to replace a .180-.190 hitter with limited power, at this point, and a .634 OPS. Even in relatively SSS over 395 ML AB, Stevenson beats Kepler's numbers this year, and pretty much what he's been going back to mid 2022. And this is ONLY if something happens to Larnach and Wallner and we have to dig deep. Oh, Kirilloff can also play corner OF. So why in the world would "depth" be any sort of real issue? 

Castro fills a real role on this team, unless he suddenly bottoms out, which I'm not expecting. And he is probably the last player, at this point, to be worried about as far as roster construction is concerned.

 

[Werbellik]

Yes. Send him to St Paul. Very talented but needs to learn the game.

[Whitey333]

I'm still trying to figure out what Kepler has on the Twins.  He, with a couple of other players need to be DFA now.  People alway talk about Larnach having a sub par season. His 211 ba isn't good but is on a par or better than several players including Buxton, Correa, and Kepler.  I used to love Kep but he's been pretty awful the past couple of years.  Keep Castro!!  It's hard to take the FO and manager Rocco seriously when they don't roster their best players.

[John Belinski]

Just give Wallner another chance since he was on base 8 times in a row when for some reason, only Rocco knows, he was sent down.  Twins have nothing to lose since if he hits they will keep him and if he doesn't send him down. Twins really need hitters and base runners so why not bring Wallner up?

[saviking]

Great to hear Castro has options left, not that I am saying we should send him down, but if Polanco and Gordon come back we will need all the flexibility we can get. 

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, John Belinski said:

Just give Wallner another chance since he was on base 8 times in a row

Oh?  I hadn't heard.

[TopGunn#22]

No.  Who would you prioritize keeping over him?