Which Twins Left-Handed Outfielder Should Go?

[Minny505]

1 minute ago, Mike Sixel said:

I expect them to send him to AAA so he can sit next to Larnach and Wallner and they can all be frustrated together. 

[Mike Sixel]

11 minutes ago, Minny505 said:

I hope to be wrong. 

[Minny505]

Just now, Mike Sixel said:

I hope to be wrong. 

Me too

[Jeff K]

On 7/13/2023 at 9:45 AM, Fatbat said:

We aren't winning with Kepler and Gallo. Dump them both and bring up TL and Wallner

Dump them both.  As it is, you wouldn't want either starting, so why hold down the youth behind them?  I can see Kepler as a 4th outfielder, but I'd rather have the young guys.

[Minny505]

15 minutes ago, Jeff K said:

Dump them both.  As it is, you wouldn't want either starting, so why hold down the youth behind them?  I can see Kepler as a 4th outfielder, but I'd rather have the young guys.

This is my preferred route as well if he stays on the team. Having Kepler split time in CF and backing up the rest of the OF as the strong-side of a platoon, is the only way I would keep him on the roster.

In that situation, he had until Gordon returns to prove his value.

[Major League Ready]

1 hour ago, Fatbat said:

Agreed but its depth that can sit on the bench while Wallner and TL play every day. 

That's a good point.  Those two would mitigate the argument that keeping Kepler and Gallo is necessary so that we don't have a repeat of last year.

[awmonahan]

Gallo was an experiment that failed. He should be traded or released, if they can stomach it. Doubt the FO can stomach a release. We know what Kepler is. If he's asked to play CF again and says no, he should be traded. This team cannot afford a known quantity that is a defense first corner outfielder. His catch the other day in the corner saved a game, but he gives up too much for those moments, as a RF. 

[HoskenPowell]

Wallner should have been up a month ago.   Signing Gallo was a mistake , so Twins front office will keep him to save face ( see Pagan trade) so expect Kepler to be released/traded within 10 days.

[Larry Janisewski]

On 7/13/2023 at 11:01 AM, Cody Pirkl said:

Larnach and Wallner may very well not be the answer, though it's an easy case to make that both could easily be better than Kepler and Gallo. For as much hate as Larnach gets, he has .3 fWAR to Kepler's .4 in 50 less PAs, and .3 to Gallo's .5 in about 60 less. I was an unabashed Larnach believer to start the year which has receded, but I feel like the perception on him is incredibly low when he probably paces out around the same as Kepler or Gallo through the same amount of PAs, and it comes with the potential payoff of him finding something and being a regular on the team for years to come.

Wallner is the reigning minor league hitter of the year and his main knocks are the strikeout rate and defense. He's lowered his K% significantly in Triple-A which is exactly what the Twins wanted him to do, and he'll almost certainly not strike out as much as Gallo. Gallo also hasn't been a good defender.

At the end of the day, Gallo and Kepler have lowered the bar so far that it doesn't take much confidence to take a leap on a prospect replacing one of them in my opinion. I've seen people say it could be a disaster if they give these guys a chance and they aren't up to the task. If that's what a disaster looks like, what have we been watching so far this year, ya know?

 

100% correct. Twins are an under .500 team playing Kepler and Gallo and looking like they are going nowhere despite a terrific first half from their starting pitching. I don't see them being worse playing Wallner and Larnich.

[Fatbat]

20 hours ago, Jeff K said:

Dump them both.  As it is, you wouldn't want either starting, so why hold down the youth behind them?  I can see Kepler as a 4th outfielder, but I'd rather have the young guys.

We got a nice game out of Kep and Gallo last night so the timing of dumping them is perfect as they won’t do shat for another 13 games or so… 

[SteveLV]

Wallner now up with Miranda to IL.

Hope he performs well and he is up for good!

[dxpavelka]

On 7/13/2023 at 8:35 AM, Battle ur tail off said:

Either if they could be traded, or both. Not very likely though that any team wants them, or at least wants to give up another player to get them.

If it must be a DFA, it would be Kepler for me. Gallo gets on base and has much more pop. Kepler is a better

defender, but mainly an out machine, even though he has been better lately. 

The last time Gallo had an OPB higher than Kepler's career average, he struck out 213 times.