Brooks Lee's Anticipation Grows for His Moment in 2024

[Ted Schwerzler]

Last season, the Minnesota Twins had the good fortune of winning in the draft lottery and moving up to the fifth overall pick. In 2022, their good fortune came in the form of Brooks Lee, and he’s done nothing but succeed since turning pro. 2024 could be the year he calls himself a Major Leaguer.

Image courtesy of © Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

 

Heading into the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft, there was little belief within the Minnesota Twins that Brooks Lee would be available with the 8th overall pick. As the draft played out, however, Sean Johnson and the scouting department found themselves in an incredible position to find Lee within their reach. 

Lee quickly made that decision look even better as he rocketed through the system, posting a .839 OPS during his first 31 professional games and reaching Double-A.

In 2023, Lee made it to St. Paul at the beginning of August after finishing Double-A with a .841 OPS (nearly 100 points above the Texas League's .751 average OPS in 2023). His offensive performance would tail off in September, but before that, he had a 23-game stretch with the Saints in which he slashed .287/.365/.500. More importantly, he was mere miles away from the ultimate goal of calling Target Field home.

Lee has shown plenty of in-game power, but his profile at the plate is one of an all-around hitter. Being disciplined and commanding the zone while making consistent contact comes naturally. Defensively, he still looks the part of a shortstop. However, his future position with the Twins will be contingent on the presence of Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, and Edouard Julien. Given his hitterish qualities and strong glovework, he could contribute to Rocco Baldelli's plans in 2024 somewhere on the diamond.

For someone who's been around the game since he could crawl, Lee knew his job would be different, but it's always hard to anticipate what that looks like once you experience it. Having a full professional season in the rearview has given him some perspective.

"The season is obviously long, but you don't fully understand it until you're in the thick of it," Lee says. "The first year is all about learning; there are so many games to be played, so getting frustrated about a single game is pointless. You learn quickly how to get your body and mind in the best possible shape for the game ahead of you and take it day by day."

Following his 125 games played in 2023, he now understands what is required in the offseason to prepare for that workload. Planning an attack for 2024 will include tweaks from his previous process, including trying to repair weaknesses exposed by higher-level pitching.

"What I took away most from Triple-A was that the pitching was smarter and more precise," says Lee. "As I went up levels, those pitchers capitalized on going towards hitters weaknesses or being consistent with locating their wipeout pitches. It's hard to hit but even harder when you have a particular hole that an opposing pitcher can expose."

Despite the late-season doldrums, Lee showed plenty of attractive attributes at the plate. Case in point, Lee had two opposite-field home runs with the Saints in early September that registered 103 and 104 MPH off the bat, respectively. Matt Wallner and Alex Kirilloff were the only Twins players to hit opposite field shots at a higher exit velocity.  

"My issue was that my great batting practice swing didn't translate into games," Lee says, diagnosing what he plans to work on this offseason. "I want to be in the right positions at load, launch, and follow-through. If I can do that, I can take my swing and tailor an approach I think will be most successful against whoever I'm facing."

As part of his maturation, Lee also had a front-row seat to what Royce Lewis was doing on his rehab back to the big leagues. 

"Royce was most helpful as a hitter in Double-A and Triple-A when he rehabbed. He has a unique and specific way of dissecting pitchers and then creating his plan. He is so advanced, and it was super beneficial for me to hit behind him."

Baseball has been part of Lee's blood, and his dad, Larry, has been a constant driving factor. The elder Lee, a lifelong college coach, has been the head coach at Cal Poly for the past 21 seasons. Coach Lee will undoubtedly be present to some degree in his son's development this offseason.

"I hope all my offseasons revolve around working with my dad," he says.

Lee says he will spend some much-needed time decompressing away from the game this December with his girlfriend. The majority of the offseason, however, involves training daily with two of his former teammates at Cal Poly.

"I want to be more agile and quicker, so I must spend time on technique," Lee adds. The infielder has stolen just seven bases in 13 tries so far in his career, and with the renewed emphasis on base stealing, having that additional weapon makes him much more dangerous. 

Personal success is important to Lee, but baseball is a team game, and winning is the ultimate goal. The Twins did a lot of that this season, and while he saw some of the action in St. Paul, being locked in on a postseason run took things to another level. 

"It was impossible not to follow the postseason, especially with the Twins having a special year. I am even more excited to help the team because the veterans and young guys in the locker room know what it feels like to make it to the postseason and have had a taste of winning."

If Lee can set himself up personally for success, plenty of team success will follow. He knows that 2024 could be a special year for him, but ultimately, one thing drives all motivation. 

"I am not chasing anything specific other than helping a team win as many games as possible. Winning takes care of everything."

Minnesota saw success in 2023, and they'll look to expand on that in 2024. It was a season in which the youth made a high impact on the Twins. That can be the formula again next year, and Brooks Lee should be at the forefront of that movement.

 

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[specialiststeve]

As I have stated in different areas... time to move off of Polanco and either trade or buy out of his option and let Lee take over at 2B. Julian at DH and an occasional start makes this team better. 

[DJL44]

He's a great athlete with a bright future but right now he needs reps in AAA. If we see him before the All-Star break that would likely mean bad injury news for the players on the 40 man roster. The plan should be to add enough depth that he can continue to develop playing every day in the minors.

[Dman]

It is exciting having Lee so close.  With a 15% K rate and almost 10% walk rate he has a nice balanced line that should serve him well moving up.  The thing that scares me a little with the good contact hitters is that the weak contact they generate can be just as bad as striking out.  Miranda, The Turtle and others have low K rates and good contact rates yet still struggled at the MLB level.  

I like what he said about his approach this offseason to try to get better swings on certain pitches.  He is a good hitter and the more experience he gets the better he is going to be.  I still think he needs at least half of next year in AAA to refine some things but once he makes it to the big league level I don't see him ever coming back to the minors.  

If his bat turns out to be as special as we all hope he is going to be a great player for a long time.

[Blyleven2011]

We are overloaded with infield talent , that can change during off season  with some trades ...

Even if we make trades I don't see Lee  in the majors until around the deadline of 2024 but could be wrong and he proves himself ready and be up in mid april , also shortstop are athletic  and can be moved to another position ( groom him for left field ) ...

[tony&rodney]

There can be no doubt that Brooks Lee is an exciting prospect. From the advantages of receiving superior guidance  from his father at an early age to the quality of competition in a California high school to his career at Cal Poly, Lee has more experience than most minor league players. He may still have some skills to polish and refine further but he was fun to watch and follow via milb.com. Lee has a decent glove and projects as an extra base hitting ballplayer.

The conundrum for the Twins is that they currently have three talented players who look ticketed for second base: Polanco, Julien, and Lee. The Twins also have a couple of guys who could be adequate backups  in roles as utility infielders. This is a positive situation. The three main guys all need regular playing time and despite promise or future value, Polanco is still the best of the lot. While Julien can fit in as a DH at times, it is probably best that he continue his development as a fielder. The Twins may see an arrangement where Polanco and Julien get regular playing time and at bats, but when Brooks Lee pushes forward some hard decisions will need to occur.

Falvey and the brains who sit at the table have some interesting conversations to wade through in the next month or so if the Twins are to make an attempt to strengthen their team via trades. I think a move of an infielder now may be a more difficult call than the decision to trade a batting champion last offseason. Brooks Lee has shown he is nearly ready to make the jump to MLB. A promotion may be a half a year away because management will want him to prove he is ready and not just hand Brooks a position. How the Twins approach their infield wealth of talent will be watched closely in the next few months. I believe a trade will happen.

[Karbo]

15 minutes ago, Dman said:

It is exciting having Lee so close.  With a 15% K rate and almost 10% walk rate he has a nice balanced line that should serve him well moving up.  The thing that scares me a little with the good contact hitters is that the weak contact they generate can be just as bad as striking out.  Miranda, The Turtle and others have low K rates and good contact rates yet still struggled at the MLB level.  

I like what he said about his approach this offseason to try to get better swings on certain pitches.  He is a good hitter and the more experience he gets the better he is going to be.  I still think he needs at least half of next year in AAA to refine some things but once he makes it to the big league level I don't see him ever coming back to the minors.  

If his bat turns out to be as special as we all hope he is going to be a great player for a long time.

Miranda hit quite well before the injury bug got him. I wouldn't call him a light hitter looking at 2022 when he was healthy.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

We need to tap the brakes just a little bit on Brooks Lee.  I do think that he will become an excellent big leaguer, but he didn't really tear up AAA last season.  I think going back to St. Paul will serve him well and help ensure that when he comes up to MLB he'll be able to stay. 

Right now, we have two players at 2nd bass who are pretty good in Julien and Polanco, so Lee is without a spot to play on the current iteration of the Twins team.  I like what @Blyleven2011suggested about getting him some reps in LF, where the door could be wide open (Wallner to RF if/when Kepler is traded).  If he could get some solid experience at LF for a half season or so, Lee might fit perfectly into the team picture.  For now Mr. Lee, go to St. Paul, get additional defensive flexibility, keep working on the hitting, and we'll see how it's all working by July. 

[jmlease1]

Brooks Lee is a great prospect. It's pretty remarkable how fast he's moved through the Twins system already. Sure, he's a college bat and had 2 years of fairly high-level college experience before being drafted (his first season at Cal-Poly he only played 2 games), but he's still only played ONE full year of professional baseball and he's already in AAA and holding his own.

I'm not ready to hand him a job in MLB in 2024 out the gate, though. He did have some things he needs to work on from AAA (and he's a smart guy and knows it) to be successful in MLB. Even if the Twins move on from Polanco or Farmer (possible, because they both have a lot of value in trade, their salaries are high enough to make an impact on team's wage bill, and with Castro's emergence and Julien's early success we still have depth) there's still probably not an open spot for him to start if everyone is healthy to start the season. It's perfectly fine for a guy who is a top prospect to start the season in AAA in his second full year of pro baseball. That's not holding him back, that's being smart in managing your roster and his career. Let him keep figuring it out, hopefully crush AAA pitching and force his way up and/or be ready if/when an injury hits the infield.

If he's absolutely dominating, maybe it means a midseason trade of a guy like Polanco (who is still really really good) to make room for him, but these things have a tendency to work themselves out. I mean, I love Royce Lewis, but he's had more than a few injury issues. there's no need to force it with Brooks Lee just to move on to the new shiny thing. He's going to be a big part of the Twins future, he doesn't need to get a starting job on scholarship in 2024. He will get his chance, and I suspect he'll handle it just great.

[Cory Engelhardt]

1 hour ago, specialiststeve said:

As I have stated in different areas... time to move off of Polanco and either trade or buy out of his option and let Lee take over at 2B. Julian at DH and an occasional start makes this team better. 

I'm as excited for Lee as any prospect the Twins have had in many years. But by no means am I giving away Polanco. Unless you are 100% certain that Lee can outproduce Polanco even on opening day, then there is no rush to have to make a change this offseason right? I mean, if you get a GREAT offer for Polanco via trade, then you take it (as you would for any player.) But buying out Polanco, that should not be ANY part of the thought process for a team that wants to win.

[2wins87]

49 minutes ago, Dman said:

It is exciting having Lee so close.  With a 15% K rate and almost 10% walk rate he has a nice balanced line that should serve him well moving up.  The thing that scares me a little with the good contact hitters is that the weak contact they generate can be just as bad as striking out.  Miranda, The Turtle and others have low K rates and good contact rates yet still struggled at the MLB level.  

I like what he said about his approach this offseason to try to get better swings on certain pitches.  He is a good hitter and the more experience he gets the better he is going to be.  I still think he needs at least half of next year in AAA to refine some things but once he makes it to the big league level I don't see him ever coming back to the minors.  

If his bat turns out to be as special as we all hope he is going to be a great player for a long time.

Lee's contact quality in AAA was actually quite strong.

109.2 MPH max EV, 102.8 90th percentile, 90.4 average.  48% of his batted balls were over 95 MPH and 60% were over 90 MPH.

Compare with Martin who actually is more of a slap hitter: 106.9 max EV, 101.1 90th percentile, 86.4 average.  30% of batted balls over 95 MPH and 48% over 90.

Lee's issue is more one of launch angle, hitting the ball on the ground too much, rather than contact quality.  There are signs that he's been working on it.  In 2022 his GB rate was close to 60%, this year it was more like 45%.

I think his low BABIP in AAA was very fluky too, so he is closer to ready than many are assuming.

[Dman]

58 minutes ago, 2wins87 said:

Lee's contact quality in AAA was actually quite strong.

109.2 MPH max EV, 102.8 90th percentile, 90.4 average.  48% of his batted balls were over 95 MPH and 60% were over 90 MPH.

Compare with Martin who actually is more of a slap hitter: 106.9 max EV, 101.1 90th percentile, 86.4 average.  30% of batted balls over 95 MPH and 48% over 90.

Lee's issue is more one of launch angle, hitting the ball on the ground too much, rather than contact quality.  There are signs that he's been working on it.  In 2022 his GB rate was close to 60%, this year it was more like 45%.

I think his low BABIP in AAA was very fluky too, so he is closer to ready than many are assuming.

Thanks for that info! I didn't go that deep. I agree the BABIP was low and I assumed it was likely weak contact, but thanks for setting the record straight.  I think he is close as well and he "could" have played at the MLB level last year given the numbers, but likely prudent to give him more time as he has only had one full pro year.  I can't remember talking about a player that has moved this fast through the Twins system ever before.  That is why I think it will be AAA until he sort of proves he has made all the adjustments needed for the MLB level.  The cold weather months in April\May are generally tough on hitters so I am thinking June\July before his numbers scream add me and call me up and that is best case scenario IMO.

[Fatbat]

I would be surprised if Lee isn’t in the opening day Twins lineup. He has a great shot at being ROY 2024 but I understand the business of manipulating service time so he will be most likely on the varsity later in May. I remember not long ago how Lewis’s service time was manipulated as well.  

[DJL44]

Switch hitting means his bat will take longer to develop than if he was only working on one swing. It will take time to get him enough reps as a RHB to determine whether he's ready for the next level.

[Jocko87]

2 hours ago, DJL44 said:

He's a great athlete with a bright future but right now he needs reps in AAA. If we see him before the All-Star break that would likely mean bad injury news for the players on the 40 man roster. The plan should be to add enough depth that he can continue to develop playing every day in the minors.

On the other hand, it could be because he's tearing it up.  I'll be the optimist here I guess.

I am pretty sure they will make him beat out a veteran somewhere if they follow anywhere close to their normal patterns.  They will probably look for a way to get him up early if they think he can hold his own though.  The draft pick incentive is out the window after April 15th so it may be 2025. 

10 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

I would be surprised if Lee isn’t in the opening day Twins lineup. He has a great shot at being ROY 2024 but I understand the business of manipulating service time so he will be most likely on the varsity later in May. I remember not long ago how Lewis’s service time was manipulated as well.  

Refresh my memory, did they do that by tearing his ACL?  If he wins ROY he gets the service time.  He has to be up by April 15th for the Twins to get the draft pick. 

Considering all that, opening day 2025 with a typical prospect late season call up makes the most sense.  He has a lot of people to beat out, he still has to beat up AAA and shortly after the trading deadline there would be a spot that doesn't affect his rookie status.  None of that can be looked at as service time manipulation.  Even if he OPS 1.100 in AAA he still needs a place to play and this isn't the Angels roster he's trying to break into.

[Fatbat]

@Jocko87

here is a quick comparison of Lee and some september call up playing in the World Series… last name Carter.  They run on a similar track.  Some players just have what it takes to play this game we love. 

 

[Jocko87]

6 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

@Jocko87

here is a quick comparison of Lee and some september call up playing in the World Series… last name Carter.  They run on a similar track.  Some players just have what it takes to play this game we love. 

 

Tha new Carter retains his rookie status for next year.  The only comp to Brooks Lee is that he's also a baseball player.

[jmlease1]

50 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

I would be surprised if Lee isn’t in the opening day Twins lineup. He has a great shot at being ROY 2024 but I understand the business of manipulating service time so he will be most likely on the varsity later in May. I remember not long ago how Lewis’s service time was manipulated as well.  

you're probably thinking of Buxton, who did have some service time manipulation going on...but that was a different regime. They've changed the rules as well. At the end of the day it's more about whether or not Lee should be given the job immediately or if he should have to really earn it. I just hope that everyone who wants to toss Polanco over the side remembers that it's hardly unusual for even a great prospect to struggle a little in their first shot at MLB and it's equally normal for them to bounce up and down a couple of times before they stick.

As amazing as Royce Lewis has been in MLB for the Twins and has totally earned a roster spot and starting job...he could also slump this year and need a few weeks in the minors to iron something out. It's not always linear.

Lee's time is coming and he will almost certainly get a chance in MLB in 2024. He doesn't need to have it handed to him, and even if Polanco gets moved, if Farmer sticks then I still wouldn't expect Lee to be on the opening day roster unless someone gets injured in spring training.

[FlyingFinn]

11 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

He has a great shot at being ROY 2024 but I understand the business of manipulating service time so he will be most likely on the varsity later in May.

Many interesting roster decisions for the Twins this year with when Lee arrives to be one of them. As stated above, if the Twins want a chance at an extra #1 draft pick, Lee has to be up with the Twins in the first half of April. But in making out the roster, the Twins basically have to decide if they are going to try this over the winter. It could affect Lewis moving to CF, Polanco not being on the team, etc. Go for the #1 draft pick and trust that Lee can adjust and grow with the Twins, or get an extra year of service time. I don't see the Twins holding Lee back so much that he is still classified as a Rookie in 2025. 

[Otaknam]

My take is they will move on from Polanco and Kepler, freeing up more playing time for younger players, and almost $20 million. With Lewis now at third and Correa at short, the team can rotate Lee and Julien at second base, with Julien occasionally playing first and also DH. Lee can rotate at third and shortstop too, giving Correa and Lewis some days off, and he can also DH. All this, of course, when Lee makes the big league roster sometime next year. It’s a good problem to have. 

[RpR]

Lee's defense numbers Minors:

Julien's defense in Minors:

Julien is not good .968, Lee is worse, .947 & .954

[Fatbat]

35 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

Many interesting roster decisions for the Twins this year with when Lee arrives to be one of them. As stated above, if the Twins want a chance at an extra #1 draft pick, Lee has to be up with the Twins in the first half of April. But in making out the roster, the Twins basically have to decide if they are going to try this over the winter. It could affect Lewis moving to CF, Polanco not being on the team, etc. Go for the #1 draft pick and trust that Lee can adjust and grow with the Twins, or get an extra year of service time. I don't see the Twins holding Lee back so much that he is still classified as a Rookie in 2025. 

That extra 1st round pick could be gold. I doubt that all of Farmer/Polanco/Kepler will be back. Out of the 3, I would guess that Polo will be here and be a back up infielder/DH. I am very confident that Lee will win a roster spot and not just have it handed to him. I’m not sure what's gonna happen to Farmer but he isn't a long term answer to anything other than a great veteran fill in player. 

[Fatbat]

@jmlease1 this is what I was referring to.  

 and other speculation back then. The 2 ACL’s rendered the possible manipulation mute. 

[Jocko87]

40 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

That extra 1st round pick could be gold. I doubt that all of Farmer/Polanco/Kepler will be back. Out of the 3, I would guess that Polo will be here and be a back up infielder/DH. I am very confident that Lee will win a roster spot and not just have it handed to him. I’m not sure what's gonna happen to Farmer but he isn't a long term answer to anything other than a great veteran fill in player. 

My hot off-season take is that Farmer is the most important non-obvious guy they could bring back including center fielders.  (Polo, Kep and Castro are my obvious choices) Plays all the infield spots well, can function in the corner outfield, emergency catcher, hits right handed and can be a good sub on both offense and defense.  He is the perfect veteran fill in player for this roster and would get in 130 games.  Miranda gets first shot at Solanos spot.

Most of these are things that Brooks could do as well and that makes Farmer the guy Brooks has to beat out.  After watching the rookies have to beat the door down this year I can't see a situation where they just hand this spot to Lee, especially on a contending team.  Might be a different discussion around the trade deadline but I just can't see it out of camp. 

[Fatbat]

@Jocko87 yeah, I’m all about not fielding a team thats too young or too old. I look at the two teams still standing and they have a great mix of vets and young studs that are hungry and don’t care what past teams in their organization have failed at.  I see the Twins as one step behind them and that will be made up with our farm guys coming up over the next 2-3 years …. I see Lee as mature beyond his age of 22. Sure he has a lot to work on, every playerthat age does but Im not seeing a guy like Farmer or Gordon standing in his way. We need at least 6 guys to fill out the infield roster. Lee will be one of them in 2024. 

[chpettit19]

1 hour ago, Jocko87 said:

My hot off-season take is that Farmer is the most important non-obvious guy they could bring back including center fielders.  (Polo, Kep and Castro are my obvious choices) Plays all the infield spots well, can function in the corner outfield, emergency catcher, hits right handed and can be a good sub on both offense and defense.  He is the perfect veteran fill in player for this roster and would get in 130 games.  Miranda gets first shot at Solanos spot.

Most of these are things that Brooks could do as well and that makes Farmer the guy Brooks has to beat out.  After watching the rookies have to beat the door down this year I can't see a situation where they just hand this spot to Lee, especially on a contending team.  Might be a different discussion around the trade deadline but I just can't see it out of camp. 

 

57 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

@Jocko87 yeah, I’m all about not fielding a team thats too young or too old. I look at the two teams still standing and they have a great mix of vets and young studs that are hungry and don’t care what past teams in their organization have failed at.  I see the Twins as one step behind them and that will be made up with our farm guys coming up over the next 2-3 years …. I see Lee as mature beyond his age of 22. Sure he has a lot to work on, every playerthat age does but Im not seeing a guy like Farmer or Gordon standing in his way. We need at least 6 guys to fill out the infield roster. Lee will be one of them in 2024. 

I actually don't think Farmer (or Gordon) have anything to do with Lee getting his shot in the majors. They're not going to give him a backup role. He won't get his shot until he's got a starting spot to step into. Lewis, Correa, Julien, and Polanco are the guys Lee has to beat out. I don't see any chance of that happening on opening day unless there's an injury or 2. They want Lee getting everyday ABs, and he won't be in the bigs until there's an everyday job open for him. He's not taking Farmer or Gordon's jobs, but they're also not blocking him in any way. If one of them go down Lee wouldn't be the callup for them. Lee just has to prove he's ready for his shot, and wait for a starting job to come open.

[DocBauer]

I think Lee is going to very good, if not great. And frankly, I couldn't care less which if he and Lewis plays 3B or 2B, they're both going to play. 

But isn't putting your very best team together always the goal? If so...and there could be financial limitations of course...why wouldn't you keep Polanco for this season? Lee was solid in AAA, but what guarantee is there that he's ready from day 1 to take a job and let the very good Polanco walk? Now, a trade of Polanco for help elsewhere is also a possibility, but still removes him from the team. And, in theory, means giving Lee a job. (Based on the general sentiment of the thread). 

Lee has 1 full year of pro ball and a couple additional months. He's very close. He himself says he's still working on some things. So why not keep Polanco and let Lee continue to work, and grow, and be ready when he's shown he's ready and opportunity presents itself?

I can't wait to see him up. But I'm not so impatient for that day that I want to rush him in favor of shedding a very good veteran ballplayer like Polanco.

[chpettit19]

2 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

I think Lee is going to very good, if not great. And frankly, I couldn't care less which if he and Lewis plays 3B or 2B, they're both going to play. 

But isn't putting your very best team together always the goal? If so...and there could be financial limitations of course...why wouldn't you keep Polanco for this season? Lee was solid in AAA, but what guarantee is there that he's ready from day 1 to take a job and let the very good Polanco walk? Now, a trade of Polanco for help elsewhere is also a possibility, but still removes him from the team. And, in theory, means giving Lee a job. (Based on the general sentiment of the thread). 

Lee has 1 full year of pro ball and a couple additional months. He's very close. He himself says he's still working on some things. So why not keep Polanco and let Lee continue to work, and grow, and be ready when he's shown he's ready and opportunity presents itself?

I can't wait to see him up. But I'm not so impatient for that day that I want to rush him in favor of shedding a very good veteran ballplayer like Polanco.

I think moving Polanco for pitching makes a ton of sense if you can get a controllable arm for him + prospects. I think that would put Lee as the next man up for the IF behind Correa, Lewis, and Julien. If you can't get a legit arm for him then I absolutely keep Polanco and add him to the other 3 names to rotate in at the DH position and keep them all fresh. They're 100% picking up Polanco's option, but he's my #1 current player to watch this offseason as I think the look of the team can shift drastically depending on what he's worth on the trade market.

[FlyingFinn]

6 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

So why not keep Polanco and let Lee continue to work, and grow, and be ready when he's shown he's ready and opportunity presents itself?

There's more one reason (other than finances) - if you think Polanco's body has too many miles on it and he will keep getting injured. I believe the injuries have really affected his defense as he doesn't look the same, even at 2B. You might be able to trade for a decent pitcher now but not get anything for him if he goes down for 60 games again in 2024. Not sure the Twins even know this answer so it's a guessing game whether he will keep getting injured.

[mnfireman]

3 hours ago, RpR said:

Lee's defense numbers Minors:

Julien's defense in Minors:

Julien is not good .968, Lee is worse, .947 & .954

Lewis' minor league fielding percentage was .956, Correa's was .968 and Arraez's was .983. What's your point?