Willi Castro Looks to Carve Out His Role All Over Again in 2024

[JD-TWINS]

2 hours ago, stringer bell said:

With the Gordon trade, I now expect Austin Martin to win the fourth OF spot on the team. I haven't seen enough of Martin to know for sure, but I'm thinking he profiles as a better center fielder than Castro. If that's the case, there is much more freedom to move Willi around. From my couch, I'd say I would much prefer to have Castro in the lineup against right handed pitching at any position that Farmer plays and given his defensive metrics from 2023, that would include shortstop. I'm sure Rocco will get plenty of work for Farmer if he's still on the Twins during the regular season, but I'll say again that Castro should be the choice against right handed pitching.

Correct - but it will be in CF principally………realistically, Buxton is the 4th outfielder as the roster currently sits. No way Martin pencils in at CF ahead of Castro v. RH pitching, as you point out.

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, stringer bell said:

Among available free agents, that would be MAT? Or do you think Duvall should be considered a center fielder as well?

I hope not, and if this is so, Castro's utility value would be almost completely wasted. AFAIK, Buxton had one injury that never really healed after surgery (knee) and reports are that the latest procedure has resolved that problem. Given his injury history, no one should pencil him in for 140 games in center field, but (huge assumption) if the limiting injury is resolved, I don't see any reason why he can't start half to as much as two thirds of the games in center with a fair amount of DH work. Nobody knows for sure, but the Twins not bringing in a center fielder tells me they have some confidence that Buxton will be there or an internal option (Martin) is capable of backing him up.

Kyle Farmer is a good baseball player, but he's turning 34 this year and I think his range has diminished. A year has passed since he was penciled in as the Twins SS and for a game or two, I don't think he's the #1 answer, I'd rather see Castro (at least the 2023 version of Castro). Willi didn't play much shortstop last year, but I don't know if that will be the same this year. 

At third, again I see no reason for Farmer to be preferred over Castro against right handed pitching, the same for second base against right handers with Julien as the DH. 

Rocco uses his bench liberally and Farmer certainly will get plenty of starts in the course of a season, but Castro should be considered on the dirt in front of Farmer against right handed pitching.
 

Farmer’s range has diminished? …….better defensively than Polanco & Julien at 2B in ‘23………..principally, he played SS when CC was out last year. I think the reduced range thought is pretty subjective.

I think 100% that Castro will play v. RH pitching. Last year he played parts of 43 games in CF. That’s when Taylor was on the club.

Buxton has played 100 games ONCE in his career. To say he’ll play 1/2 to 2/3 of the games in CF, PLUS a fair amount of games at DH is a tall ask/assumption!

72-75% of starters are RH…….Castro in the line-up. I just think he’ll see the vast majority of those games in CF…………if they sign Duvall or Taylor, that changes things.

I think he’ll see some starts at 3B but not at 2B and very seldom, like 2-3 times, at SS.

[JD-TWINS]

2 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Among available free agents, that would be MAT? Or do you think Duvall should be considered a center fielder as well?

I hope not, and if this is so, Castro's utility value would be almost completely wasted. AFAIK, Buxton had one injury that never really healed after surgery (knee) and reports are that the latest procedure has resolved that problem. Given his injury history, no one should pencil him in for 140 games in center field, but (huge assumption) if the limiting injury is resolved, I don't see any reason why he can't start half to as much as two thirds of the games in center with a fair amount of DH work. Nobody knows for sure, but the Twins not bringing in a center fielder tells me they have some confidence that Buxton will be there or an internal option (Martin) is capable of backing him up.

Kyle Farmer is a good baseball player, but he's turning 34 this year and I think his range has diminished. A year has passed since he was penciled in as the Twins SS and for a game or two, I don't think he's the #1 answer, I'd rather see Castro (at least the 2023 version of Castro). Willi didn't play much shortstop last year, but I don't know if that will be the same this year. 

At third, again I see no reason for Farmer to be preferred over Castro against right handed pitching, the same for second base against right handers with Julien as the DH. 

Rocco uses his bench liberally and Farmer certainly will get plenty of starts in the course of a season, but Castro should be considered on the dirt in front of Farmer against right handed pitching.
 

Castro played SS - 6 times in ‘23 - and Zero times after May 15th as an FYI.

3B a bunch of times with Lewis injuries and slow start early in the year - then Farmer was out because he got hit in the face by a pitch.

[stringer bell]

Farmer had been +2 for Defensive Runs Saved at shortstop in his career until 2023, when he was -5 in 40 games, 27 starts. Yes, he went to a new club and he played less SS than he had in the previous year, but that is quite a downturn. I think he is on the downslope due to aging and mid-thirties is a time when that aging shows particularly in speed and range. His sprint speed is 31st percentile. 

I think the club trusts Willi Castro in February of 2024 a lot more than they did in February of 2023. He demonstrated that he could be a very good defender wherever he was placed. Circumstances kept him out of the middle infield in 2023 and might again in 2024, but I think he proved he is more than capable as a defender. On the flip side, Castro was the superior hitter to Farmer against right handed pitching.

We are both making some assumptions here, but I'm saying if somebody is to sub in for Lewis, Correa or Julien against a right handed pitcher, I'd pick Castro ten times out of ten.

[JD-TWINS]

4 hours ago, stringer bell said:

Farmer had been +2 for Defensive Runs Saved at shortstop in his career until 2023, when he was -5 in 40 games, 27 starts. Yes, he went to a new club and he played less SS than he had in the previous year, but that is quite a downturn. I think he is on the downslope due to aging and mid-thirties is a time when that aging shows particularly in speed and range. His sprint speed is 31st percentile. 

I think the club trusts Willi Castro in February of 2024 a lot more than they did in February of 2023. He demonstrated that he could be a very good defender wherever he was placed. Circumstances kept him out of the middle infield in 2023 and might again in 2024, but I think he proved he is more than capable as a defender. On the flip side, Castro was the superior hitter to Farmer against right handed pitching.

We are both making some assumptions here, but I'm saying if somebody is to sub in for Lewis, Correa or Julien against a right handed pitcher, I'd pick Castro ten times out of ten.

Nobody is subbing for Julien v. RH pitching so that’s a non issue.

You mention circumstances - that’s the point I keep making over & over. Circumstances are that we don’t have any other guys to play OF - particularly CF. I think most of his time will be there - I don’t doubt he will be in the line-up v. RH pitching, I’m just assuming Lewis & CC will play 135-140 games each without injury.

Castro is principally in the OF/CF and even at DH v. RH pitching. IMO.

[stringer bell]

3 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Nobody is subbing for Julien v. RH pitching so that’s a non-issue  

The roster, as of today, doesn’t have a regular DH. I am speculating that Castro starts in left, center, second, short and third while the regular takes a half day as DH. That’s what a super-utility guy does and that maximizes Castro’s versatility..

If Buxton can’t play over a quarter of the time in center, the club needs to sign MAT tonight unless there is a somewhat regular center fielder waiting in the wings. It shouldn’t be Castro in center field starting 100 games. It’s probably Willi’s fourth or fifth best position.