So, who will be sent down/released to make room for Lewis?

[stringer bell]

This topic has come across almost all of the threads on Twins Daily for the last week or so. There are about as many different perspectives as their are postings, but I thought I'd bring it together in one spot for debate. I posted a poll here and I'm asking members to predict the outcome, not state what should happen.

I think Lewis won't play in Houston, but might return in New York. In the meantime, someone will have an injury that will land them on the Injured List. If Lewis were coming off the IL today, the HBP that Kyle Farmer suffered might have cost him ten days plus a rehab assignment in St. Paul. Another scenario is to give someone like Chris Paddack a two-week break and have 14 position players, using Boushley, Varland or Festa for spot starts  sending them down after their starts. It would take a lot of roster manipulation, but it could be done. There is an off day included in that time frame.

As much as I hate the move, I think the most likely option of a player is Alex Kirilloff, since optioning him would cause the least disruption. Miranda has earned a spot on the major league team and he can be the alternate/backup first baseman and Trevor Larnach has outperformed AK, hits from the same side and is at least as good of an outfielder.

Many of us would prefer a veteran is DFA'd. I don't think the Twins will do it, because the player is most likely permanently lost and will cost the club money, in the millions of dollars. 

[DJL44]

30 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

Many of us would prefer a veteran is DFA'd. I don't think the Twins will do it, because the player is most likely permanently lost and will cost the club money, in the millions of dollars. 

You can pay millions to win or millions to lose but to play the game it will cost tens of millions.

[Mike Sixel]

A younger player will go down to the minors and I'll shake my head in disagreement. 

[Dave The Dastardly]

Some player will wake up one morning with an injury he didn't know he had. That will delay the inevitable decision, or Margot or Farmer will be DFA'd if the FO is serious about winning the division and building a competitive team, or a developing younger player who deserves to remain with the Twins will be sent down to "cure" a perceived shortcoming if the FO is in a short term hope-and-pray mode.

But you know, if struggling players can only be "fixed" under the tutelage of the AAA manager, shouldn't he be the Twins manager? Then nobody would need to be optioned back to the Saints. He could fix the struggling players right there at the major league level.

Illogical?

[stringer bell]

I really don't think the Twins want to send anyone down. That's why injury and even going with 12 pitchers (and some staff juggling) seems the most likely option. Kirilloff, Larnach and particularly Miranda have had moments in the last week to ten days. Julien picked up three hits in the recently ended series with KC and has definitely improved his defense. 

[Riverbrian]

43 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

As much as I hate the move, I think the most likely option of a player is Alex Kirilloff, since optioning him would cause the least disruption. Miranda has earned a spot on the major league team and he can be the alternate/backup first baseman and Trevor Larnach has outperformed AK, hits from the same side and is at least as good of an outfielder.

It could be potentially the most disruptive thing... Not that disruption is a bad thing in my opinion.

It would be one less left hander on the team and Miranda doesn't pair well with Santana since Santana is strongest from the right side of the plate. 

I don't think this way but the Twins sure seem to. 

The least disruptive path... Is sending Miranda down or cutting Margot. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Lewis is ready. He’s done a week of rehab games. He doesn’t need a second spring training. He won’t be in the lineup tonight against a rightie but he should be on the bench tonight and active for Saturday’s game against Valdez.

It’s also possible that the fans have it all wrong, and Lewis actually spends his free time in a hospital bed hooked up to tubes when not at the park playing baseball. In that case, wait to call him up for the Yankees series! 

[chaderic20]

I'm guessing Farmer goes on the IL with ineffectivitis.

[SD happy]

37 minutes ago, chaderic20 said:

I'm guessing Farmer goes on the IL with ineffectivitis.

I agree. I think someone will go down with some kind of ailment and will be put on the IL. My guess is Kyle Farmer.

[CRF]

I honestly can't see Falvey doing a DFA on one of our stellar players, and I don't think he sends anyone to StP. I think someone goes on the IL with a mysterious ailment, that came out of nowhere. 

[nicksaviking]

Agree with Stringer, should be Farmer but it'll be a young guy and Kirilloff seems like the best bet.

[stringer bell]

4 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

It could be potentially the most disruptive thing... Not that disruption is a bad thing in my opinion.

It would be one less left hander on the team and Miranda doesn't pair well with Santana since Santana is strongest from the right side of the plate. 

I don't think this way but the Twins sure seem to. 

The least disruptive path... Is sending Miranda down or cutting Margot. 

Disagree Brian. Kirilloff has hardly played first base and Miranda can handle that load. We have had the situation a couple times where a lefty bat sat against a right handed pitcher (Larnach), AK was at DH, with Castro in left and Buxton in center. Larnach has thus far outhit Kirilloff and if one of the lefty bats isn’t playing against righties, they have to be excess. I think replacing Santana against right handers can be done by Miranda since he has a higher OPS vs. right handed pitching than either Santana or Kirilloff. 

[LA Vikes Fan]

I agree that a phantom, I mean minor yet requiring attention, injury is the most likely outcome here. Yet I actually wonder if in all seriousness there might be a market for a trade of Margot. He's actually hitting .300/.364/.333 over his last 15 games with 30 AB's, 3 Walks and only two SOs over that time. Yes, no power and a majority of those at bats have been against left-handed pitching. Still, if he can even stay within 30 points of the batting average and OB P numbers those are not bad numbers for fourth outfielder or short side platoon guy. His defense in the corners is still pretty good, not so much in center field, and he can still run a little. He's hitd even better over the last seven games so arguably he is finding his footing and becoming more the guy he's been in his career, a .260/.310/.390 (.700) type guy. In other words, basically a league average hitter who does not play a premium position. those guys are hugely valuable but they do have some value and often times that value is magnified when a team has injuries and needs a short-term solution.

Isn't that the kind of guy that contending teams trade for when they have outfield injuries and don't have the high minors prospects or aren't willing to risk their season on unproven talent? I know both Atlanta (contender) and St. Louis (always thinks they're a contender) have had significant injuries in the outfield. I'm sure there are other teams in the same boat. Margot might be the kind of guy that they would be willing to acquire as a stopgap for the rest of the season or until someone with a significant injury can get back. If I were the Twins, I would be actively shopping him right now in return for a B level AA or high A prospect, or maybe a couple of A ball lottery ticket types. The Twins "replenish the farm system" and the other team gets someone who potentially helps them right now. He doesn't cost much since the Dodgers are paying most of his salary and I bet the Twins would be willing to eat $1 million of what's he's still owed or send the blocked prospect who doesn't have a high upside to make a trade work. To me, that's the long term solution.

So I say we trade Margot if we can, make LF a platoon between Kirilloff and Castro, and make Miranda a 1B/3B/DH starting a minimum of four days a week. Opens up the logjam for Lewis, and helps train Miranda to be our regular 1B next year since all we got is him and Kirilloff for that spot in 2025. Hey, if this is all just a fantasy, DFA Margot and accomplish the same thing.

 

[tony&rodney]

11 hours ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

Lewis is ready. He’s done a week of rehab games. He doesn’t need a second spring training. He won’t be in the lineup tonight against a rightie but he should be on the bench tonight and active for Saturday’s game against Valdez.

It’s also possible that the fans have it all wrong, and Lewis actually spends his free time in a hospital bed hooked up to tubes when not at the park playing baseball. In that case, wait to call him up for the Yankees series! 

0-3 with three Ks today are not the final judgment but Royce may need a few more reps.

[cmoss84]

If Miranda has options left its him.

[cmoss84]

But it should be time for Margot to got.

[JD-TWINS]

20 hours ago, Dave The Dastardly said:

Some player will wake up one morning with an injury he didn't know he had. That will delay the inevitable decision, or Margot or Farmer will be DFA'd if the FO is serious about winning the division and building a competitive team, or a developing younger player who deserves to remain with the Twins will be sent down to "cure" a perceived shortcoming if the FO is in a short term hope-and-pray mode.

But you know, if struggling players can only be "fixed" under the tutelage of the AAA manager, shouldn't he be the Twins manager? Then nobody would need to be optioned back to the Saints. He could fix the struggling players right there at the major league level.

Illogical?

The change of atmosphere - pressure - competition level - absolute “need” to perform that a guy feels in the Show changes in St. Paul. It’s not about X’s &O’s of the swing. …….try to relax a bit - build some confidence - feel you can get it done.

I like the rotating pitcher idea - resting Paddack (IL stint) & then possibly SWR (optioned) as well by sending a guy (Festa, Varland) up to pitch and then back down, as Mr. Bell suggests….as I type though, it seems the roster swell on the day the AAA guy pitches creates the same 27 man total, if there are 14 position players - right?

Seems to ME that Julien is the logical guy relative to plate performance and need of a refresh.

[AKTwinsFan]

Julien has had his struggles this season. Maybe a trip to AAA will get him back on track.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

14 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

0-3 with three Ks today are not the final judgment but Royce may need a few more reps.

That’s more of an argument that Lewis isn’t good enough to face major league pitching. 

I think the front office was counting on demoting Miranda or Larnach or maybe Kirilloff first of all, or secondly, they were counting on someone needing to go on the IL. This is what the broadcasters mean when they say “things have a way of working themselves out”. I am not saying anything eyebrow raising here.

The front office certainly doesn’t want to go down to 12 pitchers to make a place for Lewis, and the very last thing the front office wants to do is DFA a Margot, Santana or Farmer. they would rather leave Lewis in the minors on his rehab for as long as possible, than do that. 

[tony&rodney]

3 minutes ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

That’s more of an argument that Lewis isn’t good enough to face major league pitching. 

No, not really. Lewis just needs to play some baseball. He doesn't even have 300 PA appearances in MLB and has had some lengthy periods of time in his career where he was injured. There is bound to be some rust and the young slugger just needs game time to get back into the groove. Lewis doesn't have the resume to just get put back into the lineup like Buxton or Correa. It would not be surprising to see the Twins leave him in AAA for another week nor would it be surprising if he was added to the roster for the Yankees series.

In any event the trainers and coaches will want to see and know that Royce is ready to go full on before he gets placed back on the Twins roster. I think being careful and judicious is a good idea for Lewis at this moment in time.

[lecroy24fan]

 

[Squirrel]

Yeah, same pretty much from Phil Miller:

 

[USAFChief]

Why Julien over Farmer? What does Farmer provide? He's not even the backup SS any longer.

Ridiculous.

[Squirrel]

And this:

I think it’s the right move. For now. Won’t be forever, but Julien just seems lost at the plate.

[Mike Sixel]

13 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Why Julien over Farmer? What does Farmer provide? He's not even the backup SS any longer.

Ridiculous.

For the same reason Margot has a job over Martin?

In fairness, I think they want Julien to reset his brain. 

[Squirrel]

8 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

For the same reason Margot has a job over Martin?

In fairness, I think they want Julien to reset his brain. 

And I think that’s legit. Dont get me wrong, I chose Farmer on this poll above. But I think let Julien reset himself, then he comes up and Farmer gone. I wasn’t all that impressed with Martin, tbh. I’m more iffy on that. But I don’t think sending down Julien is the wrong answer. I think it’s justifiable.

[Mike Sixel]

2 minutes ago, Squirrel said:

And I think that’s legit. Dont get me wrong, I chose Farmer on this poll above. But I think let Julien reset himself, then he comes up and Farmer gone. I wasn’t all that impressed with Martin, tbh. I’m more iffy on that. But I don’t think sending down Julien is the wrong answer. I think it’s justifiable.

Margot just isn't good. Martin might be. We'll never know if he doesn't play. 

[Dman]

I was thinking Kirilloff as he just wildly swings at stuff, but I forgot Julien has an extra option year and could use a reset just as much.  I think it is the right move.  I think he just needs to get his confidence back and he'll be a new man.

[Squirrel]

3 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

Margot just isn't good. Martin might be. We'll never know if he doesn't play. 

He is playing in AAA. While I’m not sold on Margot, I’m not sold on Martin, either. I still want to win and I’m not sure either of them should be there. But, this is about who goes for Royce. Neither Martin nor Margot are in that conversation, for now, so it would seem.

[Danchat]

This is disappointing given the number of struggling veterans on the team. We always debate how much rope the vets will get, but it always turns out to be longer than you'd think... or hope it would be. We should know this by know.

So Farmer is the only other player to start a game at 2B this year... despite having .160 OPS lower than Julien. Castro has barely played there as a Twin but he has handled it before, playing over 700 innings at 2B in 2021. I would hope he gets time there because of his bat.