It's Back to the Drawing Board at Shortstop for the Minnesota Twins

[Doctor Gast]

No Castro & no Correa on the left side, that leaves us with only Lee & Lewis team on the roster. If anything happens to them, then we have nobody on the roster to sub them. What if it's not convenient to call up a Band-Aid from AAA? IMO, they need to finally call up Payton Eeles to fill that Castro void. 2B has been a mess this season. Even with Correa & Castro, IMO our INF was fragile. I've been concerned about this INF all season & it got worse. I'm not sure how good or how long it takes or even if Culpepper can be a passable MLB SS. Or how long it'd take for Houston to be a passable MLB SS. This FO has no vision; they take the mess as it comes & try to deal with it. It'd be wonderful if we had a FO that could see the problem ahead of time & have a very good plan B. IMO, FAs are most often the worst option for a team like us, inferior & expensive.

[mikelink45]

2 hours ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

I agree that it's too early in Lee's career to make final judgments but I think your piece is spot on. I did an Ai search on Lee as a fielder and the consensus was good instincts, strong arm but too slow and not enough agility to become more than a tick above average. That matches what I see. 

Still, he could be a MLB SS if he could hit. That's the real disappointment for me. I thought he would be a better hitter. Right now, he's looking like the UTL replacement for Castro with a better glove and lesser bat. maybe he improves and that changes, but that's my view of what he is right now after 500 MLB ABs.  My hoped for IF next year is  Clemens/FA 1B, Keaschall 2B, Culpepper SS, Lewis 3B, Lee UTL. 

Compare Lee to Castro and utility looks like a stretch - but maybe he will find instruction this winter and surprise and please us all in the future. 

[mikelink45]

1 hour ago, Nick Nelson said:

The free agents at shortstop this offseason, FYI 

Shortstops

Tim Anderson (33)
Orlando Arcia (31) – $2MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Bo Bichette (28)
Willi Castro (29)
Ha-Seong Kim (30) – can opt out of remaining one year and $16MM
Isiah Kiner-Falefa (31)
Dylan Moore (33)
Kevin Newman (32) – $2.5MM club option with a $250K buyout
Miguel Rojas (37)
Trevor Story (33) – can opt out of remaining two years and $55MM

No to all of them - keep working to produce a young and fast SS.  I have no idea if the two prospects will pan out - the past expectations certainly have not. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

2 hours ago, Melissa said:

Hello? TD admins??

Persistent problem. So, recently on my iPad, there are windows showing ads and another showing a podcast (the Show, I believe) that cover up about a third of the text of one or more paragraphs on the right hand side of Twins Daily articles.

i can’t seem to close or move these blocking windows. Any suggestions?

Also, I thought we Caretakers were supposed to be free of ads.

Hi Melissa, for a couple of days we had a persistent video issue, but I think it should be resolved now. Do you still see the video in the bottom right hand side of the screen when you scroll?

[shimrod]

3 hours ago, Patzky said:

Lee is scads better at SS than 2B where many of his gaffes have occured.

I haven't seen all the games, but from what I've seen Lee is much better at short. He'll never have ideal athleticism but there's a discernable difference in confidence.

The organizational conceit that anyone can move down on defense- short to second, second to first - with no impact on team defense is part of the reason the team is so bad in the field. Each position has its unique aspects and subtleties. The Twins rarely allow a young player to concentrate on a position enough to master it, Buxton being the exception to the rule.

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, Doctor Gast said:

No Castro & no Correa on the left side, that leaves us with only Lee & Lewis team on the roster. If anything happens to them, then we have nobody on the roster to sub them. What if it's not convenient to call up a Band-Aid from AAA? IMO, they need to finally call up Payton Eeles to fill that Castro void.

If you don’t like Lee at SS, you’ll hate Payton Eeles at SS. Eeles is a 2B or bust. They have Keaschall at 2B right now.

[Rod Carews Birthday]

Lee is going to need to be an outstanding defender in order to be useful.  Right now his career numbers are much lower than Eddie Julien’s, who we have bounced up and down to St. Paul,  and who most consider unplayable (partly due to defense).  

When he was drafted, he was sold as maybe not having as high of a ceiling as others, but his floor was high and solid, they said.  He’s downstairs looking up at the floor of being a serviceable ML baseball player right now.  Could he turn it around?  Maybe, but I’m not super optimistic.  I think that there is no other player for whom the rest of the season is as critical as Brooks Lee.  This is his audition, and I think it is make or break.   

On a related note, finding out who Royce Lewis is going to be would be nice as well.  I think it is far from certain that he will be a star at this point.  

[bunsen82]

We want Lee to get more comfortable with the bat.  The defense looks solid to above average at short by my eye.  So if the bat improves he will be viewed as a legit shortstop and that has immense value.  Whether as a trade chip or becoming our utility player.  He still seems to be thinking too much at the plate is my opinion.  

[Major League Ready]

2 hours ago, Old Twins Cap said:

I disagree with the premise of this article.

Lee has not played much SS with the Twins because of Carlos Correa, and sorry, it's not like he lit up the baseball world over his three years with the Twins

To my eyes, Lee looks very good at SS, with solid footwork, a good glove and crisp throws.

If he can make it at SS, his BA and power stroke actually stacks up pretty well with the rest of the league.   And he switch hits, so bonus credibility should be applied.

Let's not throw out the baby with the bathwater on this one.  Culpepper looks like the future for sure, but the present is all we have and I am hopeful it will be surprisingly skillful.

Lee has a career wRC+ of 76.  That does not "stack up pretty well with the rest of the league."  I have said I hope I am wrong since he got to the majors but so far he is a well below average hitter.  I have never understood the love for Lee.

[Twins GFP]

I don't think this is the time to panic and be all doom and gloom about... well... anything.

The only point of the rest of this season is to play out the string and see what the youngers can do. This discussion needs to be tabled until at least next Spring Training when we will know if the Twins are making an attempt to be playoff competitive.

[Doctor Gast]

26 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

If you don’t like Lee at SS, you’ll hate Payton Eeles at SS. Eeles is a 2B or bust. They have Keaschall at 2B right now.

I didn't say that I didn't like Lee, My concern is if Lee & Lewis don't remain healthy. As I stated, if we need a band-aid, who can we throw at SS or 3B from the roster, in an emergency? Nobody, Eeles can fill that void, plus other positions. Can you throw Keaschall at SS & 3B? Keaschall is a great hitter but he's not that smooth at 2B. Which is another debate, I don't want to go into.

[Nick Nelson]

14 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

Lee has a career wRC+ of 76.  That does not "stack up pretty well with the rest of the league."  I have said I hope I am wrong since he got to the majors but so far he is a well below average hitter.  I have never understood the love for Lee.

Thank you! I am reading these comments (and my twitter replies) and am legit blown away by the amount of slack Brooks Lee gets. Is it just because he looks like a ballplayer? Or doesn't strike out? The guy has shown no ability to control the zone, his bat speed is bottom-tier and he can. not. run. He's been sub-replacement level with no signs of improvement. Yet typically demanding fans are okay with saying, "Yeah he's our starting shortstop next year. Whatever." 

I don't get it.

[old nurse]

Statcast Fielding Breakdown

 

 

•                                      2025                                     2024                                 ▾
•    
                                                                            Batter Perspective                                 ▾

Brooks LeeResponsible Plays for 20250ft20ft40ft60ft80ft100ft120ft140ftDistance From Ball Landing12345678Hang Time (Sec.)◀▶▼▲League Wide Catch Difficulty Scale★★★★★★012345OutHitWallBack

* Click Any Legend Option to Reset Chart | Save Chart

 

well it wouldn’t take the handy dandy Savant fielding diagram that they would appears to show he makes the plays he is suposed to 

[DJL44]

42 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

I didn't say that I didn't like Lee, My concern is if Lee & Lewis don't remain healthy. As I stated, if we need a band-aid, who can we throw at SS or 3B from the roster, in an emergency? Nobody, Eeles can fill that void, plus other positions. Can you throw Keaschall at SS & 3B? Keaschall is a great hitter but he's not that smooth at 2B. Which is another debate, I don't want to go into.

Eeles can’t really play SS or 3B either. He plays 2B and LF.

Ryan Fitzgerald is the backup utility player. Beyond that they probably use Will Holland or pay some other organization for their AAA SS.

[Wedman13]

2 hours ago, Nick Nelson said:

Thank you! I am reading these comments (and my twitter replies) and am legit blown away by the amount of slack Brooks Lee gets. Is it just because he looks like a ballplayer? Or doesn't strike out? The guy has shown no ability to control the zone, his bat speed is bottom-tier and he can. not. run. He's been sub-replacement level with no signs of improvement. Yet typically demanding fans are okay with saying, "Yeah he's our starting shortstop next year. Whatever." 

I don't get it.

Be patient, Lets give him a real shot at a stable position.  (what people are saying).   maybe you will get it then.  Or maybe u will be right.  We'll see.  Just think u are jumping the gun.  I'm very excited about our future infield 

[Twinsgypsy]

Lee is definitely an unknown at this point,   Will he ever really hit is a huge question & his fielding , throwing etc seem to need some serious work so the last 2 months of the season is where he needs tp perform now or he will end up being a utility player as several other people have already mentioned.  I hope that he can become a good major league SS.  However, I have my doubts based on the parts of the last 2 seasons.

[bunsen82]

12 hours ago, Rod Carews Birthday said:

Lee is going to need to be an outstanding defender in order to be useful.  Right now his career numbers are much lower than Eddie Julien’s, who we have bounced up and down to St. Paul,  and who most consider unplayable (partly due to defense).  

When he was drafted, he was sold as maybe not having as high of a ceiling as others, but his floor was high and solid, they said.  He’s downstairs looking up at the floor of being a serviceable ML baseball player right now.  Could he turn it around?  Maybe, but I’m not super optimistic.  I think that there is no other player for whom the rest of the season is as critical as Brooks Lee.  This is his audition, and I think it is make or break.   

On a related note, finding out who Royce Lewis is going to be would be nice as well.  I think it is far from certain that he will be a star at this point.  

Lee looks like he is going to push his BA into the .250.  The biggest difference even in the last month is being more patient.  He is getting a couple more walks. Today battled back from 0-2 count and got a hit.  .270/.325/.400+ is a pretty valuable short stop.  He is showing power.  Really it’s just continuing to be more patient and getting more walks which should really improve his offensive profile.  

[Parfigliano]

6 hours ago, Nick Nelson said:

The free agents at shortstop this offseason, FYI 

Shortstops

Tim Anderson (33)
Orlando Arcia (31) – $2MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Bo Bichette (28)
Willi Castro (29)
Ha-Seong Kim (30) – can opt out of remaining one year and $16MM
Isiah Kiner-Falefa (31)
Dylan Moore (33)
Kevin Newman (32) – $2.5MM club option with a $250K buyout
Miguel Rojas (37)
Trevor Story (33) – can opt out of remaining two years and $55MM

I vote Bo Bichette.🤪

[tony&rodney]

Brooks Lee will play shortstop about 6 times per week through the rest of the year. We likely need to keep an open mind (says the guy who wanted to trade him for Jeferson Quero last November and I would still do that deal).

Next season I'm hoping that Kaelen Culpepper is the shortstop. 

[stringer bell]

6 hours ago, Cris E said:

And this problem means this juncture was a particularly rough time to lose Castro.  He was at least a credible stopgap SS in ways that the rest of the roster is not. 

Castro is at best a stopgap SS The Twins might miss Castro, but it isn't because of his SS play.

[stringer bell]

Lee looks more polished and comfortable at short and he has good hands. I think he's an acceptable shortstop if he gets that OPS in the high .700s. He was at 101 or 102 OPS+ at the end of his long hitting streak, but he was brutal in July. I do think anyone watching him play so far for the Twins would think it is foolish to expect him to be an All-Star shortstop. 

[Mike Sixel]

I'm not super confident in Lee, but there is a zero percent chance I sign a bad veteran to play SS next year. Lee or Culpepper are your SS next year. They aren't signing Bichette unless they have new owners, and even then, why? You have to trust that one of these guys will work at some point.....this isn't a team (even with new owners most likely ) that can buy a full team.

I guess they could get owners that will sign him? But I have zero interest in any of the others. Most of them are actually worse hitters than Lee..........

[Maybe Next Year]

Ridiculous article. Lee has been moved all over the infield and never given a chance to play ss day in and day out. The number of games he has played at ss at the major league level cannot be more than 15. To judge him on these few games is absolutely ridiculous. Play him every day at short and watch his confidence build both in the field and at the plate. Enough of the Rocco platooning bs. Let the kid play every day and watch him become an exceptional ss. 

[Melissa]

6 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

Hi Melissa, for a couple of days we had a persistent video issue, but I think it should be resolved now. Do you still see the video in the bottom right hand side of the screen when you scroll?

It’s gone from my screen in tonight’s game summary - thank you!!

[Wedman13]

1 hour ago, Maybe Next Year said:

Ridiculous article. Lee has been moved all over the infield and never given a chance to play ss day in and day out. The number of games he has played at ss at the major league level cannot be more than 15. To judge him on these few games is absolutely ridiculous. Play him every day at short and watch his confidence build both in the field and at the plate. Enough of the Rocco platooning bs. Let the kid play every day and watch him become an exceptional ss. 

I've been shocked at the articles/opinions the normal rational writers on this site (Not including Seth in that) have had lately.  It's actually weird.  Was he suggesting keeping Correa @$33m was better than going Lewis, Lee/Culpepper, Keashall and name your 1.st baseman + have $20m to spend was a better option?

they could have stayed stuck in the middle, or gone for it.  I love the bold moves. 

[SwainZag]

Correa is like a unicorn when it comes to the position.  He was picked 1/1 for a reason.  Players just aren't built like him, who can make those throws with that range.........and then being an above average offensive player.  The players are just so few and far between that 25 franchises are chasing them at all times, and those who have them are extremely lucky.   
 

The real discussion that almost no one seems to be addressing is the production that Correa gave the Twins vs the money that they were paying him.   He never made an AS team and while he was a very good clubhouse and very high IQ player, losing the name seems to ring so much more to the media and the public than what he actually produced for the Twins.  

[Bodie]

"Dismantling" this team wasn't just the best idea out if the Twins braintrust in years, it was ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY!!!

Quit polishing last months turdsandwich and telling us it was tuna fish!  

[MGX]

11 hours ago, Nick Nelson said:

Thank you! I am reading these comments (and my twitter replies) and am legit blown away by the amount of slack Brooks Lee gets. Is it just because he looks like a ballplayer? Or doesn't strike out? The guy has shown no ability to control the zone, his bat speed is bottom-tier and he can. not. run. He's been sub-replacement level with no signs of improvement. Yet typically demanding fans are okay with saying, "Yeah he's our starting shortstop next year. Whatever." 

I don't get it.

I'm not going to say Lee is the answer at SS, because has a lot left to prove, but lets give the guy a chance. I agree with what you said about his lack of athleticism & yet when you watch him at SS he looks solid. The Lee - Keaschall double play combo has looked surprisingly good in there limited time playing together. That being said the bat hasn't produced to this point & that needs to get better. For now there really isn't another option so lets see what he does with this opportunity. If the offense isn't better by the end of the season then SS is a question mark for next year.

Either way many may be surprised that the post deadline Twins are more entertaining than the pre-deadline Twins.

[Fezig]

For once I agree with the manager. I think Lee will make himself a MLB SS. You don't have to be Ozzie Smith to play SS. Cal Ripken didn't have blazing speed but he knew where to position himself and knew how to play the game.

In regard to offense. He can work on improving his bat speed. I'd like to think the Twins have one or two people in the organization that will let Lee know his offseason will be adding speed. 

He had enough talent to make it through the minors quickly. His inadequacies didn't show as much. Now that he's in the bigs, he has the coaching (assumed) to address those issues and make him a viable pro.

 

[wornsmooth]

I quit reading when it turned to Lee bashing.

Where has the author been this year? It has been obvious that Lee's confidence and bat speed have crossed a threshold. He has started to drive the ball as he seems to now believe he can hit big league pitching. The guy is only going to get better and better.

One of my questions on how the Twins are managed is the constant position shuffling. How do they expect a guy to concentrate on his hitting when they are making them spend time learning multiple positions? There are very few players who thrive when they are constantly playing a different position.

Lee, if they leave him be and stays healthy will be a decent shortstop while becoming the hitter that had been hoped for from Correa.