Why Minnesota Twins Should Re-Sign Willi Castro to Round Out Positional Group

[terrydactyls]

3 hours ago, DocBauer said:

The only viable backup to Lewis at 3B is Lee, with Kreidler then playing SS daily. Even if Kreidler played a really good SS, past history at the ML and MILB level says he will be a POOR hitter.

So on the one hand, I can see the appeal of Castro be $3M to be a utility player at multiple positions. Forget what he did AFTER the trade with his bat. He was an above league average hitter while with the Twins in 2025. There is a potential fit with the Twins at around $3-3.5M since the current roster construction is just awful.

What they SHOULD have done is not sign Bell for $7M...who I still like...and tried to get Lowe for about $9-10M per for 2yrs to settle 1B. Even after a down season, he was productive and he has solid career splits, can play a solid 1B, and you wouldn't have moved a decent LHRP prospect in Bragg for Wagaman. Does Lowe have Bell's pure power? No. But he's a solid hitter with 18-22 HR power, with some doubles, a solid career HITTER profile, and SETTLES 1B for a couple years. And you don't have to WASTE a roster spot for a 25% PA hitter like Wagaman who shortens your bench.

NEXT, Larnach shouldn't have been offered arbitration, OR, been signed as he is now, and immediately moved by himself, or part of a package, for SOMEONE with some solid BP experience. By himself he probably brings back an Okert type of reliever. With a solid prospect involved, you probably get another team's Sands/Varland who has some good stuff but is/has just transitioned to the pen and has some upside.

The $ saved on Larnach then allows you to sign a nice and relatively inexpensive utility player like Ramon Urias...switch hitter with neutral career splits...with the ability to play 1B/2B/3B and emergency SS, OR, maybe Castro for the EXACT same spots, but with the ability to also play some OF. 

THAT is BETTER, SMARTER, and more versatile roster construction for only a couple $M more in total! And you NOW get to play Wallner more at DH with the better defense of Martin and Roden playing the corners...each with some upside...Wallner, Clemens, and potentially Castro in this scenario, also able to help in the OF. The INF has better coverage, the OF has better defense, 1B is solid, and Rodriguez, Jenkins, and Gonzalez aren't blocked by anyone other than Martin and Roden when ready. Hell, even Fedko is available for additional depth if needed.

Try to tell me that doesn't make more sense than Bell as a full time DH with INF depth issues and questionable OF defense, with no room to move Wallner to DH when the prospects are ready?

And you'd still some $ to add a couple decent, veteran FA options for the pen.

So yeah, with Wagaman having options and being cheap, there still might be room for Castro, maybe even Urias, as better depth options for better roster construction. 

But please tell me as a fan an AMATEUR GM, how can I already see a different and better plan for roster construction than Falvey?

I concur with what you laid out.  BUT, that's what should have been done  The article is trying to look ahead.

[terrydactyls]

Minnesota is nearly done rounding out its 13-person major-league position player collective.   

Now that is a depressing statement.  They don't even have 13 "major-league" position players on their 40-man roster.  Time for the front office to play Trader Joe and off-load minor league pitching along with Larnach and Julien for relief pitching.

[Mahoning]

There is no evidence so far that the Twins are even trying to compete. Signing Willi fits perfectly.

[dxpavelka]

Any move that takes potential at bats away from Jenkins, Rodriguez or Gonzalez is a firm NO from me.

[mikelink45]

Quote

acquiring Ryan Kreidler, Eric Wagaman, and Orlando Arcia to provide depth on the margins.

Based on this statement, why not, he can't be worth less than this dustbin of no talent and we know him, he was one of US.

Of course if we do, it is another indication that there are two qualifications for our bench - they can stand up and they won't cost very much.  Isn't there a quality person out there?  I am hoping Fitzgerald gets a chance to show the Twins that cutting him for these mediocre vets was a poor decision.

[JD-TWINS]

18 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Getting good bullpen results from starters on the farm is just as likely, if not more likely than signing mid to low tier free agents. Unless you're a top end bullpen arm, you're never more than 10 innings from being at risk of a DFA. They are not reliable by nature and we've seen a thousand times that changing, usage, teams, cities, managers, teammates or ballparks makes differences you can't even begin to predict for them.

Even if the Twins spent 20M on the pen this year, it wouldn't have been a good pen. This is the one spot on the team you have to build through familiarity and patience.

I don’t understand the $20M comment? That would net 3 veterans ($3M - $6M - $11M) with decent track record. …….. Orze has a spot I’d think……… Topa - Sands - Funderburk (all familiar, none great but all “capable”)………they have a half dozen young guys that have been starters to supplement. How do we know it wouldn’t be a good PEN?

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

Any move that takes potential at bats away from Jenkins, Rodriguez or Gonzalez is a firm NO from me.

That would include every move they've made this offseason.

[garn from vancouver]

i said this when they first traded him away. he's an asset to the team in so many ways. get him back for a great price and i think he will provide depth. plus, he's a great guy!

[jkcarew]

No. He’s good for raising the floor for a club that already has a high ceiling…for insurance. Exactly the situation the Twins are NOT in. Ugh.

[dxpavelka]

16 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

Based on this statement, why not, he can't be worth less than this dustbin of no talent and we know him, he was one of US.

Of course if we do, it is another indication that there are two qualifications for our bench - they can stand up and they won't cost very much.  Isn't there a quality person out there?  I am hoping Fitzgerald gets a chance to show the Twins that cutting him for these mediocre vets was a poor decision.

Fitzgerald is literally the poster child for mediocre vet.  On his best day.

[mikelink45]

5 hours ago, dxpavelka said:

Fitzgerald is literally the poster child for mediocre vet.  On his best day.

And the ones we added aren't?

[dxpavelka]

1 hour ago, mikelink45 said:

And the ones we added aren't?

Didn't say that.  But there is NO reason to believe he is any better than the ones we added.  Except your vitriol towards ownership and management.