What To Do With Royce Lewis

[Cody Pirkl]

Image courtesy of © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Royce Lewis was in need of a total reset when the Twins demoted him to Triple-A. He’s mashed since he arrived for the Saints, but the Twins likely aren’t in a hurry to declare him fixed, despite his strong performance. They’ll have to make a decision over the next few weeks and months. What should they do with Lewis if he keeps dominating in the minor leagues?

 

Back To Third Base

Royce has strictly played third base and DH in the minor leagues this season. It’s made a lot of sense at this point, as the priority is for him to find his swing again, and the Twins likely don’t want to add more to his plate. It’s possible his long-term defensive fit remains unchanged, and that whenever the Twins determine he’s ready to return to MLB action, he immediately slots back in at the hot corner.

 

The problem is that the Twins have overhauled the left side of the infield since Lewis’s demotion. It appears the Brooks Lee shortstop experiment is over, as he’s shifted to third base full-time in favor of Tristan Gray and Ryan Kreidler at shortstop. Lee struggled at third base defensively last season, but his skillset should make him a plus defender there, and the defense at shortstop from the two journeymen has been a massive upgrade. Were Lewis recalled and slotted in at third again, there would have to be another position switch afoot for Lee, instead. That feels unlikely.

 

Lewis Plays a New Position

The Twins could always shift Lewis to a different infield spot. Luke Keaschall is far from a lock at second base defensively at this point. Lewis could also move all the way down the defensive spectrum to first base, where the Twins lack a reliable right-handed option. The latter, in particular, could make some sense, especially if they give up on Josh Bell, which would open the DH spot to keep Lewis in the lineup even when Kody Clemens is in the field. If the Twins have this in mind, we’ll know pretty quickly, as Lewis will probably get his feet wet at a new position in Triple-A first.

The problem here is obvious. Lewis might not be a big fan of changing positions. The Twins tried to add second base to his repertoire a few years ago, and he made it known publicly that he was not in support of this. Perhaps with time to get comfortable at a new spot in St. Paul, he would be more receptive, but it’s difficult to say how flexible Lewis is willing to be for this organization at this point in his career.

 

Mutual Parting Of Ways

If Lewis doesn’t fit in the Twins’ plans as they move forward—or if he doesn’t want to—there’s a world where the Twins find a trade partner to make everybody happy. While going on an offensive tear in Triple-A doesn’t have nearly the impact of showing he can still do it in MLB, it’s better than being demoted and struggling, which would wipe away all trade value. It’s not impossible that another team sees an adjustment Lewis can make and would make an offer that can help the Twins in some way, even if the value isn’t anywhere near what it was two years ago.

 

This would be a disappointing end to Lewis’s tenure with the Twins, but it can’t be ruled out. Even if Lewis himself doesn’t want a fresh start elsewhere, the Twins are likely pondering whether they foresee him returning to the status of a potential core player for this team. If they’re uncertain about this belief, the continued quotes blaming the organization for his nearly two years of struggles likely aren’t helping the case for keeping him. Derek Falvey is gone, and the remaining front office is not the same one that drafted Lewis first overall in 2017. Anything could happen.

 

Lewis has taken a big step back in status and priority level within the Twins' plans. The Twins have several options for moving forward with him should he continue to produce in Triple-A. Which option would you prefer they take?

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[Brock Beauchamp]

Shoot him into space?

[Rod Carews Birthday]

Someone needs to sub - in for TC Bear once in a while.  That could be Royce.  

[Nshore]

What matters most IMO is how Lewis looks at the plate.  If he's still tap dancing and lunging around up there, swinging at balls out of the zone, mystified by off speed pitches, or missing meatballs, it doesn't matter if he's "tearing it up".  

[Linus]

These things usually work themselves out. First, Royce has to hit successfully in AAA then in the bigs. If this happens Lee can play second. Or maybe someone gets hurt to open a spot or maybe Lee regresses with the bat. Having two good hitting options at third would be a nice problem. We are not there yet. 

[Mike Sixel]

Move to first, though I'd rather Keaschell go there eventually. I think. 

[1985Fan]

If he continues to mash at AAA for another month or so, bring him back and put him in the lineup to see if he’s fixed. If he is “fixed”, then worry about where to play him. Nice problem to have. If he’s not changed or is still zero sum offense, then at least they’ll know that he had every opportunity to prove himself. At that point a DFA would probably be the next step. 

[mickster]

5 minutes ago, Linus said:

These things usually work themselves out. First, Royce has to hit successfully in AAA then in the bigs. If this happens Lee can play second. Or maybe someone gets hurt to open a spot or maybe Lee regresses with the bat. Having two good hitting options at third would be a nice problem. We are not there yet. 

Lee could still move to utility and play all around the INF

[Patzky]

28 minutes ago, 1985Fan said:

If he continues to mash at AAA for another month or so, bring him back and put him in the lineup to see if he’s fixed. If he is “fixed”, then worry about where to play him. Nice problem to have. If he’s not changed or is still zero sum offense, then at least they’ll know that he had every opportunity to prove himself. At that point a DFA would probably be the next step. 

Wonder if DH duty would impact any Improvements (what does St Paul put in their water?)

 

Come Sept 1st Id be ok with Lee Culpepper Clemens Keaschall around the horn. Martin, Buck, (maybe?) and Gabby in OF. Hope Jeffers is back or traded by then with Caratini at C, DH-Utility Lewis Gray Bell Fedko. Clemens can OF it needed. Trade Larnach Outman (Yeah I know) Bell too if possible for RP or C depth for remainder of season. I mean it's not all the kids but a few. And a chance to see if Royce is miraculously fixed. Clemens at second gives flex to try Luke at first.  

[Twins GFP]

I am at a loss as to why a player that is currently struggling to find his way onto a MLB roster is being resistant to a positional change. I would think that he would be doing anything asked of him to find his way back to the majors. Look at Michael Cuddyer as an example.

That kind of stubbornness will limit many of his options going forward. No team wants an (at best) average defensive 3B that has not shown consistency at the plate and is resistant to change. That path leads out of baseball pretty quick.   

[mikelink45]

Lewis is raising his trade value - that is good.  Not sure his attitude helps the team.  But what about Wallner - he is down for a reset too and no where close to Lewis output. 200/327/289 is not going to do it.  Put the two together in a package deal.  We have a lot of expendables. 

[DJL44]

They need a SS and 1B at the MLB level. The Twins could move Royce to 1B or they could trade him to a team that needs a 3B. If Buxton was healthy they could use Royce at DH.

[Dman]

For whatever reason I still have a lot of faith in Lewis.  When he is on he can flick his wrists and hit a HR.  Still tons of talent there.  He was just brutal to watch at the MLB level this year though. He was wildly swinging at anything.

Just crazy how good he has been at AAA from the jump.  Doesn't make sense to me at all. I get the quality of pitching at AAA isn't close to MLB pitching, but usually once a guy is in a funk they stay in it for a while like Wallner.  I had him likely at AAA until close to the deadline.  One more week of this and they might as well bring him back.

Not ready to bring him back after one hot week, but if this is his new normal he might be back much, much sooner than I expected. 

[Chad Freyer]

Giving up on Lewis this early would be a mistake. He has shown flashes in the past and should be given a chance. It's easy to say you don't like his attitude, but playing baseball is his job. He is in the prime of his career and I see nothing wrong with him trying to maximize his payday. Most people don't wake up every morning and think how can I maximize the profits of my widget making employer. You may disagree with Royce but he is trying to maximize his pay. 

[Eris]

Lewis is in/close to the bottom third as a defensive 3B. He has had 4 years to figure out how to play 3B with no noticeable improvement. Time to move him to 1B.  
 

I like the Kreidler/Gray/Lee experience on the left side of the infield. 

[Over The Hill Again]

No one is (credibly) advocating to give up on Lewis. But “mashing” for a week at AAA doesn’t change the fact he’s largely been lost at the plate for most of the past 2 seasons. Plus I would expect a player with over 1,000 at bats in the majors to be able to take advantage of inferior minor league pitching. He needs to settle into that reality of being in the minors, and let’s see where his head is at in a month or so, or longer. I don’t know really how resistant he is to a position change, or if that even matters. He’d have to sustain success at AAA for quite a while to force his way back into the Twins lineup. And if the whole process ends up simply increasing his trade value, so be it. I don’t wish any ill will on Lewis, but I don’t want the Twins to be further held hostage by his situation. 

[karcherd]

16 minutes ago, Eris said:

Lewis is in/close to the bottom third as a defensive 3B. He has had 4 years to figure out how to play 3B with no noticeable improvement. Time to move him to 1B.  
 

I like the Kreidler/Gray/Lee experience on the left side of the infield. 

Lewis has had just over 200 games at 3B, just over a season's worth, I would give him more time to improve his defense.  Any lineup with Kreidler and or Gray as regulars is doomed to mediocrity.

[LA Vikes Fan]

I would give him another 2-3 weeks in the minors and if he's still hitting, I would bring him up, have him play 3d and move Lee and Keaschall as necessary. We need o take one more shot at catching him when he's playing well. Otherwise, trade him. The risk here is that we trade Lewis for a couple of prospects - his probable current worth - and he becomes a star somewhere else. I'm ok taking that risk if we aren't going to commit to playing him.  To those here that don't want to make that commitment for whatever reason, I get the arguments and you may be right, but you also lose your ability to complain if he's traded and flourishes elsewhere. Lewis is at the crossroads now. I'd like to take the risk of tanking his trade value by playing hi from June 20 forward but I understand those who don't. But you gotta pick a lane and live with the result.  

[Trov]

I wonder what has changed between AAA and MLB, is it just the pitching, the mindset, did he make a quick adjustment?  Depending on how they determine that, you need to bring him back up at some point to see was it real change or just facing subpar pitching in AAA.  If he really has bounced back, then you deicide what position and/or is he staying.  If the relationship is soured, you want to rebuild any value he would have in trade.  If he is back to being an expected all-star that can carry a line up, you want to know that, and you can leverage that in a trade.  You could use his AAA numbers and history, to try to get some value but it would never be as much than letting him do it at MLB level again.

[karcherd]

I would like to see more than 1 week, but if he keeps up this level of performance they are going to have to make a decision.  Is it because of AAA pitching or is he ready to face major league pitchers again.  He does appear to be more settled in the batter's box in the AB's I have seen.  

I still am wondering what happened after the injury, he was actually looking better at the plate and the results were there before he got hurt.  How does he just fall off the table after only being out 10 days, that is just baffling.

As far as changing positions, I think there are a lot of assumptions being made on here.  I think the 2B move was mishandled and his actions afterwards showed he was open to it.  But at some point you need to give him a position so he can try and master it.  It feels like they never have committed to a position for Royce since they signed Correa.

And yes he loses his leverage if he doesn't improve his hitting but I think the talent is there and hope it shows up with the Twins.

[Jim wyllie]

Not to beat a dead horse but i have commented multiple times the past 2 years to move royce to first it would be a better defensive fit and limit injury risk in the future.  If he stays in minnesota hos future is at first base period.  As long as he hits well.

[Bodie]

In a month Kreidler and Gray will have hit actual cold spots (i.e. slump) and everyone will be wondering why we picked up all these DFAs/has beens/never were.

Pretty sure Royce needs a smack upside the head on a dialy basis, but you don't cut bait on one of 3-4 guys on the 40 man roster who possibly has "it" - the ability to be a clutch-type star - until you have to..

[hitterscount]

Couple thoughts on Lewis…. he seems to have an attitude problem, it’s like he’s been a top tier player for several years. Reluctant to try 2nd or 1st, I don’t understand this position when your career is possibly on the line. This is a player that could ruin team chemistry, a guy that sees himself as an all star and in reality is no where nearly as good as he thinks he is. He needs to continue to hit another month at St., Paul to get called back up, but even if he does it doesn’t necessarily translate to hitting at a MLB level, the pitching is night and day difference. If the attitude doesn’t change I hope he rakes in the minors, hits up here and us traded for anything someone is willing to give up, not sure his value is worth it.

[D.C Twins]

I've lost interest a bit in what they do with him.... which, of course, is a very bad sign

 

[chpettit19]

Royce needs to go, unfortunately. I was the president of the Royce fan club for a long time, but it's time. For both sides. The Twins need to get out from under the "number 1 overall pick with flashes of superstardom" trap and Royce needs to go to a new organization to get his mind right. It's broken on both sides at this point. Once a player starts talking about how he thinks members of the organization want him to fail it's time to move on and just clean the slate. 

Even if you get nothing and Royce turns into a star wherever he goes, trading (or cutting?) him is the right move. He doesn't trust the org and the org doesn't seem to have any way to fix him (his AAA numbers alone mean nothing). The relationship has run its course. Time to move on. And that is a really crappy thing to have to say.

[karcherd]

52 minutes ago, hitterscount said:

he seems to have an attitude problem

I don't think he has an attitude problem, I know he needs to probably keep his mouth quiet at times.  But usually we complain when someone gives the cliche answers, he wears his heart on his sleeve.  I personally would like a little more balance.

Even when he was struggling, he seemed to be cheering on his teammates, genuinely happy when they made big plays and was always smiling.  So I am not sure his teammates feel the same way even though we will never truly know.

 

[stringer bell]

I now can be convinced that I am wrong, but I still think there is elite talent there and that the Twins should not give up on Lewis just yet. It's nice that he is slugging in Triple A, but topline numbers aren't that important especially after only a week in the minors. 

Defensively, Lewis was -2  defensive runs saved in almost 100 games at third base last year. He moved better and better as the season went on and his throwing accuracy improved. I believe he was positive after the All-Star break. on the other major defensive metric (Zone Runs Above Average), Lewis was positive last year and is positive this year. So, if he reverts to form as a hitter, his defense is okay at third base. Move him? Yeah, if Lee hits better than Lewis, maybe Royce should move over to first or left field(?).

The jury is out on Lewis. His runway is pretty much used up and he needs to perform in his next chance in MLB. I think the potential is worth the risk, but I think his next chance should be his last chance with the Twins.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

32 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

Royce needs to go, unfortunately. I was the president of the Royce fan club for a long time, but it's time. For both sides. The Twins need to get out from under the "number 1 overall pick with flashes of superstardom" trap and Royce needs to go to a new organization to get his mind right. It's broken on both sides at this point. Once a player starts talking about how he thinks members of the organization want him to fail it's time to move on and just clean the slate. 

Even if you get nothing and Royce turns into a star wherever he goes, trading (or cutting?) him is the right move. He doesn't trust the org and the org doesn't seem to have any way to fix him (his AAA numbers alone mean nothing). The relationship has run its course. Time to move on. And that is a really crappy thing to have to say.

This is where I am too - I think the trust part was a big impact on his on the field results this season, and why he snapped out of it so fast on demotion. Nothing to worry about anymore.

if they bring him back up and he craps the bed again, his trade value is zero because his demotion didn't fix anything. Him batting well in AAA, he might be able to get something in return.

[WarPath1211]

Lewis is mashing in AAA, but the chase rate is actually worse than it was in MLB this year (32.8% MLB vs. 35.9% AAA), and while the contact rate has improved (65.6% MLB vs. 71.6% AAA), it's still not up to his 75-76% contact rate of the last couple of years. Additionally, his in-zone contact rate has barely improved (78.3% MLB vs. 80.4%), while his out-of-zone contact rate is up a lot (44.0% MLB vs. 57.1% AAA), which is not exactly ideal. He is hitting the ball very, very hard though, with his average exit velocity way up (87.9 mph MLB vs. 94.3 mph AAA), and he is hitting the ball in the air a ton (38.2% GB% in MLB vs. 32.1% GB% in AAA).

There have been some better swings and hammering the ball for sure, but Royce still seems to be having some approach and contact issues down in AAA which might make the team wary that Royce is "fixed" this early into the demotion. I suspect what will happen is that Royce will be left down for a while until one of Gray, Kreidler, or Arcia really starts to struggle, and then Royce will be brought back up before the end of the year. Each of the above 3 have probably outperformed expectations so far in the majors this year, but odds are that at least one starts to falter pretty badly given their track records.

[CRF]

I wish I knew the answer. I don't know if I'm ready to give up on him just yet, but I'm leaning that way more than I want to bring him back up here and put him back at 3rd. I'm just not crazy about his attitude and what he's been quoted on in the media. That's a bad sign. If he's traded, I'd bet he cuts open a vein and just dumps on his time here. He definitely has been through a lot with the injuries and the two knee surgeries. I kind of like the 1st base idea, but he was so opposed to moving to 2nd a couple years ago, that he might pull the same stuff about moving to 1st. He's got talent, I don't think there's any doubt about that. Yeah, he's doing well at StP, but let's see how it plays out for a few weeks and see if he comes back to Earth. He was doing absolutely nothing this season with the Twins. If the Twins turn out to be sellers later this summer, I'd shop him and see what happens.