Twins Video
When Alex Kirilloff was initially demoted to Triple-A last month, it was because he failed to produce at an acceptable level for Rocco Baldelli’s lineup. Outside of a strong April, he had put together weeks of futility, and he owns just an 83 OPS+ on the year. Although the back issue he reported only after the fact (which forced the team to rescind the option and place him on the MLB injured list) wasn't well-received, the greater problem is that he wasn't hitting. Indeed, he rarely has, throughout his big-league career.
He should be healthy by the deadline, and that would include playing games in a rehab assignment for Triple-A St. Paul. The Twins have Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach, Carlos Santana, and José Miranda to cover any spots where Kirilloff would play. Presumably, he could be buried behind both Edouard Julien and Yunior Severino on the depth chart, as well, if the team can stay moderately healthy.
It would be unfortunate to deal Kirilloff at something near the bottom of his value, but it also may be a fool’s errand to think it will rise much from here. He’s nearly 1,000 plate appearances into his major-league career and has been exactly average (100 OPS+). Baseball Prospectus's DRC+, which can often better measure the contributions of players whose playing time is disrupted and pruned the way Kirilloff's has been, has him at 88. You need more from a first-round pick, but while the Twins' patience is surely wearing thin, the Los Angeles Angels may be interested in seeing if they can get it from him.
On the flip side, the Minnesota Twins could use additional pitching depth. The Angels have Reid Detmers at a similar position in his career, and sending him out makes some sense. Detmers was the 10th overall pick in 2017, a year after Kirilloff. He is a year younger, and hits arbitration for the first time next year. Like Kirilloff, Detmers is under team control through the 2027 season.
After throwing a no-hitter and posting a 3.77 ERA in 2022 as a rookie, though, it’s been a slow decline for Detmers. After a 4.48 ERA last year, that number has inflated to 6.14 this year. He owns a career-high 4.39 FIP, is walking a career-worst 3.9 batters per nine innings, and is allowing home runs at a brutal rate. There’s a lot not to like with what is currently going on.
However, the Twins have become famous for grabbing pitchers and adding velocity to make them a bit more effective. As a lefty, Detmers would add a new wrinkle to the rotation, and he isn’t a soft-tosser. Sitting around 94 mph on his fastball, Detmers also leans heavily on his slider, which is a pitch Minnesota loves.
The Angels optioned Detmers to Triple-A at the beginning of June. Similarly to the Twins with Kirilloff, they had seemingly grown tired of mediocrity on display on a per-start basis. In search of a reset, Detmers has had a pair of double-digit strikeout starts, but he owns a 6.00 ERA in six games.
Dealing Kirilloff to create two fresh starts at once makes plenty of sense. On his own, he likely has negative trade value, or brings very little of substance back. By finding the right return, though, a swap with shared upside could provide the organization with a solid path forward.
Even if the Twins are fine moving on from the latest injury situation, it seems murky at best, when considering where Kirilloff could play. These may be the final weeks for him in a Twins uniform, and it would bring an unceremonious end to a career expected to be much more prolific. At the same time, it could be a long-term boost for a pitching staff that could use one more arm with upside.
Follow Twins Daily For Minnesota Twins News & Analysis
- DocBauer, DannySD, Oldgoat_MN and 4 others
-
7
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now