Eight Twins Players Reassigned to Minor League Camp

Nothing unexpected here, other than Dobnak not making an appearance and Keirsey only getting in to the Gopher game.

I think Isola should be at St Paul. Camargo will be the primary catcher, and O'Keefe will presumably be the top backup. Williams will also be able to catch some when not at 1B or DH. And while Isola is similar to Williams in areas of play, there's room for both of them on the Saints roster and in the lineup, IMO.

I think Winkel is probably ready for AAA as well, but you don't need 5 guys who can catch. So he probably begins the season at Wichita and they just wait and see when the right time is to move him up? 

Jensen has looked really bad so far.

7 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Out of this article the only guy I care about is Kiersey……really thought he’d get some at bats and a few games on the grass. I guess we’ll see if he can be consistent again this year starting in St. Paul - his speed and defensive ability in CF is intriguing, even if he only hits .220 he may have some value by ‘25 with big club.

I'm very intrigued by Keirsey as well. Keep in mind, while he's been "sent down" since he's not on the 40 man, they can still play in some remaining games. I think his "problem" with a lack of ST play time is he didn't get a lot of AAA time last year and he's just behind so many guys in camp right now, including Larnach and the older, more experienced Helman.

I can also see him potentially helping in 2025 as a reserve OF. Margot should be gone and probably Kepler as well. (I'm allowing for a SLIGHT chance Max is re-sign). Wallner in RF, Buxton in CF, Martin in LF, Castro as a super utility player, but then who? Larnach? Helman? Keirsey? I just have a hard time seeing E Rodriguez up with the Twins for 2025, at least to start.

Interesting, but nothing stands out, other than that they still have too many players to sort through when they actually have a pretty set final roster in place. 

21 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

I got Kirilloff or Lewis in LF in ‘25 so Lee can play 3B……….if Kirilloff in LF, then Lewis at 1B. Not hearing this from anyone……most here, 90% plus, don’t think there’s a chance Lewis ever moves from 3B.

Margot & Kepler gone……,Farmer & Santana too……. We’ll see how realistic it is for Buxton to be a focal point in CF in another 2-3 more months.

Martin is back & forth from OF & IF - same with Castro. I’m theorizing Lewis at 1B OR LF and playing v. LH a bunch at 3B while Lee rests many of those days. Kirilloff can bounce back & forth between LF & 1B.

With the above 4 off the roster they add Lee - Martin - maybe Miranda?? - Larnach??

A year from now:

Lewis - Buxton/Castro/Martin - Wallner - Larnach

Lee - CC - Julien - Kirilloff/Miranda (Martin/Castro IF & OF)

2 catchers

Larnach/Buxton/Miranda principle guys at DH……..some Lewis & Kirilloff as well.

We're going to disagree here some, and that's OK. Your opinions are well thought out. I follow your logic.

I think Lewis could jump in to LF tomorrow, or RF for that matter, and be good there immediately. LF has more ground to cover, at least in Target Field, so I'd put him there and let Wallner and his cannon play RF. But Martin, E Rodriguez, Rosario, and Jenkins all might need spots over the next couple of seasons. Personally, I think the 2025 OF will be a bit of a mix and match as I don't see some of those kids ready until 2026. But that doesn't mean the OF will stink. But why put Lewis in LF with what's coming up and "partially" dismantle what might be the best INF in MLB?

IDK If Lewis is at 3B and Lee is at 2B, or vice versa. But a couple knee surgeries and already getting comfortable at 3B, that's where I put Lewis and keep him there. It's easy to allow mediocre or decent defense at 2B with a big bat there. But why not have BOTH with Lee at 2B? 1B is in flux. If Kirilloff can remain healthy going forward, we've seen what he's capable of with the bat. And a healthy Miranda is a 1B/DH/PH and occasional 3B from the RH side of things when Santana is gone for 2025 and beyond. Although, Severino MIGHT be an even better option! Julien can be a 2B/1B/DH option who is OK with the glove. Castro is SO underrated defensively in the INF! And while one of them might be traded, one of Schobel or Keaschall has a chance to be a really good super utility player, and soon, very possibly 2025.

KNOCK ON WOOD, but as long as Buxton doesn't have any additional knee issues going forward, (his previous hip issue seems to be tied to pain and favoring and limping), he's going to be part of the CF equation for the next few years, as well as seeing some time at DH, whether it be 80 games or 120. Wallner is a solid athlete who runs really well once he gets going. I thought he showed much better tracking skills in 2023. Come 2025, he just needs to learn and adjust to RF again, especially considering Target Field is a little odd out there. He covers less ground, has that cannon, and only needs to be average there, but I think he has the potential to be better than that. Again, he's a pretty good athlete. Offensively, I think Wallner is "Gallo like", but I mean that in a good way. Despite rather high K numbers, a young Gallo could also HIT along with his power and good BB skills for a good OB%. Somewhere along the line, Gallo lost all ability to make adjustments and actually HIT. I've already watched enough of Wallner, and followed the adjustments he's made in his milb career, that I believe he will actually HIT. Now, we might only be talking a .240-.250 AVG, with a good OB%, and legit 30 HR power, but I'd take that all day long!

The question for 2025 is LF and a viable backup for Buxton. Enter Martin, who just might be the starting LF NEXT season. He covers CF with Castro as a 3rd option. Just how good his offense might ultimately be is open for debate. And I think that's fair even though there are some who believe he's All Star ready if given a chance. He could be at the top of the lineup against LHP, at the bottom to turn the lineup over against RHP, or a FIXTURE at the #1 spot, possibly pushing Julien down to a better RBI spot. 

Depth is a question mark for the OF in 2025. But again, why disrupt possibly the best INF in MLB as a result? Castro should still be part of the equation. Larnach could still end up as a solid LH bat platoon option. And if you squint just a little, you could see really good 2024 seasons from Helman and Keirsey as reserve/quasi platoon options for depth. And for the NOW, I'm completely being frugal financially and not even considering a trade or cheap FA signing that might help out.

Again, 2026 could easily see E Rodriguez, Rosario, and even Jenkins ready. So why move Lewis if you don't need to? There's room in the INF to have the best of all worlds, and still have a solid OF, overall.

Of course, we know there is ALWAYS the possibility of trades. And that wrecks all speculation, lol. But I'd rather construct the best INF in all of MLB and for 2025 and piece together the best overall OF I could for 1 year.

53 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Would not surprise me at all if they don’t try to package Larnach & Miranda in trades sooner than later…. other guys are coming in ‘25…….honestly, not much value there so probably depth guys with options at AAA balance of this year.

Even if the depth Veterans go away after this season, Rodriguez - Keirsey - Hellman - Severino are all going to be pushing to get Miranda & Larnach out of the way.

Honestly, if I were a rebuilding team going nowhere, I'd be really interested in a package of Larnach and Miranda as long as I had a good arm coming back also, for a solid young SP that I probably couldn't afford in a couple years. Thinking A's-like if they had someone.

Larnach playing every day may or may not ever hit the way I want him to, but he might blast 20HR and 30Dbls while hitting. 225 with a semi decent OB%. And might do better. A fully healthy Miranda...and he's looking good so far in ST...is young enough and has enough potential he might be a huge steal coming off injury to be my 1B/DH and still play some 3B. And if the Twins threw in a top 10-15 arm, maybe a lower level sweetener, I might move that young arm with potential that I can't afford 2yrs from now when the rebuild is just taking hold.

But who that team might be and who that arm might be is a mystery to me. I'm just saying, hypothetically, I'm not sure you're wrong.