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When the front office decided that Donovan Solano was a necessary addition for the 2023 Twins, reaction immediately looked at both Jorge Polanco and Alex Kirilloff. Both players were attempting to come back from injuries in 2022, and Solano could be viewed as insurance should either not be ready to go out of the gate.
The Twins remained steadfast through the bulk of spring training suggesting that both Kirilloff and Polanco were tracking toward Opening Day. Having been down in Florida at the end of March, it was apparent neither were going to make that timeline, and both are currently rehabbing in the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels lineup.
Even aside from injuries to Kyle Farmer and Joey Gallo, the addition of Donovan Solano has led to extensive playing time. Though Solano broke in with the Miami Marlins, it was with the San Francisco Giants that Solano broke out. His 113 OPS+ from 2019 through 2021 was above league average, and his 127 OPS+ during 2020 earned him a career-first Silver Slugger award.
At this point, it’s fair to be skeptical of anything that took place during the truncated Covid season, and little value was placed on those numbers by fans coming into the year. Still though, for a guy who was expected to have rotational value at best, Solano has done his fair share of the heavy lifting early.
Across his first 38 at-bats this year, Solano has slashed an impressive .342/.390/.421 (.811) with a trio of doubles and a capable 8/2 K/BB. He has yet to send the ball over the fence this season, but his bat has allowed him opportunity to score runs, and Rocco Baldelli has elevated him to the leadoff position in the lineup on occasion.
The Twins front office did an exceptional job creating depth and versatility this winter, and Solano’s usage at a singular position is a reflection of that. While he is capable of playing all over the diamond, and got time at three of the four infield positions last year, he has only been needed at first base thus far for the Twins.
One would hope that roster health pushes Solano further down the pecking order in that he will be relied upon less from a production standpoint. That said, his immediate ability to contribute works wonders for the cause of playing time as the year goes on.
Eventually there may be a time when Nick Gordon and Julien push Solano to a state of redundancy, but that will only happen in theory if he continues to put up numbers when called upon. The reality is that the Twins signed a veteran talent late in the offseason and he has done a good job establishing himself early. The longer Solano can keep this up, the better chance he has to stick on the 26-man roster all year long.
Making sure to have fringe players that provide necessary levels of value is a must when filling out a team, and both Falvey and Thad Levine appear to have gotten this one right. We’re probably not going to see a repeat of the Silver Slugger production, but anything that resembles spelling a regular is a win, and we’re far beyond that at this juncture.
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