Willi Castro is Becoming Disturbingly Valuable

Bad news. He had 2 homers and stolen base today. His OPS is up to 776.

But is it like a Blind Squirrel or the FO know the nut was there? I'd voting blind squirrel.

Castro should have earned a utility spot with his versatility and all around play. 

IMO Nash hit the nail on the head, Castro is a gamer. He gets hit, steal & take a base  when we need them. I'd rather have a player like that, than someone who piles up HRs when we don't need them & SO when we do. His versatility is a great benefit.

Castro should have surpassed Gordon.  Expect he is here all year.  And that is good.

Dejavu here as I just got done talking about Castro in today's game thread. But here I go.

I think a number of us really liked signing the then 25yo Castro because he had a nice tool box of ability and potential but was promoted a bit early and never developed in Detroit. Agreed he was supposed to be in St Paul as a reclamation project who might help, added depth, and might surprise as a utility player. He really only made the club out of ST due to some injuries.

But all he's done is answer the bell, play acceptable defense wherever they've put him, and that includes a few innings in CF where he, at least, hasn't embarrassed himself. This/he reminds me of Gordon a couple years ago when he got his shot and learned to play the OF/CF on the fly. Now, Cruz has played the OF before, but I think the reference is accurate.

Castro seems to run the bases well, and has shown he can be a successful SB threat. He's also laid down some nice bunts...a lost art...that only he and our catchers seem to be able to do, lol. And while regression will certainly take hold any day now, let's look at his MLB page and examine his recent quad slash line:

LAST 30 GAMES:  .284/ .346/ .514/ .860

LAST 15 GAMES:  .320/ .346/ .580/ .926

LAST  7 GAMES:  .360/ .407/ .680/ 1087

OBVIOUSLY, there is no way he maintains this kind of production. Nothing in history indicates prolonged performance like this. And we're taking 74 AB. But still, he's been performing for 30 games, not just a week or two. This tells me that despite his numbers returning to the norm, he actually might be starting to become the solid ML player he was expected to be originally, now recently turned all of 26yo.

He might also turn back in to a pumpkin very quickly, with no glass cleat to make him special, other than as a really nice and versatile utility player. But what would be wrong with that?

I'm sorry to inform a lot of fans who haven't figured it out yet, but Buxton's days as the principal CF for the Twins are over. But that's a very different discussion for another day and another OP. Taylor has been great in CF, and produced as well as I'd hoped for. And if his back settles down, and he doesn't have to play DAILY, he just might end up having one of is most productive seasons. But Celestino and Martin...both talented and young and having possible futures...will only get a half season at best in 2023, and aren't going to factor this year. At least for 2023, Lewis will also not be a CF option. Gordon is out for a month or more, which really hurts as he's an OK CF and his bat was just starting to FINALLY heat up. And while Kepler can help give Taylor some days off in CF...and he's going to have to...Castro is going to get a shot to help there.

If any part of his recent offensive development is real and true, he deserves a shot there as an occasional option. He's shown he can cover LF and help in the INF. He can work with Kepler to give Taylor a day off here and there.

Make no mistake, a month from now, Castro could be flailing at the plate and be gone/demoted. But he wasn't even supposed to make the opening day roster. But so far, all he's done is do his job, help, and get better. He should NOT be an integral piece for this team. But could he continue to be a contributor to the 2023 Twins? So far, he's trending upwards. 

If he can learn how to draw more walks, it will make him an even more valuable base runner in addition to cutting down his strikeout rate.

Don't look now, but Castro has the 3rd most WAR for a position player on the Twins after yesterday's game.

The other 4 players in the top 5 are Buxton, Gallo, Jeffers and Michael A. Taylor. This year is tremendously weird.

The emergence of Castro doesn't seem like a fluke. One upshot of this is that Nick Gordon's usefulness to the Twins has diminished. I look for the team to move Gordon at the deadline if not sooner, and I truly hope he has success elsewhere.

Players that perform shouldn't be bounced around from the big league to AAA. Much like Ober should have been a starter coming out of spring training, Castro has proven he deserves a spot on the roster. You have trade chips in Kepler and Polanco, one can be used to help the BP if the offer is fair, otherwise cut bait with Solano when they return. 

19 minutes ago, hitterscount said:

Castro has proven he deserves a spot on the roster.

He certainly proved it yesterday, but to borrow a phrase, "the moment's over." He'll have to keep performing at this level a little while longer to prove he should stay.

Time to make hay - the sun is shining.

Castro is on a hot streak and good for him. Bottom line is there is not enough room for Castro AND Gordon when Gordon returns. Our young guys like Krilloff, Larnach, Wallner, Julien and soon to be Lewis are pushing hard and if Miranda figures out how to be more disciplined at the plate and how to deal with how the league has figured him out he could be back later as well. Then we have Kepler and Polanco coming back sometime as well.

Basically, what I'm saying is we are going to soon have a log jam. Knowing the Twins management it will work to the detriment of the young guys who still have plenty of options left but I don't see Krilloff or Lewis going down. 

But next year, and with Lee being ready, I could see at lot of veterans gone ..

11 hours ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

Someday I’d like to meet one of these players with zero tools!

Hi