Willi Castro May Be Twins Latest, Greatest Come Up

Willi has been terrific for the Twins. I would argue he was better across the board last year. His defense has been less steady and he’s been asked to play a lot more SS and CF. His base running hasn’t been as dynamic.

On the plus side, he’s hit well from both sides of the plate and he’s played in every game, while leading the team in plate appearances. It wouldn’t surprise me if he gets much more time at second base once Lewis returns. 

I never thought Castro could have a .775 OPS.  Granted the year isn't over but it seems like he is getting better with the bat as time goes on.  Love his flexibility I wonder if the Twins could find a way to extend him?  We really don't have a guy that can do all the things Willie can do.

1 hour ago, gil4 said:

You say that as if they are in the same category,   Tyler Wells is a fringe #5 starter.  Is he better than someone they kept instead? Maybe, but pitchers tend to be crap shoots anyway.  I'm losing zero sleep over him.  (My first thought when I saw his name was "Who was he again?") 

The fact that Castro was only 26 meant there was still some time to get better.  Through age 25 he was a below average hitter, but not way below.  If he could get to average with his athletic ability and versatility, he would be pretty valuable.  He exceeded that.  It's not a Shane Mack type of coup, but it was a good find.

 

23 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

Exactly and now he is having a Tommy John type of surgery so these next two seasons are probably pretty much shot.

Yep. Cost controlled young pitching grows on trees around here.

A couple weeks ago people were lamenting the fact Falvey even brought Castro back after an ice cold start to the season; oh how things have turned.

Castro owns an xwOBA of .324 right now. Solid enough, a little better than league average, and right in line with his actual production last year so it seems reasonable to expect Castro to continue bringing a decent bat to the table. A good pickup after Detroit non-tendered him. He's been a butcher in CF which is a real shame because that's where he'd add the most value if his instincts were better. The Twins desperately need a 4th outfielder who can cover it in Buxton's frequent absences. As far as the future goes, if Castro puts up a 3+ WAR campaign, we can expect his arbitration costs are going to get pretty steep for a utility guy starting this offseason.

He's not a superstar, but he looks to be a solid every day player.

 

Again with the framing. Just a couple of days ago I made a joke about Minnesota fans terrified of a player leaving because something something Big Papi and here it is in real life! Unreal!

Nearly the entire position player roster was a first or second round draft pick but ermagawdd Lamonte Wade!

"Over the years, the Minnesota Twins seem to have lost more players than have fallen into their laps."

Brutal. Step away from the keyboard. Call your editor, if you have one.

Castro has been a very good pick up. He has become a valuable piece of this team. Now if he can improve the one area he is lacking in, hitting with RISP, he will be in the running for team MVP.

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/loss-aversion

Even if the Twins had evenly lost and gained players it would "feel" like they had lost more. You have to gain at a 2-1 ratio to make it "feel" even.

Other teams fanbases avoid this by not looking at players leaving as a loss. Players always leave. Losses only happen on the field.