Willi Castro Looks to Carve Out His Role All Over Again in 2024

stringer bell · February 9, 2024

It would appear that Willi will start the year as the super-utility guy on the Twins' bench. I want to say that I enjoyed his play immensely last. I picked him to be the "Squire of Ft. Myers", which he basically won by default and then he went on to be a positive with the bat, on the bases and in the field. I thought Castro should have been considered for the utility Gold Glove, only committing two errors for the whole season and providing several highlight reel plays. He hadn't played much third base until last year, but he was very good at the hot corner. He was solid in left and decent in center. In the few times he played middle infield he was solid.

Castro's hitting picked up last year, particularly from the left side and he took a giant step as a base runner. Considering that he had never stolen more than nine bases in any previous season, nabbing 33 bags was a surprise.

What wouldn't be a surprise is that Willi regresses to the mean somewhat in 2024. He had good luck with BABiP without substantially increasing exit velocity of hard hit rate. IMHO he also had a lot of good fortune with his aggressive base running which would also be an area where he is likely to regress.

One area where Castro didn't improve was hitting right handed. In his career going into last year he had neutral platoon splits, but last year he was far better as a left handed hitter (.803 OPS LH vs. .636 RH). It would figure that those splits would normalize.

Cesar Tovar, Ben Zobrist, Tony Phillips and DJ LeMahieu are examples of guys who became "Tenth regulars"--guys who didn't have a set position, but would be in the lineup almost every day. If Castro's advances last year are real and not just a one-season blip, Willi could join that group. Because of his switch hitting ability, versatility and speed, I'm really hoping he can take that step.

Linus · February 9, 2024

One of the joys of watching the club last year was Castro. Too many times defensive flexibility means below average at 3 different spots. Willi was competent wherever he played and was really effective on the bases. Really contributed in a bunch of different ways.

tony&rodney · February 9, 2024

Hope the Twins use him all over the field and DH too. Willi was a pretty good spark on the bases and in the field and he also held his own at the plate. Quite a surprise to see Castro play so well and hope this continues all season long.

Major League Ready · February 9, 2024

He is not a good candidate for a platoon player to replace LH hitters. It's true that his career splits are slightly better from the right side but what is not mentioned is that his OPS was still well below average from the right side in 2021-22 and he only had 23 ABs from the right side in 2020. His career OPS from the left side is.690. It's not any better against RHP but his 2023 was much better at .801 while only .636 from against LHP. Farmer and Santana should be the INF platoon players. Hopefully Martin forces his way up or they give us a nice surprise by signing Jorge Soler.

Doctor Gast · February 9, 2024

I expect him to be a busy guy as the 4th OFer & with Farmer busy platooning with Julien at 2B to give breaks to Correa & Lewis.

DocBauer · February 9, 2024

I was a big fan of his signing last offseason. I saw a 25yo switch hitter with a little bit of power and speed who was probably promoted a little too early, maybe never developed properly, and had a chance to be a nice utility player who could help in a lot of different ways. But I never saw him making the club right out of ST, much less performing the way he did.

I thought he looked great at 3B. The few times I saw him at SS he looked solid, and made a couple great plays late in the year at the spot when Correa was being rested. Solid in both LF and CF, if not downright good.

We got a steal. The question is, can he repeat? He seems like an obvious regression candidate. And maybe so. But he might regress some from the LH side of the plate but improve from the RH side, right? His .750 OPS is just fine, and I'd love to see him repeat it. But let's not carried away thinking he had an .800 or higher OPS. We're not asking him to repeat an All Star, Silver Slugger type of year. We just need/want him to be pretty much what he was in 2023. That might mean a lower AVG from one side, but better from the other, or fewer SB but a little more power.

I think he's valuable. I really enjoyed what he brought to the team last year. I don't think he's going anywhere. I think a similar performance is very possible as it wasn't as though he stunk for half a season and was awesome for the other half. But I do wonder if his playing time might be more diversified across the field this year? I think he's going to play again a lot this year, but out of trust and proof, and not out of desperation due to injury.

stringer bell · February 9, 2024

That's the beauty of having a guy who is equally comfortable in the infield and outfield. If the opportunity is on the dirt or on the grass, he's capable or more than that. I would anticipate he plays more infield if Farmer is traded, which I think is still a possibility. Having Castro is a great buffer for the roster, if an infielder goes down, he's more of an infielder, if an outfielder goes down, then he's more of an outfielder.

Fatbat · February 10, 2024

He is definitely an exciting player to watch! I don’t see the regression being much of a possibility. He was available because of under performance and last year he took a development step that was late in happening. If his development would have come sooner, he would not be a Twin. He has the tools, he has experience, confidence and a different place in the daily Baldelli field rotation. I expect him to play 6 different positions throughout’24. He is entering his prime. He will produce prime numbers.

miracleb · February 10, 2024

19 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Hope the Twins use him all over the field and DH too. Willi was a pretty good spark on the bases and in the field and he also held his own at the plate. Quite a surprise to see Castro play so well and hope this continues all season long.

Although I don't see DH being an option for him (too many "better bats" that will be chosen ahead of him,) but I also enjoy seeing him moving around the field!

JD-TWINS · February 10, 2024

A .340 OBP & .257 BA with an OPS+ of 106 all point to a guy that should be in the line-up if possible. 2.6 WAR with 358 AB’s projects to a WAR over 4.0 if used for a full year. He may regress - he may improve? No reason to think any of us know which.

Decent defense at 3 positions with 33 PLUS steal speed is even more of a reason to expect this guy to be a big part of the Club in ‘24. 32 XBH in 358 AB’s is a nice rate.

Frankly, I can’t imagine Buxton playing more than 40-50 games in CF, & that’s a stretch for me. Assuming 45 starts - that’s 1050 innings left to cover. Gordon/Martin combination have to cover at least 40% of those innings in my opinion. If Gordon hits at all in Spring Training, I think he’s the left handed hitting back up in CF with Castro getting another shot at some LF v. LH pitching - resting Wallner while playing most innings in CF, up to half the time. Gordon can also sprinkle in some innings at 2B if absolutely necessary due to someone getting nicked. If Martin displaces Gordon, he too can play 2B on as absolutely necessary basis. Martin’s options and the fact that Gordon hits LH (w/zero options) gives Gordon the nod out of Spring Training.

To me, Castro will start 110 games and play in another 35-40 off the bench. Gordon/Martin will battle for last roster spot & balance of CF innings.

terrydactyls · February 10, 2024

You said above that in 2023, Wallner, Julien, and Kirilloff all did poorly against left-handed pitchers. And that is true. But all three had fewer than 50 at bats against left-handers in 2023. Maybe the Twins should concentrate on having these three face left-handed pitching in spring training. How knows? They may actually be able to handle same side pitching if given the opportunity.

Heiny · February 10, 2024

It's time to trade Gordon for prospects or package him with Larnach and E-Rod for starting pitching prospect. Martin should be a better replacement for Gordon. Gordon is on his last leg with the Twins as we have way better options that are ready or will be soon. Might as well get something for him before he has to be DFA'd.

awmonahan · February 10, 2024

Willi is going to play for sure. Hopefully he can keep up with last year's output. But, this article reinforced the need for that righty OF bat. Maybe they're giving Martin spring training to prove it. But, I still like MAT and some of the ither discussed options.

Fatbat · February 11, 2024

10 hours ago, Heiny said:

It's time to trade Gordon for prospects or package him with Larnach and E-Rod for starting pitching prospect. Martin should be a better replacement for Gordon. Gordon is on his last leg with the Twins as we have way better options that are ready or will be soon. Might as well get something for him before he has to be DFA'd.

Erod isn’t going to be included in a package for other prospects. He could be a starting OF in 2025.

Doctor Gast · February 11, 2024

Castro is a true super-utility player (def: a player that can play CF & SS well which translates anywhere well). I've seen this label on players who have played the OF & INF not particularly well but are there because we wanted their bat in the line-up, Sano would then qualify for that title.

Super-utility is a rare gift, most players need to focus on one position to do that position justice. Anything that's rare is valuable, So Castro is underrated yet very valuable to the Twins, to give viable much-needed depth to the OF & INF, especially after the Polanco trade.

Richie the Rally Goat · February 11, 2024

23 hours ago, Heiny said:

It's time to trade Gordon for prospects or package him with Larnach and E-Rod for starting pitching prospect. Martin should be a better replacement for Gordon. Gordon is on his last leg with the Twins as we have way better options that are ready or will be soon. Might as well get something for him before he has to be DFA'd.

If Gordon is on his last leg with the Twins (I agree), what value does he bring in trade when everybody else can just wait for him to hit the waiver wire?

Heiny · February 11, 2024

4 hours ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

If Gordon is on his last leg with the Twins (I agree), what value does he bring in trade when everybody else can just wait for him to hit the waiver wire?

Well, I guess that didn't take long. LOL.

Hunter McCall · February 12, 2024

On 2/9/2024 at 2:12 PM, Major League Ready said:

He is not a good candidate for a platoon player to replace LH hitters. It's true that his career splits are slightly better from the right side but what is not mentioned is that his OPS was still well below average from the right side in 2021-22 and he only had 23 ABs from the right side in 2020. His career OPS from the left side is.690. It's not any better against RHP but his 2023 was much better at .801 while only .636 from against LHP. Farmer and Santana should be the INF platoon players. Hopefully Martin forces his way up or they give us a nice surprise by signing Jorge Soler.

I did mention that his numbers were never awe-inspiring but still much better than the sub .500 OPS by the lefty starters and he adds value in the field and on the bases. So yes, it was mentioned. I agree that Jorge Soler would be a much better option but as I mentioned, at the moment the roster doesn't have Soler.

Hunter McCall · February 12, 2024

On 2/9/2024 at 4:13 PM, DocBauer said:

I was a big fan of his signing last offseason. I saw a 25yo switch hitter with a little bit of power and speed who was probably promoted a little too early, maybe never developed properly, and had a chance to be a nice utility player who could help in a lot of different ways. But I never saw him making the club right out of ST, much less performing the way he did.

I thought he looked great at 3B. The few times I saw him at SS he looked solid, and made a couple great plays late in the year at the spot when Correa was being rested. Solid in both LF and CF, if not downright good.

We got a steal. The question is, can he repeat? He seems like an obvious regression candidate. And maybe so. But he might regress some from the LH side of the plate but improve from the RH side, right? His .750 OPS is just fine, and I'd love to see him repeat it. But let's not carried away thinking he had an .800 or higher OPS. We're not asking him to repeat an All Star, Silver Slugger type of year. We just need/want him to be pretty much what he was in 2023. That might mean a lower AVG from one side, but better from the other, or fewer SB but a little more power.

I think he's valuable. I really enjoyed what he brought to the team last year. I don't think he's going anywhere. I think a similar performance is very possible as it wasn't as though he stunk for half a season and was awesome for the other half. But I do wonder if his playing time might be more diversified across the field this year? I think he's going to play again a lot this year, but out of trust and proof, and not out of desperation due to injury.

You're right that he's a definite regression candidate. Even if his OPS takes a dip, he'll still provide value through base running and defensive flexibility for sure.

Hunter McCall · February 12, 2024

On 2/10/2024 at 9:29 AM, terrydactyls said:

You said above that in 2023, Wallner, Julien, and Kirilloff all did poorly against left-handed pitchers. And that is true. But all three had fewer than 50 at bats against left-handers in 2023. Maybe the Twins should concentrate on having these three face left-handed pitching in spring training. How knows? They may actually be able to handle same side pitching if given the opportunity.

There's a reason all three had minimal at-bats against lefties.... Because they aren't good against them. They could improve.... they could also not improve. I'm simply thinking about what Rocco has done in the past and that's to platoon those three whenever possible.

Hunter McCall · February 12, 2024

On 2/10/2024 at 9:59 AM, Heiny said:

It's time to trade Gordon for prospects or package him with Larnach and E-Rod for starting pitching prospect. Martin should be a better replacement for Gordon. Gordon is on his last leg with the Twins as we have way better options that are ready or will be soon. Might as well get something for him before he has to be DFA'd.

You hit the nail on the head about trading Gordon! Even better than prospects though they got a LHP who will help the team now in the bullpen!

Hunter McCall · February 12, 2024

23 hours ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

If Gordon is on his last leg with the Twins (I agree), what value does he bring in trade when everybody else can just wait for him to hit the waiver wire?

Apparently a left-handed bullpen arm! Way more than I thought they'd get! Awesome trade by the Twins!

Major League Ready · February 12, 2024

23 minutes ago, Hunter McCall said:

I did mention that his numbers were never awe-inspiring but still much better than the sub .500 OPS by the lefty starters and he adds value in the field and on the bases. So yes, it was mentioned. I agree that Jorge Soler would be a much better option but as I mentioned, at the moment the roster doesn't have Soler.

I was not downplaying Castro's contribution at all. Just the opposite. I think he was valuable in the role he played. Therefore, no need to carve out a role. he already has a valuable role.

JD-TWINS · February 12, 2024

On 2/9/2024 at 4:29 PM, Doctor Gast said:

I expect him to be a busy guy as the 4th OFer & with Farmer busy platooning with Julien at 2B to give breaks to Correa & Lewis.

It seems they need to bring Martin up out of Spring Training or sign a guy that can play 40% of the starts in CF. Maybe Duvall ………maybe even Taylor? Unless this happens, to free up Castro, he won’t see the dirt much at all, if ever, this year. He’ll need to constantly be ready to replace Buxton or start in CF.

Love his versatility & his grit. Great OF arm. 33 steals. Big contributor!

stringer bell · February 12, 2024

28 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

It seems they need to bring Martin up out of Spring Training or sign a guy that can play 40% of the starts in CF. Maybe Duvall ………maybe even Taylor? Unless this happens, to free up Castro, he won’t see the dirt much at all, if ever, this year. He’ll need to constantly be ready to replace Buxton or start in CF.

Love his versatility & his grit. Great OF arm. 33 steals. Big contributor!

With the current roster, Castro could see quite a bit of time in the infield. I can see Lewis DHing and Willi at third base or Julien DH and Castro at second. Related, the bar I want for any hitter acquired at this time for 2024 should be a better offensive option than Willi Castro against right handed pitching.

JD-TWINS · February 12, 2024

Just now, stringer bell said:

With the current roster, Castro could see quite a bit of time in the infield. I can see Lewis DHing and Willi at third base or Julien DH and Castro at second. Related, the bar I want for any hitter acquired at this time for 2024 should be a better offensive option than Willi Castro against right handed pitching.

Any hitter obtained sure as heck better be able to play CF!!!! I can’t see many starts in the infield at all if he’s expected to be the primary depth for Buxton. He’ll probably start nearly every game that has a RH pitcher as opposition……………can’t imagine Buxton playing more than 40-50 games in CF. If Martin is the depth - he hits RH & Castro still starts primarily as the LH bat in CF.

Farmer was to be the starting SS in ‘23 before CC was signed, so he’s the depth guy there unless Lee is on roster.

Farmer is the default 2B v. LH pitching.

Farmer, if not playing SS or 2B, is the first alternate at 3B until Lee comes up, whenever that may be.

Castro will probably be the RH batting option in LF v. LH pitching. Martin/new guy could be in that mix as well.

JD-TWINS · February 12, 2024

13 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

With the current roster, Castro could see quite a bit of time in the infield. I can see Lewis DHing and Willi at third base or Julien DH and Castro at second. Related, the bar I want for any hitter acquired at this time for 2024 should be a better offensive option than Willi Castro against right handed pitching.

High bar for hitter acquired if .803 OPS Castro has hitting LH is the floor. Hope so too!

stringer bell · February 12, 2024

36 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Any hitter obtained sure as heck better be able to play CF!!!! I can’t see many starts in the infield at all if he’s expected to be the primary depth for Buxton. He’ll probably start nearly every game that has a RH pitcher as opposition……………can’t imagine Buxton playing more than 40-50 games in CF. If Martin is the depth - he hits RH & Castro still starts primarily as the LH bat in CF.

Farmer was to be the starting SS in ‘23 before CC was signed, so he’s the depth guy there unless Lee is on roster.

Farmer is the default 2B v. LH pitching.

Farmer, if not playing SS or 2B, is the first alternate at 3B until Lee comes up, whenever that may be.

Castro will probably be the RH batting option in LF v. LH pitching. Martin/new guy could be in that mix as well.

With the Gordon trade, I now expect Austin Martin to win the fourth OF spot on the team. I haven't seen enough of Martin to know for sure, but I'm thinking he profiles as a better center fielder than Castro. If that's the case, there is much more freedom to move Willi around. From my couch, I'd say I would much prefer to have Castro in the lineup against right handed pitching at any position that Farmer plays and given his defensive metrics from 2023, that would include shortstop. I'm sure Rocco will get plenty of work for Farmer if he's still on the Twins during the regular season, but I'll say again that Castro should be the choice against right handed pitching.

stringer bell · February 12, 2024

1 hour ago, JD-TWINS said:

Any hitter obtained sure as heck better be able to play CF!!!! l

Among available free agents, that would be MAT? Or do you think Duvall should be considered a center fielder as well?

1 hour ago, JD-TWINS said:

He’ll probably start nearly every game that has a RH pitcher as opposition……………can’t imagine Buxton playing more than 40-50 games in CF. If Martin is the depth - he hits RH & Castro still starts primarily as the LH bat in CF.

I hope not, and if this is so, Castro's utility value would be almost completely wasted. AFAIK, Buxton had one injury that never really healed after surgery (knee) and reports are that the latest procedure has resolved that problem. Given his injury history, no one should pencil him in for 140 games in center field, but (huge assumption) if the limiting injury is resolved, I don't see any reason why he can't start half to as much as two thirds of the games in center with a fair amount of DH work. Nobody knows for sure, but the Twins not bringing in a center fielder tells me they have some confidence that Buxton will be there or an internal option (Martin) is capable of backing him up.

1 hour ago, JD-TWINS said:

Farmer was to be the starting SS in ‘23 before CC was signed, so he’s the depth guy there unless Lee is on roster.

Farmer is the default 2B v. LH pitching.

Farmer, if not playing SS or 2B, is the first alternate at 3B until Lee comes up, whenever that may be.

Kyle Farmer is a good baseball player, but he's turning 34 this year and I think his range has diminished. A year has passed since he was penciled in as the Twins SS and for a game or two, I don't think he's the #1 answer, I'd rather see Castro (at least the 2023 version of Castro). Willi didn't play much shortstop last year, but I don't know if that will be the same this year.

At third, again I see no reason for Farmer to be preferred over Castro against right handed pitching, the same for second base against right handers with Julien as the DH.

Rocco uses his bench liberally and Farmer certainly will get plenty of starts in the course of a season, but Castro should be considered on the dirt in front of Farmer against right handed pitching.

JD-TWINS · February 12, 2024

2 hours ago, stringer bell said:

With the Gordon trade, I now expect Austin Martin to win the fourth OF spot on the team. I haven't seen enough of Martin to know for sure, but I'm thinking he profiles as a better center fielder than Castro. If that's the case, there is much more freedom to move Willi around. From my couch, I'd say I would much prefer to have Castro in the lineup against right handed pitching at any position that Farmer plays and given his defensive metrics from 2023, that would include shortstop. I'm sure Rocco will get plenty of work for Farmer if he's still on the Twins during the regular season, but I'll say again that Castro should be the choice against right handed pitching.

Correct - but it will be in CF principally………realistically, Buxton is the 4th outfielder as the roster currently sits. No way Martin pencils in at CF ahead of Castro v. RH pitching, as you point out.

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Willi Castro Looks to Carve Out His Role All Over Again in 2024

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