stringer bell

Ideally, Willi starts fewer games than he did last year and isn't a regular at any position. He literally could be a one-man bench and a true tenth regular. Obviously injuries will be a key as to where Castro plays. It would be ideal if he played mostly second, third and left field and doesn't have to play a lot of innings at short or in center.

I would like Brooks Lee to seize second base, but if he doesn’t, going to St. Paul is quite reasonable and might be best for Lee’s development.

Prior to the Bader and France signings, I thought left field would be the most likely spot. Still a good bet IMHO.

I think there's a decent chance that Willi starts the first game at third base because Lewis will DH quite a bit and Willi might be the best defensive option at third.

The exhibition season has started! I haven't seen a poll on this site in a while, so I thought I'd post a poll with a prediction for the 2025 season about Willi Castro. Castro led the 2024 Twins in games played and plate appearances by a considerable margin. He was a regular player without a single or preferred position and was named MVP of the team so it figures he'll be in the lineup when the Twins face the Cardinals and most likely Sonny Gray on the 27th. Where will Castro start the season? I'd be interested if people have predictions for Castro's usage during the 2025 season if they want to add a comment.

Back in the day, the Twins major league and minor league training camps weren't in the same city. A player couldn't easily be called up to play a few innings in a ST game and the major league field staff wouldn't get a chance to see prospects for the entirety of ST. I don't think minor leaguers in big league camp make more money or have more rights, but they get seen by the major league staff and can make an impression. Players on the 40-man who have no chance of making the squad get cut early because if they get injured they have to be put on the major league Injured List and accumulate major league service time.

Andrew Vasquez, who logged five innings in ten appearances for the 2018 and 2019 Twins, signed a contract to pitch in Mexico. Vasquez is one of my favorite players to use in Immaculate Grid because he played for six teams in a relatively short career. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/andrew-vasquez-signs-with-mexican-leagues-tecolotes-de-los-dos-laredos.html

I'd put the over/under of Willi Castro starting a game at DH at 1.5. With the players you are suggesting, Larnach would be the most frequent DH, followed by Lewis, Buxton and Wallner.

With his relatively low walk and home run rate, José Miranda needs to hit for a high average and with his lack of defensive tools, he needs to be well above average as a hitter to be a major league regular. I think these are facts not in dispute. I don't think Miranda will be a star or a guy who the Twins extend beyond his arbitration years, but he's valuable while his salary is low and under team control. I think he could be okay defensively at first with a bit more experience, but he won't win gold gloves there either.

I agree with portions of just about every post on this thread. Julien's swing and swing speed were different (worse) in 2024 compared to 2023. He improved his defense early in '24, but seemed to regress as he continued to struggle at the plate. I don't think that now or later this year is the time to trade him. In the OP, it was mentioned that he might be non-tendered if he doesn't recover from his struggles. That won't happen next year, since he won't be eligible for arb after the 2025 season even if he stays with the major league team all year.

Listening to this podcast right now. Gleeman said that "at no time in the last five years" has Bader been an effective hitter against right handed pitching. He is neglecting Bader's postseason run in 2022.

I am not as high on Miranda as you. He's had times where he's a very good major league hitter, but he's also struggled, although probably impacted by nagging injury. First base isn't a panacea. He could get nicked up there almost as easily at third base or moving back and forth. I think going with Miranda as the primary first baseman is okay, but depth is extremely questionable. The collapse of last year showed why depth is essential. The Twins had three rookies starting along with Lopez and Ober and both Buxton and Correa were injured and Lewis ran out of gas--that is the best three players that the Twins had last year. I also am not sure that Keirsey is a major league player. He might be another Celestino, although he's put up superior numbers to Celestino in the minors. Keirsey Jr. is pretty old to be finally breaking into the majors. It appears that Bader will get platoon at-bats against left handed pitching and also might get part-time usage against right handers even when Buck is in the lineup.

Someone is going to take a chance on Manuel Margot! Minor league deal, after making eight figures last year. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/brewers-sign-manuel-margot.html

I don't know if defensive metrics measure all of these things, but here are four areas where first base defense should be evaluated. 1) Making the right fundamental play. Throwing to the proper base. Positioning properly to field the ball and also to make cutoffs. 2) Receiving the ball on throws to first. Knowing when to come off the bag and perhaps make a swipe tag and when to hold it. Stretching and scooping. The Twins have put a lot of short first baseman over there in the Rocco era--Arráez, Solano, Santana and now France--and those few inches on good stretches could get back some outs that are being given up for range. 3) Fielding grounders including ranging and throwing to the pitcher. 4) Pop-ups, particularly foul territory. Santana did all these things quite well. In general, making the expected plays is good enough for a first baseman, particularly if they make a majority of the scoops of low throws. Former catchers (like Santana, Morneau and Mauer) are usually pretty good at scooping the ball. I don't expect France to be bad at routine plays and fundamentals, but he won't have much range and he's relatively short. He needs to hit well to be an asset. Depending on what happens at second base, I think the infield will be somewhere between pretty weak and average. Range is going to be a factor at all positions--the Twins just can't seem to get fast, rangy infielders--but by and large they'll turn outs into outs. Also, I think it would be helpful for Correa to have a steady double play partner. Continuity in the middle infield is a nice extra to have.

Add Dylan Floro to the list of ex-Twins relievers who signed a minor league deal. Floro has been a particularly bad trade deadline pickup each of the last two years. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/athletics-sign-dylan-floro.html

I thought there was a recent projection of who would be on the Opening Day roster of 26 players (13 pitchers) but I can't find it if there really was one done recently. I guess i'll put forward my Opening Day roster for the position player side and see what others think. IMHO, eleven spots are now spoken for with the late acquisitions of Bader and May, leaving a battle for second base/utility infield and another player. Starters: DH--José Miranda C--Ryan Jeffers 1B--Ty France 2B--Willi Castro 3B--Royce Lewis SS--Carlos Correa LF--Trevor Larnach CF--Byron Buxton RF--Matt Wallner Bench: Christian Vázquez (C), Harrison Bader (OF). These are locks IMHO. What remains? Well, Willi Castro backs up everyone, but since I listed him as a second baseman, someone to play second when Castro is playing elsewhere is essential. There are three possible candidates on the 40-man roster--1) Edouard Julien, who has the most experience including real hitting success in 2023. Julien is a second baseman who might get reps at first, but with Miranda and France manning first, there won't be much of a chance for him to move there for substantial playing time. Julien had a lost 2024, at least from May 1st on and I think he needs to prove something at St. Paul. 2) Austin Martin--Martin can play outfield, but it would appear that second base is his best chance to become a regular at this point. His defense in the outfield was very much subpar. Martin profiles as a guy who can get on base, steal some bags and also play multiple positions. He came up short of his profile in all areas as a rookie. 3) Brooks Lee--A #1 draft choice Lee has the advantage of being a switch hitter. He also has versatility, playing third, short and second for the Twins last year. His bat wasn't close to expectations and he suffered injuries that seemed to rob him of foot and bat speed. One of these two could cease the final spot on the roster, or it could go in a totally different direction. I have thought Mickey Gasper might fit in here, particularly with his catching experience, but the signing of France seems to cut his chances to almost nothing. Actually, the same might be true for Mike Ford, a lefty hitter who can play some first base. Keirsey Jr. could be added as a fifth outfielder, but Bader would be Buxton's backup, really limiting the value that Keirsey could provide. The Twins are overbalanced towards left handed hitters, so I think it ends up being Lee and Julien. What are the thoughts of the TD Community.

Baldelli used the same term for both France and Bader--"he will play a lot". For France this is interpreted that he will be the starting first baseman, while for Bader it is interpreted here to mean one of the Twins' two left handed bats will play against lefties. Maybe so, maybe not. Rocco has shown he is much less inclined to strictly platoon right handed hitters, meaning the so-called short side of platoons get plenty of PAs against right handers. At $6.5M and without significant platoon splits, I wouldn't be surprised to see Bader get quite a few starts against right handed pitching. Finding a third outfielder to go with Buxton and Bader against lefties is the tougher fit. I don't think Austin Martin makes the Twins out of Spring Training this year, but I do think Willi Castro will get lots of starts against left handed pitching. The primary reason Castro didn't play right last year was that Kepler, Larnach and Wallner were all preferred to Willi as right fielders and with Kepler out of the way, I can see Baldelli using Castro in right against left handed pitching, or else Bader in right and Willi in left. I really don't mind that much if both Larnach and Wallner are platooned as long as they get more swings when a lefty reliever enters the game.

I know one poster has claimed that Lewis is a poorer defender than Miranda. I don't think so and I believe Lewis has more potential to improve as a defender than Miranda. France has been pretty lousy at first and his upside there is pretty limited. Miranda has less experience at first and also wasn't very good there in limited time. I think with more reps Miranda could be as good as France. Now that I have talked Miranda up at first and down at third, here is why--Miranda has primarily played third in the minors and so far in the big leagues and he's probably close to as good as he's going to get and it isn't very good. Meanwhile, he hasn't played a lot of first base at any level so there is room for him to grow. He's 6'2", tall enough to provide a few crucial inches when stretching for throws and his arm isn't strong which is less of a problem at first than third. Lewis made a bunch of throwing errors in 2024. His arm strength is fine and he is a more nimble and athletic player than Miranda will ever be. He isn't an athletic marvel anymore (reduced speed and more bulk), but his hands are better than Miranda's and his arm strength is better. Hopefully, we'll see a better version of Lewis in 2025 with a complete recovery from his injuries of 2024 and another year removed from his knee surgeries. Lewis needs to clean up his throwing and I speculate it was a combination of not being 100% physically plus a bit of a mental issue after making a few bad throws. Lewis has played exactly 100 games at third base and played third very little in the minors. With more experience, he should get measurably better.

Darwin's made the majors as a pitcher and converted to outfield after that. That first plate appearance was while he still was considered a pitcher. He wisely switched to the outfield, but it took a long time for him to get back to MLB.

I don't think putting Miranda at first base would have guaranteed health or productivity and more than it would have for Alex Kirilloff. Some guys get injured a lot and others are durable. This is where France is more similar to Carlos Santana than he is to José Miranda. Prior to the heel injury, France had been quite the iron man for the Mariners, as Santana has been wherever he's played. Miranda has faded in two seasons and and had another lost at least in part due to injury, so although he's four years older, France would project to be much more likely to play a complete season.

The Twins DFA'd Brent Headrick before the France deal was announced, but presumably because they were going to be adding France to the 40-man. They lost Headrick to the Yankees.

The Twins have Larnach, Lee and Wallner as bat-first first round draft choices on their roster. Add in Lewis who right now seems like much more of a hitter than defender or exciting base runner and it is kind of strange that no one has developed into a slugging first baseman. In my comment here is the recent production of the farm system. I suppose you could add Miranda too. It's substandard IMHO because none of these guys has developed into an elite player as of yet. As a fan, it seems guys are always on the verge of becoming really good players (All-Stars who maybe get MVP votes) but they don't make it. Another high draft choice, Alex Kirilloff, had his career ended by injury before it really go going. I thought he was going to be the best of all I've listed.

If you recall, Miranda got hit in the head right after he had the insane 12 consecutive hits streak. He never was the same after that. I don't believe he hit a single homer after getting hit in the head and the back injury came up as well. How much was regression to the mean and how much was being dogged by injuries is a good and open question. With France presumably the Opening Day first baseman, there would seem to be a ripple effect on Twins position players. Miranda moves to DH at least part-time, keeping Larnach in left field and moving Willi Castro more to second base, and lengthening the odds that Brooks Lee, Edouard Julien and Austin Martin start the season in the minors. All of this is barring injury, of course. If one of Lee, Julien or Martin makes the Opening Day squad, I would handicap it as this: Martin can play OF and second base and would be a likely pinch runner late in a game. Lee switch hits and can play second, third and shortstop and Julien bats left and is a below average second baseman who also might play a little first base where he is unproven. Julien has had success hitting in the majors (2023) while Lee and Martin fell short of expectation in their 2024 rookie year.

People on the team will get plenty of at-bats. With Rocco, everybody plays, so it's not like Miranda won't get a chance. When Miranda was hitting he was in the lineup almost every day. If he is as hot as he was last year, he'll play. On the flip side, I do fear the slack allowed to France will be substantial and I'm not convinced he will miraculously revert to 2022. I'm not much of a fan of a one-tool player and he's slow and not a skillful fielder.

I agree, not so much about talent, but about tools. In the Falvey era, the Twins haven't produced many players that were above average hitters, runners and defenders. The term I use is that they can win a game with their bat, their legs and their glove. Max Kepler never used his good speed on the bases and never became a consistent offensive threat. Buxton could be all of that except for the injuries. Brian Dozier was pretty good at all three for a while. To me that is the extent of "all-around players".