Hunter McCall

So the position player WAR leader is the one who gets the short end of the stick? I think that could be very detrimental to a team competing for a division title.

I don’t think the Twins should trade Castro and I’m not sure how valuable Gordon is. But yes, he’s been a great add.

Not true.

Name one that would step into Castro’s role and outperform him.

Exactly my point!! Thank you!!

Royce Lewis is the only guy on this list that I’ll agree could play the utility role and he’s currently out until at least mid august. Julien can’t field at any position, Miranda has been the worst player on the planet for 2023 and has by no means earned a spot over Castro, and not one other player mentioned is ready to play in the MLB.

8 defensive runs saved ranks tied for 19th in the MLB and he’s in the 70th percentile in OAA and 81st percentile in arm strength according to baseball savant. I get that he may be better at one position compared to the other, but he’s been as good as they come for a utility man.

Correct, I didn’t mean they should give him a lifetime contract, but they also shouldn’t option him when Nick Gordon gets back. He should be around for a couple more years imo

Because WAR is WAR. He’s provided more value than anyone. You can’t just say that one part of the game is more important than the other.

Who? Who are the dozen players that are ready to come up right now and provide more value than Willi Castro?

It’s not like he’s been a liability at the plate. Again, he leads the position players in WAR, which makes your argument null and void. He’s done the most out of any Twins position player to help the team win. Therefore, his production doesn’t take a backseat.

You add one really good point that I only touched on. He’s been so good in clutch spots. He’s quickly become one of my favorite players on the roster for that reason.

Who else is going to play 5-6 positions on the field and provide the production he has? In a vacuum, yes, guys like Brooks Lee have more potential than Willi Castro, but they aren’t the same. You have to have a guy on your roster who can play many positions and there’s not one player in the organization who can do it better than Willi Castro has this year.

Yes, a couple years to me is long-term for someone they signed to a minor league deal. My thought is, he’s the utility man for the next couple years. I think the WAR he’s provided for his role is rather valuable.

Castro also has provided more value than Gonzalez, but not a bad comp.

Yes, assuming sustained productivity, I think he should be rostered and played in the utility role until his contract runs up after the 2025 season.

He’s controllable through 2025. I think keeping him rostered through his current contract would be wise assuming he sustains similar production.

Why not? Who do you replace him with? He leads Twins position players in WAR and he’s a utility guy. Where will you find a utility guy with that value? He’s more than worth a roster spot going forward.

Agree with this 100%

I hear you, but until then, he should be cemented in as their utility man in my opinion over guys like Nick Gordon.

Who’s going to steal 20 bases and play elite defense while playing several positions? Yes, the Twins have minor league talent, but none with the ability to bring what he has to the utility position.

Has also provided elite defense and is their only threat on the bases. As I stated above.

I think Nick Gordon should be the odd man out personally.

The Twins may have signed Willi Castro as a depth piece this offseason, but he has quickly turned himself into an integral piece of the team and may have cemented himself in the team's long-term plans. Image courtesy of Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports When the Minnesota Twins signed Willi Castro to a minor-league deal in late December, it was mostly an afterthought. However, since joining the team, Castro has thrust himself into the role of solid super-utility man. His slash line of .234/.315/.359 may not jump off the page, but Castro is finding ways to help the Twins win and continues adding exceptional value to the minor-league contract he signed. Castro has excelled on the bases in 2023. Leading the Twins in stolen bases with 20 (tied for 12th in the MLB), Castro has consistently given the Twins an extra weapon when he gets on base. Whether he's stealing second base with two outs to get into scoring position for an RBI opportunity or stealing home on a first/third delayed steal play, Castro has been a significant asset on the bases. The discussion has begun on what the Twins will do if Nick Gordon, returns and the Twins don't have a spot for him. Since Castro has an option remaining, the argument could be made that the Twins should option Castro and have Gordon return as the team's super-utility man. However, if the Twins were smart, they'd stick with Castro for the rest of 2023 and beyond. While Gordon provides more home run pop at the plate, Castro has been better than Gordon in almost every other facet. Castro is a better fielder and baserunner than Gordon. He has come through in some big moments at the plate as well. Gordon had a good 2022, but his .503 OPS before his injury should not offer much optimism for his return to his 2022 form. Willi Castro has consistently been among the Twins' most valuable position players in 2023. His ability to play great defense and run the bases while providing enough impact at the plate has resulted in a solid first half of the 2023 season. The Twins should continue to use him almost every day as their super-utility man, and since he's under team control until 2026, they should consider keeping him in their long-term plans. View full article