Hunter McCall

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

Willi Castro played a significant role for the Twins in 2023. How will his role change in 2024? Image courtesy of © David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports Willi Castro was among the most pleasant surprises and fun stories of the 2023 season. Claimed off waivers from Detroit, the 25-year-old utilityman came to Minnesota with meager expectations. As injuries and uncertainty mounted for the Twins, though, the team needed someone to step up. Castro did. Finishing tied for sixth on the team in bWAR with 2.6, he provided value at the plate, in the field, and most visibly on the bases, where he swiped 33 bags. In 2023, Castro played all over the diamond but spent most of his time at third base (219 innings), left field (295 innings), and center field (261 innings). Despite never technically being viewed as the starter anywhere, he played in 124 games and was fourth on the team in plate appearances. With Royce Lewis still recovering from his ACL tear the previous season and underperforming starters like José Miranda and Trevor Larnach, the team turned to Castro to eat up innings. With a newly established roster in place, how will Castro’s role transform in 2024? Currently, the Twins have not signed a replacement for Michael A. Taylor, who served as the team’s everyday center fielder when former Platinum Glove winner Byron Buxton’s knee issues wouldn’t allow him to play the field. Heading into 2024, Buxton says he’s ready to return to the pastures, but with a litany of injury issues, it’s hard not to question the frequency with which he will be available. If Buxton could play center for 60-80 games, it would be a massive success. There’s certainly a chance he comes back and puts together an entire season of the likes Twins Territory has never seen before, but the expectation bar should be set much lower than that. Anyway, the team is yet to replace Taylor, leaving them with 960 innings of center field play for which they need to account. If Buxton is healthy enough, he will account for some of it, but as the roster stands, Castro is the most likely to fill in the rest of the time. Max Kepler is another option, but he plays an excellent right field and seems reluctant to play very much in the middle, so barring a late roster addition, the team could have Castro penciled in as their Buxton insurance. Another potential path to playing time for Castro is as a platoon partner for one of the left-handed slugging starters. The Twins have three projected left-handed batters who posted an OPS below .500 against left-handed pitching in 2023. Matt Wallner, Edouard Julien, and Alex Kirilloff all had a rough time when asked to face a southpaw, and all three will likely give way to a substitute when one is on the mound again in 2024. The Twins have Kyle Farmer, Miranda, and Carlos Santana as potential options, but with Castro’s defensive flexibility, he is also likely to see playing time in this role. Notably, none of those three play the outfield, so in the stead of Wallner or Kepler, Castro would be the best option. While the switch-hitting Castro only posted a .636 OPS against lefties in 2023, his career splits suggest that he’s always been a better hitter from the right side of the plate. In every season of his career (three full seasons before 2023), Castro posted a higher OPS against left-handed pitching than right-handed pitching. His numbers were never awe-inspiring, but he was much better than the trio of lefty swingers the Twins will be looking to spell against lefties. When factoring in Castro’s baserunning ability and defensive flexibility, there’s a good chance he sees a fair amount of platoon opportunities in 2024. The most unfortunate (but real) path to everyday playing time this season is filling in for an injured starter. As we saw in 2023, projected lineups don’t always go to plan. Through the first two weeks of the season, it looked like there was no use for Castro, as he couldn’t carve out any playing time. That changed, as he went on to have his most productive season to date, but that wouldn’t have been possible without injuries. Castro is currently likely to be the immediate backup in several positions. I mentioned center field, but if Edouard Julien or Lewis make a trip to the IL, Castro will likely fill in as the everyday guy at second or third base. One could argue he would also stand as Wallner’s replacement in left field. With injuries being a reality, Castro is an insurance policy I am glad the Twins invested in. Castro is a utility man. He will never be penciled into the pre-season dream lineup that you post on Twitter to show your friends that your team has a deeper lineup than theirs, but he will probably play often in 2024, just as he did in 2023. Athleticism and attitude are a potent cocktail. Last year, Castro played more than almost every starter on the team. It might yet happen again. How do you think Castro will carve out his role? Let me know in the comments! Go, Twins! View full article

100% agree. If they don't get Soler, Martinez is my 1B to Soler's 1A. I prefer Soler due to his age and positional flexibility (it's been well documented he's not a good fielder but at least he's an option). Both can hit though which is the key.

Yes, I remember your original comment and I don't think it particularly is the reasoning for the debate! I understand your point and don't directly tie it to the clubhouse argument. You're absolutely right that sometimes there are guys who defy the typical aging ball player. But, as I mentioned, Father Time tends to bite everyone all the same. Betting on Martinez to continue his success I think is scarier than betting on Soler at his age. Even if you did start the debate, it certainly brings about many different viewpoints that I always enjoy reading so I appreciate your comment!

Exactly. It's just weird to me the obsession with adding "clubhouse guys". Yes, the Nelson Cruz signing was great, but was it great because he was a good leader or because he clubbed 41 home runs in 2019 and finished top 10 in MVP voting in 2019 and 2020? He was likely a good leader but was also really good on the field which resulted in his greatest contributions to the Twins. It's obvious that you want good team players whenever possible. You don't want to sign a guy that's hated by everyone, but what a rare occurrence that is. Good teams need guys who are just good baseball players regardless of whether they are phenomenal leaders or just soft spoken followers. This is why I think this narrative is silly and overplayed.

No, not every player that has won a World Series is a great teammate but why is this a huge factor? If it's such a big concern why aren't people asking about Adam Duvall or Whit Merrifield's abilities to lead a clubhouse. I'm not saying he's a great teammate because I don't personally know him but it's not like he's Trevor Bauer or something... I just don't understand why people in the comments are insistent about questioning his ability as a leader while simultaneously assuming the other guys mentioned are "clubhouse guys" This isn't intended at you at all either, I understand that you were just mentioning that they should consult their former Marlin on whether or not they should kick the tires on him, which is obviously a good move. There have just been a ton of weird comments questioning Soler's ability to lead that have me scratching my head. I just don't put too much stock into the clubhouse leader thing. Josh Donaldson was thought to be a battle-tested vet with a chip on his shoulder and it just turned out he was kind of a scumbag... I think every clubhouse is different and molded by the crew that they have in there with their established culture. I think the Twins have a really good one, but I just think the idea of filling your roster with "clubhouse guys" is a bit overplayed. Again, want to emphasize that this is in no way me talking bad about your idea or thought process, I just had to hold a mini-rant there on the subject. In conclusion, sign Jorge Soler and become a better team!

Again, he's won two World Series'.... Why is the clubhouse thing a concern?

The reason for that suggestion is because of the TV situation circumstances. Assuming they get everything resolved in the next year or so they should have more flexibility to expand the payroll again by the time Soler's contract is done.

I'm among the biggest Severino fans out there, but in my opinion you can't go into this season him to perform as your everyday DH. That just wouldn't be very wise roster construction. He should earn his at-bats through a bench platoon role or filling in for an injury and maybe work his way into eventually being an everyday type guy.

Because Soler's better, plays a little outfield, and didn't miss the entire last season with a torn ACL

But Rooker, Cave, and Celestino also couldn't hit... They have good defensive outfielders and Soler wouldn't even be a full-time outfielder. They're paying for a DH who can play the field when needed.

I agree that it's disappointing that the team will shed payroll, but I'm just laying out what we know. The Twins are rumored to want to stay around that $127M area at this point. I agree they should keep it high, it just doesn't sound like they will.

Agree! I've gotten to the point where I will be wildly disappointed if sign anyone else.

This is exactly the right take in my opinion.

Ok lol... So you want to use his pre-2023 defensive stats as a defense that he's a much better fielder than Soler? He's still likely a better fielder but my point remains he's probably not as good as he once was defensively plus his bat is no where near as good as Soler's. Strikes out too much, doesn't walk enough, weak contact... Players don't get better when they're 35 either

2023 season: Adam Duvall: -4 OAA Jorge Soler: -3 OAA

Soler's a lot better than people seem to think, and has been for a while. Really if you factor out the unhealthy 2022 season and the first half of 2021, he's been really good for a long time. I know you can't just factor those out, but I'm saying there's a larger sample size to look at then just 2023. If they can make this work compared to one of the other options, this one is the best in my opinion.

I think the analytics and eye test say that Soler isn't regressing in my opinion. Hit 36 home runs in 2023 and has some eye popping advanced metrics. I agree that the fielding isn't great which is why he's not getting a massive contract. I think 3 for $45M is a decent deal but I could see the hesitance in going that far. Following the Polanco trade I think the team has to spend the money now to replace his spot in the lineup and worry about the cost of adding a starter later. This is my preference.

Yeah, I prefer Soler as I mentioned. Merrifield would be a better glove/baserunning option, but that only goes so far. Like I mentioned, Merrifield doesn't hit much of anything very well nowadays. I think the bullpen is set as well.

Again, not sure it really matters. I think people put way too much stock into "dugout leaders". They're both World Series champions if that means anything. An honest question, can one have too many "dugout leaders"? I think about Correa and Buxton who seem to have a pretty good grasp on the clubhouse leadership thing. I'm just really not sure it matters at some point. Adding good players to your clubhouse will likely build a good culture. Soler's a better player so that's my preference I suppose.