Hunter McCall

I think I agree with you on all counts.

Hoskins would be huge! I would be all for that! I think Castro starts there and hopefully continue to provide production!

Agreed. If he is able to step up and play outfielder and platoon one of the corner spots I'd be all for it. I doubt he can get to a point where they trust him defensively over some of their other options, but it would certainly be a positive development!

The point was more so to predict who could get the playing time in the spot that Castro held last season. You can call it whatever you want, that's just the name the baseball community has rolled with.

I agree that he can continue to produce, I don't mean that just because he hadn't been very good before that he can't be good going forward. My main concern is with the advanced metrics at the plate. They indicate that he's a well below average hitter. That said, there are people that just overcome bad metrics and soft contact and are really good players, I hope Castro continues to show improvement in this area as well. My main point is, this can forecast regression which would be my only concern.

Certainly real possibilities! I personally think Lewis and Julien will maintain production just because they both have a pedigree of success, so I think they'll continue to be good! Thank you for your thoughts!

I hope you're right on Castro! As I mentioned, the only cause for concerns is the advanced metrics at the plate weren't very inspiring, but I hope he continues to produce! My favorite thing about Castro was how often he came through in the clutch. He was very valuable for the Twins in 2023 and hopefully he can continue to provide value. It remains to be seen how the Twins will elect to use Martin. He played a majority of his innings at second base last year in triple A, but I wouldn't rule out the Twins using him as strictly an outfielder. Could that be his role? Could he be a platoon infielder? Could he be a utility guy? His role is very much an unknown, but I do think he helps the Twins in 2024.

I didn't include Farmer in here just because I see him as more of a platoon infielder against left-handed pitching as compared to a utility player, but I think he factors in the Twins' plans very much. I've always really liked Martin. It would be awesome if he is able to come up at some point this year and help the team!

I think of Farmer as more of a platoon infielder which is why I didn't mention him. I agree that Castro will get the first crack and I hope he looks good, but if he doesn't I wouldn't rule out Austin Martin entering the fold. The fact that the Twins kept Gordon on the 40-man tells me they still think there's something there. It's an interesting situation to follow at the very least!

Following Willi Castro’s pleasantly surprising year and with other options returning to the fold, who should be the Twins’ primary utility man? Image courtesy of © John Leyba-USA TODAY Sports The “super utility” position is a new-age role, becoming increasingly common in MLB. Teams value guys who can play several different positions, because it gives them lineup flexibility and the ability to navigate injuries sustained by everyday players or to give days off to starters to prevent them from wearing down over a 162-game season. Over the last three seasons, there have been 42 player-seasons throughout MLB in which a guy got at least 400 PA and did not start the plurality of his team's game at any position. This averages out to about 1.4 players per team over those three years. The Twins had two who qualified under these parameters: Willi Castro in 2023 and Luis Arraez in 2021. Few teams, then, have embraced the utility role quite the way the Twins have. In 2022, the club's primary utility man, Nick Gordon, played in 136 of the team's 162 games. While Gordon doesn't technically meet the previously mentioned criteria due to leading the team in starts in left field, he still played all over the field, including 258 innings at second base, so I will include him under the umbrella of "utility man". When Gordon went down with a fracture in his shin in 2023, Castro assumed the utility role and went on to play in 124 games. Whether by choice or perforce, the Twins have valued the position greatly in recent years, and I expect the same in 2024. With Castro returning, Gordon healthy, and Austin Martin surging in Triple A, who should get the most playing time as the utility man? Willi Castro Castro enters 2024 coming off a career year. Finishing sixth on the team in bWAR with 2.6, he was a spark plug all year for a team that needed one at times in 2023. He played in every spot on the field besides catcher and first base (yes, he even pitched), and was second on the team in Defensive Runs Saved, with 5 on the year. Castro also provided value at the plate, posting an above-average OPS of .750. The most valuable asset Castro provided to the Twins in 2023 was his baserunning ability. With 33 steals on the season, he had 20 more swipes than the next-closest Twin, Michael A. Taylor. While the Twins could replace his production at bat, his baserunning will be the most challenging skill to replace if they decide to turn to Martin or Gordon in 2024. The downside to Castro is the narrow likelihood that he'll sustain his success. Before 2023, the only season in which he looked remotely competent at the plate in the majors was in the COVID-shortened 2020 season with the Tigers. Can Castro string together two good seasons in a row? The Twins (and Twins fans) certainly hope so, though his Baseball Savant page doesn’t look promising from a hitting standpoint. Castro will likely get the first shot at his pseudo-starting gig in 2024, but if regression hits hard, they may be forced to choose one of their other options. Nick Gordon In some ways, Gordon’s 2022 was what Castro’s 2023 was. It felt like his coming-out party. He posted a .743 OPS and was fun to watch play. The energy and excitement he brings to work every day are contagious, and as a fan, it’s tough not to root for a guy like Gordon. The problem is, outside of 2022, he hasn’t been great. In the 34 games for which he was healthy last year, Gordon posted a dreadful .503 OPS. When you pair that with the .647 OPS he posted in 2021 or his mediocre hitting in the minor leagues (high full-season OPS of .749), it makes 2022 seem like the outlier. On top of that, he’s never been much more than an acceptable fielder at any position. According to FanGraphs, in 2022, he posted -2 Outs and Runs Above Average as an infielder and was strictly average in the outfield. While Gordon may be a fan favorite, he’s an underdog to find playing time or even make the major-league roster in 2024. He could yet become a roster casualty this winter. Austin Martin Martin came to the Twins at the 2021 deadline as a part of the Jose Berrios trade. At the time of the trade, many regarded Martin among the top prospects in the game. As the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 Draft out of Vanderbilt, he boasted the skillset and tools to become a successful everyday big-leaguer. However, since entering the Twins organization, Martin has experienced his share of struggles. In his first full season in the organization, Martin posted a .685 OPS, mostly at Double A, leaving many questioning whether he would pan out. Hope was restored, to an extent, when Martin posted a .936 OPS in 21 games in the Arizona Fall League. His fall performance and ability to play both infield and outfield would lead some to project Martin as a sneaky option to find his way onto the Twins roster in 2023 as a utility player. After Martin’s 2023 got off to a rocky start, he came on strong in the second half of the season and ended with a .791 OPS on the year in Triple A. It seemed to all come together for him at the end of the season, and he showed he may be nearing his MLB debut. The biggest con for Martin is the unknown. He’s had a roller coaster of a career in the minors, so the Twins don’t know what they’d get out of him. He possesses the skills and pedigree to be the best of the three options, but he could also be the worst, depending on whether he's able to come as advertised. The utility position has become a staple for many MLB teams, including the Twins. Castro will likely get the Opening Day nod as the team’s utility man, due to his successful 2023 season, but there may be competition for the spot if he regresses. Gordon and Martin will fight to find playing time, and Castro's playing time might be the turf they can most easily invade. Who is the Twins' best option to hold down the utility role for the majority of 2024? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! Go, Twins! View full article

You're correct, Arraez was an MLB ready player. For what it's worth though in the packages I suggested I included Polanco in there as well to appeal to teams who need a starter for opening day as well as the top 20 prospect.

Agreed, as I stated, they shouldn't be looking to just give him away. The return must be worthy of the trade. I think that part got lost somewhere. I was never suggesting they move Lee for Zack Greinke. However, I think packaging him to add star power to our rotation would be a no-brainer. Yunior Severino helps offset that loss.

The Twins got Pablo just last offseason so there's one instance of a high level starter getting traded. The Marlins did that trade because of the depth in their rotation. The Mariners currently have rotational depth to deal a high level guy to the Twins in order to improve elsewhere. This is just one potential option the Twins could explore but to say no team would trade a number 2 starter is not entirely true.

Thank you for your thoughts! I appreciate it! I agree that these things need to be discussed!

By almost every trading metric Brooks Lee has more value now than Luis Arraez did last year.

Exactly! I've said from the beginning that Severino is a much more likely second base platoon than Brooks Lee. The Twins have the pieces to offset the loss of Lee, so they really should consider cashing in on his value.

Thank you for sharing this! This is exactly my point. The Twins shouldn't be looking to give Lee away, but there are options out there where they can turn this team into a real contender if they use his as a trade package headliner. For me, when you have an opportunity to do that it should be heavily considered. The Twins could pull off a large return and experience a fairly minimal negative impact. Yes they would lose one of their top prospects but they have young guys all around the infield to help offset that loss. For me it just makes sense.

I don't think Singer is a bad target if the Twins want to add a starter. Like you said he's young and controllable. He's also a former first round pick. If the Twins think they see something they can adjust to turn him into a viable starter I'm all for it. I think it would have to be a package without Lee, but if they wanted to piece something together I'd be all for it!

The original post I was replying to that you replied to me on said that. However you want to look at it, Julien played two seasons in the minors and about a month total in the minors in 2023. However you prefer to classify that is up to you I suppose.

The pitching staff will take a step back in 2024 if they don't find someone who can win games at the top of the rotation. I think Varland should stay in the bullpen. I don't think moving Lewis to first base is a good idea.

I'm not sure you understand how trading works in MLB. As the 18th ranked prospect on MLBPipeline, Brooks Lee is more than valuable enough to acquire a guy comparable to Lopez. Also neither Farmer nor Polanco hold enough value to do the same.

Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez both have more upside than Lee in my opinion. Our starting pitching is not pretty good it's okay. Okay will not top what the Twins did in 2023.

Saying Lee has more upside than Lewis is wild.

But you can't really say he was down in the minors for three years because he wasn't lol