Byron Buxton (25) of the Minnesota Twins - Creative Commons/CC BY 2.0
The story of the 2023 Minnesota Twins is a tale of two teams. On the one hand, you have a squad with phenomenal starting pitching, a lights-out closer, and an All-Star shortstop who is just starting to get untracked.
On the other hand, you have a team that can’t hit, can’t score runs, and can’t hold leads. A perplexing situation if there ever was one. So, if you are Rocco Baldelli, Derek Falvey, and the rest of the Twins’ brain trust, what do you do to improve this situation? It’s hard to blow up a team in the middle of the season, and this situation probably does not warrant that. And just moving a chess piece or two will also not suffice.
To that end, I would like to suggest to the Minnesota Twins management some ideas on how to right the ship. I’ll start by saying that I am not going to mess with the starting rotation. You could quibble about whether Kenta Maeda or Louis Varland should be in the mix but why mess with a good thing. I’d also like to acknowledge that Brock Stewart, Griffin Jax, and Jhoan Duran have been very effective out of the bullpen.
Given these assumptions, I will present a starting lineup that I believe would be a best-case scenario for the team. There might be some surprises and/or head-shaking out there, but hey, let’s give it a whirl.
Revived Minnesota Twins’ Starting Lineup
Catcher: Christian Vazquez and Ryan Jeffers
No change here. Vazquez has struggled at the plate and in the field, but he has been throwing out potential base stealers at a 30 percent clip. Jeffers fields well and is hitting .421 in his last seven games. He has also shown great improvement in his ability to throw out base stealers. He is currently cutting down runners on steal attempts 40 percent of the time.
First base: Alex Kirilloff
Touted as the Minnesota Twins’ first baseman of the future. Kirilloff has a sweet swing and I believe his power numbers will improve as he matures as a player. First base is also his best defensive position so I would leave him there. I would also limit his outfield duties so he can concentrate on establishing himself at one position.
Second base: Jorge Polanco
Jorge Polanco is a tough, gritty player. He is my favorite Minnesota Twin. But his body has been breaking down in recent years and this has opened the door for rookie Edouard Julien. Julien may be the future for the Twins at second base anyway if his fielding improves. This could be a position in flux.
Third base: Kyle Farmer
I’m throwing a curveball at you here. Farmer was brought in to be the starting shortstop so he can certainly handle the defensive chores at third. He has produced some timely and clutch hits this year and I think he would bring stability to this position. He is not the long-term answer at the “hot corner”, but he is a good short-term plug-in.
Shortstop: Carlos Correa
He got off to a rough start this year, but you are not going to sit your franchise player. I thought he was a bit overrated last year, but he is one of the best shortstops in baseball. He is also one of the best fielders at his position in baseball. And he is a team leader for the Minnesota Twins.
Minnesota Twins Outfield Re-do
Leftfield: Joey Gallo
I go back and forth with Joey Gallo. I love his power and versatile defensive prowess. But I can’t stand the strikeouts and low batting average. Since Trevor Larnach has not seized his opportunity at this position, I think Gallo is the immediate answer.
Centerfield: Royce Lewis
I know, playing centerfield is where he tore his ACL last year and the Twins have been very adamant about not putting him out there this year. But even many folks inside the organization believe that long-term, this is the position that suits him the best. And with Brooks Lee coming along in the next year or two, third base should be covered for the next ten years.
I think the Michael A. Taylor experiment has worn out its welcome. But I would keep him around as a reserve outfielder due to his glove work, speed, and occasional power.
Matt Waller Please
Rightfield: Matt Wallner
Why he isn’t already playing rightfield right now for the Minnesota Twins is one of the big mysteries surrounding the team. He is batting .636 in his last seven games for the St. Paul Saints and simply has no room left to grow in Triple-A. Current starter Max Kepler cannot hit southpaws and his lack of hard-hit balls in play are a continual problem. I’d like to keep him on the team but with Taylor’s ability to play centerfield, this could be the end of the line for Max in a Minnesota Twins uniform.
Designated Hitter: Edouard Julien
Julien is sort of a placeholder at this position as several people could fill this role throughout the year. I put him in here initially as a way to keep his bat in the lineup when the time comes for Polanco to return. Donovan Solano and Willi Castro are always possibilities. Or anyone of the starting eight who need a break from their defensive duties.
The name you don’t see listed here is Byron Buxton. Buxton is among the walking wounded with two rickety knees and back spasms. And these are injuries he has sustained without playing an inning in centerfield.
I think the time has come for the Minnesota Twins to shut him down, perhaps for the remainder of the season. Then they can evaluate him when his health returns and determine what their course of action is down the line. It’s too painful to watch him play now.
Possible Pickups
Possible additions:
Desperately in need of some bullpen arms, the Twins could turn to some low-cost, but effective relievers who should be available as the trade deadline approaches. Among the possibilities are:
- Keynan Middleton, RHP, Chicago White Sox
- Aroldis Chapman, LHP, Kansas City Royals
- Buck Farmer, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
Chapman is particularly interesting as he has big-game experience and is a lefty. Both of these qualities are in short supply in the Twins bullpen.
An upgrade in hitting through a trade will be a much trickier proposition. Most of these players such as outfielders Joc Pederson and Michael Conforto, both of the San Francisco Giants, carry hefty price tags. But they do have expiring contracts which might make them more appealing to the Twins brass. A lower-cost option would be outfielder Randal Grichuk of the Colorado Rockies. He is a high-average hitter, but he lacks power.
So, what will the Minnesota Twins do? Changes are needed to snap them out of their season-long hitting slump. And the bullpen needs another solid arm or two to halt the rash of late-inning fireworks. But they can do something right away which would help them immensely. Please call up Matt Wallner!
Been a twin since ’61. Never been one to complain about managerial decision making until Rocco.. lineups, pitcher innings, pinch hitting, lack of emotion in dugouts(except ejections), sorry….time to clean house.
You sadly may be right Lennie.