Jason Castro was only supposed to miss 4-6 weeks following knee surgery. That won’t be the case. Castro is done for the year following surgery on his meniscus. In the midst of his surgery this morning, surgeons found more damage than expected. This forced doctors to complete a full meniscus repair.

This is a tough blow for a Twins team fighting for the top spot in the AL Central standings. Other players like Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano have already missed time this season. It’s taken longer than expected for Ervin Santana to return from injury. Also, the club has been without Jorge Polanco due to his suspension. That’s a lot of regular players not in the line-up.

 

That being said, it’s not like the Twins are without a viable catching option. Mitch Garver has performed well so far this season and he will need to continue to make the most of this opportunity. Bobby Wilson played an important role in Tuesday’s victory over the Cardinals. Both players are going to need to take on even more vital roles moving forward.

Now the question remains as to what the Twins front office should do moving forward. Does the club need to bring in another catcher to back up Garver? Can they find another option to stash at Triple-A? Can Garver and Wilson carry the team’s catching needs?

 

Feel free to add your thoughts to any of those questions and more in the COMMENTS section.

 

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Two thoughts:

 

1.) That's got to be crazy to have to tell a pro athlete that they're done for the year AFTER you do surgery. They're knocked out and you don't have time to chat with them when you make the discovery. It's just bad news to break as they wake up.

 

2.) Gotta upgrade Bobby Wilson somehow. I don't want Realmuto because it'll be too expensive but Lucroy at the deadline wouldn't be the worst idea. Depends on the cost.

Unfortunate news.

 

Hoping Castro has a full recovery.

Hmmm ... Interesting that this news breaks the same day that Swihart is asking for a trade .... Not sure if he would move the needle and what he would cost, but it might be worth a phone call.

It would be nice to find another left handed to complement Garver but pickins will be slim.

 

Yasmani Grandal was rumored to be trade bait this offseason after Barnes got so much postseason playing time, but he’s been behind the plate more often than Barnes so far. Tucker Barnhart might be available?

Well that sucks. 

 

J.T. Realmuto would be one hell of an addition and would help the offense. But he'd be expensive. Not even the Marlins would give him away. 

Does Seattle have any catching depth? They might be in the market for a 2nd base....

 

Well that sucks. 

 

J.T. Realmuto would be one hell of an addition and would help the offense. But he'd be expensive. Not even the Marlins would give him away. 

 

Gordon, Wade, Thorpe and Stewart ... Good package for a rebuilding club .... Gotta give to get

 

Gordon, Wade, Thorpe and Stewart ... Good package for a rebuilding club .... Gotta give to get

 

Would not get it done. It will take at least two top prospects (think Gordon and Gonsalves) plus mid-range guys.

Go get Realmuto. No half steps. 

 

I don't think Garver is a regular MLB catcher.

Give me garver. He can hit. Go trade for depth and roll with garver + whoever is hot.

This is definitely a bummer for Castro, but it may be best for the long-term health of his knee. 

For anyone who is interested, I wrote a blog post about meniscus injuries that some may find informative/helpful.

 

http://twinsdaily.com/blog/1036/entry-11062-jason-castro-knee-surgery-qa/

 

Two thoughts:

 

1.) That's got to be crazy to have to tell a pro athlete that they're done for the year AFTER you do surgery. They're knocked out and you don't have time to chat with them when you make the discovery. It's just bad news to break as they wake up.

 

I doubt they put him under for surgery below the waist. They usually just put up a screen during any surgery. Based on the Press article, I got the impression they asked him about it as it happened.

 

I doubt they put him under for surgery below the waist. They usually just put up a screen during any surgery. Based on the Press article, I got the impression they asked him about it as it happened.

 

 

I have to disagree with this. I suspect they used general anesthesia rather than some sort of block. 

 

They most definitely discussed the possibility of worse damage than was seen, and the need for complete repair and the timeline for that. 

In fact, they would need to talk to him about this possibility before hand to get consent for the full repair rather than what was planned. 

And after he woke up, they told him "unfortunately it was worse than we thought..."

What about making a trade for Andrew Susac from the orioles?  Orioles have zero room for him and could be a great addition. We would not have to pay much for him.  He does not have alot of MLB experence.  But not sure that is really important. I wanted the twins to go after him when Brewers let him go this year. 

Don't need anyone today, or tomorrow.  Expect they will upgrade their depth at some point over the next couple months. 

AJ!

The Twins would most likely let it play out as-is for awhile. The Castro 40 man roster spot will most likely be saved for the return of one of the injured pitchers. Acquiring another catcher to take Castro's spot now would most likely mean Wilson gets DFA'd when either May or Santana returns. You might as well evaluate Wilson for another month before replacing him if needed. Garver is handling himself OK right now, so there is no need to panic.

Can we trade Lance Lynn for a catcher?

Realmuto gets my vote. If they want to be a serious contender get serious. Garver is a backup at this point his D is backup level and Wilson is a 3rd stringer, imo.

Heck trade Sano for him, he can't stay on the field anyway. Doesn't do any good on ir all the time.

 

Two thoughts:

 

1.) That's got to be crazy to have to tell a pro athlete that they're done for the year AFTER you do surgery. They're knocked out and you don't have time to chat with them when you make the discovery. It's just bad news to break as they wake up.

 

 

For any procedure to happen there has to be a signed  informed consent, Casto signed off on all of the procedures that could be done. May your good fortune of not personally knowing what consent is continue.

Maybe Grossman will be the new Duensing in trade talks for a catcher.  Like Sussac for Grossman.  Swihart for Grossman, Duke and a prospect.  Realmuto for Gordon Gosalves, Granite, Grzelowski and Grossman ( and any other  prospect over 19 with the last name that starts with G other than Gratero)l.

Relax. Garver and Wilson will work.  Do we have anyone else in the minors that knows how put on the mask?  Everytime something happens we look at trades and moving minor leaguers.  Let's go forward and see what happens. 

So.....What's John Ryan Murphy up to these days?  I say we trade Kohl Stewart for him. Then he will of cost the Twin's 2 first round picks to be an occasional back up catcher.

Relax. Garver and Wilson will work. Do we have anyone else in the minors that knows how put on the mask? Everytime something happens we look at trades and moving minor leaguers. Let's go forward and see what happens.

Some of us were calling for Realmuto before the season started.... This isn't just reactionary

I'm high enough on Garver to think he's worthy of a starting role. Would make a point of upgrading on Bobby Wilson, though.

 

How about reaching out to the Cubs to see what it would take to acquire Chris Gimenez? He's languishing in AAA with June 1 opt-out date; I'd have to think we could get him for almost free. Not a high-powered move, and yeah, it's righty-righty with Garver, but it would stabilize the back-up catcher spot cheaply.

I know they are called wild pitches for a reason. But your catcher is supposed to turn them into just a lousy pitch. I wonder how many wild pitches have advanced runners into scoring position with Garver behind the plate. He can throw a little, and hit a little. But his glove work and blocking skills are absolutely brutal!

What about Grandal from the Dodgers? He has a 1 year $7m deal. Maybe give them littel and another throw in?

What about Grandal from the Dodgers? He has a 1 year $7m deal. Maybe give them littel and another throw in?

Why would the Dodgers trade Grandal? And what am I missing about Littell where he's an attractive trade piece?

Why would the Dodgers trade Grandal? And what am I missing about Littell where he's an attractive trade piece?

Because he’s an average player making $8M and they’re 8 games out already. They have a top prospect at catcher coming up but admirably probably still a year away. They need a lefty so maybe give them Thorpe and Littell. That’s fair for Grandal. He would give us solid depth for a rent a player

Edited May 17, 20188 yr by AZTwin