The Next Twins Prospect Promotion

[roger]

22 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Lived there for two years two years ago. My wife got cancer and we moved back to CA - we have a good setup in CA to maximize her chances to beat it. Two kids are there though!

Unfortunately there isn't a 'like option' to click on to tell you that I am praying for you and your wife.  Trust that God will be with her in the battle she is facing.

[Nashvilletwin]

4 minutes ago, roger said:

Unfortunately there isn't a 'like option' to click on to tell you that I am praying for you and your wife.  Trust that God will be with her in the battle she is facing.

Thank you. The power of prayer is incredible. Much appreciated. 

[LA VIkes Fan]

3 hours ago, wabene said:

If we agree that Correa will be gone after this year, I would keep Royce at SS in the minors until the end of the year then bring him up for a playoff push. He needs the development there and it looks to me he absolutely could be our opening day starting SS next year. With this good start his floor at short is Polanco. If Correa goes on the IL bring Royce up then.

I think that's the actual plan and the right plan. I expect Lewis to be in AAA playing SS every day unless Correa gets hurt. Lewis is the SS next year unless Correa stays (seems unlikely), and needs the SS reps. I don't expect he'll be in MN this season until at least August or September. 

[LA VIkes Fan]

1 hour ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Lived there for two years two years ago. My wife got cancer and we moved back to CA - we have a good setup in CA to maximize her chances to beat it. Two kids are there though!

My prayers are with you and your wife in this difficult time. 

[Mike Sixel]

Next? A pitcher for the bullpen.

I got no idea what will happen with Lewis and Martin.... I'd probably move Larnach to first or DH, and put Lewis in left, and have him give CC a break occasionally. 

[Doctor Gast]

W/O a doubt Lewis should be called up. He has proved that he can hit AAA and play SS, We need him together w/ Correa to learn the ropes and to get his feet wet. If he hits then give him some time in the OF to keep his bat in the line-up. If he can't send him back down until later.

Canterino will be next, although Smeltzer has been doing well (he's been ignored) so it might be sooner rather than later. I'd like to see some SWR at the end of the season.

Although I like Steer he is buried at 2B/3B so I don't see him see him being called up but is used as trade bait when needed.

[wsnydes]

1 hour ago, chpettit19 said:

With Lewis' ability (he looked good in the AFL) to play CF I'd think he'd be the perfect player to keep around knowing Buxton is always 1 play away from a 2 month trip to the IL. If Lewis reaches his ceiling he's far better than an "above average 3B or a skilled outfielder." He's Ronald Acuna Jr who is a part time CFer, but has spent most of his career in a corner OF spot. Or Mookie Betts who plays RF. Now if you don't think he reaches his superstar ceiling then trading him could make some sense. But if you think he's going to reach his ceiling you don't even consider trading him until you can't pay him to stay.

I do think that a pitcher will be the first called up, but I could see a scenario where Correa is healthy and Lewis is knocking down the door to be brought up and then Buxton gets hurt.  I could see them calling Lewis up to fill in.  I'm not sure that I'm necessarily excited about that, but if he's really beating down the door to be called up, I think it makes some sense.

[Dman]

2 hours ago, Nashvilletwin said:

.

No mention of Martin. I hope he gets his chance this year too. 
 

 

I have a hunch and it is just a hunch that they are going to keep Martin down and continue to work on that power stroke this year.  He isn't rule V eligible until 2023 so they can take their time and make sure he is set defensively and work on incorporating more power.  I don't see him being called up even in front of someone like Steer or Jullien who have better slugging and nearly as good of walk numbers as Martin.  IMO he is an absolute long shot to make the MLB team this year. 

[Dman]

A

[chpettit19]

10 minutes ago, wsnydes said:

I do think that a pitcher will be the first called up, but I could see a scenario where Correa is healthy and Lewis is knocking down the door to be brought up and then Buxton gets hurt.  I could see them calling Lewis up to fill in.  I'm not sure that I'm necessarily excited about that, but if he's really beating down the door to be called up, I think it makes some sense.

If Lewis is hitting over .300 with solid power still in June and there's a hole on the ML roster while the team is still contending I'd hope they bring him up. I think developing his glove at short should be a very high priority this year, but I think he can continue to work on that while playing LF (for example) with the Twins. Following Correa around and copying his routine for half the season would provide some development opportunities I'd think. So to me it's a question of how important the actual game reps are compared to the need on a contending Twins team. 1 start a week at SS in Minneapolis with 4 starts in LF a week and daily infield drills with a platinum glove winning SS seems like a decent enough situation for him to continue to develop while helping the Twins try to win a division. That's all assuming he continues to hit like he is.

[tony&rodney]

Miranda is getting an opportunity right now to show his skills. Winder was in long relief twice and had an excellent start against a terrific Tampa Bay team. Sands had a brief look and Duran has impressed from Day 1.

When there is an opening the Twins will call up the player who fits at that moment. It would not be at all surprising to see Royce Lewis before July if he continues to take good at bats. There aren't too many concerns about his glove and he could slide into the outfield or infield quite easily. The numbers get tight with Kirilloff, Larnach, Gordon, Celestino, and Garlick all vying for outfield spots along with the two sure players, Buxton and Kepler. Things are also crowded in the infield because Correa and Polanco are locked leaving six others - Sano, Kirilloff, Arraez, Urshela, Miranda, and Lewis who would like to play. Kirilloff, Gordon, and Lewis can swing between if/of. That's a pile of bodies and the guys who hit and field will get their spots. Importantly for the success of the season, the Twins have much better depth than last year. Thankfully, we are also seeing some of that with the pitching staff as well.

[roger]

i don't know what the Twins plan is for Lewis.  And no one knows when/if someone will get injured and a spot opens up screaming for him to come fill it.

What I do hope is that the Twins plan includes getting him some time with the big club so that when he does arrive for good he doesn't have those first time jitters.  Let's get him some experience this year so he is ready whenever his time comes to be here to stay.

[nicksaviking]

Lewis was playing 3B in the AZ Fall League prior to Covid. My prediction is that he's going to get a few reps there in St. Paul at which point the writing will be on the wall. 

You just can't keep a top prospect who's OPSing +1.000 with good plate discipline in AAA too long. An infield of Lewis, Correa, Polanco and Miranda would be fine with me.

[cHawk]

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing Lewis the most. Good to see him carving it up at the plate in AAA.

[MTV]

What about Strotman, Balazovic, or Woods-Richardson? The Twins are in a very interesting spot in the infield. Within the next 2 years, All of these players will (likely) play in the Minnesota infield: Sano, Arraez, Polanco, Correa, Urshela, Miranda, Gordon, Lewis, Steer, Martin, and Sabato (not including any trades). Arraez, Miranda, Gordon, Lewis, Steer, Martin, and Sabato (unless traded) look like the infield in 3 years or so, but do the Twins hold onto Polanco & Correa long-term?

[gil4]

11 hours ago, chpettit19 said:

Fire Falvine they're the worst FO ever! Oops, wrong thread ?

Yeah, you might want to dig up one of last year's threads to post that.

It's hard to believe this is the same site (or the same team.)

[Linus]

Apparently everyone has forgotten that Lewis hasn’t played in two years and has big developmental needs at SS. He will be our SS next year and needs all the reps he can get. So no he will not be playing a different position this year for the Twins. And no Correa will not be playing for the Twins next year unless something really bad happens. 

[jimbo92107]

Cutting into the fun of guessing who might be the next callup is the sad fact that it depends who either gets injured or starts seriously struggling to perform. 

Of the position guys with injury histories, Arraez's knee worries me the most, followed by Polanco's ankle. Slightly less likely is that Larnach's bat could go cold, tho it seems he has solved his off-speed pitch problems. Sano's meniscus tear is especially unfortunate for him, because Miranda and Kirilloff should be able to play 3B, 1B, and DH in Sano's place. 

All in all, the next guy up could be Devin Smeltzer. The lanky lefty is healthy now, and throwing a ton of strikes. If either Thielbar or Duffey go flat, look for Smeltzer to fill in. 

[Steve71]

Urshela is only signed for 2022 at $6.5M.  Logical move would be to promote Lewis when appropriate and let him play every day at 3B and giving Correa some days off at SS.   Urshela and Miranda can back up 3B.  Urshela might be trade candidate if Lewis flourishes at the MLB level.

[LA VIkes Fan]

IF Lewis continues to hit his presence and that of Miranda does give the Twins some options should a market be there to trade Urshela or Sano for bullpen help. I could see us trading Urshela at the deadline with a decent prospect for a solid controllable reliever and having Miranda and/or Lewis take over at 3B. A lot depends on whether Miranda shows he can hit at the MLB level in the 3-4 weeks while Sano is on the IL and then at AAA trying to find his stroke. I expect Miranda to play most every day between 3B, 1B, and DH to see how he hits at this stage.  It's a long shot since this is his first time up and he's only 23, but a lot of possibilities open up if he can be effective at the plate. 

[In My La Z boy]

11 hours ago, Linus said:

Apparently everyone has forgotten that Lewis hasn’t played in two years and has big developmental needs at SS. He will be our SS next year and needs all the reps he can get. So no he will not be playing a different position this year for the Twins. And no Correa will not be playing for the Twins next year unless something really bad happens. 

I am with you, but not so sure about this. I could see a scenario where Correa has a great year, the Twins have a great year, perhaps a deep playoff run - and Correa exercises his option and stays. Correa loves it here now - by October he never wants to leave - we do not give him 10 years $300M - and he bets on himself again (oh darn, another $35.1M) and re-ups. 

[LA VIkes Fan]

I'd love the Correa exercises his option scenario but I think it's pretty unlikely. He is well set up to get a long term high value contract this winter, particularly if he plays well and leads the Twins to the playoffs and they win a series or two. The Yankees will need a SS, as will others, and I can see him getting a 7-8 contract at a high AAV. I just don't see the Twins doing that and Scott Boras doesn't really believe in home town discounts. Now in the good news category, the Dodgers will need a SS since Trea Turner is in the last year of his deal but I just don't see them signing the face of the "cheater Astros" from the  2017 World Series. The Dodger fans would never accept him. 

[In My La Z boy]

22 minutes ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

I'd love the Correa exercises his option scenario but I think it's pretty unlikely. He is well set up to get a long term high value contract this winter, particularly if he plays well and leads the Twins to the playoffs and they win a series or two. The Yankees will need a SS, as will others, and I can see him getting a 7-8 contract at a high AAV. I just don't see the Twins doing that and Scott Boras doesn't really believe in home town discounts. Now in the good news category, the Dodgers will need a SS since Trea Turner is in the last year of his deal but I just don't see them signing the face of the "cheater Astros" from the  2017 World Series. The Dodger fans would never accept him. 

Agreed. This is a fun conversation I thought we'd never have. Still hard to believe Correa is playing short for our Twins. Might have been a master stroke. We needed a champion on this team. Looking forward to getting the Yankees in the American League championship series this year ?

[Eicemann]

On 5/3/2022 at 9:01 AM, MGM4706 said:

Forget OF. Move Lewis to Firstbase and then fastrack to Target Field. Sano has refused to be coached on hitting to all fields. Trade for a prospect. 

I disagree. That would be akin to moving Mauer to 1B.  Mauer played well there but his athleticism & throwing arm could have been leveraged better in a corner OF spot.  Lewis is far too athletic to station him at 1B at this point of his career.

Agree on cutting ties with Sano.  Although I have seen him make an effort this season to be be more patient at the plate, that's not his comfort zone.  He inevitably defaults back to swinging far too freely.

[Brandon]

On 5/3/2022 at 6:21 AM, mikelink45 said:

I always expect a pitcher - Cano?  Nothing changes as much as the rotation and bullpen. 

I was thinking either him or Strottman if he is pitching well out of the pen.

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

I'd love the Correa exercises his option scenario but I think it's pretty unlikely. He is well set up to get a long term high value contract this winter, particularly if he plays well and leads the Twins to the playoffs and they win a series or two. 

Agreed. Besides the Yankees and Dodgers the Red Sox, Cubs, Braves and Phillies should be interested. Too many bidders with deep pockets. The only consolation is there will be multiple SS options for those teams - Dansby Swanson, Trea Turner and Xander Boegaerts along with Correa.