Edouard Julien is Set to Make an Impact for the 2023 Season

6 hours ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Julien looks good but let's pump the brakes a little here, guys. He performed well in AA and the AFL last year. That's a long way from performing in MLB or even AAA. Farmer and Solano have performed competently or better for multiple years in MLB. Both Farmer and Solano are much more likely to help the 2023 Twins; Julien may help the 2024 Twins and is much more likely to help the 2025 Twins. Julien should spend most of this year in AAA and continue to progress, and he might get a shot this year if we have injury issues and/or guys aren't effective. He also needs to find a defensive position he can play at an MLB level. He needs to show us that he can be more than just a bat first 1B/DH. We are exactly where we want to be with him. 

This Twins team is better and the players and FO think they have the horses to contend for the division title and maybe even a solid playoff run. A team like that should have solid veteran backup players like Farmer and Solano because they can help get those marginal 4-8 wins that will make a huge difference. A young guy like Julien might help, he might not, and you have to give him ABs that might help win or lose a game to find out. Contending teams can't give those ABs away.  If you think you can contend to put the Farmers and Solanos of the world on the bench. If you think is a rebuilding or developmental year (think KC or Detroit) you give those ABs to the Juliens of the world. This team thinks it can contend. I'm cautiously optimistic that's right. I think signing Farmer and Solano was the right move and will help us contend. If we can't, we'll know by July and we can trade those guys for A ball lottery tickets and then give Julien, Lee, Martin, SWR, Varland, etc. their shot. No need to force anything now for any of those guys and I think all of them except for Lewis are for the 2024 or 2025 MLB club. .    

That’s clearly the FO’s strategy and we shall see how it plays out. If the starting pitching stays healthy and the bullpen is superior, we should contend.  But there should be no expectation that the bats of Gallo, Taylor, Kepler, Farmer and Solano are going to be what leads this team to a playoff win.  It’s all about the pitching and the FO is just doing it’s best to add marginal, even hopeful, value with the position player decisions.

I really like this kid and think he's the real deal. I think the comparisons to Arraez are apropos. He's probably never going to hit like Arraez...who does...but he walks more to potentially be similar in OB% while providing more power and speed. In other words, a table setter who can also drive in runs. Unfortunately, like Arraez, there are defensive questions. The good news is, Julien has good knees, far as I know, and is young enough, athletic enough, that there remains room for improvement. I just have to believe he's got the potential to be solid at 2B, which is part of the reason the Twins played him exclusively at 2B last year. I see no reason he couldn't become a solid 1B. It is my HOPE he and his coaches will continue to work hard on his defense and find a 3rd spot for him as well. It just feels like 3B is not his spot. I'm OK with him as a special bat first 1B/2B/DH, again, like Arraez. (Betting he has more range at 2B than Arraez). But how much better is roster flexibility and opportunity if he could also be average in LF?

I have little doubt he will make a ML appearance at some point this year. The "fantasy" part of me wants him to have a great ST, rake at AAA, and come up and never leave as a top of the order bat. But the reality is he's got TWO seasons of milb under his belt, no matter how tantalizing his production. As mentioned previously above, the Twins are deep and well built to actually win games and contend for the playoffs. This is not a team in rebuild mode who can just throw the doors wide open and "play the prospects be damned" the way KC or Detroit can afford to do.

I believe you find room for great players. I don't, necessarily always, believe in slow promotion for the sake of old school thinking, but I also have ZERO problem with a prospect continuing to hone their skills and EARN their opportunity. Remember a year ago at this time when many were so enamored with the potential of Martin he was supposed to jump to the ML roster after ONE SEASON of milb based on prospect lists and projection?

Julien is going to be just fine playing in St Paul to begin the year, doing what he does, and hopefully working really hard on his defense. I'd focus on 2B/1B, but I'd still love to see if he could be OK in LF as well. 

16 hours ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Julien looks good but let's pump the brakes a little here, guys. He performed well in AA and the AFL last year. That's a long way from performing in MLB or even AAA. Farmer and Solano have performed competently or better for multiple years in MLB. Both Farmer and Solano are much more likely to help the 2023 Twins; Julien may help the 2024 Twins and is much more likely to help the 2025 Twins. Julien should spend most of this year in AAA and continue to progress, and he might get a shot this year if we have injury issues and/or guys aren't effective. He also needs to find a defensive position he can play at an MLB level. He needs to show us that he can be more than just a bat first 1B/DH. We are exactly where we want to be with him. 

This Twins team is better and the players and FO think they have the horses to contend for the division title and maybe even a solid playoff run. A team like that should have solid veteran backup players like Farmer and Solano because they can help get those marginal 4-8 wins that will make a huge difference. A young guy like Julien might help, he might not, and you have to give him ABs that might help win or lose a game to find out. Contending teams can't give those ABs away.  If you think you can contend to put the Farmers and Solanos of the world on the bench. If you think is a rebuilding or developmental year (think KC or Detroit) you give those ABs to the Juliens of the world. This team thinks it can contend. I'm cautiously optimistic that's right. I think signing Farmer and Solano was the right move and will help us contend. If we can't, we'll know by July and we can trade those guys for A ball lottery tickets and then give Julien, Lee, Martin, SWR, Varland, etc. their shot. No need to force anything now for any of those guys and I think all of them except for Lewis are for the 2024 or 2025 MLB club. .    

Julien had better numbers at AA than a very good Twins hitter.

Compare Julien number to Mauer when he was in AA. Verisimilar if not better than Joe's. I hope he is better than Joe MLB numbers also!

On 2/23/2023 at 10:38 AM, Dave The Dastardly said:

I'd offer all the Twins "O"s; Polanco, Gallo, Celestino and Solano. for a talented catcher. A trade like that would also open up a few spots for deserving rookies.

Sounds great if these guys aren’t helping us win any games………..can’t imagine any organization trading a high upside Catcher for $20 million with the first 2 O’s & Celestino…..not sure who Solano is?

Kepler with Gallo & Polanco is $30 million in salary……..if they are having respectable seasons, maybe another Team would entertain…….if they are having respectable years, we won’t want to move them.

On 2/23/2023 at 11:49 AM, MN_ExPat said:

I can see where your coming from, but I also feel that he will be fine defensively at 2B in the majors.  From what little I've seen, he a total baseball dude and can at a minimum be an average MLB 2B.

We have Lee at 2B …..isn’t that the assumption with Lewis & Correa on the left side? Martin to the OF.

18 hours ago, Nashvilletwin said:

That’s clearly the FO’s strategy and we shall see how it plays out. If the starting pitching stays healthy and the bullpen is superior, we should contend.  But there should be no expectation that the bats of Gallo, Taylor, Kepler, Farmer and Solano are going to be what leads this team to a playoff win.  It’s all about the pitching and the FO is just doing it’s best to add marginal, even hopeful, value with the position player decisions.

I completely agree. The pitching and IF defense will tell us whether this team can contend. The OF defense is plenty good enough to help carry the team. The offense isn't anywhere near good enough on it's own and won't' be until at least 2024 and then only if we hit on at least of the younger guys becoming quality MLB hitters. I do like the thinking by the FO because I think it's the best path with the talent we have. 

3 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

We have Lee at 2B …..isn’t that the assumption with Lewis & Correa on the left side? Martin to the OF.

Quite possibly good Sir 😊.