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Kyle Farmer has been an average to good shortstop in every season of his career. He’s moved around the infield a bit and has always been a solid regular no matter where he plays, likely a huge reason the Twins acquired him from Cincinnati this offseason. Now that Carlos Correa becomes the everyday shortstop for the near future, Farmer finds himself in a utility platoon role where he should thrive. Could that role include some time spent in the outfield?
Kyle Farmer has spent four total innings in the outfield in his major league career. At 32 years old, it’s somewhat hard to imagine a sudden shift in position, even if it’s just periodically. For as much as the Twins needed depth up the middle for the infield however, Farmer could certainly find himself filling another need in the corner outfield for the Twins. It sure appears the front office is considering this same solution.
Farmer is clearly an athlete, gamer, grinder, whatever term you like to use for this brand of utilityman who can do it all while receiving glowing reviews along the way. Long considered a fantastic clubhouse guy and team player despite playing for some disappointing Cincinnati squads, it’s difficult to envision him refusing if the Twins ask him to try something new. While certainly needing time to get acclimated, it’s not uncommon for middle infielders to transition well to the outfield. See Nick Gordon who, just last year, did a fine job of playing in the grass for essentially the first time in his career.
It sounds like a tall task for a 32-year-old to jump into a new position, but it’s worth noting that the bar to clear in regards to defense is not very high. The recently DFAed Kyle Garlick has never graded out as above average defensively in his career, and was often well below. He was still a viable player for the limited role he was asked to fill.
Kyle Farmer wouldn’t have to be a premier defender in the outfield. If he even slides into the same tier as Garlick defensively it would help the Twins tremendously. He’s likely to still accrue much of his value on the infield, but the added versatility gives the Twins an arsenal of right-handed flexibility. Not to mention the fact that Garlick may be right back up with the MLB squad right away in 2023.
Any confidence in Farmer playing outfield would have led to the Twins decision to gamble on losing Garlick to waivers. The noted low bar to clear on defense is the only real concern when it comes to Farmer filling the Garlick role. The two are nearly identical in offensive output.
It’s likely that Farmer is capable of being what Garlick was last year, except his recent health paints a much better picture when it comes to availability. And the best part is the Twins gambled and won and still have Garlick waiting in the wings.
It may seem like a ridiculous idea to forego a real right-handed outfield acquisition. The high end market was quick however, and it’s entirely possible that a year long combo of Farmer and Garlick could provide just as much value as the Andrew McCutchen and Tommy Pham types. Possibly even more.
It’s possible that the Twins still bring in a right-handed outfield option in creative fashion, but the free agency market appears finished. At the end of the day, the Twins may have had their right-handed corner outfield addition way back in November. Kyle Farmer could fill a much different need than we’d have expected.
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