Carlos Correa hit second and played shortstop in the Minnesota Twins’ final home game of the 2022 season. His first season with the Twins had its ups and downs, including a rough July (.175/.264/.350). However, Correa rebounded in the final month, hitting .355/.412/.589, hinting at a promising end to what many thought would be his only season in Minnesota. Correa’s late-season performance embodied the typical Minnesota sports narrative: a star shining just before moving on to a bigger market.
In that final home game, José Miranda (.272/.325/.435) hit ahead of Correa, and Luis Arráez (.315/.372/.419) hit behind him, but the rest of the lineup struggled against Lucas Giolito. The lineup featured Gio Urshela and Gary Sánchez, remnants of the Josh Donaldson trade with the Yankees, and younger talents like Nick Gordon and Gilberto Celestino. Injuries had depleted the Twins’ lineup, leading to a second-place finish behind the Cleveland Guardians.
To address these issues, the Twins bolstered their roster depth last year. They re-signed Correa, added Donovan Solano, and acquired Michael A. Taylor to cover for Byron Buxton in center field. This depth allowed the Twins to send Matt Wallner down despite his impressive .363/.714/1.000 performance from May 23-28.
This investment in depth paid off. Royce Lewis spent the first half of the season recovering from a second ACL injury, Buxton never played center field, and plantar fasciitis plagued Correa. Despite these setbacks, the Twins secured 87 wins, their first playoff game victory since 2004, and their first playoff series win since 2002.
However, the Twins announced they would cut payroll this season due to instability in their television deal, affecting their depth. Some players, like Carlos Santana and Manuel Margot, started slow but have improved recently. The team also lost frontline starter Sonny Gray to free agency and saw Kyle Farmer’s performance decline.
Injuries forced Anthony DeSclafani out for the season, pushing Louie Varland into the major league rotation. Willi Castro had to step up as the utility player, and prospects filled other gaps. Brooks Lee replaced the injured Lewis and proved to be major-league-ready. David Festa made spot starts when Chris Paddack needed rest, Wallner broke out of his slump, and Trevor Larnach had a resurgence.
The Twins have a surplus of position players, raising questions about long-term roles for players like Max Kepler and Edouard Julien. However, this surplus only holds if everyone stays healthy and key players avoid slumps. Depth was crucial to the Twins’ success last year, making it essential to maintain as they approach the trade deadline.
The Twins need to balance their depth, long-term competitiveness, and urgency. They shouldn’t trade their top prospects—Walker Jenkins, Brooks Lee, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and David Festa—who are vital to their future. Successful teams create multiple playoff opportunities by maintaining a strong core of cost-controlled, high-upside players.
However, urgency is also critical. The Twins need three reliable playoff starters, which might require trading surplus position players. After losing Gray, they must add a postseason-caliber starter unless they believe Bailey Ober or Simeon Woods Richardson can fill that role.
Minnesota’s identity this season is as a hard-hitting, bullpen-driven team. Joe Ryan has pitched at an All-Star level, and Pablo López’s underlying numbers suggest he’ll regain his ace form. A healthy lineup and a robust bullpen, led by Griffin Jax and Jhoan Durán, are essential for postseason success. Striking a balance between aggressiveness and prudence at the deadline is crucial for building on last year’s success.
Leave a Reply