Minnesota Twins 3 Up, 3 Down: Nelson Cruz’s return sparks Twins
The Minnesota Twins had their share of downs regarding their bullpen and failed free agent signings, but the return of Nelson Cruz, kept their hot play going.
The Minnesota Twins continue to chug along through their schedule and after wrapping up a ten-game road trip with a 6-4 record, they improved to 24-12 on the road this season. While the week had its share of ups and downs by dropping a series to the Cleveland Indians and returning the favor against the Detroit Tigers, there still isn’t too much to get upset about when talking about the Twins this summer.
Alas, this column is called three up and three down, so we have to find something to complain about. The Twins’ bullpen had a tough week and the dream of signing Craig Kimbrel and Dallas Keuchel died a quick and painful death as they both spurned the Twins’ offers.
Either way, life is good for the Twins right now as they hold a 43-21 record and are 10.5 games above the Indians in the American League Central even after dropping said three game series earlier in the week. With the longest home stand of the year beginning on Tuesday against the Seattle Mariners, there’s plenty to feel good about as we head to mid-June.
UP: Keoni Cavaco
The Minnesota Twins didn’t play a game last Monday, but they were still in the news thanks to the MLB Draft. With the Twins selecting 13th overall, they got one of the guys they wanted all along when they drafted Keoni Cavaco out of East Lake High School in Chula Vista (CA).
If we’re talking about people who saw their stock rise, Cavaco fits the bill as a player that wasn’t even considered to be a Day 1 pick a year ago. After a summer in which he tore the cover off the ball, he continued to work out for teams and show that he was more than just a diamond in the rough. With his best asset being his athleticism and raw power, the Twins have to feel that they have another blue chip prospect for their farm system.
As for what this means for the rest of the system, it’s never a sure thing to hedge all of your bets on a prospect that just turned 18 last week. However, it is interesting that the Twins opted to draft Cavaco as a shortstop to add to a crowded middle infield situation.
With Royce Luis, Wander Javier, Luis Arraez and Nick Gordon all fighting for opportunities in the lower levels of the Twins organization, one has to wonder if someone is going to be shipped out if Minnesota hits the trade market to make enhancements in the coming months.
In any event, it will be interesting to see how the Twins’ newest prospect does when he signs later this summer.
DOWN: The pursuit of free agent pitching
In another off the field development, it was a tough week for the front office as they failed in their pursuit of free agent pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel.
Kimbrel may have been the more important of the two as the Twins showed more interest in the closer with some even suggesting he was a top priority once he was no longer tied to draft compensation. According to Dan Hayes of The Athletic, the Twins made Kimbrel an offer on a two-year deal, but he decided to go with the Chicago Cubs, who offered a third year in a situation eerilly similar to when the Twins were spurned by Yu Darvish back in the winter of 2018. Time will tell if the Twins will have a similar break with Kimbrel.
Meanwhile, the Twins also made a push for Keuchel, but the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s La Velle E. Neal claimed it wasn’t as aggressive as the one for Kimbrel. When the smoke cleared from negotiations, it would be the Atlanta Braves who would step up and sign the lefty for a one year, $13 million deal. While Keuchel did have his share of baggage entering free agency, it’s curious that the Twins didn’t step up their offer when the 32-year old only signed a one year deal.
In any event, with both marquee holdouts off the board, the Twins will have to look elsewhere if they want to make improvements to their squad. Some early names to remember during the trade process could be Toronto’s Ken Giles, Detroit’s Shane Greene, San Francisco’s Madison Bumgarner and Toronto’s Marcus Stroman.
UP: Max Kepler
Things didn’t look so good for Max Kepler at the beginning of the week as he couldn’t find his stroke at the plate. Entering last Thursday, the Twins right fielder was riding an 0-for-24 streak and was going up against one of the top pitchers in the American League in Trevor Bauer.
Instead of continuing to go down that trajectory, Kepler responded in a big way, launching three home runs for the Twins in a 5-4 victory over Cleveland. After recording a hit in Detroit, Kepler is hitting .264 but also has compiled an OPS of .877 this season, meaning he’s making an impact even when he doesn’t get hits.
Kepler’s rebound season has been well documented and while .280 (the average he held before the slump) may be more toward his ceiling, if he can deliver in the .260 range with pop at the plate, that’s something that the Twins will take from the 26-year old.
DOWN: Willians Astudillo
Willians Astudillo has become one of the most loveable Twins since making his debut about a year ago, but the 27-year old had become shell shocked as of late as he struggled at the plate. Since April 5, the utility man hit .214/.236/.301 at the plate with just two home runs and 11 RBI. Those numbers just weren’t going to cut it in the lineup and with the return of Mitch Garver, the Twins optioned Astudillo to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday to add Ryan Eades to the bullpen.
Even with his struggles at the plate, the decision to send “La Tortuga” to Rochester had to be a tough one, but it’s one that may do him some good. While Astudillo is known for his free swinging ways at the plate, his approach was beginning to look like a child at a piñata party even though he is a master of getting the bat on the ball.
The Twins have to wait 10 days from his demotion to call Astudillo back up barring injury, but with his ability to play multiple positions on the plate and the chance to work on some things, it’s likely that this won’t be a long stay in Rochester. (Additional note: Astudillo has gone 6-for-8 with a home run in his two games with the Red Wings.)
The Twins started off the week with some good news when Nelson Cruz was activated off the injured list prior to their series against the Indians. Cruz’s impact off the field as a leader in the clubhouse is one of the things that make him important to this team, but toward the end of the week, he showed the impact that he can have on it.
Cruz returned to the Twins lineup with authority including hitting a homer in each of the past four games. The flurry was capped off on Sunday afternoon where the designated hitter went 3-for-6 with 3 RBI and (of course) a two-run home run in the first inning.
With no lingering effects of the wrist injury that put him on the injured list, Cruz looks like the hitter the Twins hoped they were getting when they signed him last winter. With a .279 average with 11 HR and 28 RBI, Cruz’s return will continue to have a ripple effect on the lineup which should keep the hits coming.
DOWN: The Twins bullpen (again)
Last week, we finished off this column talking about the Twins bullpen, but there were at least reasons for optimism. Had the Twins successfully signed Kimbrel, we might not be having this discussion. Instead, the Twins bullpen is veering dangerously close to full blown crisis mode.
As described in a piece earlier this weekend, the Twins issue is not the back end of the bullpen where Taylor Rogers and Blake Parker have done a serviceable job, but it’s more the issue of getting the ball to them after the starter leaves. With the recent implosion of Martin Perez and Kyle Gibson‘s rough start on Saturday, the bullpen issues were amplified and Matt Magill was the team’s sacrificial lamb.
The Twins pitching staff is turning into a crisis. dark. Next
With the Twins looking more and more like a playoff contender (and a 10.5 game lead in the AL Central), the Minnesota front office will be under the microscope to fix this team’s shortcomings before the July 31 trade deadline. If their free agent pushes are any indication, the Twins are likely to play this thing close, which could end up biting them in the end.