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Minnesota Twins: Why the Twins should take a flier on Billy Hamilton

By Chris Schad

ARLINGTON, TX - JUNE 2: Billy Hamilton #6 of the Kansas City Royals reacts after striking out against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on June 2, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers won 5-1. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - JUNE 2: Billy Hamilton #6 of the Kansas City Royals reacts after striking out against the Texas Rangers during the ninth inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on June 2, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers won 5-1. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images) /
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ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – APRIL 22: Billy Hamilton #6 of the Kansas City Royals looks on during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on April 22, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA – APRIL 22: Billy Hamilton #6 of the Kansas City Royals looks on during a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on April 22, 2019 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

Hamilton adds another veteran presence to the Twins

Finally, this all comes down to experience. With Buxton out of the lineup, the Twins have been forced to use Gonzalez, who does everything well, but has value outside of the outfield, and Cave, who seems to make a mental error just about every other game.

While Gonzalez isn’t going anywhere, it would be an upgrade for Hamilton to come in and send Cave back down to Rochester. With plenty of MLB and postseason experience, Hamilton could be the fourth outfielder the Twins need and be able to still use Gonzalez elsewhere. That type of player gives the Twins plenty of value even when Buxton returns.

Granted there are downsides with Hamilton, including having the worst offensive performance of his career in 2019. His .211/.275/.269 slash line this season isn’t going to replace the impact Buxton had at the plate, but that’s OK considering the rest of the Twins’ lineup is completely stacked.

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At this point, Hamilton would be a low-risk, high-reward investment for a team looking to fix its flaws before the postseason. While there’s a chance it might not work out, the Twins have nothing to lose by making a push to acquire Hamilton and let him play to his strengths.

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