The MLB Lockout rages on, preventing the Minnesota Twins from adding any big league talent. While Twins fans can dream about big additions for the team to make, the team can’t currently make them. This leads the team to making small, minor league additions.
The team made one of those moves earlier this week, adding former Astros outfielder Derek Fisher to an MiLB deal and an invitation to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee. This may not be a major move, but it’s one the team has had success with in the past. But why Fisher?
The Minnesota Twins signed Derek Fisher to an MiLB deal.
Fisher has never found a lot of success at the big league level, with his best season coming in 2020. He only played sixteen games, but he put together a stellar .811 OPS and 122 OPS+. Granted his batting average wasn’t good, but that’s not his strong suit and it never has been.
Fisher has skill. He was a Top 100 prospect in 2017, and there was was good reason for that. Fisher, while he’s struggled with injury and a lack of success, throughout his major league career, has loads of power, good speed, and has shown a pretty decent ability to get on base in the minors. Add in some mostly solid defense, and there’s still upside.
Granted, Fisher is 28 and will now be on fourth team in six years. No one should be looking at this deal and expecting Fisher to even make the forty man roster out of the gate is a little outlandish. With that being said, this deal could work out pretty nicely for the Twins.
In a similar way to how Rob Refsnyder helped the Twins out when they needed it, Derek Fisher could offer a similar boost. Hopefully, the team can make the additions needed so that Fisher doesn’t have to get an opportunity, but if he is forced into action, there’s a real chance for upside.
If everything breaks right, the Twins added a competitor for the left field job. At worst, they added an MiLB guy who will be released for almost nothing. Not a bad gamble for a team that needs a boost.