Call up Austin Martin
Brooks Lee has been getting hyped up as the next big Twins call-up, but there's someone ahead of him in the pecking order who could have an even bigger impact. Austin Martin needs to be a part of the plans for Opening Day and it's going to be a massively important spring for him down in Fort Myers.
Martin has been sort of overlooked in the prospect discussions lately, perhaps because there seems to be fewer ways he misses the 26-man roster than ways he makes it. He fills an immediate need providing depth behind Byron Buxton in centerfield and can platoon in the infield as well.
What needs to happen first, though, is the Twins committing to him being a part of the plan for Opening Day. Even if he struggles a bit in Spring Training, Martin feels like the sort of linchpin player who deserves a shot to see if he can figure it out once the season starts. Minnesota can't shy away from getting him time in the Majors, otherwise what's the point?
In addition to playing behind Buxton, Martin adds depth behind Royce Lewis and Carlos Correa. That's three of the most valuable players on the roster he'd be platooning with which is a big deal. We're also assuming a lot by taking Buxton at his word that he'll be healthy, and we've seen too many times that even starting the year healthy doesn't mean he'll make it the whole way through.
Martin was a top prospect acquisition from Toronto as part of the Jose Berrios trade back in 2021, but we've yet to see him in the Majors. Injuries have played a part in stunting his development, but the Twins need to commit to him without cutting bait at the first sign of potential struggle.
Call him up, find a 26-man roster spot for him, and see if Martin has what it takes to deliver on the promise he had when the Twins landed him.