3 struggling Twins players who need to turn it around before it’s too late
By Josh Hill
Manuel Margot, OF
No Twins player is getting as much direct heat from fans than Manuel Margot. He was acquired under questionable circumstances, as two other options seemed to make more sense than trading for him, and things have gone from a stall to a free fall.
The Twins traded for Margot with the idea that he'd be a more offensively powerful insurance plan for Byron Buxton than Michael A. Taylor. He also blocked Austin Martin's otherwise clear path to the 26-man roster, someone who seemed to be a perfect option to platoon with Buxton and start chipping away at making an impact as part of the team's youth movement.
Margot has repaid the Twins by hitting .198/.257/.250 with a -0.7 WAR while also becoming a defensive liability. Meanwhile, Taylor has remained as consistent as he was last year, except he's doing it in Pittsburgh, and Martin hasn't been given enough opportunities to remain on the MLB roster.
It's one of the most frustrating road blocks to success the Twins are facing, yet the team doesn't seem willing to cut bait on Margot yet. He's been rewarded for his struggles by taking starts away from Martin and has been handed the leadoff role more times than fans care to count.
Thankfully the Dodgers are paying most of Margot's salary this year, and his $4 million hit -- the only one he seems to be getting this year -- might be one the Twins feel like they can move on from.