Opening Day is just over two weeks away and the Minnesota Twins still have some roster trimming to do before things are set.
Most of the 26-man roster is locked in, with the additions of Carlos Santana and Manuel Margot both shoring things up but also blocking some top prospects from potentially having a shot at making their debut. The Twins signed Santana after trading Jorge Polanco, a move that was made to help free up a logjam of upcoming infield talent.
Specifically, Brooks Lee was a name that everyone was keeping close tabs on as he's the team's no. 2 prospect and has been getting hyped up all winter by Twins brass. Derek Falvey teased him as being close to major league-ready which got everyone excited about when he'd get called up.
Austin Martin seemed to be even further ahead of Lee in the pipeline and there was a direct path for him to the Opening Day roster. That all came to an end when the Twins traded for Manuel Margot, something confirmed by the team's latest round of Spring Training roster cuts.
Minnesota Twins option Austin Martin in latest round of roster cuts
After the Twins Spring Training game against the Tigers on Tuesday, the team announced another round of roster cuts -- the third in two weeks.
Martin was among four players the Twins optioned on Tuesday as the team continues to trim down its roster. The move ends any hope that he'll be making his debut on Opening Day, however it's unlikely to be the last we hear from him.
Here's who the Twins reassigned as part of the latest round of roster cuts:
- Austin Martin, OF
- Jair Camargo, C
- Emmanuel Rodriguez, OF
- Yunior Severino, 2B
Everyone was sent to Triple-A St. Paul except for E-Rod, who wwas optioned to Double-A. It's notable that all three players were added to the 40-man roster at the end of last year to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, something worth reading into beyong Martin and Rodriguez.
Severino is a power hitting infielder who lit up Triple-A late last year and could be a dark horse candidate to get called up later this season. Jair Camargo has a longer shot at the majors, but if something happens to Ryan Jeffers or Christian Vazquez we could see him get added to the mix.
As for Martin, his path might be similiar the one Edouard Julien followed. After Joey Gallo hit the IL early in the season, the Twins called Julien up and never looked back. He's since grown into being a critical piece of the team's core, and was one of the reasons Polanco was expendable this winter.
Martin was projected perfectly as a backup option for Byron Buxton in centerfield, with the ability to play the infield as well. We'll have to wait to see him make his debut, something we've been holding out hope for since he was acquired as part of the Jose Berrios trade in 2021, but it might not be long before he finds his way into the big league lineup.