The past three months have been downright awful for Twins utility infielder Kyle Farmer. In arguably the worst performance of his 8-year career, Farmer is cratering at the plate and Twins fans are quickly losing patience.
A career .255 hitter coming into 2024, Farmer is slashing .197/.304/.274 in 135 plate appearances. The power has evaporated; he's still yet to hit a home run and has just 9 doubles on the season.
It's not all bad though. Farmer is still playing solid defense and the .250 BABIP suggests some positive regression should be in the cards.
Unfortunately for the Twins, they don't have time to wait Farmer out. As of Tuesday evening, the Twins are just shy of 10 games back in the AL Central, trailing the scorching hot Guardians.
Will the Twins DFA Kyle Farmer and call up Brooks Lee?
The Twins currently lead the AL Wild Card race but they'll need every bit of production they can get from here on out. With Brooks Lee tearing up Triple-A to the tune of .350/.400/.617, Thad Levine will need to find a way to get him to Minnesota sooner than later.
Brooks Lee hits his 5th HR of the season to give the @StPaulSaints the lead 💣
— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) June 26, 2024
Over his last 5 games, he has hit 3 doubles and 3 home runs and is riding a 7 game hitting streak 📈#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/JjXCS0TrU3
If Farmer does get DFA'd, there's a slim chance he'll pass through waivers given his ability to play multiple positions defensively and his history of being a serviceable hitter.
He also has a mutual option for 2025, so a claiming team would only be locked into the rest of this year's $6 million salary. It's a reasonable bet for a team to make, given the cost and potential upside.
Where will Kyle Farmer end up if the Twins DFA him?
The Rangers' starting infield is set with Marcus Semien and Corey Seager locked into second and short, but their bench bats have been lackluster all season. They're currently relying on Davis Wendzel as their backup infielder, and the rookie has struggled to a .111/.135/.222 line so far.
Texas is just outside of the AL Wild Card race but are absolutely in need of improved bench bats and Farmer fits that mold well.
The Dodgers are dealing with a handful of injuries and recently claimed infielder Cavan Biggio off waivers from the Blue Jays. Biggio has struggled all year, as have utility-men Enrique Hernandez and Chris Taylor. Farmer would give the Dodgers another solid defensive option and with their player development machine, might be able to get Farmer back on track at the plate.
Lastly, Andruw Monasterio has been a weak spot for the Brewers all year. The 27 year old was a solid bench bat for them in 2023 but he's collapsed at the plate and isn't a strong defender anywhere on the diamond. Farmer would allow the Brew Crew to shift Monasterio back to the minors and give them a more versatile bench defender.
At the rate things are going, Brooks Lee might press the Twins' hand sooner than later. If Thad Levine and the front office want to make a push for a playoff spot this summer, their best option might be to bounce Farmer and give Lee the opportunity to prove himself.