The Minnesota Twins have to be pleased with what they’ve seen from Royce Lewis recently. After struggling mightily to begin the season, Lewis has regained the look of an impact player since he was recalled from Triple-A St. Paul on June 6. But it hasn’t stopped speculation that he could be traded ahead of the Aug. 3 deadline.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden named Lewis in a list of 10 “under the radar” candidates who could be on the move in the lead up to the deadline. While Lewis has done all the right things, Bowden believes there will be a market for him ahead of time that could make him available later this summer.
“The only question is: Can he stay healthy?” Bowden wrote. “He’s healthy now, and several contending teams are looking to upgrade at third base and he can also play first base, so he may get moved. Lewis is still only 27 and although he struggled early in the season and was even optioned to the minors, he’s rebounded, hitting extremely well during his time in Triple A and continuing to mash after returning to the major leagues.”
Royce Lewis and the Twins have six weeks to figure out their future
Lewis was demoted after hitting .163/.261/.279 with three homers and 13 RBI in his first 31 games but responded by hitting eight homers in 13 games with the Saints. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft has looked like a different player since his return, hitting .278/.344/.556 with four homers, eight RBI and a pair of stolen bases in the past 14 games, but it’s been more than an offensive spike.
The Twins have moved Lewis to the right side of the diamond and he has played first base in all but one of the games since his return to the majors. Lewis has also worked with Twins legend Justin Morneau to become more comfortable at his new position and with the Twins reluctant to give 2020 first-round pick Aaron Sabato a cup of coffee in the majors, it could bode well for his long-term future with the team.
But this could also be an effort to rehab his trade value. The Twins appeared to be preparing for life without Lewis, moving Brooks Lee to third base and waiting on the arrival of top prospect Kaelen Culpepper at shortstop while he was in St. Paul. While Luke Keaschall is at second base, his struggles on defense have been part of a disappointing sophomore campaign, although one that hasn’t erased him from their long-term plans.
The Twins also entered Monday one game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final Wild Card spot in the American League and 3.5 games back of the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the AL Central. But Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com pointed out that they are a notoriously streaky team with 5-16 and 3-10 stretches mixed in with their current 8-3 record in their past 11 games.
The flaws could come back to haunt the Twins ahead of the deadline as they begin a three-game series with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night. They also have a trip to visit the New York Yankees over Independence Day weekend and will meet the Guardians for seven games over the month of July.
If the Twins don’t perform well, their odds of selling at the roster could grow and last year’s deadline showed that no player is untouchable, perhaps leading to a surprising deal. Lewis has two years of team control remaining before he becomes a free agent in 2029 per Spotrac. But the Twins could be cutting costs ahead of a potential lockout this winter, sending Lewis away to continue a deep rebuild.
Lewis’s injury history, which Bowden mentioned, could play into things and if he cools off, it could be enough to pull the trigger. But for now, the Twins will hope Lewis’s hot play continues and it helps the Twins remain in contention in the weeks leading up to the deadline.
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