Rather than calling up an exciting prospect like outfielder Walker Jenkins or shortstop Kaelen Culpepper, the Minnesota Twins recalled infielder Tristan Gray after placing center fielder Byron Buxton on the 10-day injured list with a right hip impingement on Wednesday.
Minnesota should've given Jenkins or Culpepper an opportunity over Gray, who has hit just .232/.271/.333 (66 wRC+) in 63 games with Minnesota this year. Gray is a poor defensive shortstop who, at 30 years old, is likely past the point in his career where he could emerge as a game-changing player. Sure, he can occasionally get a big hit and provides versatility by being able to play all four infield positions, but his overall impact on the club is negative, not positive.
Meanwhile, both Culpepper and Jenkins have star potential. Jenkins is the Twins' No. 1-ranked prospect (MLB Pipeline), while Culpepper is ranked No. 2.
With Buxton out for the time being, Jenkins could have easily filled in as the team's starting center fielder. Jenkins is an above-average defender and runner, but his bat is why he has so much potential. He isn't hitting for as much power as many expected this season, but he has still slashed a solid .271/.383/.437 (114 wRC+) over 49 games for Triple-A St. Paul.
Culpepper would've been another exciting option for the Twins to promote after placing Buxton on the IL. The Twins' primary shortstop, Ryan Kreidler, has struggled at the plate lately, so Culpepper taking over at shortstop could've been an easy way for the Twins to upgrade their squad. In 68 games at the Triple-A level this season, Culpepper has hit .267/.367/.474 (115 wRC+) with 14 home runs and 44 RBI. He was recently on the IL with a glute issue, but is currently healthy.
Why did the Twins promote Gray over Jenkins, Culpepper?
There are several reasons why the Twins likely decided to promote Gray over Jenkins and Culpepper. One is that the club likely hopes Buxton will only be sidelined for a short period. Minnesota may not want to promote one of its top prospects just to demote them less than two weeks later.
Another reason is that with the looming lockout, the Twins may be hesitant to call up Culpepper and Jenkins this year. If Minnesota does call one of them up for the rest of the year, and then next season isn't played, that'd be a whole year of service time wasted.
Regardless of those reasons, the Twins still should've promoted Culpepper or Jenkins this week. If the team is serious about making a postseason run, calling up one of its top prospects is one way to improve the roster without sacrificing assets.
Add us as a preferred source on Google