Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Last season the Minnesota Twins limped to the finish after the Pohlads mandated a selloff of the roster at the trade deadline. Despite turnover in the front office during the winter, little was done to substantially shake up the roster for new manager Derek Shelton.
The returns through their 3-5 start thus far have been as expected, for a team that isn’t projected to be very good. The defense has struggled and bats have been inconsistent, just like the bullpen.
How can they fix what’s broken? Well, they should start with defense, where their downgrade from Carlos Correa to Brooks Lee is only the start of their infield problems. Meanwhile, Royce Lewis continues to struggle at third base.
And that’s before we even get over to first where we’ve seen a combo platter of mostly Victor Caratini and some Josh Bell. Neither free agent has impressed anyone at the position, which is no surprise. Bell has never been a good defender and Caratini is a catcher.
Significant shakeup could save Minnesota Twins infield
Is there a fix that doesn’t include spending Pohlad’s money? Actually… there might be. The only 26-man roster move that could be a solution is calling up top prospect Kaelen Culpepper to play shortstop.
Like Lewis, having Lee at the hot corner is a defensive liability. Still, it’s better than having him at short. So, then keep Keaschall at second base and move Royce Lewis to first base.
I don’t know if it’s crazy, but I don’t hate an alignment that goes Lee-Culpepper-Keaschall-Lewis from left to right on the dirt by the end of the year.
— Ted (@tlschwerz) April 4, 2026
No longer are there substantial lower-body injury concerns for Lewis. At first base, he could lean into the power-hitting profile that he’s been going for, since arriving on the big league scene.
Royce has already proven his pick skills for balls in the dirt, and at first, he won’t have to use his arm — which is what gets the 26-year-old in trouble.
Short hop throw.
Zero ability to scoop.
Defense. pic.twitter.com/tRgQdo3lm7
— Ted (@tlschwerz) April 4, 2026
Of course this all hinges on a belief in Kaelen Culpepper being ready. He is just five games into his Triple-A career and will need more seasoning. He’s a better defender than Lee already, though, and has shown well at the plate in his first three minor league seasons (.822 OPS).
It’s hard to believe that the Twins would ask Lewis to learn the other side of the diamond on the fly. However, they did just that when moving him to second base two years ago, and this may be in his best long-term interest. Matt Wallner could be a possibility at first too, but the athleticism Lewis possesses may make him an anomaly at the spot.
The reality that this team isn’t likely to be good is only made worse if they aren’t interesting. Right now, most of the interest sits in St. Paul with the Saints. That roster is completely loaded. Beyond Culpepper, it’s the outfield that shines brightest.
Outfield changes coming too?
There’s little reason to push Byron Buxton out of centerfield at this point. It would be wise to start considering an eventual move to left field, though. Neither corner position has to be cemented with Austin Martin, Trevor Larnach, Matt Wallner, or James Outman however.
Emmanuel Rodriguez has wheels 👀
MLB’s No. 69 prospect (@Twins) reaches on an infield single and steals second base as he reached 29.1 feet/sec for the Triple-A @stpaulsaints.
Watch what happens next: https://t.co/7xBadLh8HR pic.twitter.com/a0yPQOwxRL
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 4, 2026
Emmanuel Rodriguez and Walker Jenkins are both capable of playing centerfield, albeit each have injury concerns of their own. Gabriel Gonzalez is very likely just a left fielder, but Alan Roden has utility to him as well.
At some point this summer at least two players of that group should be flanking Buxton in center, and getting regular reps at the big league level. All four options have seen a relatively notable amount of Triple-A action. That’s only going to be more realized as the months get warmer.
If the Minnesota Twins are going to be bad this year, then they best figure out a way to learn something from it. Turning over the defense to kids ready to exit the farm system seems like a good way to execute on that. We aren’t there yet, but we aren’t far off either.
Mentioned in this article: Brooks Lee Kaelen Culpepper Royce Lewis
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