The Minnesota Twins were rumored to be considering trading outfielder Max Kepler during the offseason, but that no longer appears to be the case. Reports have come out stating that the club is likely to keep Kepler for the upcoming season.
Kepler has been linked to a number of teams around the league desperate for outfield depth. One of the teams is the New York Yankees, who would like an upgrade in left field.
Kepler had a solid 2022 season in which he slashed .227/.318/.348. However, fans thought Kepler would be on the move when the team signed Joey Gallo and Michael A. Taylor this winter. Gemini seems to be keeping Kepler as protection until the right deal is done.
Baseball fans, especially New York Yankees fans, are not happy with reports that Kepler is staying in Minnesota. They hoped to be in stripes at the beginning of the season.
“You got like 10 OF’s people,” said a fan.
“Boo,” exclaimed another fan.
It looks like the Yankees will have to throw out the combination of Aaron Hicks and Oswald Cabrera in left field.
Other fans think the Minnesota Twins made the right choice in keeping Max Kepler. They will have an elite outfield group, but it will be difficult to find at-bats for all of them.
They have Trevor Larnach, Joey Gallo, Alex Kiriloff, Nick Gordon, Matt Wallner and Kepler as left-handed only options. The remaining group of outfielders includes All-Star Byron Buxton, Michael A. Taylor and Gilbert Celestino.
Is keeping Max Kepler overkill for the Minnesota Twins?
The Twins could field an entire baseball team based on their outfield depth alone. There is no reason to keep all these outside players. There’s no way he’s going to be able to get consistent hits for all these guys.
However, the team doesn’t want to get rid of one of their guys, especially Max Kepler, for nothing. They will probably hold off until they get a reasonable trade offer. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Twins hold out until the team offers them an upgrade in the bullpen.
Their bullpen has a lot of uncertainty outside of Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. Teams are only as successful as their bullpen allows them to be.
The American League Central appears to be open until the 2023 season. If the Minnesota Twins can make an upgrade or two, they have a legitimate shot at winning the division.