The Minnesota Twins are at a bit of a crossroads after Royce Lewis tore his ACL. While he didn’t factor into their immediate plans, he was expected to get called up later in the season and take over as the long-term shortstop. Lewis will likely have to wait a little longer before making big leagues, and that will hurt the Twins’ middle infield depth.
The news of Lewis’ injury opens some doors for other middle infielders to get called up to the majors and provide valuable depth.
Veterans who sign spring training deals usually aren’t in a team’s major league plans, but they can still be valuable. That might just be the case for 35-year-old utility man Andrew Romine. He won’t sniff the Opening Day roster, but he could be a reliable depth piece this year.
Remember Romine? In 2017 he played all nine positions for the Detroit Tigers in their 3-2 win over the Twins. The Los Angeles Angels’ fifth round pick in 2007, who spent four years in Anaheim and Detroit and had four at-bats with the Texas Rangers last year, won’t likely be asked to play all nine positions for the Twins. But he can play third base, second, and left field.
Signing Andrelton Simmons has allowed the Twins to shift former shortstop Jorge Polanco to second base and thrust Luis Arraez into the super-utility role, replacing Marwin Gonzalez. But injuries are always a concern, and both Simmons and third baseman Josh Donaldson have been forced to miss time recently.
If Simmons is injured during the season, the Twins would likely slide Polanco back to short and put Arraez at second. But their depth will be tested if more than one infielder is forced to miss time.
Williams Astudillo can adequately play every position, but he will probably spend most of his time at catcher, splitting time with Mitch Garver and Ryan Jeffers. He would likely offer better production with his bat, but Romine is a superior defensive player at second and third.
Donaldson and Simmons have strengthened the left side of the infield. Considering the adequate amount of power already vested in the lineup, we could see manager Rocco Baldelli opt for a more defensive-minded replacement. In many cases, teams would call up a prospect from St. Paul, but Romine offers far more experience and flexibility, which could be important for a team like the Twins.
Even though both Travis Blankenhorn and Nick Gordon should vault ahead of Romine on the depth chart, he could still compete with these two for a potential shot at the last bench spot. Romine also offers the Twins positional flexibility, which they have shown they value with players like Gonzalez, Arraez, and Ehrie Adrianza getting consistent play in the last few years.
The chances of Romine starting the season with the Twins is slim, but he could offer valued infield depth and be stashed at Triple-A until he is needed.
