The Minnesota Twins are in the middle of a rebuild, but it’s not certain to what extent they are willing to reboot the roster. If they’re hoping for a power reset, the Twins will try to construct a roster that can win next year. If they’re in for a long rebuild, they could call up several young prospects to gain experience at the major league level.
There are several players they could call up that would tip their hand, but the most notable is Jose Miranda.
Miranda has hit at every level of the Twins system this season. He started the year at Double-A Wichita and hit .345/.408/.588 with 13 homers in 47 games, and he immediately produced when he arrived in St. Paul, hitting .338/.402/.592 with 12 homers.
In addition to his performance at the plate, Miranda has shown an ability to play anywhere on the field. The Twins attempted to use Luis Arráez in the super-sub role this season, but injuries and poor performance have left him relegated to the infield.
With a hole in the lineup and a need in the field, Miranda has the resumé for a September callup. But even if his hot season continues, the bigger question is what the Twins will decide to do with Miranda next season.
The most likely path? The Twins are aggressive next season to prove this season was an outlier. If they can add some pitching, they’ll supplement an offense that is fourth in home runs. Miranda’s way could be blocked by Arráez and Josh Donaldson because they are less willing to call up an untested rookie in a win-now situation.
But the alternate route makes things more interesting. The Twins could decide that they’re too far apart on a deal with Byron Buxton and the task of finding four pitchers to fill out the rotation may be too big of a task for one offseason. If that’s the case, the Twins will probably go out of their way to find at-bats for Miranda.
Such a strategy would be reminiscent of what the Twins did during the 2000 season. They entered the year with several veterans on the roster and unloaded most of them to allow their young players to get major league experience. The core of Torii Hunter, Cristian Guzman, and Corey Koskie slogged through a 93-loss season, but it built the foundation of a competitive team throughout the next decade.
The Twins could take this approach by letting Miranda play with their top prospects. He could be a key component of a lineup built around Alex Kirilloff, Austin Martin, and Trevor Larnach while also grooming a pitching staff that includes Joe Ryan and Drew Strotman.
The pitching staff could get reinforcements throughout the season with Jordan Balazovic, Jhoan Duran, and Simeon Woods Richardson on the verge of a call-up.
Fans may have flashbacks of the dark days of the 1990s, but the Twins could still have enough to avoid a long rebuild. If they want to use Kirilloff at first base, they could keep Max Kepler in right field. The Twins could also put Jorge Polanco at shortstop and Arráez at second base to free up room for Miranda at third.
Even Josh Donaldson could stay as the Twins’ designated hitter and Buxton, pending a contract extension, could continue to patrol center field. Such a core might not be able to compete with the Chicago White Sox next season but could be in the hunt for a division title as soon as 2023.
The allure of a step back to take a couple forward may entice the Twins, but it depends on what happens this offseason. If they fill out their rotation and lean on veterans in the lineup, a player like Miranda may not make an impact until 2023. If the Twins decide to turn Miranda loose, it could signal a rebuild that could create a new star.
