Twins mailbag: Royce Lewis options, All-Star cases and the Jorge Alcala dilemma

New York Times

06-06-2025

My last mailbag column was written two days before the Minnesota Twins started a 13-game winning streak, so the vibes have shifted considerably.
At the time, the Twins were playing a nightmarish series in Cleveland, with a 13-17 record that soon became 13-20. Since then, the Twins have an MLB-best 21-8 record, turning their season around so much, so quickly that they would be hosting a first-round series if the playoffs started now.
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Of course, the playoffs don't start now. There are still 100 games to play and nothing figures to come easy for the Twins, who are expected to be without No. 1 starter Pablo López for eight to 12 weeks because of a shoulder injury. It's a big blow to a starting rotation that has been the team's biggest strength.
Let's open the mailbag and see what's on your minds about a second-place team that currently holds the American League's top wild-card spot.
Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length.
Will the Twins consider sending Royce Lewis down to the minors? Is that something they could even do? — Jack K.
To answer your second question first: Lewis has two minor-league options remaining and has accrued less than five years of MLB service time, so the Twins could send him down if they choose.
As for whether they'd actually take that drastic route? Maybe.
I wrote a lengthy story Friday detailing Lewis' prolonged struggles, so I won't rehash all of it. But for most 26-year-olds, batting .174 over 65 games spanning two seasons leads to a Triple-A demotion. The Twins have already moved Lewis to the bottom of the lineup and pinch hit for him. What else is left?
There's perhaps an argument to be made that Lewis isn't a typical 26-year-old, but the Twins have sent down other prominent players in recent years, including Miguel Sanó, Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach, Edouard Julien and Jose Miranda. Heck, last year they demoted Matt Wallner after 25 at-bats.
It's a last resort, certainly, and one Lewis and the Twins would like to avoid if at all possible. But he needs to improve soon because the current situation is hurting the Twins' inconsistent lineup, and it's getting harder and harder to see how it's doing Lewis any favors.
Another factor is Triple-A St. Paul's lack of appealing call-up choices. Luke Keaschall, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Austin Martin are hurt. Miranda and Julien have struggled since their April demotions. And the Saints' highest OPS marks belong to Carson McCusker and Mickey Gasper.
But big picture, identifying the correct path for getting Lewis back on track is a lot more important than who would replace him on the roster. For now, at least, it looks like the Twins will let him try to hit his way out of it.
When Royce smiles, we smile! pic.twitter.com/mSnm2YCOS9
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 4, 2025
Assuming no more injuries, where does Keaschall fit when he comes off the injured list at the end of the month? — Kent M.
While Keaschall is eligible to come off the 60-day IL on June 25, that doesn't mean he'll be ready to return then. That's just the earliest it can happen, and he's recovering from a broken right forearm suffered on April 25. I suspect June 25 would be optimistic.
Part of what makes Keaschall so intriguing is the flexibility to capably play second base, first base and all three outfield spots, so finding a fit should be easy if he's healthy and hitting. Plus, having covered the Twins for two decades, 'assuming no more injuries' is like asking about the Easter Bunny.
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What happened to Walker Jenkins' ankle? — Anthony P.
Jenkins resumed playing earlier this week, starting a rehab assignment in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League. Barring any setbacks, he should be rejoining the Double-A Wichita lineup soon. Injuries have been an issue for the 2023 first-round pick, but he's still just 20 years old.
In other top-100 prospect health news, Rodriguez was placed on the Triple-A injured IL with a strained right hip and is expected to be out two to four weeks. Rodriguez hit .232/.400/.392 in 39 games for the Saints, including a strong May, but he's missed substantial time with injuries in four straight years.
It feels like the Twins' defense overall — not just Byron Buxton, Harrison Bader and Carlos Correa — has improved this year. Do the numbers bear that out? — Andrew S.
Yes, although it's largely due to Buxton and Correa being healthier than last season and the offseason addition of Bader, who has been fantastic on both sides of the ball.
Last season, the Twins ranked 16th in Outs Above Average (+1) and 25th in Defensive Runs Saved (-20), two of the most prominent defensive metrics.
So far this year, the Twins rank 12th in Outs Above Average (+2) and 17th in Defensive Runs Saved (+7).
That trio is doing the heavy lifting for the Twins' defense. Their three best OAA totals belong to Correa (+7), Bader (+5) and Buxton (+4). And their three best DRS totals belong to Bader (+10), Correa (+3) and Buxton (+2).
Or, put another way: Aside from Bader, Buxton and Correa, the rest of the Twins' defense has totaled minus-14 OAA and minus-8 DRS.
What a catch by Harrison Bader! 😳 pic.twitter.com/JtATTwnzYU
— MLB (@MLB) April 27, 2025
Do you think the Twins will try to extend Ryan Jeffers this offseason? And what kind of contract could he get? — Jesse C.
Possibly, although the uncertain ownership/payroll situation makes it even more speculative than usual to predict contract extensions.
It would make sense, logically. Jeffers has a $4.55 million salary this season and is under team control for 2026 via arbitration, after which he'll be a free agent at age 30. Christian Vázquez is in the final season of a three-year, $30 million deal, so he'll be a free agent in November.
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I could see the Twins being interested in a relatively short-term extension for Jeffers, perhaps covering 2026 and two additional free-agent years, but anything longer than that carries quite a bit of risk considering how poorly most catchers tend to age.
Jeffers has hit .248/.331/.445 in three seasons paired with Vázquez, ranking eighth in OPS and 10th in bWAR among regular MLB catchers during that period. There are currently eight MLB catchers signed to contracts with an average annual value of at least $10 million.
Vázquez is one of them and, ironically, the three-year, $30 million contract he signed with the Twins as a 32-year-old free agent could be a reasonable floor for a possible Jeffers extension. Buy out Jeffers' final arbitration year for around $10 million and then add two years at $12.5 million each?
Jeffers would no doubt prefer a longer contract, and might just bet on being able to find it as a free agent, but a three-year, $35 million extension would place him among MLB's top 10 catchers for both total contract amount and average annual value. Good but not great catchers rarely cash in big.
What can the Twins do with Jorge Alcala? — Paul D.
Alcala, unlike Lewis, has more than five years of MLB service time, having surpassed that mark in April. That means he can't be sent down to the minors without his consent. If that weren't the case, he'd probably be in St. Paul right now, trying to get back on track with the Saints.
Alcala had an outstanding first half last season, posting a 1.56 ERA in 34 2/3 innings, largely on the strength of allowing zero homers. But since Aug. 1 of last year, he has a 7.02 ERA and 11 homers allowed in 42 1/3 innings, with a handful of prominent implosions.
When he's throwing strikes and keeping the ball in the ballpark, it's easy to look at Alcala's high-octane fastball-slider combo and envision him as a top setup man. But though he's had stretches of success, they've generally been short-lived due to injuries and/or ineffectiveness.
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Alcala has been used almost exclusively in a mop-up role this season — his average leverage index is by far the lowest of the bullpen's eight most-used relievers — but as we saw last weekend against the Seattle Mariners, even that will occasionally require pitching in spots that matter.
Every bullpen has an untrustworthy reliever or two, and Alcala has at least shown the upside to be a late-inning option. However, he's also 29 years old and under team control for just one more season before free agency, so the Twins need to weigh shrinking future upside versus present unreliability.
J.P. Crawford just took a piece out of the scoreboard with this go-ahead home run 🤯 pic.twitter.com/XEeALg5LGN
— MLB (@MLB) June 1, 2025
What is the long-term plan for the Twins at first base? — Will H.
Lots of MLB teams, including the Twins, often lack a long-term plan at first base for the same reason there typically aren't many top-100 first base prospects: Good hitters wind up at first base after moving there from other positions that proved too challenging defensively.
There are plenty of exceptions, of course, but first base is more commonly a destination than a starting point. In fact, the most-used Twins first basemen of the past 20 years — Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Sanó, Michael Cuddyer and Carlos Santana — all moved there from other positions.
In terms of planning, it's also worth noting the Twins have had a different most-used first baseman in each of the last five seasons:
2025 — Ty France
2024 — Santana
2023 — Donovan Solano
2022 — Miranda
2021 — Sanó
Miranda and Sanó slid over to first base from third base, where they were stretched defensively. And the Twins have signed an inexpensive veteran first baseman to a one-year contract in three straight offseasons, spending a grand total of just $8.25 million on France, Santana and Solano.
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Despite the lack of a multi-year fit and very little spending on the position, Twins first basemen have been exactly average over that five-year period, producing a .747 OPS that ranks 15th out of 30 teams. Depending on your point of view, that's either good value or a missed opportunity for more.
My assumption is the Twins will have a different most-used first baseman again in 2026. And probably another one in 2027, too.
Will the Twins put Dick Bremer in their Hall of Fame? — Heather B.
Yes, and I would assume within the next few years.
Longtime announcers Herb Carneal (2001) and John Gordon (2016) are in the team Hall of Fame, so there's precedent for inducting Bremer after 40 years as the Twins' television voice.
Their only issue will be choosing a different master of ceremonies for that class, because Bremer is usually the one doing those honors.
In the meantime, the Twins named the home TV booth at Target Field after Bremer, with a plaque outside the door.
What are the chances of the Twins getting more than one All-Star? — S.A.
Pretty good, based on recent history. They've had multiple players chosen for each of the past five All-Star Games, including Correa and Willi Castro in 2025. On average during the last decade, the Twins have gotten exactly 2.0 players per All-Star Game.
With the caveat that this season is barely two months old and the All-Stars are still more than a month away from being selected, the Twins have a lot of viable candidates in Buxton, Bader, Joe Ryan, Jhoan Duran, Bailey Ober, Castro and Jeffers.
But a lot can change in a month. For instance, three days ago López would have been near the top of that All-Star candidates list.
(Top photo of Royce Lewis: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)