The Minnesota Twins have some decisions to make before August 3. And now Royce Lewis is getting wrapped up in the conversation.
According to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, Lewis has emerged as a potential trade candidate. The 27-year-old infielder is currently healthy, which is not something you could always say about him, and that has contending teams looking his way. Bowden noted that several playoff-bound clubs need help at third base, and Lewis can also play first base, which only adds to his appeal.
“The only question is: Can he stay healthy? He’s healthy now, and several contending teams are looking to upgrade at third base and he can also play first base, so he may get moved. Lewis is still only 27 and although he struggled early in the season and was even optioned to the minors, he’s rebounded, hitting extremely well during his time in Triple A and continuing to mash after returning to the big leagues,” Bowden wrote.
Lewis started this season in the majors but got sent down to Triple-A after a rough stretch. He has since bounced back. In the big leagues this year he is hitting .203 with a .289 on-base percentage, seven home runs and 21 RBIs. Those numbers do not jump off the page. But his track record in the minors and his flashes at the MLB level keep teams interested.
This is a guy with a .247 career average and 53 home runs across parts of several seasons. The catch has always been durability. He has only played more than 100 games in a season once.
Lewis is not the only Twin generating trade buzz. Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan have also been mentioned as possible moves if Minnesota cannot climb back into the playoff picture. Right now the Twins sit at 38-41, which puts them 3.5 games back in the AL Central but only one game out of a wild-card spot. So it is not over yet. But it is close.
This front office has some tough calls to make over the next few weeks. Hold onto the core and push for a run. Or start selling and restock for next year. Lewis being on the table suggests they are at least listening.
Teams looking for a right-handed bat with positional flexibility and upside will be watching. Whether the Twins actually move him might depend on the next 10 or 12 games. If they fall further back, the calls get louder.
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