Twins Video
At long last, Emmanuel Rodríguez is in the major leagues. After years of waiting to see one of the most talented offensive prospects in the Twins’ system reach Target Field, Rodríguez has arrived, and he's taken up a flexible role in what remains a shifting outfield picture for the team.
With Rodríguez joining Walker Jenkins and Kaelen Culpepper, the Twins suddenly have a pretty clear glimpse at what their offense could look like next season (although Culpepper will spend at least the bulk of the remaining games on the injured list). The challenge is figuring out how to get all of those young players on the field. There’s essentially no way for the Twins to continue rolling out their traditional lineup with Rodríguez in the mix. In broad strokes, Rodríguez has taken over in left field against right-handed starters and in center field against southpaws, but there are plenty of other options the Twins could explore over the remainder of the season.
The focus should be on the future. At this point, there’s no reason Rodríguez, Jenkins, and Luke Keaschall shouldn’t be the everyday outfielders. Keaschall already was one, and this is the perfect opportunity to get Rodríguez a...