Twins' latest roster shuffling a throwback, should mean the end for Max Kepler with team

The Twins had an introductory news conference for baseball CEO Derek Falvey and GM Thad Levine on Nov. 7, 2016. It was the first serious shakeup of the baseball operation since November 1984, when new owner Carl Pohlad put Andy MacPhail in charge as general manager.

MacPhail left a decade later to become baseball boss with the Chicago Cubs, but the Andy Tree stayed in power through what became a worst-ever 59-103 for the 2016 Twins.

The first signing of note for Falvey and Levine came at the end of their first month:

Jason Castro, a veteran catcher known for his skills behind the plate with the Houston Astros.

Castro was 29, a lefthanded hitter who could "run into one" on occasion at the plate, but what excited the new leaders was how he could bring the Twins up to speed with the new-age phenomenon: pitch framing.

And, not only could he steal 2.5 strikes per game, Castro also would be a leader and excellent presence in the clubhouse.

The six seasons of Falvey and Levine have been topsy, turvy, topsy and now turvy again, and now they have wound up back where they started:

The attempt to recover from the Great Fade of 2022 starts with the free-agent signing of Christian Vazquez, a catcher known for his skills behind the plate — including "framing!"

Vazquez was at Target Field on Friday, signing a contract, looking around and answering a few questions from local media inside the clubhouse.

Falvey stuck around afterward for an informal interview session and assured his small audience Vazquez also will be a leader and excellent presence in the clubhouse.

Vazquez had spent a career in the Red Sox organization — a regular in recent seasons — and then was traded to Houston on Aug. 1.

The main reason for that: Jason Castro, the backup to Martin Maldonado, tore a meniscus in June and could not recover without surgery, and the Astros needed a new backup.

Vazquez and Castro both wound up with World Series rings. Castro, 35, announced his retirement on Dec. 2, and 10 days later, Vazquez, 32, was receiving a three-year, $30 million contract from the Twins.

There were other options for Vazquez. One reason for choosing the Twins, he said in soft-spoken manner, was to help "bring a championship to this city."

And, wow-za, that became before the splendid news later Friday the Twins had reached a one-year, $11 million deal with outfielder Joey Gallo. This was a tremendous relief to Twins fandom concerned as to how their favorites were going to replace Miguel Sano's strikeouts.

The Gallo acquisition leaves the Twins with four lefthanded-swinging corner outfielders on the 40-player roster — with Joey joining Max Kepler, Trevor Larnach and Matt Wallner.

There's also Nick Gordon, a candidate to again play often in left field, and Alex Kirilloff, more of a first baseman if he actually can play after what seems a last-chance surgery on his troubled right wrist.

Alarmists — as are most of us with the Twins — would suspect bringing in Gallo represents pessimism over Kirilloff's future.

That would be a baseball version of tragedy, since Kirilloff's swing was marvelous and he was destined to hit in the middle of an order — meaning, 3 through 6 — for the next dozen years in the big leagues.

What Gallo's arrival does do for certain is mark the end of Kepler's time in Minnesota. Max was tremendous as a recently as 2019.

Then, starting at age 27, he became Max Kerplunk. And now that the ban of drastic infield shifts arrives in 2023, giving devoted, lefty-pull hitters such as Max a chance to pick up an extra 20 hits, he's going to be traded.

All those full-time Twins critics offering past comments on media outlets suggesting "Miguel Sano will leave here and become another David Ortiz" can take encouragement over this:

Kepler's new team could have a staff that can get Max interested enough in baseball to discover left field, hang in against lefties, and again take advantage of that outstanding athletic ability.

Finally: Why no dwelling on the Carlos Correa drama?

Because when it came to the Twins, there was none. No matter the bull-slinging from various parties (especially Carlos), if Correa remained free of major injury, it was always going to be a one-year stay in Minnesota.

Always — as in 100% chance the shortstop was gone for 2023. Which is OK, since the Twins have Kyle Farmer.