The Twins didn’t just bring up Kaelen Culpepper for a look. They brought him up because he can change how the whole roster fits together.
Minnesota promoted its No. 3 prospect, the shortstop, on Friday morning, and he wasted no time leaving a mark. Through his first two big league games, Culpepper is 1-for-5 with a home run, a walk, a strikeout and two hit-by-pitches. That homer came in his second career MLB at-bat, an early reminder of the pop that helped make him one of the organization’s most highly regarded young players.
The bigger story, though, is what Culpepper could mean for the Twins beyond his own box score line. This is a club with plenty of defensive flexibility already built into the roster. What it has been missing is a steady answer at shortstop, and that’s the piece that lets Derek Shelton use all those movable parts the way he wants.
If Culpepper settles in there, everything else gets easier.
He arrived after a strong run at Triple-A St. Paul, where he logged 343 plate appearances and hit .271/.367/.478 with an .845 OPS.
He brings power, speed and enough infield ability to fit into more than one role. But Minnesota does not need him to become just another chess piece.
It needs him to become the everyday shortstop in a position-player group that already has plenty of moving parts.
Royce Lewis has been playing first and second regularly, and third base remains in the mix for him too. Brooks Lee can handle multiple infield spots as a switch-hitter.
Kody Clemens has seen time at first, second and all three outfield positions. Ryan Kreidler can cover the infield and center field.
Luke Keaschall can bounce between second base and the outfield. Austin Martin adds yet another multi-position option.
Culpepper gives Shelton the chance to plant a natural shortstop in the middle of all that versatility.
For now, the infield picture looks pretty simple. Lewis should keep playing every day, Lee can stay at third, Clemens deserves regular chances and Culpepper can take over at short. Lewis has made himself awfully hard to take out of the lineup, too, posting a .900 OPS since the All-Star break with nearly even production against right-handed and left-handed pitching.
The real payoff comes in the lineup and defensive combinations around that core.
Kreidler no longer has to be viewed mainly as the answer at short. Shelton can use him where his defense and flexibility help most, including center field while Byron Buxton is sidelined.
Clemens can move between the infield and outfield depending on the matchup. Keaschall can slide from the outfield back to second base when needed.
Lewis can shift around the infield. Martin can be added against left-handed pitching.
That opens up a lot of options for a roster that has been searching for the right blend.
Against a right-hander, Shelton could lean more on Trevor Larnach, Keaschall and Alan Roden in the outfield. Against a lefty, Kreidler or Martin could enter the picture, with Keaschall moving if necessary.
Late in games, Shelton can tighten up the defense without getting trapped by position labels. When a regular needs a day off, there’s a better chance another regular can simply slide over instead of forcing a bench player into the lineup.
Culpepper isn’t the only reason that flexibility exists. He’s the player who can unlock it.
That’s what makes his promotion so interesting. The Twins didn’t bring him up to be shuffled all over the diamond.
They brought him up because they believe he can handle one of the game’s toughest jobs every day. If he does that, Shelton suddenly gets to be much more creative everywhere else.
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