Minnesota Twins Utility Player a Surprise Finalist for Somewhat New Gold Glove Award

The Minnesota Twins season ended weeks ago , but they still have some individual awards to look forward to. Carlos Santana has been named a Gold Glove finalist , and he should be considered the front-runner to take it home. Willi Castro joining him is more of a surprise, but that’s exactly how it played out.

Willi Castro gets Gold Glove consideration for the Minnesota Twins

There was never a doubt that Carlos Santana would be among the frontrunners for a Gold Glove award . He has been a defensive gem for Rocco Baldelli. It is much more curious that Willi Castro would be named as a finalist, but his impressive 2024 breakout just keeps rolling .

Whereas Carlos Santana posted strong defensive metrics across the board , Castro’s numbers are much more pedestrian . The utility man played at five different positions this season (while also appearing on the mound). His ability to contribute all over the diamond is certainly what generates consideration for this award.

Related: Willi Castro Had One of MLB’s Craziest Stats in 2024

Without throwing water on his prospects, it is somewhat difficult to see where he was beneficial defensively. Playing so many different positions means that the same size is small, but the advanced metrics don’t exactly love his glove in too many places.

Realistically Castro is a jack of all trades while being a master at none. He played substantial innings at shortstop this season due to injuries that plagued Carlos Correa , Royce Lewis, and Brooks Lee. That is probably his worst position, and it shows through his generated metrics. Byron Buxton being relatively healthy kept Castro out of center field, and he fared much better in left.

Related: Minnesota Twins Hire Familiar Hitting Coach From Out of AL East

Ultimately this is the life of a utility player. Both Dylan Moore and Mauricio Dubon have similar situations plaguing their overall defensive value. Offensively, which unfortunately factors into Gold Glove consideration, Moore posted a 104 OPS+ with Dubon tallying an 88 OPS+ . Castro’s final number came in at 102 OPS+ .

It’s hard to handicap this position and suggest whether Castro will best his competition or not. Regardless, he presents a very intriguing player for the Twins to decide on this offseason. His 2025 salary will be at or above $6 million through arbitration. With money not coming in from ownership , that could be a steep contract to keep .

Related: 4 Surprising Minnesota Twins Non-Tender Candidates

Either way, Castro proved to be invaluable for Rocco Baldelli this season. When his teammates continued to drop like flies, Castro was there to play 158 games all over the diamond.

More must-reads:

• Minnesota Twins 1B Carlos Santana Keeps Gold Glove Hopes Alive
• Aaron Gleeman Trashes Minnesota Twins Ownership AGAIN
• Son of Yankees Legend Fires Internet Strays at “Mega Wealthy” Minnesota Twins Owners