It wasn’t all that long ago that Edouard Julien was putting together an impressive rookie campaign and looked as if he would be an important piece of the Twins’ core moving forward. Julien finished seventh in Rookie of the Year voting for a 2023 season in which he hit .263 with a .839 OPS, boosted in part by his .381 on-base percentage and 16 home runs.
But he was never able to replicate that level of performance, and on Wednesday his Twins tenure came to an end when he was traded, alongside recently designated-for-assignment pitcher Pierson Ohl, to the Colorado Rockies for minor league pitcher Jace Kaminska and cash.
Julien spent last season up and down between the majors and minors, finishing the year hitting .220 with an OPS+ that was 24 percent worse than the league-average hitter.
While Julien played some first and mostly second, he was a below-average defender, and his fit on the roster was in question with others ahead of him on the depth chart at those positions. He also was out of options, meaning the Twins would have had to carry him on their major league roster or expose him to waivers.
Both Ohl and catcher Jhonny Pereda, whom the Twins sent to the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday for cash considerations, had been designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for newly-signed reliever Taylor Rogers and catcher Victor Caratini.
Kaminska, a 24-year-old right-handed pitcher, spent last season at Single-A, where he pitched to a 2.78 earned-run average in 17 games (16 starts). He was a 10th-round pick in the 2023 draft. With the move, the Twins’ 40-man roster now sits at 39.
Keaschall progressing
Luke Keaschall spent his second straight winter rehabbing from a surgical procedure.
This time around, though, it was a much easier recovery. Keaschall suffered a thumb sprain in the final week of last season, necessitating a surgery just days later. Keaschall spent the early days of the offseason getting range of motion back and strengthening the finger before quickly getting back into baseball activity.
“I’m excited to be able to into (the season) healthy and be able to get ready for a season like a normal player and compete,” Keaschall said.
Keaschall underwent Tommy John surgery in August 2024 to repair his ulnar collateral ligament, which limited him to strictly second base last season as he was building back his arm strength and took the outfield, which he had played in the minors, out of the picture.
Now fully healthy, that could change this season.
“Playing baseball a year and a half out of TJ is going to be a little bit easier than playing six months out of TJ,” he said. “My arm’s going to be a little bit more comfortable, a little smoother, and more confident in my throwing 100 percent than I was last year. … I’m a ballplayer. I’ll play wherever you want me to play. If you want to move me somewhere, cool. I’ll be able to play winning baseball there.”
Briefly
The Twins’ equipment truck will depart for Fort Myers, Florida, on Monday from Target Field. It’s scheduled to arrive four days later. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report by Feb. 12 for their first workout.
Edouard Julien #47 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates after scoring a run in the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on August 23, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
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