Kevin

Merrell

Merrell latched on with the Twins on a minor league contract back in January and has been cut loose after hitting .262/.329/.433 with seven homers and two steals in 44 games between Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul. The 26-year-old former first-round selection by the Athletics back in 2017 has yet to reach the majors.

Merrell, a former first-round selection who was the centerpiece of the Homer Bailey trade with the Athletics back in 2019, was released by the Royals last October. The 26-year-old infielder hit hit .200/.288/.300 with three homers and seven steals across 173 plate appearances between Double-A Northwest Arkansas and Triple-A Omaha last year. He’ll serve as organization infield depth in Minnesota this season.

Merrill was acquired from the Athletics in a deal for veteran righty Homer Bailey back in 2019 after being selected 33rd overall in the 2017 MLB Draft. The 25-year-old infielder hit .200/.288/.300 with three homers and seven steals across 173 plate appearances between Triple-A Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season.

Merrell was selected 33rd overall in the 2017 MLB Draft out of the University of South Florida, but he is already 23 years old and has batted just .246/.292/.339 with two home runs in 318 plate appearances this season at the Double-A level. He plays good defense at shortstop and has great speed, but he isn’t much of a prospect.

Merrell is one of the fastest players in the class, and he should be able to stay at shortstop. There’s no power here, but he might hit enough to play everyday. He probably projects best as a utility player.

Merrell was the 33rd pick of the 2017 draft out of South Florida. His calling-card is his speed, but the left-handed hitting infielder also has a line-drive stroke that’s capable of making hard contact to all parts of the field. His likely outcome is a utility player, but there’s just enough offensive potential here that he could become an everyday player at shortstop or second base.