Breaking news: Royce Lewis was suspended by the head coach of the Minnesota Twins because of.
Fort Myers, Florida: Many athletes with lengthy histories of injuries have foregone enormous future earnings in favor of financial stability throughout the years,Royce Lewis, an infielder for the Minnesota Twins and a rising star, is unlikely to be one of them.
Lewis, who was selected first overall in the 2017 MLB Draft and is represented by agent Scott Boras, is well-versed in baseball business matters.
He called the recent mega-deal that Bobby Witt of Kansas City inked “wonderful.” Lewis also considers how awesome it would be to be able to bid on his services by teams when he becomes a free agent.
Lewis wants to stick with the Twins despite his curiosity about the sector.
Not that the two have gotten engaged, but he claims it would be an idiot of him to ignore the Twins’ discussions about a long-term deal.
Lewis, who missed two seasons due to ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments in his right knee, had a breakout season in 2023, but even if they had, he wouldn’t feel pressured to sign an agreement for less than top cash.
Lewis stated, I don’t think the injuries have done anything. All you have to do is play, go out, and enjoy yourself.
Though I don’t feel quite as safe monetarily as Shohei Ohtani or Mike Trout would, I still consider myself to be in a secure financial situation.
Lewis’s current financial situation will have to do for the time being. An extension doesn’t seem feasible right now.
The Twins are currently reducing salary, maybe by as much as $30 million from the previous campaign.
Even though the Twins and Bally Sports North recently agreed to a one-year broadcast rights agreement, they should anticipate more instability in the upcoming offseason.
The remaining players on the roster will also soon become more costly.
Lewis stated, “I would love to hear anything, but I don’t think they’re in a position to do that right now.” They have significant financial issues that they need to resolve initially, particularly with the payroll and TV expenses declining. On the totem pole, I’m last.
Lewis is not affected by any of this; he is under team control until 2028.
He is keen on getting the regular season underway on time, something he hasn’t done before 2020, and he is healthy.
Lewis’s ACL tear ended his spring training in 2021. As he recovered, he was only allowed to play in eight plate appearances at spring training in 2022.
Lewis missed every Grapefruit League game last spring due to being locked into another rehabilitation.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli stated, “It’s nice to start in a good place and right now we’re starting in a place where he’s prepared.
He’s all set to go. Rather than worrying about preparing his body for baseball, he can come in and focus just on playing the game. He’s prepared to play at this moment.
On Saturday, Lewis made his debut in an exhibition game and went 0-for-2 with a strikeout.
During live batting practice earlier this week, he stunned teammates with his sheer power. Lewis sent a slider on a line in the opposite direction, hitting a frozen rope that cracked off the pavement above the right-field fence for a home run, after reliever Justin Topa backed up the pitch and left it hanging inside.
Lewis remarked, “I don’t have to catch up.It seems like I’m prepared to play Opening Day-caliber baseball come spring training. When you feel that way, your body makes a significant impact.
I’m just happy that I can go about my everyday business without having to visit the physical therapist every day to find out what I’m permitted to do. It’s enjoyable.
Lewis finally showed last season what he could look like in a healthy state.
In 239 plate appearances, he blasted 15 home runs and drove in 52 runs, generating at a.309/.372/.548 clip.
Lewis was excellent enough on several occasions to make the Twins competitive even in the absence of Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton.
Following his comeback from his second ACL tear on May 29, Lewis was placed on the disabled list twice.
After suffering an oblique injury that kept him out of action for 36 games in July and August, he was doubtful to play in the postseason after missing the team’s last 10 games due to a tight left hamstring.
But he was a force, the kind of guy that teams want to center their lineups around.
The Witt signing earlier this month to an 11-year, $288.7 million agreement solidified Witt’s position as the player the Royals plan to center their future around.
Lewis remarked, It’s amazing. He deserves every dime because he worked extremely hard for that. Seeing the Royals, who haven’t actually spent much money at all, was, in my opinion, just unique.
They appear to be opening up now that they may soon be constructing a new stadium here. Bobby seems like the ideal candidate to be the face of the franchise, which they badly needed.
Lewis’s imprisonment would likely require a similar arrangement.
Not only is it improbable that he will accept a team-friendly contract—such as the one Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler inked in the spring of 2019—but Boras also doesn’t usually negotiate contracts of that nature.
Lewis would probably not sign for even a four-year, $73.5 million contract, even though Pablo Lopez signed for a considerably closer to market value last April.
Lewis had plenty of financial leeway thanks to his $6.73 million signing bonus from the 2017 draft. Since making his major league debut in May 2022, he has also been paid the major-league minimum.
Lewis still travels in the Batmobile, a 2017 Toyota Camry he bought, partly due to the state’s lack of income tax.
Lewis was rewarded for his production at the end of the previous season with a $341,900 bonus from the pre-arbitration players pool, as if all of that wasn’t enough.
Lewis stated, “The way I live my life, I feel like I’d be great off the money I have right now.
Lewis is undoubtedly viewed by the Twins as a player who represents the brand. He’s the perfect ambassador—always positive, amiable, and joyful.
These personality traits, in addition to Lewis’ exceptional talent set, were a major factor in the Twins selecting him first overall in the 2017 draft.
It remains to be seen if they can ever discover enough ground to call Lewis home. But maintaining the young player on the pitch is currently each team’s top priority.
Derek Falvey, president of baseball operations for the Twins, stated, We’re always open to different conversations with a lot of our young players.
Sometimes our paths cross, and other times they don’t. However, our goals are to keep Royce healthy, ensure that he plays the entire season, and help him develop further into a player whose potential he has already shown glimpses of.
