The Minnesota Twins made the decision to part ways with fan-favorite infielder Willians Astudillo. The roster move comes following video footage of his involvement in an absurd brawl in the Venezuelan Winter League. Astudillo was a major contributor to the brawl that took place during the LVBP game between his Caribes de Anzoantagui and the Cardenales de Lara.
In the video, Astudillo was seen sprinting onto the field and delivering an absolutely vicious haymaker on an unsuspecting member of the opposing team, sending him crumpling to the floor.
Willians Astudillo throws an absolute haymaker during this Venezuelan league game #MLB pic.twitter.com/T0UFokJBT4
— Sheffield Shuffler (@SheffieldShuff) November 21, 2021
Yeah, a right hook that huge is not going to go unnoticed by your Major League club, and now it looks as if Astudillo will be paying the price for his actions.
In 2021, Astudillo featured in 72 games for the Twins. He recorded a .634 OPS with seven home runs and 21 RBI. He debuted with Minnesota in 2018 as a 26-year-old rookie and quickly became a favorite among Twins fans, earning the moniker ‘La Tortuga'. A somewhat portly fellow, Astudillo displayed amazing effort on the base paths, running his hardest and often losing his helmet while entertaining the masses.
Unfortunately, not even his popularity in the Twin Cities could save him from the chopping block after a disappointing 2021 campaign and his involvement in the altercation.
Following up on this roster news…
– Willians Astudillo cleared release waivers and is now a free agent
– Charlie Barnes cleared outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A St. Paul https://t.co/qSDhIWYw45— Do-Hyoung Park (@dohyoungpark) November 24, 2021
Astudillo officially cleared waivers on Wednesday so he will be a free agent. Based on his performance in 2021, it's unlikely anyone brings him aboard on anything more than a Minor League deal. Hopefully, the 30-year-old can get back on track with a new organization in 2022.
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