The Minnesota Twins were quite a disappointment this season, finishing in last place in a weak American League Central at 73-89. Injuries to a couple of key players in Byron Buxton and Kenta Maeda didn’t help matters. Nevertheless, the team just couldn’t find a way to win games. While the offense wasn’t bad as they ended the season second in the AL in home runs with 228, the pitching was atrocious. After finishing third in the AL in ERA last year and fifth in 2019, the Twins arms didn’t show up in 2021 sporting a bloated 4.83 ERA, good for second-worst in the AL behind the Baltimore Orioles.
At the deadline, the Twins made a few shrewd moves unloading Jose Berrios and Nelson Cruz to bring back a few top prospects. With J.A. Happ and Berrios gone, along with Michael Pineda entering free agency, Minnesota needs to address the starting rotation. The bullpen cannot be ignored either as their signings of Hansel Robles and Alex Colome didn’t go as planned. Robles was moved to the Boston Red Sox and Colome is a free agent and the Twins have to hope that they can fill those roles with better players in 2022.
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Offseason Strategy
The main focus for Derek Falvey and his front office will be to address the pitching. While the Twins have quite a few arms that may be invited to spring training and fight for a couple of spots in the starting five, there needs to be another veteran or two. Minnesota does not have deep pockets so whether it is finding a bounceback candidate or trading from a deep farm to bring in another arm, they should explore the market thoroughly.
Again, it isn’t just the rotation that needs an overhaul. The bullpen was downright awful except for Taylor Rogers, Tyler Duffey, and Caleb Thielbar, and even those three weren’t overly impressive. With the pitching depth the Twins have in the minors, they have options to put a few guys in the relief. However, they need some stability and have to have a couple of guys Rocco Baldelli can count on game in and game out.
Keys to the Offseason
Go Get an Ace…and Then Some
The Twins don’t generally splurge in the free-agent market, but the only way to turn this thing back around is to pay for an ace. While acquiring one starter likely won’t be enough considering the state of the rotation as it stands, it will go a long way to stabilizing the staff. A great place to begin is to find a pitcher to at least replace Berrios’ production. Once that happens, Minnesota can then go out and sign another starter or two to fill in innings and give them some length while they allow their young pitchers to develop.
Add Bullpen Depth
This can probably be said for many teams, and the Twins certainly fit that mold. Except for the aforementioned threesome of Rogers, Duffey, and Thielbar, it seemed everyone Baldelli called on just plain stunk. Minnesota absolutely has to find a couple of pitchers to do what they expected from Colome and Robles last season. As with the rotation, stability is the key. The Twins used 29 players in relief last year and 25 of them made at least three appearances while only four of them threw 45+ innings. Even though the team will likely be able to shift a pitcher or two to the pen, they should still get that go-to guy.
One More Bat
With Buxton hurt and the Twins trading Cruz at the deadline, the lineup got shortened significantly. While the bats were still fairly solid, replacing Nellie’s production should be addressed. Minnesota could bring him back, or they can opt for a middle infielder/outfielder who can mix and match around the diamond. Either way, Boomstick slashed .304/.386/.598 in his time up north and that type of damage from the middle of your lineup needs to be at least partially replaced.
Offseason Targets
Robbie Ray, 30, Starting Pitcher
One of the big fish in this year’s free-agent pool is Ray. After inking a one-year deal with the Toronto Blue Jays last season, the big lefty certainly put himself in a great position. He led the AL in ERA (2.84), strikeouts (248), IP (193.1), and WHIP (1.045). Ray is a front-runner for the Cy Young award and should win. The control issues the 30-year-old once had are now gone. After walking 11 percent of the batters he faced from 2014-2020, Ray issued a free pass to just 6.9 percent in 2021. He will surely command an ace’s salary but the Twins have to seriously consider making him the anchor of their rotation as their young prospects come up.
Brad Hand, 31, Relief Pitcher
In 2021, Hand played for three different teams and had an off-year by his standards. However, since becoming a full-time reliever in 2016, the lefty has appeared in 43 percent of his team’s games while sporting a 2.90 ERA. At just 31 years old, Hand likely has a few good years left. He would give the Twins someone they could rely on to come in and pitch quality innings for nearly half of their games. The southpaw made $10.5 million last year and Minnesota could lower that salary even more if they locked him into a three-year deal.
Eduardo Escobar, 32, Second Base/Third Base
After a rough year in the shortened 2020, Escobar found his power again last year playing with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Milwaukee Brewers. He blasted 28 home runs and drove in 90 with a solid .334 wOBA and 107 wRC+. He offers the Twins some versatility as he can play anywhere on the infield except shortstop. It would allow Minnesota to move Luis Arraez around, give an aging Donaldson occasional time at DH, and fill in for Miguel Sano when he hits his usual cold streak. Escobar’s bat isn’t what Nellie’s is but it would at minimum soften the blow to bring back the switch-hitting slugger.
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