The Twins Shouldn't Spend (Much) On Starting Pitching This Offseason

[Matt Braun]

As the month turns to September and the coffee becomes pumpkin-spiced, the discussions among teams outside of the playoff race has shifted towards offseason plans. Unfortunately, this includes the Twins. This roster has more holes than a target at a shooting range, and the front office has their work cut out for them. Some may be inclined to immediately look for a few starting pitchers who can bring relief to a much-depleted Twins rotation, but I believe that this would be a mistake. Allow me to explain.

(For the record, I did not intend for this to be a pseudo-response to Nick Nelson’s article from the other day, but it worked out like that.)

In all likelihood, Kenta Maeda’s Tommy John surgery has ended any chance he has of pitching to any significant degree in 2022. There remains an outside chance that he can return in nine months, but even that heavily optimistic prediction shortens his 2022 season. Because of this, the potential Twins starting rotation in 2022 as of this very moment will consist solely of players with little MLB playing time and John Gant. And John Gant is not a starter. You, yes, you, my good reader, have about as much playing time as any of these other guys. Sure, Bailey Ober has flashed some ability; but the names after him are either questionable or dreadful. It is an unsustainable rotation. The natural thought would be then to sign an entire stable of starters. Just line up pitchers and send them through in such rapid fashion that FDR’s 100 days would appear to have run at a snail’s pace. 

But this would not be a good idea. First, which teams have built a successful starting rotation on such short notice? Yes, the Giants have found success this season with this method, but they are the exceptions. Look down the list of the top rotations by fWAR. Almost every team has a foundation of starters who were either developed internally or acquired before this last off-season. Teams like the Giants are relatively rare in building a starting rotation; most great units require a more solid base. The Twins, by comparison, would have to sign four starters (or three and pray that someone fixed Randy Dobnak) and assume that Bailey Ober will be available for 160+ quality innings next season. Not a great plan.

Secondly, let’s think big picture. What good would a patchwork rotation be in 2022? There remain significant questions regarding the stability of this current core of players. The central nucleus of names is getting older. Considering that this same group of players has struggled early in 2021, why should we believe the situation will suddenly be any better? Will Miguel Sanó abruptly learn plate discipline? Will Max Kepler’s BABIP finally go above .250? I think not. The moves made by the front office signal to me that they do not plan on seriously competing until 2023. They traded José Berríos, a starter under control for 2022, for prospects. Yes, it was also because the deal was great for them, but the main driver, I believe, was a fundamental belief that this team, as currently constructed, will come up short in any effort in 2022 without heavenly intervention. Why else would they also peddle core players like Byron Buxton and Kepler? 

One of the other main tenants in the belief of a 2022 surrender is the prospect situation. It isn’t the lack of quality of prospects; they have those. It’s when they should make their MLB debuts. According to MLB.com, nine of their top 10 prospects will likely debut this year or next year. According to Fangraphs, it is nine of 11. Neither of these lists includes Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach, who, while no longer prospects, will become long-term players in their own right who can (and will) replace current names. These soon-to-be-Twins reflect a conscious effort to have 2022 be a messy season in which the Twins can figure out which players will contribute in 2022 and beyond. Call up all the kids, see what they can do, then decide from there. There will be no competing next season.

Now, while this should prevent the Twins from going all-in on starters, they should not utterly abstain from signing. They should target a younger long-term arm like Jon Gray, Eduardo Rodriguez, or even a more prominent name like Marcus Stroman. These players can bring an essential veteran presence while not presenting the same risks that an older (but probably better) pitcher like Zack Greinke or Justin Verlander will have. If the team wants to sign a player of that magnitude, it makes more sense to do so after 2022, when the genetic makeup of the team makes more sense. 

This line of thought does raise one more important question. If the team only signs one major starter, where does the rest of the money go? Their theoretical spending limit will be significant after this season. While I would love to give Mr. Pohlad a chance to purchase another absurd yacht or buy off a state senator or something, I don’t believe that money should go to waste. Perhaps the team could look towards signing one of the many All-Star shortstops available this off-season or decide to hand out an early extension to one of their numerous pre-arb players. I know that advocating for minimal movement on the rotation front while inking a high-caliber position player to a long-term deal seems like a strange idea, and it is. The key phrase is “long-term”; I’m thinking about building a better 2023 team, not a better 2022 team, and a burnt contract year is just the cost of investing. 

I get it, though. This team has not won a playoff game since the Bush administration, and it feels that it may be asking the world of some to hold off another season before diving headfirst back into the fray. No one wants to do that. This idea comes from the same desire that every other Twins fan possesses; we want this team to succeed. We want to finally shed the pressure that is years of unmatched playoff ineptitude. All I am asking is that the team realizes the poor situation that 2022 will likely be and instead decide to take a better-calculated shot at playoff success with a more solid foundation underneath them. What good will one more poorly constructed hopeful playoff run do? Plan for a better future. 

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[mikelink45]

I like the idea of using 22 as a year to experiment and develop our young pitchers.  Use it so that in 23 we really know what we need.  Concentrate on the BP with any signing.  The BP has become as significant as the rotation in this era.  

[Nashvilletwin]

Couldn’t agree more with this post and mikelink45. 

As a small/mid market team, we need to look for windows. Ours could open again in ‘23. 

In this era, having a staff with 3-4 cheap SPs who can deliver 5-6 ips and 3 ers or so (i.e. era 4.50-5.00) augmented by a shutdown pen is a good strategy, particularly for lower budget teams. Save the bucks on starters and commit more $ to the pen. 

By ‘23 we should be able to identify a strong stable of young, league minimum, controllable SPs out of our many options. Maybe one or two develop into legit #2s.  But it might not matter if four of them are legit #3-4s. Then bring in a veteran leader (Berrios?) if necessary/desired.

But in all cases, have a shutdown pen. 

Two asides: 1. Resign Buxton. 2. Is Rocco the right guy to lead/develop these young players?  Given the horrendous lack of fundamentals displayed by this team this year, it’s a legit question.  

 

[Sielk]

I agree, the last thing I would want the Twins to do is signing another bunch of stop-gaps that only block young pitchers. Especially because this FO has so far shown a lot of reluctance to simply release/trade veterans that are clearly not part of the solution. There always seems to be a fear that the vets might still be needed and thus the Shoemakers and Caves of the world are kept far too long.

One exception: If the Twins find a legitimate frontline starter in FA that would actually be willing to sign a reasonable long-term contract here, they should absolutely do it.

If there is one thing we have learned from past years, it's that signing a top SP is far easier said than done. It would be too bad if the Twins didn't sign a starter right now, only to find out next year that none of the top starters in that class wants to come here.

[TopGunn#22]

I will disagree with your premise while still applauding an excellent, well thought out article stating your thoughts.

And we really may not be that far apart in our reasoning.  There are just too many innings to fill and too many young arms on the horizon that the Twins will want to protect to some degree for the Pohlad's and FO to be content bringing in retreads like Happ & Shoemaker for 2022.  Fangraphs listed some players as 2021 call ups (Cole Sands) who probably aren't going to be up THIS season but could get a "taste" in 2022.  That said, here's who they say will be "UP" sometime in 2021:  Balazovic, Duran, Strotman, Joe Ryan, Miranda, Rortvedt, Gordon and Colina--Out for the season).  Some of those guys HAVE been up, many have not...yet.  I consider the entire list "possible" for 2022.  here's the guys they list as 2022 (which I consider more 2023 if not LATE in 2022):  Lewis, martin, Canterino, Winder, Sands, Wallner and Enlow--who has missed all of 2021 and may need all of 2022 in the minors.

Here is a partial list of FA or trade targets the Twins could pursue.  Of course it always comes down to WHAT do you have to give up,  but here goes:  Alcantara, Manaea, Bassitt, Eduado Rodriguez, Jon Gray, Stroman, Jon Means, Carlos Rodon, Danny Duffey (Robbie Ray/ Kevin Gausman---They would be expensive but we have $2-$22 million to work with that we are NOT paying Berrios.  Thor is a pipe dream and he's too risky...I don't like a guy trying to pitch when the world knows he's not allowed to throw any breaking balls.  But the guys listed here are huge upgrades to Shoemaker/Happ.  Add in that Colome blew game after game after game to begin the year and 2021 was sour from the outset.  2022 does not have to be a throw-away year to "see what we have" in terms of young pitching.  We're going to have plenty of opportunities to see what we have because there are PLENTY of innings to go around.  I just don't want the Twins to simply submit to the White Sox in 2022.  Bad stuff could certainly happen to the "mighty whitey's" that would allow for a Twins resurgence.  Who on TD thought the Giants would be in 1st place on 9/4?  Who on TD predicted the MARINERS would have the season they're having ?? 

[jorgenswest]

The Twins have proved false the often stated “There is no such thing as a bad one year contract”.

The practice of signing stop gap pitchers to the rotation or late inning relief needs to stop. That gap only becomes wider the next year and the decline phase pitchers often found in one year deals are not guaranteed gap fillers.

This doesn’t mean do nothing. They need to sign a free agent pitcher to a long term contract for the top of their rotation. They can make trades as they did for Odorizzi and Maeda. Instead of signing the Happ’s and Shoemaker’s they need to be better than every other team at identifying pitchers that have failed elsewhere and find that upside.

They also need to invest innings into their own young pitching. If they can’t develop their own under control pitching they can not sustain success.

 

[DJL44]

Who will be the new Bob Tewksbury?

[jorgenswest]

17 minutes ago, TopGunn#22 said:

Who on TD thought the Giants would be in 1st place on 9/4?  Who on TD predicted the MARINERS would have the season they're having ?? 

I think they need to take the Mariners path. They need to be better than everyone else at identifying a Chris Flexen. They need to invest innings in young pitchers like Gilbert, Sheffield and Dunn. They need to identify the prospects in trade that will make an impact as they did with Gonzalez. If they go the free agent route it has to be for multiple years of control as it was with Kikuchi. The Mariners have seen success and have one of the younger pitching staffs in baseball. Maybe the best moves this winter will be one where no ones would have predicted success.

[strumdatjag]

I would certainly like the Twins to sign one Top Starter as a free agent and otherwise go with a youth movement and Dobnak to fill the rotation.   The problem: any top starter is likely to want to play for a contending team and is likely NOT to see the Twins as such a team.  So, practically the Twins will be relegated to bottom feeding and aging (probably fully aged) veterans and hoping they get a SP who can bounce back or have a career year.  They should not overpay for a legit number one in the rotation at this time.  

[LastOnePicked]

I agree. For the first time in years, I'm fine if they sign absolutely nobody. Once Berrios was traded and Maeda lost for 2022, the white flag has been waving over One Twins Way. This FO hasn't shown a keen ability to target and sign effective veteran starters, and those they have signed haven't done very well here.

We're again a AAAA team. Time to own it and retool the development and evaluation aspects of this team. No more losing the Ynoas and Gils of the future. No more feeding prospects to the rest of the league. Figure out who you have, what they can do and how they can contribute. Then try to supplement that core in 2023 and beyond.

What might make all of this harder for us fans is that Chicago looks to be a force for years to come beyond 2022 (unlike the Twins, they seem to be able to make a splash in trades and free agency), and the Tigers have a superior farm system. The chance for the Twins to end the playoff win drought might be years away at this point. Maybe the playoffs will expand in the next collective bargaining agreement - that would help.

[terrydactyls]

16 minutes ago, strumdatjag said:

I would certainly like the Twins to sign one Top Starter as a free agent and otherwise go with a youth movement and Dobnak to fill the rotation.   The problem: any top starter is likely to want to play for a contending team and is likely NOT to see the Twins as such a team.  So, practically the Twins will be relegated to bottom feeding and aging (probably fully aged) veterans and hoping they get a SP who can bounce back or have a career year.  They should not overpay for a legit number one in the rotation at this time.  

Why should the Twins be "relegated to bottom feeding and foraging" if they have a dozen minor league arms that are being advertised as future stars?  Bring up the young guys and see what happens.  Use what money you have to resign Buxton (if it makes sense), bring in one of the free agent shortstops (preferable one that is solid defensively), and aim for 2023.

[adjacent]

The article is well reasoned. But many times we are overthinking this things. Every year teams that are supposed to be "contenders" fall flat (our beloved Twins are the example this year), and teams that come out of nowhere end up contending (Washington 2 years ago, last year Tampa, this year Giants). So, for next year, try to assemble the best team you can and see what happens. What I agree, don't waste your time and money with bad retreads for the rotation.  We have enough internal candidates for that. One or 2 really good ones for the rotation and that's it.

[mike8791]

Matt, afraid I have to strongly disagree here.  First, there is plenty of payroll space to spend on one top FA.  With about an $80MM starting forecast going into the offseason, there should be enough($20-25MM) for a top FA pitcher in his prime, resign Buxton($10MM in incentives), sign a proven closer, e.g., Kimbrel at $15MM).  Plus, resigning Pineda or some comparable #3($10MM), a stop gap SS($5-10MM) and additional proven bullpen piece($5MM).  Is a $150MM payroll excessive for a mid market team?  Not if you want to return to competitiveness.

Secondly, if the FO can think big for once, there is no reason they couldn't pull a Preller and risk giving up some prize prospect(s) plus one or two of our current roster to net an up and coming major league starter to slot in the #2 spot.  We have an overload of corner OFs, middle IFs and maybe even catchers.  If Falvey can't secure an emerging starter with a package of Arraez, Kepler/Larnach or Jeffers, plus one of our top 10 prospects, then we've got the wrong man in the position.  Sure, we'd have to overpay for the right guy, but I'd rather do that than wait for our prospects to contribute enough to make this team a true contender.  Relying on prospects alone is likely a sure way to become the Pirates of the AL Central.

The other fallacy in your argument is that if we took the more moderate path, wouldn't our window on offense be closing by 2024?  Donaldson is gone, so is Sano and Garver in all likelihood.  Can these guys be adequately replaced by Kirillof, Larnach, Martin, Miranda by 2024?  And can the pitching prospects you mentioned be likely to form the core of a contender's staff by then?  How has dumpster diving/waiting for pitching prospects to develop worked for this organization in the last 10 years?  Let's dream big for a change!

[bean5302]

There are only 26 spots on a roster right now. It doesn't matter if Fangraphs has 100 prospects ready to debut, you need to find a place on the active roster to make those debuts. If the writer is advocating 2022 as an experiment year, what they're really advocating is a high potential for a full rebuild so those limited roster spots can actually be used for prospects.

I've seen very few calls to tear it all down and trade Garver, Kepler, Buxton, Donaldson and one of Polanco or Arraez, but that's what's really going to have to happen. Plus cutting bait on a number of young pitchers and again, ditching the bright spots in the bullpen for a do-over next year. Lewis, Martin and Woods-Richardson are the only A grade prospects in the Twins system right now. While the Twins' farm system is very deep, it's filled with what are expected to be mid-level players at best. If you make room on the roster for the prospects and it turns out those prospects don't pan out, you're now looking at a very long rebuild, hampered further by what are going to be new CBA rules that are absolutely going to be approved to prevent all out tanking.

People throw around top arms or second tier arms without actually considering their cost. A "Marcus Stroman" is going to get $150MM this year, folks. If the Twins are willing to do 6yrs $150MM on a pitcher, they're also willing to spend and trade to get the other pieces they need to compete now.

[Rosterman]

Whoever the Twins sign, they need the ability to eat innings. Odorizzi was lucky to go five in a game. Pineda isn't giving full seasons. Can the Twins find at least one workhorse that can push towards 200 innings and a couple of guys who can reach and go past 150 innings. Most of the rookies will be pressed to go 100-120 innings in their next go around (Duran, Balazovic, Enlow, Canterino with Sands, Strotman, Jax, Ober, Barnes, Ryan on the higher end of that spectrum). 

 

[Original_JB]

2 hours ago, terrydactyls said:

Why should the Twins be "relegated to bottom feeding and foraging" if they have a dozen minor league arms that are being advertised as future stars?  Bring up the young guys and see what happens.  

Think about who is doing the advertising.  It is known as "selling hope", and the Twins have that skill running in perpetual motion. For all the touting, truly, how many "MLB Stars" have been developed and come out of the Twins organization over the last 25 years?

[LA VIkes Fan]

I think this is a very well reasoned article and a solid approach, although I would tweak it in one way. I think the twins really need to go hard For a youngish, front line starter like Marcus Stroman and sign him to a four or five year contract. Sign Buxton on a 5 to 7 year deal. Sign Rogers for three years, $20-$25 million.  I would also bring back Pineda on a one year, $6-8 million kind of deal (or2 years if necessary). He will give us 125 solid starter innings so he doesn’t block someone completely. He simply shares one starter spot with a midseason call-up type. The rotation starts out as Stroman, Pineda, Ober, Ryan, and Dobnak. There will be plenty of opportunity for the next group of starters like Strotman, Winder, etc. from IL stints, the inevitable two months off for Pineda, and potential ineffectiveness. The most important thing is to get Ober and Ryan 30 starts so we know if they are solid mid rotation type starters for 2023 or more, or just not ready. Then in the off-season before the 2023 season, sign one more number two or number three starter and you have your contending rotation. In effect, use 2022 to find a minimum of three solid or better starters from the young starters.

Frankly, I also agree that we should use this off-season to separate the wheat from the chaff in terms of that on-field core and see if there are good prospects out there for some of the Players who are not likely to be helping us in that next hoped for contention window of 2023-26. The three obvious question marks are Kepler, Sano, and Donaldson, the first two because they just haven’t really panned out the way we hoped and the third because of his age and physical condition. I would at least gauge the trade market for these guys. I think it is unrealistic that they will bring back a controllable starter, but I could see them bringing some high ceiling prospects or a young shortstop. That does leave us with a young batting order that’s likely to have some significant ups and downs so I would see if we can augment it by resigning Nelson Cruz or keeping Donaldson to be that number 4 hitter bulwark. They may not want to do that given the contention window is at least a year away but it’s worth a shot so we have some lineup stability as the group develops. 
 

So in short, use 2022 as a development year around a good starter, a good number 4 hitter, and Rogers as the bullpen stalwart. I actually think the talent is good enough for us to win 80-85 games that way, stay in contention for a playoff spot, and give these guys some valuable experience. This should set us up for a 2023-2026 contention window.

[Dman]

I hate to say it but in many ways I agree with this article.  Until we develop at least three solid young arms we are destined to not be able to compete at the playoff level.  It takes MLB experience to develop young pitching and if you are always filling it with one year arms I think you are on a treadmill trying to get somewhere. 

The Twins have a lot of young pitching ready to come up and they don't have a ton of 40 man space to waste so they need to know who can make it and who can't.  Once you have that base of young pitching established then you can top it off with a proven vet or a one year contract on a guy trying to come back. 

We aren't going to compete in the market for an ace level pitcher so we have to develop our own.  They have finally built up enough volume of good to great potential arms that they should find out what they can do.  Maybe we get lucky and as those guys develop they hold their own and we have good season to boot.  Maybe they all fail and we have to start over but best to find out what guys stuff translates to MLB and whose doesn't.  

 

[LA VIkes Fan]

Amen, brother. We have to develop our own number one starter. It’s difficult to find one in a trade and we simply aren’t going to be able to/willing to pay the prices for a free agent at that level. The only way you develop a number one starter is to get them on the mound and let them pitch. We learned this year that Ober has a real chance to be a mid rotation guy or better, that Jax isn’t ready and may be a better relief pitcher  than starter, and that Charlie Barnes probably doesn’t have enough stuff to make it in the majors. We found that out by pitching them and giving them a chance to succeed or fail. We need to keep doing that for guys like Ryan, Winder, Strotman, Blaze, etc. 2022 is the perfect year to do that in the rotation and, frankly, at a few positions in the field.I would say we went one for three this year on starters, with Ryan still a question mark Since he just got here. And I think that  Jax could actually be a quality relief pitcher at the major-league level.  That’s about as good as you can expect to do. Let’s get these guys on the mound and see what they have.

[old nurse]

5 hours ago, jorgenswest said:

I think they need to take the Mariners path. They need to be better than everyone else at identifying a Chris Flexen. They need to invest innings in young pitchers like Gilbert, Sheffield and Dunn. They need to identify the prospects in trade that will make an impact as they did with Gonzalez. If they go the free agent route it has to be for multiple years of control as it was with Kikuchi. The Mariners have seen success and have one of the younger pitching staffs in baseball. Maybe the best moves this winter will be one where no ones would have predicted success.

The current Mariners have won nothing. They are better than what they were, not as good as they once were

[old nurse]

6 hours ago, jorgenswest said:

The Twins have proved false the often stated “There is no such thing as a bad one year contract”.

The practice of signing stop gap pitchers to the rotation or late inning relief needs to stop. That gap only becomes wider the next year and the decline phase pitchers often found in one year deals are not guaranteed gap fillers.

This doesn’t mean do nothing. They need to sign a free agent pitcher to a long term contract for the top of their rotation. They can make trades as they did for Odorizzi and Maeda. Instead of signing the Happ’s and Shoemaker’s they need to be better than every other team at identifying pitchers that have failed elsewhere and find that upside.

They also need to invest innings into their own young pitching. If they can’t develop their own under control pitching they can not sustain success.

 

The rationale behind the comment there is no bad one year contract is that you are not stuck with a mistake for several years. The rationale then for it being false would be that the players should have been signed for longer. The Twins received reasonable prospects for their one year players that they could trade, cheaply cut bait on the untraceable one. This year’s Twins are the proof of there are no bad one year contracts. 

[DocBauer]

To echo Topgun#22 and others, a well thought out and written arguement, but I am also going to disagree. Maybe not entirely, but I will nonetheless. 

First of all, signing someone like Stroman would be a quality veteran who is relatively young to help front the staff and have value for 3-5yrs. SOMEONE besides just a bunch of rookies are going to be needed to start 162G. There are a number of "decent" options such as Pineda, for example, on 1yr deal for $6-8M as a stopgap. The question, in my mind, is do you stop there and use the final 3 spots for the young arms, OR, can the FO pull off another solid trade as they did for Odorizzi and Maeda? 

If the FO can make such a trade, you still have the remaining 2 spots to be Ober, Ryan, Dobnak, and others. And we all know you are going to need more than 5 or 6 SP for a full season. And if your 1yr signing doesn't turn out and the young arms are looking good, you can release said veteran. Further, if said signed actually pitches well and you aren't in position to contend, or again someone young is ready, you have a mid-year trade option. 

There is sufficient $ to spend without breaking the bank to make these kind of moves. A 1yr SP does nothing to block young talent. And maybe some will disagree with me, but other than a decent, solid temp SS and a solid, quality RH 4th OF, I think this team is good position player wise. 

Now, the pen needs addressing, no doubt. But a single, long term contract, a hopeful trade acquisition and an inexpensive 1yr starter does NOT blow up the payroll or handcuff you. And you will have more than enough opportunity to throw the young arms throughout 162G schedule. 

Why wouldn't you try to compete in 2022?

[TheLeviathan]

Sure, but only because we drop 25M AAV on a shortstop.

[Rosterman]

They never really do.

 

Giving a Donaldson contract to a starting pitcher? They had their chance with Berrios, maybe last off-season. 

 

And, why would someone come to Minnesota...now.

 

Look at expensive arbitration pitchers that other teams may not want to keep (Boyd at Detroit). The Athletics have pitchers they don't want to pay. Even as a one-year rental, it all depends what you need to give up in trade.

 

Otherwise, comeback pitchers (been there, done that).

 

Albers, Gant, Thorpe, Smeltzer, DObnak with Ober in the wings is the 2022 rotation. My call! St. Paul has Stortman, Ryan, Sands, Jax, Barnes.

[Dman]

3 hours ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Amen, brother. We have to develop our own number one starter. It’s difficult to find one in a trade and we simply aren’t going to be able to/willing to pay the prices for a free agent at that level. The only way you develop a number one starter is to get them on the mound and let them pitch. We learned this year that Ober has a real chance to be a mid rotation guy or better, that Jax isn’t ready and may be a better relief pitcher  than starter, and that Charlie Barnes probably doesn’t have enough stuff to make it in the majors. We found that out by pitching them and giving them a chance to succeed or fail. We need to keep doing that for guys like Ryan, Winder, Strotman, Blaze, etc. 2022 is the perfect year to do that in the rotation and, frankly, at a few positions in the field.I would say we went one for three this year on starters, with Ryan still a question mark Since he just got here. And I think that  Jax could actually be a quality relief pitcher at the major-league level.  That’s about as good as you can expect to do. Let’s get these guys on the mound and see what they have.

Assuming Ober and Pineda are penciled in next year. I am still not sure how many young pitchers that we have that will make it through an entire season as so many were hurt this year but I think Winder, Ryan, Strotman, Balazovich can be options with maybe Sands and SWR with an outside chance as well.  I can't see Duran making it and Canterino seems like a long shot with the tendinitis issue (Maybe it clears up maybe it doesn't).  Beyond those arms you likely have Dobnak and Jax to work in as needed as well.  That seems like a fair bit of depth and they all are young arms as well.

The Twins could still add one more vet if desired but I think that's a good group to start with.  I am probably in the minority but I still think Dobnak and Jax can make it as starters.  Hoping they just find an out pitch of some kind.  Randy still makes guys hit the ball into the ground if he can just get that K rate up I still think he can be a mid rotation arm.  If he can't get the K rate up then he is who he is and Bullpen would be the ceiling and if the K rate isn't there we might have better guys in the pen anyway.  I am still a believer that both those arms can make it if they can improve just a little bit.

I have to believe someone or two of Winder, Ryan, Balazovich, Strotman, SWR etc. make it and then we can build from there.

[Brandon]

I think there is room in the budget for at least 2 starting pitchers.  We have 2 fillers in Dobnak and Gant.  Ober seems a solid bet to be successful.  Ryan looked good in 1 start.  I bet he makes good too.  Sign 2 starters and we should be fine.  That would give us 6 starters and several at AAA hopeing for an opportunity.  We can trade for a third starter too with a rebuilding club as we have a rediculous number of prospects on the way.

It was mentioned above that our offense is in its competetive window and we should take advantage if that.

[tony&rodney]

The post sets forth ideas and presents them in a reasoned manner, however, I must respectfully disagree. The Twins have some talent on their roster and a few positions are doubled up, which allows for trades to strengthen weaknesses. Byron Buxton may be the player with the most potential for stardom and I hope he can be with the team for a number of years. Still, every player, even Buxton, on the squad can be traded if a need can be filled. There are many pathways for the Twins to reconstruct a competitive team. Throwing the young prospects forth will not work, if we want to watch something approaching .500 baseball.

The past few games have shown us what happens with young and/or inexperienced pitchers. You need to sift through more than twenty milb pitching prospects to get to a Twin, Jordan Balazovic, currently at AA, as the top pitching prospect for the Twins. The Twins are behind in an arms race in the AL Central at both the MLB level and at the milb level. It is clear the team needs some help. The Twins have a pile of decent prospects and I am excited to see how they develop. Asking three prospects to fill rotation spots is a surrender to 100+ losses. The Twins do not have three arms ready to pitch in the major leagues as starters. 

If a full rebuild must occur then people should wonder why and how the current core fell so far, so fast. A full rebuild would ruin season ticket holder sales among other financial issues. The Saints have begun to see a decline in interest as their team fades. Will those of you who want to see prospects pay to go watch a 120 loss team or even watch/listen to every game? My opinion is that a few trades and a few free agent signings can work with the young prospects to make the Twins competitive in 2022. 

 

[Mike Sixel]

The young pitchers need a mentor or two..... They need at least one veteran, probably two. Then use the rest of the staff to rotate guys in.....

[Rigby]

I guess we can always stretch Turtle out....

[Boom Boom]

I don't disagree with the article, but...

If you were Byron Buxton, and you turned down the last contract offer, would you be more inclined to re-up now in a rebuild?

I think if the Twins go this way, they need to trade Buxton.