Twins' Bullpen Needs Some Fresh Faces

[Trov]

I would be against Winder moving into full pen roll right now as he is our 6th starter will be needed from time to time to step in.  Similar with Sands if a guy goes down after Winder makes a start in AAA then he would be next man up most likely. 

As for Ronny Henriquez it is hard to say a guy with the numbers he is putting up that he will move into a pen roll down the stretch to be a high leverage arm.  Maybe the change would help, but he has a high walk rate to go with his k/9, and he gives up a decent amount of HR too, 11 in 48.2 innings.  High walks and HR numbers for high leverage situations normally does not work out well.  As we have seen with Pagan lately. 

[old nurse]

3 hours ago, TopGunn#22 said:

The argument could be made that with all the guys on innings limits the Twins have, that those guys (Winder, Ober, Canterino, Henriquez and even Archer) could eventually be moved to the pen if a proven #1, innings eater, was added to the top of the rotation.  (Castillo/Montas), Gray, Ryan, Smetlzer and then Winder/Archer as the #5.  Then Ober,  Canterino, Henriquez (and hopefully Alcala) in front of Duran.

I'd keep Pagan around for the 7th inning and be done with Duffey & Theilbar.  Maybe either could be included in a deal to get one more bullpen arm like a Lopez from Baltimore (giving the Orioles a BP arm to replace what the lost to finish the season). 

They absolutely need BP help.  But they may have a LOT of guys who could transition to the BP in the interest of limiting innings and protecting arms.  I like Winder as a SP.  I'd rather have him as my #5 than Archer.  But I don't know what the Twins short term-long term plan for Winder is.  I would be O.K. if they started Archer and then used Winder right after him him as a piggyback.  That would be good for 7 innings consistently.  

With Montas experiencing some shoulder tightness and being removed after just one inning yesterday, that really muddies the water for a LOT of teams.  But I'm just offering a counter-argument that a #1, top of the rotation, consistent innings eater could still get the Twins to a better BP as well.

There is almost no such thing as an innings eating pitcher anymore.  Manaea and Wheeler might be the leaders in IP per game. I can’t find many who even average 6. Not Castillo or Montas

[wabene]

I like the idea of trying young guys with upside in the pen instead of waiver claim types and middling vets. Just look at Duran and Jax, who is looking great and has been durable (knock on wood). Jax has been overshadowed by Duran but has actually been better this month. These two are a real success story this season. The thing with the young guys is if you have any plan on using them in the playoffs you'd better be running them out there now to get as comfortable as possible. Use Moran, for example, not Thornburg. Moran looks a little wound up to me and really needs the seasoning. 

 

We still need to add from outside regardless. 

[old nurse]

2 hours ago, wabene said:

I like the idea of trying young guys with upside in the pen instead of waiver claim types and middling vets. Just look at Duran and Jax, who is looking great and has been durable (knock on wood). Jax has been overshadowed by Duran but has actually been better this month. These two are a real success story this season. The thing with the young guys is if you have any plan on using them in the playoffs you'd better be running them out there now to get as comfortable as possible. Use Moran, for example, not Thornburg. Moran looks a little wound up to me and really needs the seasoning. 

 

We still need to add from outside regardless. 

The problem is the Twins have no other pitcher in the minors as talented as he is, Not even close. Thor berg was DFA the other day so he will go away