Cody Christie

During spring training, lots of focus is rightly or wrongly placed on questions facing the big-league roster. However, some of the team's top five prospects have questions to answer at the start of the 2023 campaign. Image courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports In an ideal world, every top Twins prospect would reach their full potential and become a star. That obviously doesn't happen, but fans can still look to the minors for hope for the future. Twins Daily's top five prospects face an important development season in 2023 with questions surrounding their future. Brooks Lee: Will he make his big-league debut? TD Prospect Ranking: 1 Lee has been the talk of spring training, with players like Carlos Correa gushing over his performance. Many outlets, including Twins Daily, rank him as the organization's top prospect, and he's barely played 30 games in his professional career. He shot through three different levels during his pro debut and finished the year impacting the Double-A line-up in the playoffs. He's likely heading back to Wichita to start the season, and prospects of his caliber don't necessarily need time at Triple-A. The Twins don't need to rush him to the big leagues, but his performance might dictate a call-up at some point during the 2023 season. Royce Lewis: How will the team handle him when he is healthy? TD Prospect Ranking: 2 Lewis showed flashes of his five-tool talent during his big-league debut, but it was a small sample size before he injured his ACL for the second consecutive season. He should be back by the middle of the 2023 season, and it will be interesting to see how the club treats him when he is fully healthy. Will they treat him like a minor leaguer and make him prove his bat is ready with an extended stay at Triple-A? Or will they immediately add him to the big-league roster when he completes his rehab assignment? Regardless of the team's path, Lewis can boost the line-up in the second half. Emmanuel Rodriguez: Does he have the highest ceiling of any Twins prospect? TD Prospect Ranking: 3 There is plenty of hype surrounding Rodriguez and his breakout performance at Low-A in 2023. As a 19-year-old, he hit .272/.493/.552 (1.044) with five doubles, three triples, and nine home runs. He drew more walks (57 BB) than strikeouts (52 K) in 199 plate appearances. His season was cut short by a knee meniscus injury that required surgery in June. Rodriguez is a long way from Target Field, and he has plenty of development left to make in the years ahead. However, it's hard not to get excited about a prospect of his caliber. If he continues progressing, he can be a top-15 global prospect entering the 2024 season. Marco Raya: Can his body type hold up with more innings? TD Prospect Ranking: 4 Raya is similar in size to former Twins pitcher Jose Berrios, so evaluators tend to question whether pitchers of his body type can hold up to the rigors of more professional innings. Minnesota drafted him in 2020, but he missed the 2021 season with shoulder soreness. He has been limited to 65 innings in his professional career but had a 3.05 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP and 10.5 K/9. Baseball America ranked Raya as baseball's 53rd-best prospect entering the season, which was his lone top-100 appearance. A good goal for this season would be to crack the 100-inning mark, but the Twins will continue to monitor his usage as he gets closer to Target Field. Edouard Julien: How quickly can he impact the big-league roster? TD Prospect Ranking: 5 Twins fans have seen what kind of impact Julien can have on games earlier during spring training. During the WBC, he will be on Canada's roster with a chance to put his name on the international map. He spent all of 2022 at Double-A, hitting .300/.441/.490 (.931) with 19 doubles, three triples, and 17 home runs. He transitioned that success to the AFL, where he posted a 1.248 OPS in 21 games. The Twins will likely send him to St. Paul, where he will wait for his call-up when an injury occurs in the infield, which should happen before May. What questions do you have about these prospects? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

If this offseason is any indication, elite relievers will continue to get paid. Here are the pros and cons of approaching Jhoan Duran with a contract extension. Image courtesy of Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports There is no question about what Jhoan Duran meant to the Minnesota Twins during his rookie campaign. He immediately became one of baseball’s most dominant late-inning relievers. In 67 2/3 innings, he allowed 14 earned runs (1.86 ERA) with 89 strikeouts and 16 walks. He showed the Twins could use him in multiple situations, including closing games, multi-inning appearances, and getting the club out of jams. Duran led all AL pitchers in Win Probability Added while establishing himself as vital to the team’s long-term plans. Duran is entering his sophomore season so he won’t be eligible for arbitration until the 2025 season, and his earliest free agency is 2028. He has yet to make life-changing money, and that can be a good window for a club to approach a player about a long-term deal that buys out some of his free-agent years. For both sides, there isn’t a rush to do this, but these types of deals typically happen before a player reaches the arbitration process. Here are some pros and cons of getting a long-term deal for Duran. Pro: Cost Certainty Earlier in the offseason, the Mets signed Edwin Diaz to a five-year, $102 million contract, the richest reliever contract in history. He was scheduled to become a free agent, but the Mets ensured he didn’t reach the open market. It seems unlikely that the Twins will spend over $100 million to sign a relief pitcher because this front office has relied on internal options to fill bullpen roles. Other recent contracts might be more similar to what the Twins can offer to Duran. Entering last season, the Guardians signed Emmanuel Clase to a five-year, $20 million extension. The deal included a $2 million signing bonus and two option years (2027-28) at $10 million each. Incentives can make those option years worth $13 million, and they buy out his first two free agency years. Duran is a couple of months older than Clase, but Clase had roughly the same amount of service time as Duran when he agreed to his extension. Pro: Investing in Bullpen Derek Falvey and Thad Levine have shied away from multi-year contracts for relievers. Addison Reed is the only reliever signed to a multi-year contract during their tenure. The Twins gave him $16.75 million, and he was limited to 56 innings because of multiple injuries. Reed was only 29 when he signed with the Twins, and he had been one of baseball’s most reliable relievers. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t pitch again at the big-league level following the 2018 season. At some point, the Twins will need to invest in the bullpen. No one knows what baseball revenues will look like in five years, and Joe Pohlad has noted that he expects the team’s payroll to rise in the coming years. Minnesota is entering the 2023 season with the highest recorded payroll in team history at $157 million, which ranks 17th in baseball and second in the AL Central. Duran differs from many relievers, and the Twins should make a statement by investing in him. Con: Health One of the main reasons Duran is in the bullpen is because of his health issues throughout his minor-league career. The Twins managed to keep Duran healthy during his rookie season, but there are no guarantees he will stay healthy in the future. Injuries highly impacted Minnesota’s roster last season, so the club might not want to invest significant capital into any pitcher, especially those with injury concerns. Reliever usage continues to evolve, and the Twins may continue using Duran in multi-inning appearances. Last season, the Twins were very careful with Duran and used him for more than an inning in 14 of his 57 appearances. It seems likely for that number to increase in the years ahead, but there are no guarantees his body can hold up to that increased workload. He has been a starter in the past, but there are scheduled rest days between appearances that aren’t guaranteed for a bullpen arm. Con: Age The Twins already have Duran under team control through his age-29 season. Even if he is baseball’s best reliever during the next five seasons, do the Twins want to guarantee him money into his early-30s? Clase’s contract has team options ($10 million) with buyouts of $2 million per season. That could help the Twins to approach this contract since they could get out of the deal for a relatively small amount. Minnesota has been spoiled with All-Star caliber relievers in the past, like Joe Nathan, Glen Perkins, and Taylor Rogers. Duran can enter the same category, but not all relievers can be this good. Relievers tend to have a high-level performance window that only lasts a few seasons before burning out. The Twins saw this recently with Tyler Duffey, one of baseball’s best relievers for multiple seasons, before being released last season. Few relievers can be among baseball’s best for more than a few seasons. Can you see the Twins reaching out with a deal similar to Clase? Is the timing right for an extension or should the Twins wait until next offseason? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

No team can have a perfect roster heading into the season. For the Twins, there are weak spots on the roster, but there is hope for some of those positions. Image courtesy of Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports In recent weeks, there has been a lot of analysis of team and player projections here at Twins Daily. Not all of these models are perfect, but it gives fans a sense of reasonable expectations for each player and the team. Some players exceed their expected performance every year, and others struggle to meet expectations. Here are the weakest positions on the Twins roster and how they may impact the club in 2023. 3. Right Field- Projected WAR: 2.7 Max Kepler's name was in the rumor mill for most of the winter, but the Twins seemingly didn't get an offer they liked, so he's set to be an everyday player. There's no question that Kepler is one of baseball's best defensive right-fielders. Last season, Kepler hit .227/.318/.348 (.666) with 18 doubles and nine home runs. Minnesota has other options in right field if the Twins need to use Kepler in more of a platoon role, including Joey Gallo, Nick Gordon, Trevor Larnach, and Matt Wallner. It's an important season for Kepler because the Twins have a $10 million team option for 2024. He'd need to outperform his projections for the team not to buy out his contract for $1 million. Reason for Optimism: There is some optimism that Kepler will benefit from the limits on defensive shifts. He has already picked up a few hits this spring that might have been outs if defenders were allowed to have more exaggerated shifts. This spring, he has already discussed how he won't need to overthink in the batter's box with three infielders on one side of second base. Reports also have him in a good mindset after spending the offseason overseas to mentally reset himself while recovering from a toe fracture. 2. Left Field- Projected WAR: 2.1 Left field ranks close to the top for the Twins in early season projections because Joey Gallo is coming off his worst professional season. In 126 games, he posted a 79 OPS+ with 163 strikeouts. If Gallo can't improve, the Twins have depth in left field with players like Nick Gordon, Trevor Larnach, and Matt Wallner. Out of that trio, only Gordon projects to make the Opening Day roster. Larnach and Wallner will head to Triple-A and need to hit their way back to the big leagues. Other top prospects like Royce Lewis and Austin Martin are options to take over a corner outfield spot later in the season. Reason for Optimism: The Twins hope Gallo has a bounce-back season and can be closer to the All-Star level player he was in the past. FanGraphs projects his OPS to increase by 93 points, which would still be lower than his career mark (.794 OPS). Left field is the easiest position for the Twins players to exceed their expected performance, and it is the position I am least worried about on this list. 1. First Base- Projected WAR: 1.9 FanGraphs recently ranked the weakest positions on every contending team, and first base came out as the low spot on the Twins. Alex Kirilloff is a question mark at first base since he has averaged just over 50 games in the last two seasons. Projection systems won't help Kirilloff because he has tried to play through his wrist injury, and his on-field performance has suffered. The Twins won't rely solely on Kirilloff at first base. Kyle Farmer, Joey Gallo, Jose Miranda, and Donovan Solano can all play first base if Kirilloff is forced to miss time again in 2023. Reason for Optimism: The Twins hope Kirilloff's surgery to shorten his ulnar bone will put him back on track to where he was as a top prospect. Fans have seen flashes of him being an elite hitter, but his wrist injury saps power from his swing. If this most recent wrist surgery is a long-term solution to his wrist woes, he can be one of the club's best overall hitters. Luckily, all the Twins' weakest positions are in corner spots which can be easier to address during the season. As the trade deadline approaches, first basemen and corner outfielders are usually easier to acquire and have lower acquisition costs. The Twins also have multiple top prospects close to the big leagues that can step into an everyday role if the club feels like they are ready. Do you agree with these rankings? Is there a reason for optimism at each of the positions? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Injuries were one of the main reasons the Twins couldn't hang on to the 2022 AL Central title. Entering this spring, the Twins hoped to enter the season with a healthy roster, but injuries are starting to mount. Image courtesy of Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports Every team will deal with injuries during the 2023 season, and that's one of the reasons the Twins added depth at nearly every position this winter. Here are the known injuries this spring and how each will impact the Opening Day roster. Jose Miranda: Right Shoulder Soreness Miranda planned to join Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic, but a shoulder injury has forced him to withdraw his name. He was the talk of TwinsFest after spending the off-season getting in better shape to handle the rigors of a 162-game season. Last season, he hit .268/.325/.426 (.751) with 25 doubles and 15 home runs, but he tired down the stretch. The Twins are handing him the reins at third base, but his shoulder has limited him to designated hitter duties in recent games. He hit two home runs in a game over the weekend, so his hitting clearly isn't impacted by the soreness. Roster Impact: Miranda can switch to first base and DH if Alex Kirilloff isn't ready for Opening Day. The Twins have multiple third-base options, including Donovan Solano, Kyle Farmer, or Willi Castro. Nick Gordon: Mild-to-Moderate High Ankle Sprain High ankle sprains can impact players differently, but initial reports are that Gordon avoided a more severe injury. He was in a walking boot following Friday's game and will be off his foot to start the week. Gordon is looking to build off a breakout 2022 season where he was named the Twins Daily Most Improved Player. In 136 games, he hit .272/.316/.427 (.743) with 41 extra-base hits and a 113 OPS+. Roster Impact: Gordon was going to get time as designated hitter when the club was facing right-handed starters. He's also the backup at multiple outfield positions. If he's not ready to start the year, another left-handed bat like Trevor Larnach or Matt Wallner might make the roster. Byron Buxton: Right Knee Surgery Buxton has yet to appear in a spring training game after having arthroscopic surgery on his right knee at the beginning of October. The Twins are taking it slow with Buxton while he ramps up for the season. Big league regulars see limited action in early spring training games, and that's one reason to hold Buxton out of these contests. He can get more focused work in the batting cages and on the back fields. Minnesota wants Buxton to play more than 100 games this season, which might mean he sees limited in-game action throughout the spring. Roster Impact: The Twins traded for Michael A. Taylor to provide depth in center field behind Buxton. In recent seasons, Taylor has been a starter for the Royals, and he can assume that role if/when Buxton is hurt. Jorge Polanco: Left Knee Tendinitis Polanco was placed on the IL for the first time in his career last season, but that doesn't mean injuries haven't impacted him in the past. He's a player that has dealt with ankle and knee injuries for multiple seasons. Like Buxton, Polanco is taking things slowly at the start of spring training with more time in the training room. In 2022, he hit .235/.346/.405 (.751) with a 117 OPS+ and 32 extra-base hits. Roster Impact: Farmer or Solano can share time at second base if Polanco misses time. Two of the organization's top prospects, Brooks Lee and Eduoard Julien, have been praised this spring. Either player could be an option if Polanco has to miss significant time. Alex Kirilloff: Wrist Surgery According to reports, Kirilloff continues to make progress from the wrist surgery that ended his 2022 season. It was the second consecutive season he missed time with a wrist injury. The Twins are taking it slow with him, and he likely will play in spring training games later in March. He is taking live batting practice with no pain in his wrist, which is a good sign from where he has been the last two years. Kirilloff was considered the team's top prospect before his debut, so hopes remain high for his future. Roster Impact: He's on track to be the team's first baseman or designated hitter to start the year. Solano, Miranda, Farmer, and Joey Gallo will get time at first base when Kirilloff isn't available. Trevor Larnach: Lower Body Injury Larnach has been dealing with a lower-body injury, but the Twins expect him to play in games this week, including defensive duties in the outfield. In 2022, Larnach posted a 104 OPS+ but was limited to 51 big-league games because of a core muscle surgery. Larnach, a former first-round pick, was ranked as one of the team’s top prospects, and he’s shown signs of his powerful bat. The Twins hope he can put his injury concerns behind him and slide into the middle of the line-up. Roster Impact: Solano’s addition initially pushed Larnach out of the team’s Opening Day roster. With the other injuries on this list, Larnach can break camp on the 26-man roster if he is healthy. Gilberto Celestino: Left Thumb Surgery Celestino ruptured the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb, which has six to eight weeks of recovery. Injuries forced the Twins to use Celestino in 122 games last season. In his age-23 season, he hit .238/.313/.302 (.615) with a 80 OPS+ and 15 extra-base hits. He has seen limited action at Triple-A, and this season was his opportunity to establish himself at that level. It is an important season for him to reestablish his long-term value to the Twins, but now that's pushed back a few months. Roster Impact: Celestino was scheduled to start the year at Triple-A, but he's had plenty of big-league experience over the last two seasons. Minnesota can move Celestino to the 60-day IL if they need the roster spot for a waiver claim, a signing, or a non-roster invitee. Jordan Balazovic: Broken Jaw The Twins made a statement when Balazovic became the first (and only) player in the team's first round of cuts. He broke his jaw in an incident at a bar in downtown Fort Myers. Balazovic has significantly fallen over the last calendar year as he entered 2022 as one of baseball's top-100 prospects. Last season, he arrived at spring training with a left knee injury and could never fully recover. In 23 appearances (72 2/3 innings), he posted a 7.68 ERA with a 1.97 WHIP. He ended the season on a high note, but now he will have to wait to build off that performance. Roster Impact: Balazovic wasn't in the running for the Opening Day roster, but he is entering a pivotal season in his professional career. He saw multiple starters pass him on the way to the big leagues last season, and he didn't need another setback. Austin Martin: UCL Sprain Martin has a UCL sprain in his right elbow, which means the team will shut him down from throwing and hitting. Sometimes this injury results in Tommy John surgery, which happened in recent years with players like Alex Kirilloff and Edouard Julien. Martin had a redeeming September and showcased those improvements in the Arizona Fall League, where he posted a .936 OPS. He was having a solid start to his spring, and the team expected him to impact the big-league roster at some point in 2023. Roster Impact: Martin was likely scheduled to start the year at Triple-A, but he was an injury or two away from making his debut. Now he will have to wait and see if rest and rehab can help him avoid going under the knife. Ronny Henriquez: Right Posterior Elbow Soreness Henriquez made his big-league debut last season after the Twins acquired him as part of the Mitch Garver trade. He made 24 appearances (95 1/3 innings) at Triple-A with a 5.66 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. In St. Paul, Henriquez was five years younger than the average age of the competition so some struggles can be expected against older hitters. The Saints rotation is set up to be loaded with top prospects, so finding him innings in a starting role might be challenging. Roster Impact: Henriquez had an outside chance to make the team as a reliever, but the team may want him to continue to start. He’s only made 16 appearances at Double-A, so the team could send him to that level to start games. Which injuries will impact the Twins the most in 2023? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

The Twins added depth to the big-league pitching staff, and one of the biggest beneficiaries might be the Triple-A rotation. St. Paul is setting up to have a rotation full of the team's top pitching prospects waiting for their call back to the big leagues. Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints Saints fans can be excited about the amount of talent projected in St. Paul to start the 2023 season. Many of the team's top prospects are closing in on the big-league level, including multiple starting pitchers that debuted in 2022. Here's a look at who could populate the Saints' pitching staff on Opening Day. Trio At the Top: Bailey Ober, Louie Varland, Simeon Woods Richardson Ober was potentially pushed out of the Twins rotation after the team acquired Pablo Lopez from the Marlins. However, he is only one injury away from being back at the big-league level. Last season, Ober made 11 starts (56 innings) for the Twins and posted a 3.21 ERA with a 1.05 WHIP and a 51-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He missed a large chunk of the season with a groin injury and has pitched fewer than 100 innings in all but one professional season. Ober will be in St. Paul for a short time with injury questions surrounding multiple starters on the big-league roster. Varland is the first Twins pitcher to win back-to-back Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Year since Jose Berrios. The St. Paul native changed his arm action after joining the Twins organization, improving his entire pitching repertoire. As a 24-year-old, he dominated the upper minors with a 3.06 ERA and a 10.4 K/9 in over 126 innings. He got a brief taste of the big leagues at the end of 2022 with a 3.81 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP in five starts. Varland might not profile as an ace, but the Twins believe he can fit into the middle of the team's rotation for the majority of the next decade. Woods Richardson has the highest ceiling of any pitcher on this list and is coming off his best professional season. The Twins sent him back to Double-A, a level he struggled at in 2021, and he posted a 3.06 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP and 9.8 K/9. He performed even better after his promotion to Triple-A, lowering his ERA to 2.21 and posting a 38-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His walk rate had been a concern in 2021 (5.7 BB/9) but returned to form with a 3.0 BB/9 last season. Only one pitching prospect ranks higher than SWR in the Twins Daily Top Prospect Rankings. Options to Fill Out the Rotation The Twins have a variety of directions to go when it comes to filling out the rest of the starting rotation. Some of these decisions will be based on health and injuries, while others will be based on the team's long-term role for the pitcher. Are they a starter or a reliever? Josh Winder is in the mix for a starting role, but he just started throwing bullpens this week after dealing with shoulder issues in the offseason. His shoulder has bothered him for multiple seasons, so it might be time to move to a bullpen role. Ronny Henriquez is one of the youngest pitchers on the 40-man roster, and the team likely wants him to continue to start games. Last season, Cole Sands split time between starter and reliever, so his best path back to the big league might be a multi-inning reliever. Randy Dobnak, Brent Headrick, and Jordan Balazovic are also interesting names to consider at Triple-A. Dobnak missed time over the last two seasons with a finger injury, and he is no longer on the 40-man roster. Expectations don't need to be high for him, but there is a good chance he will return to the MLB level if his finger injury is behind him. Balazovic is currently recovering from a broken jaw after being punched at a Fort Myers bar. His build-up to the season will be behind other pitchers while he waits for the injury to heal. Headrick had a breakout season in 2022, and the Twins hope he can continue to build on that success. What are your thoughts on the Triple-A rotation? Which players fill the final spots? Who will have the most significant impact on the Twins in 2023? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. View full article

Lines continue to blur between starting pitcher and reliever, with starters pitching fewer innings and relievers often asked to record more than three outs. Minnesota may ask multiple players to shift to a non-starting role in 2023. Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports Entering last season, Jhoan Duran had been a starting pitcher for his entire career. A lengthy injury history made the Twins reconsider his long-term role with the club. He was shifted to the bullpen and became one of the team's most valuable assets. Only some players can be as successful in transitioning to the bullpen, but there are multiple players the Twins may consider shifting to a bullpen role during the upcoming season. The Twins selected Cole Sands with their fifth-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft from Florida State University. His professional career started at Low-A in 2019, and he made it to Double-A by the season's end. In 97 1/3 innings, he posted a 2.68 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP and 108 strikeouts. He controlled the strike zone and limited batters to 1.8 BB/9. The Twins would have penciled him into the Double-A rotation for the 2020 season, but he was limited to time in the instructional leagues due to the pandemic. Sands started the 2021 season back at Double-A, where he ended the 2019 campaign. As a 23-year-old, he was still over 1.5 years younger than the average age of the competition. He made 19 appearances (18 starts) and posted a 2.46 ERA with a 1.17 WHIP and 10.8 K/9. Injuries also limited him to just over 80 innings, but he entered the 2022 season ranked among the Twins' best pitching prospects. Season in Review 2022 Sands started the year in the Saints rotation and posted quality starts in his first two appearances (10 IP, 1 ER). In his next two appearances, he allowed ten earned runs in fewer than three innings, but the Twins had a need, and the team promoted him for his big-league debut. He pitched two innings at the end of a blowout win and allowed two runs on three hits. He spent most of May bouncing back and forth between Triple-A and the MLB level, and that trend continued for the remainder of the season. For the season, Sands split his time between being a reliever (14 appearances) and a starter (16 appearances). The opponent's OPS against Sands was only separated by four points in these two roles. The Twins never gave him an extended look at the big-league level, with the team bringing him up to make spot starts or to fill in for injured players. Sands never made more than four consecutive appearances with the Twins. His last 11 appearances came in a relief role, which might indicate the team's long-term plan for him entering the 2023 season. Projections for 2023 Currently, the Twins' rotation and bullpen don't have any glaring openings to fit someone like Sands. Injuries or poor performance might open a bullpen battle, but it seems likely for Sands to head to St. Paul, where higher-ranking prospects will pack the rotation. During the 2022 season, his longest stretch of starting games was 12 in a row in the middle of the season, but that was interrupted with multiple calls up. In July, Sands will turn 26 years old and has yet to establish himself at the big-league level. To get the most from Sands, it might help him find consistent success at one level in a specific role. On the mound, Sands threw his fastball over 50% of the time last season, averaging 92 mph. His lower arm slot helps to deceive batters, and he can top out in the high-90s. His best breaking pitch is classified as a curveball but has horizontal movement, so it has some qualities that resemble a slider. His split-finger held batters to a .292 SLG last season, so it will be interesting to see if he can use that pitch more regularly. He has a cutter that he uses against righties and a changeup against lefties, but opponents hit both pitches hard last season. Even with a five-pitch mix, Sands seems more comfortable utilizing his top three pitches. Summary Sands makes the most sense to move to a bullpen role out of the pitchers covered in the series so far. He's most successful when using his top two-three pitches and has shown the ability to add more velocity when used in multi-inning relief appearances. During the 2022 season, nearly half of his appearances were in a relief role, so that percentage likely would increase during the 2023 campaign. Should the Twins transition Sands to a multi-inning reliever? Can he add even more velocity in the bullpen? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. OTHER POSTS IN THE SERIES -Ronny Henriquez -Josh Winder View full article

Many of baseball's all-time great relief pitchers started their careers as starting pitchers. The Twins' 40-man roster is littered with players searching for their long-term roles to find a permanent spot at the big-league level. Image courtesy of Jonathan Dyer, USA TODAY Sports Entering last season, Jhoan Duran had been a starting pitcher for his entire career. A lengthy injury history made the Twins reconsider his long-term role with the club. He was shifted to the bullpen and became one of the team's most valuable assets. Only some players can be as successful in transitioning to the bullpen, but there are multiple players the Twins may consider shifting to a bullpen role during the upcoming season. Josh Winder joined the Twins organization as a seventh-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft from Virginia Military Institute. He made nine starts (38 1/3 innings) in rookie ball after signing and posted a 3.72 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP and 42 strikeouts. During 2019, he spent the year at Low-A and lowered his ERA to 2.65 with a 118-to-30 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 125 2/3 innings. Winder led the Midwest League in ERA and WHIP during the 2019 season. He was putting himself on the prospect map, but then the pandemic took away a season. Winder added strength during the shutdown and saw his velocity jump coming into 2021. The Twins had Winder skip High-A coming out of the pandemic, which meant he split time between Double-A and Triple-A. Due to injury, his season started in May, but he dominated for Wichita. In 10 games, he had a 1.98 ERA and a 0.93 WHIP with 10.7 K/9. The Twins promoted him to Triple-A, but shoulder fatigue ended his season after four starts at that level. It was a disappointing end to what could have been a breakout season. Season in Review 2022 Last spring, Winder was in the running to win a spot in the starting rotation before the team signed Chris Archer at the end of March. He still made the Opening Day roster to help add depth out of the bullpen. His first five appearances were strong as he limited the opposition to four earned runs in 22 1/3 innings. However, he struggled in his subsequent two appearances and ended up on the Injured List with a right shoulder impingement. He worked his way back to the big-league level, but his shoulder continued to bother him throughout the season. He went on the Triple-A Injury List in July with right shoulder impingement syndrome and didn't throw a bullpen until the middle of August. He returned to the big leagues in September, but the Twins had already fallen out of the division race. Overall, he made 15 appearances with the Twins, and four were out of the bullpen. He posted a 4.70 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP and a 47-to-18 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Projections for 2023 Winder is coming off a somewhat eventful off-season. His name popped up in trade rumors because he was the initial trade piece requested by the Royals for Michael A. Taylor. Minnesota balked at that request, and Kansas City lowered its asking price to two relievers, Evan Sisk and Steven Cruz. Both pitchers are considered relievers, and this might point to the Twins believing Winder can still be an asset as a starting pitcher. Winder also dealt with shoulder issues as he started ramping up for the season, which means he's a little behind entering camp. Early in his career, Winder's fastball sat in the low 90s, but he averaged 94 mph last season and can hit in the upper-90s. His slider velocity sits in the mid-80s, and he throws this pitch a third of the time. His changeup and curve have helped him to keep big-league batters off-balanced, and his increase in velocity makes those pitches more of a weapon. He pounds the strike zone and limits walks, which can be ideal for a starting pitcher. Summary For 2023, the Twins need to find a way to keep Winder healthy no matter what role he fulfills for the organization. The Twins have worked to alter his mechanics, but his shoulder has been problematic for multiple seasons. During instructional league play in 2020, his velocity was even higher than what he has showcased in big-league action. These totals were in smaller sample sizes, which might indicate the bullpen being his long-term role. His college experience means he will be 26 years old for the entire 2023 season. Winder will start the year on track to be a starter, but his shoulder concerns mean the team should shift him to the bullpen in 2023. Can Winder's shoulder hold up to the rigors of being a starter? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. OTHER POSTS IN THE SERIES -Ronny Henriquez View full article