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The Minnesota Twins have said that improving the bullpen is a very high priority this offseason. However, it is difficult to know which relievers were will be successful, will be worth their contract. Today, Jorgenwest provides some details about the success rates of multi-year contracts to relievers.Signing relievers to multi-year free agent deals is a risky proposition. Dave Cameron had these numbers in a study from 2010. I wondered if anything had changed since the study and the new free agency rules. There were 11 non-closer relievers signed prior to the 2013 season to multi-year deals. Jeremy Affeldt (2013-2015), 3 years, $18 million: $-6.6 million(Fangraphs) Mike Adams (2013-2014), 2 years, $12 million: $0.1 million(Fangraphs) Jason Grilli (2013-2014), 2 years, $6.75 million: $14.3 million(Fangraphs) Joel Peralta (2013-2014), 2 years, $6 million: $8.8 million(Fangraphs) Sean Burnett (2013-2014), 2 years, $8 million: $-0.5 million(Fangraphs) Randy Choate (2013-2015), 3 years, $7.5 million: $6.6 million(Fangraphs) Tom Gorzelanny (2013-2014), 2 years, $5.7 million: $7.3 million(Fangraphs) Jonathan Broxton (2013-2015), 3 years, $21 million: $4.9 million(Fangraphs) Kyuji Fujikawa (2013-2014), 2 years, $9.2 million: $1.1 million(Fangraphs) Brandon League (2013-2014), 3 years, $22.5 million: $-3.3 million(Fangraphs) Joakim Soria (2013-2014), 2 years, $8 million: $12.3 million(Fangraphs) Teams spent $124.65 million for 26 years of relievers. Their return on the investment was $45 million. Peralta and Gorzelanny were solid modest investments. Grilli had an all-star season as a closer. Soria pitched well when healthy, averaging 34 innings a season. As a group these relievers provided little value. They averaged 38 innings per year of mediocre relief. The same kind of relief the Twins have been able to find among the likes of Burton and Boyer. Do we have confidence the Twins can find the reliever that will by among the minority in this year's group and provide good value the next two or three season? I am not. I am not confident any team has the skill to find that value. The Twins need relievers. That is without question. The question is whether signing 30-something relievers in the free agent market is the answer. I think the Twins' dollars are better spent elsewhere. Go with the young players. Continue to sign guys like Boyer, Burton and Stauffer who will take a one-year deal. The Twins success rate with those guys is no worse than the success rate in Cameron's study or the 2013 group. It is also much easier to cut ties with a guy on a one-year deal than a guy just signed to three years and $15 million. If it doesn't work out, solid relievers can be found every July. Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins had one of the greatest months in franchise history in May, going 20-7 and putting themselves in the conversation for the American League Central Division. Unfortunately, they've gone 10-16 since then with only a couple games left in June and now see themselves 5.5 games back of the Kansas City Royals in the division and 1 game back of an American League Wild Card spot. The bats have quieted down in June and the bullpen has come back down to earth. A big reason for the 20-win month of May was that everything seemed to be clicking. Starting pitching was very good (3.66 ERA, 1.19 WHIP), the offense was scoring 5.15 runs per game and the relievers were finding ways to get guys out and get the game to closer Glen Perkins. In June, the starting pitching has actually been better (3.43 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) but the offense has only scored 3.38 runs per game and the bullpen has been one of the worst in baseball, 13th in the AL & 27th overall. In May, the bullpen was 8th in the AL & 14th overall. The primary relievers other than Glen Perkins have been Blaine Boyer, Aaron Thompson, Ryan Pressly & Casey Fien when it comes to close games. You can put Brian Duensing in there too but he’s primarily a lefty one-out guy (a LOOGY.) Looking at those names doesn’t bring a lot of confidence in getting the job done for a lot of reasons. The main reason is most of them are not power pitchers with the ability to strikeout hitters when they need to. Ryan Pressly and Casey Fien have that ability but Pressly is still developing at the major league level and Fien has been dealing with injuries most of the season. Aaron Thompson started out great and that curveball was helping him get guys out but it hasn’t been as sharp lately and the hitters have adjusted to his stuff and he’s now getting hit hard, really hard. Blaine Boyer started out terrible and was everyone’s pick to be sent down, released or just shown the door one way or another. Everyone wondered how he was still on the roster but then Boyer the Destroyer showed up and he was lights out in May as the setup man in the 8th inning. Now, he’s getting hit around a little bit again and fans are starting to wonder why the Twins haven’t done anything about it. To me, baseball is not really a game where making quick judgements of players works. You set your lineup, pitching rotation and bullpen and see how it goes for awhile and tweak it as you need to. The bullpen and relievers are probably the hardest to figure out because they could have one bad outing and you don’t know how that will affect them the next time they pitch. Relievers aren’t guaranteed to pitch the next day or even the day after that. They don’t know the next time they’ll get on the mound. A hitter will get in the next game or have another at-bat coming within a few innings. A starting pitcher knows he’s pitching every fifth day so they can prepare for it. How does that change how a relief pitcher pitches when he gets in a game? Nobody could’ve guessed that Blaine Boyer would turn into the Destroyer the way he began the season. You have to give a player some time to play through their struggles and figure things out. We don’t know if there was something wrong with him injury wise or if he was just struggling with command because he’s changing the grip on a pitch or still working on that pitch. Can the Twins do anything to change their bullpen situation? They can look in the minors for some relief (pardon the pun) but there’s really not much in AAA Rochester to help them out. The only option I see is A.J. Achter, who is currently the closer for the Red Wings. In 34.2 innings in AAA this season, A.J. is 3-2 with 12 saves and he’s allowed only 14 hits and 9 runs (5 HRs) with 7 walks and 34 strikeouts. He was up with the Twins at the end of last season as a September call-up. He pitched in only 7 games but got his first major league win in the last game he pitched on September 26th. His fastball only touches 90 but he also has a cutter, a slider and a changeup. There’s the option of trying to pick up a reliever via trade. The starting rotation will start to get crowded pretty quickly with Ervin Santana coming back shortly so what better time to get something from Mike Pelfrey’s great season or Tommy Milone pitching well lately. They could always trade some prospects for something too. There’s also the option of moving one of the starters into the bullpen but that doesn’t usually help the late innings of a game. Starters going to the bullpen usually end up being long relievers so that won’t help. It may be just a wait and see approach for the time being. We’ll find out. That’s my TwinsTake! What’s your TwinsTake? Let us know what you think in the comments, on Facebook, Twitter and/or Google+. Our Takes, Your Takes, TwinsTakes.com!

On Tuesday, Major League Baseball released its first update on position-by-position All-Star Game balloting. No Twins appeared in the Top 5 at any position, which isn't all that surprising considering that no position players on the team have been otherworldly -- a testament to the offense's well-rounded attack. But with two months nearly in the books, let's take a look at which players have the best case for spots on the All-Star roster.1. Glen Perkins, RP 2015 Stats: 21.2 IP, 1.25 ERA, 17/17 SV, 21/2 K/BB, 0.97 WHIP Fans don't vote on pitchers for the All-Star game, but if they did you'd have to imagine Perkins would find his name at the top for relievers. He has converted all 17 of his save chances, including a four-out finish on Tuesday night, and leads all MLB relievers in Win Probability Added. 2. Brian Dozier, 2B 2015 Stats: .251/.330/.503, 9 HR, 24 RBI, 36 R Dozier led the league in runs scored for much of the 2014 season and he's right back at the top of the leaderboard now. Batting anywhere from first to fourth in the lineup, Dozier has a combination of speed, power and discipline that makes him an asset. He leads all AL second basemen in homers and ranks fourth in OPS. 3. Trevor Plouffe, 3B 2015 Stats: .276/.356/.481, 7 HR, 26 RBI, 21 R Few would have guessed it a few years ago, but Plouffe has become one of the most reliable performers in the Twins' lineup. The most notable aspect of his progress has been his improved patience -- his walk rate is up to a career-high 12 percent, and while that's not the kind of thing that draws All-Star buzz, it has definitely added another dimension to his offensive game. 4. Kyle Gibson, SP 2015 Stats: 56.1 IP, 2.72 ERA, 4-3, 27/17 K/BB, 1.21 WHIP I was convinced coming into this 2015 that Gibson was in for a breakout year, and he sure seems headed that way. The right-hander has consistently pitched deep into ballgames and hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in a start since his first outing. His success seemed a bit fluky early on, when he was oddly walking more batters than he struck out, but his 1.32 ERA in May has come attached to a much-improved 21-to-5 K/BB ratio. 5. Blaine Boyer, RP 2015 Stats: 23.2 IP, 2.28 ERA, 10/6 K/BB, 1.23 WHIP Earning a spot on the All-Star roster is more about what you've done than what you're likely to do going forward, so Boyer deserves to be recognized. There's no way he'll maintain his outstanding numbers if he continues to strike out so few batters, but Boyer has rebounded from a brutal start and been a critical piece in the bullpen, with just one run and 12 hits allowed over his last 20 innings. He's tied for the AL lead in relief appearances with 23. His contributions have been invaluable with both Casey Fien and Tim Stauffer rendered ineffective or unavailable most the season. What do you think? What does your Twins All-Star ballot look like as we approach the end of May? Click here to view the article

As of May 20, the Minnesota Twins have played 39 games and have compiled a 22-17 record. After being picked by many to finish last in the AL Central, and even lose 90 games for a 5th straight year by some, Minnesota has done nothing but surpass expectations. Sitting third in the AL Central, the Twins offense has once again been one of the best in the big leagues (currently sixth in runs scored). While starting pitching has been better than in recent years, it is one man in the bullpen who may be one of the team's best weapons.Signed as a free agent after a decent year in San Diego, Blaine Boyer has come into the Twins pen and been nothing short of lights out. His story has been well documented, and his journey has taken him on the path less traveled. After being out of baseball for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, he resurfaced a year ago. Recommitted to the game, and with his family in tow, Boyer appeared poise to give the game whatever he had left. Pitching in Petco Park a season ago to the tune of a 3.57 ERA last season, it was somewhat uncertain what he would provide the Twins in the American League, despite pitcher-friendly Target Field. Terry Ryan decided to hand out low-risk deals to both Boyer and former teammate Tim Stauffer. While neither looked good from the get go, it has been Boyer who has excelled as the season has worn on. Casey Fien, the Twins setup man, hit the disabled list during April and the Twins needed someone to step up. The first-year manager put all of his chips behind Boyer, and neither has looked back. Since April 17, Boyer has pitched 17.2 scoreless innings. He's struck out just eight batters, but he's given up only nine hits and three walks. Boyer has held opposing hitters to a .161/.200/.232 slash line and he's generated a 69% strike rate. On the season, Boyer's 2.18 ERA is amongst the Twins brightest relief marks, and he's become an incredible asset in the bullpen. Earlier in the season, I kicked around the idea that Ryan brought in both Stauffer and Boyer with the idea of dealing them to a contender somewhere during the middle of the season: if he could get both players to show value, the Twins might benefit from the return of a mid-level prospect from a club looking for bullpen help. Obviously at this point, Stauffer is closer to being sent off the roster than he is to being added to another team's. Boyer however, has proven to be an solid asset and the Twins have turned themselves into a legitimate contender. Coming off four straight 90-loss seasons, there're plenty of reasons to be cautiously optimistic for the Twins' prospects going forward. After all, in 2014 Minnesota looked in good position in June, and even made a free agent signing in the person of Kendrys Morales. This team however seems to be cut from different cloth, and the trajectory appears to be stable and trending upward more than it isn't. As long as things continue on their current trends, Boyer should expect to be pitching for a contender in 2015, but it will be the team that signed him in the offseason, not the one he is dealt to. No doubt there have been some misses that Terry Ryan is responsible for when it comes to pitching, considering Blaine Boyer one of them is out of the question. Boyer has been absolutely terrific for the Twins, and the man of faith, with his family by his side, does not appear to be letting off the throttle any time soon. Click here to view the article

The Twins desperately needed a good start this year to generate some enthusiasm following a stretch of four consecutive horrible seasons and a deflating development involving their top free agent acquisition just before Opening Day. Unfortunately, the first week has played out in the opposite fashion. One could hardly imagine a worse start to this 2015 campaign, as the first week of games has seen the Twins win just one of seven. For the most part, this club hasn't even been competitive. Some of the struggles are tied up in slumps that seem unlikely to extend much further. But this is a roster that was constructed sub-optimally from the start, as Twins decision-makers opted for veteran mediocrity over youthful upside in almost every possible instance. With that plan blowing up in the worst way, how long will Terry Ryan, Paul Molitor and Co. stick to their guns? How patient can they be before implementing major shakeups to prevent things from getting out of hand?One could paint the idea of drastic roster overhauls after one week of games as an overreaction, but in this case the horrors that have played out on the field only help to confirm the dubiousness of several choices made at the end of spring. In a sense, it's unfair to cast judgment on Blaine Boyer or Tim Stauffer or the current center field duo for struggling in such a small sample, especially with the team at large failing on almost every level. But these are easily addressed problems, where the solution is almost certain to pay better short-term and long-term dividends. What benefit is there to continually trotting out a veteran like Boyer or Shane Robinson? The minor-leaguers have done their parts in an even smaller slate of games. Aaron Hicks has an OPS above 1.000 through four games at Triple-A and Josmil Pinto is over .800 as usual. The Rochester bullpen, which includes several seemingly MLB-ready arms, has not allowed a run. Sample size be damned, it seems flat-out strange that these players are putting up numbers in Triple-A after being eschewed for ill-equipped vets that look overmatched in the majors. If things continue the way they're going, the Twins will face some tougher decisions. How long can Oswaldo Arcia continue to stumble around in left field while looking utterly awful at the plate? How lengthy is Kyle Gibson's leash if he keeps delivering starts that remotely resemble his first one? Can J.R. Graham be trusted to overcome his control woes and get outs? But those potentially long-term building blocks deserve more patience than veteran journeyman bench players and relievers who probably shouldn't have been on the roster to begin with, and carry little if any value beyond this season. Clear them out, and replace them with viable young players to energize this grossly underperforming squad. I'm not necessarily convinced that a roster with Hicks, Pinto, Michael Tonkin, Ryan Pressly and others is going to be substantially better, but it could hardly be worse and at the very least it gives fans something worth tuning into. At this point, that's got to be a major concern for this club. Click here to view the article

It was not long ago that Twins pitcher Blaine Boyer might have been doing things other than throwing a baseball in a major league uniform this time of year. He might have been hunting, fishing or golfing. He might have been traveling more. Whatever it might have been, it would have been with his family. The game’s lifestyle which separated him from his growing family played a role in his decision to take a year off from baseball. Players on the fringe who step away seldom get a second chance but Boyer’s decision to walk away put him on the path that led him to being a better pitcher.Beginning in 2011, Boyer was constantly finding a new employer every few months. FIrst it was several months with the Mets, then the Pirates, followed by the Cardinals (who had him for exactly the month of May in 2009). In August 2011 he was released by St. Louis and decided that he would put his family first over the career which had been one big, long moving day. “I was coming and going and I wasn’t consistently there for my boys and my wife and that brought back a lot of what I went through when I was little, so she understood that,” Boyer told MLB Trade Rumors this spring of his leave of absence. “It wasn’t about me not wanting to play baseball anymore, it was much deeper.” The love of the game pulled him back after the year off. Boyer returned to baseball and signed a minor league deal with the Kansas City Royals but sought his release in May to join the Hanshin Tigers of Japan. That experience helped mold him into the pitcher he is today. “They just do little things different,” the 33-year-old Boyer said of the season he played in 2013 in Japan. “It’s funny, like we go out and warm up, they don’t warm up on the [chalk] line. They throw across the field. They do stuff that, to us, it doesn’t make any sense. They got three guys taking batting practice at the same time on the field. They got guys that will go out and swing the bat 700-800 times before a game.” Boyer missed that league’s spring training season and considers himself fortunate for having avoided the infamously rigorous conditioning methods that are better suited for raising an army rather than preparing for a child's game played by grown men. “Their work ethic over there is different too,” Twins general manager Terry Ryan said of the methods used in Japan’s version of loosening up for a game. “They get after it over there. It’s long and tedious. It’s important. Their practice time is a heck of a lot more urgent than ours. When they take BP they go balls out.” Ryan said the game in Japan can sometimes aid a pitcher who was spit out of the majors rediscover his talents or make adjustments. Pitchers who have been baptized in the American version may get too consumed with throwing harder and snapping off bigger breaking pitches. Without the eye-popping velocity, Japan’s pitchers historically have focused more on addition and subtraction. Beyond the physical aspect of the game, Ryan believes that there is a mental side that plays a role for pitchers. Landing in Japan means that MLB’s evaluators no longer have interest - a realization that can land a kick square in the jock. From Boyer’s perspective, the cross-Pacific experience help revive his career. The dimensions of Major League Baseball’s zone has created a wellspring of studies suggesting it is expanding, but in Japan the exact opposite effect is happening. Boyer believes having to pitch to a strike zone in Japan which he described as the size of a tennis ball was a blessing in disguise. “It made me better over here for sure,” Boyer said reflecting on the frustrating lesson imparted by Nippon Baseball League’s miniscule zone. “If there is one thing that made me a better pitcher over there it was that for sure. I was forced to pound that zone and aim small, miss small.” When he returned from Japan his ability to locate his pitches with precision paid dividends. In his time before leaving the country, Boyer issued 94 walks in 234 innings of work (9% walk rate). After signing a minor league deal with the Padres, the parent club summoned him in May 2014 and he walked just eight batters in 40.1 innings (5%). Boyer’s not the only MLB pitcher to spend time in Japan and reduce his walk rate on his return. The Rangers’ Colby Lewis is another success story of someone who went to Japan and came back with improved command. Before leaving, Lewis had a walk rate of 12% but returned and cut that in half. That’s not to say everything Boyer learned came from his time in Japan. While in the Cardinals system, pitching guru Dave Duncan taught Boyer a sinker that he uses frequently. What makes his sinker unusual is that it is the pitch he throws when he wants to bring the heat. “The velocity ticks up when I throw my sinker, which is backwards,” he said following an outing which saw him amp a few pitches up to 95 when facing David Ortiz. “I kinda get through the ball better when I throw my sinker so that tends to tick the velocity up a little bit.” http://i.imgur.com/gGPHZal.gif Boyer flicked his wrist to demonstrate the follow through which he says generates the added velocity. “I have always been able to sit 92 to 94 or 95. I can go up and get 98 on a good day,” Boyer said of his radar readings. "Really it's the sinker. When I went to St. Louis I was just a strictly 92 to 94 guy and Dave Duncan showed me the sinker and I started throwing the sinker and all of sudden I got a huge tick. My velocity just went up. So I say it’s kind of backwards because when I throw my sinker it’s usually harder than my four-seamer.” The Twins have been pleasantly surprised by the speed. Ryan said Boyer showed “a little bit more velocity this spring” than he was expecting - which was around 91 or 92 -- but he is also mixing in his new change-up too. With multiple fastballs -- the sinker, four-seam and a cutter which acts more like a slider ("Adam Wainwright has been trying to tell me the last couple years that it is just a slider") -- Boyer is also embracing the change-up philosophy encouraged by pitching coach Neil Allen. “I haven’t thrown a change-up my entire life,” Boyer confessed. “I maybe have thrown two in a game but they just have been just a fake. I’m not fooling anybody with that. This is a legit change-up. I can’t wait to use that in my arsenal.” http://i.imgur.com/ZmYjDKr.gif With the Padres last year Boyer exuded dominance over right-handed hitters, limiting them to a .178 average in 97 plate appearances, but was cuffed around by left-handers who posted a .305 average against in 63 match-ups. Adding the change-up could help keep those bats at bay. The Twins were obviously pleased with what they saw on the mound and in the clubhouse as well. “He seems like a solid guy,” Ryan levied. “He’s just a good teammate, it looks like. He’s gone about his business professionally and he’s gone out there and when we needed him to take the ball he took it and he’s not had any setbacks. So far, it’s worked out for both of us.” The expanded arsenal combined with the ability to pound the strike zone and surprising velocity should have Boyer contributing out of the bullpen effectively. As the season starts manager Paul Molitor said that he envisions him acting as a bridge between his starters and the back-end of the bullpen in Casey Fien, Brian Duensing and eventually Glen Perkins. There's no telling where Boyer might have been had he not stepped away from the game several years ago. His career has been given a second life since the day he almost walked away and the Twins are hoping to benefit from that. “I’m happy for him,” Molitor said of Boyer’s achievements. “He came over here and he’s been solid from the beginning.” Click here to view the article

In baseball, spring is a time of optimism, hope, and endless possibilities. With the regular season days away, and anticipation at its highest following a long and cold offseason, just about everyone is feeling the buzz. The potential. The freshness. This year, we should be feeling that vibe more than ever. Things are moving in a legitimately positive trajectory, in terms of upcoming young personnel, and this is the healthiest I can ever remember the team being at the start of April. Yet, when you scan the roster that Paul Molitor and his staff have settled on taking north, it's hard not to feeling a sense of puzzlement and deflation.Shane Robinson. He's a 30-year-old career backup with a .612 OPS in the majors, and he hit .150 last year with St. Louis. Blaine Boyer. He's a 33-year-old who was out of big leagues for two years, between a trip to Japan and a brief retirement, before returning last year to throw 40 decent innings for San Diego. Chris Herrmann. He's a 27-year-old with a .196 average and .548 OPS in 276 MLB plate appearances. He plays a lot of positions, but none of them all that well, and he's a catcher who rarely catches. He's mostly been an emergency valve at the position, in fact. These are players that should generally be viewed as backup options, if not backup backup options. They are the guys who should be stashed in the minors or at the very end of the bench. But each has clutched a spot on the Twins' opening day roster and each is in line to play a fairly significant role from the get-go. Robinson, who struggled mightily in 47 games with the Cardinals last year before being released in November, is the only option in center field other than Jordan Schafer, who himself profiles as a backup. Paul Molitor has said he won't be straight-up platooning the two, but Robinson still figures to see some time. Boyer has a great story and an intriguing fastball, but there's not a whole lot of reason to believe he's going to be an above-average reliever. It's one thing to have a guy like that at the very bottom of your bullpen chain, but Boyer is not that. The Twins are also carrying Mike Pelfrey, who has zero experience as a reliever and whose usage will be tightly restricted early on. And also J.R. Graham, who hasn't pitched an inning in the majors or Triple-A. And also Tim Stauffer, who's been flat-out horrendous this spring. Boyer, at this point, looks like the No. 2 righty option out of the bullpen. Herrmann is not without value, and probably is a better hitter than he's shown in his altogether short big-league time. But with the rest of the bench looking rather thin, and with Herrmann's versatility, he's going to get some tread. As Kurt Suzuki's only backup, he'll probably start once a week behind the plate, where he played all of one inning in the majors last year. In fairness, it should be pointed out that there were some extenuating circumstances at play in all these cases. Herrmann may have only won his job because Josmil Pinto suffered a concussion late in camp that set him back. Chances are he won't be around long. Robinson was the fallback plan when Aaron Hicks was deemed unready. He was the best defensive option to complement Schafer and the Twins are trying to help their pitching staff, which is fair enough. Boyer probably wouldn't have stuck around if he didn't make the team, and for whatever reason the Twins want to get a look at him. I will say that much of the outrage about certain demotions this spring, often alluding to things like upside and age, strikes me as overblown. None of the moves mentioned above are permanent, and younger players like Trevor May and Michael Tonkin -- who were most likely better options than those that beat them out -- will head to the minors, where they'll wait in line and be available when the time comes. Still, the Twins are coming out of the chute featuring a roster that is overly dense with journeymen and long shots; players you expect to find on a last-place team. Like, say, the Twins in August. But, the Twins in April? Obviously, I hope some of these odd experiments work out. But if they don't, will Molitor show the same type of unwarranted patience that his predecessor tended to exercise in such situations? That could be a key area for the new regime to differentiate itself. Click here to view the article

The American League Central isn’t filled with as many imposing left-handed hitters as it once was. With Prince Fielder traded to Texas, Adam Dunn retired and Travis Hafner’s dominance a distant memory, Minnesota no longer needs to worry much about game-changing homers from lefty swingers. Because of this, perhaps it makes sense for the Twins to carry only one southpaw specialist among its seven relievers, as they appear poised to do.With Blaine Boyer and Mike Pelfrey both being slotted for roles as middle relievers, only one spot in the bullpen remains. Both J.R. Graham and Caleb Thielbar are in contention for that job, but with Graham enjoying a much more successful spring -- not to mention his status as a Rule 5 acquisition -- things appear to be leaning in the righty’s favor. That puts Paul Molitor in an interesting position as he enters his first season as a manager. Ron Gardenhire almost always had multiple lefties in his bullpens, providing him with added flexibility to play match-ups in the late innings, but Molitor may not have that luxury in his first go. Maybe that's not all that surprising; his reliever usage this spring has suggested that he’s more interested in having his pitchers record multiple outs -- even over multiple innings -- as opposed to utilizing specific arms to face one or two hitters. Still, there will be instances late in a close game where a threatening left-handed hitter like Michael Brantley or Eric Hosmer steps into the box and Molitor’s top weapon, Brian Duensing, is unavailable. If Thielbar’s not around, who’s the go-to guy in such a situation? Is there one? Let’s take a look at the options Molitor will have on hand outside of Glen Perkins, who is obviously not a match-up play. Blaine Boyer: The veteran really isn’t a strong option to match up against left-handed hitters, and in fact should probably be limited almost entirely to righties. As Parker noted Tuesday, Boyer has struggled against batters from the opposite side, though the addition of a changeup to his repertoire could help matters. Mike Pelfrey: Over the course of his career, Pelfrey has been just about equally effective against hitters from either side -- which is to say, not terribly effective (.753 OPS vs. RHB, .784 OPS vs. LHB). As a starter, he didn't really have the secondary stuff to keep lefties in line, but we’ll see how things change with the role switch. Casey Fien: He will probably be tabbed for a pretty strict eighth-inning role, at least initially, though at least he can probably handle hitters from both sides in that duty? Last year, he held lefties to a .255/.294/.400 line, though in his first season with the Twins portsiders slugged .472 with six homers against him. Tim Stauffer: In his career, Stauffer has actually been more effective against lefty batters, holding them to a .712 OPS as opposed to .737 for righties. Last year in San Diego, Stauffer held LHB to a .282/.333/.347 line with zero homers in 135 plate appearances. Interesting. From a strictly statistical standpoint, Stauffer actually appears to be the best match-up choice for left-handed hitters among righties in the bullpen. That may be a key point in his favor, in light of his immense struggles on the hill this spring. Would you be comfortable sending any of the above names (or the completely untested J.R. Graham) against a lefty power threat in a tie game? Or do you think the Twins would be wise to have a second lefty behind Duensing? Sound off in the comments. Click here to view the article

After yesterday’s crazy day at Fort Myers, today was considerably more serene. It also served as a deep breath before the last big push for several roster spots. Twins Manager Paul Molitor says he would like to get the roster set by this weekend, so the pressure to perform (or at least not mess up) is high. “It always is in spring training,” said Twins General Manager Terry Ryan. “Especially when you get to the last ten games or so.”I’ve written a lot about the other spring training battles but have stayed away from the bullpen, partly because Nick Nelson covered it this weekend and partly because there were just so many options. But with recent demotions, the bullpen battles are becoming a little more clear – but not a lot more clear. There are just so many factors, and the biggest ones might not be the individual relievers' performance. It might be the performance of the guys trying out for the fifth starter job or whether or not the Twins can make a trade for a Rule 5 pick. Here’s the breakdown: There are seven spots. Four of them are essentially spoken for: 1. Glen Perkins has overcome his oblique strain, so he’s in. 2. Casey Fien is in and seems to have overcome whatever ailed him last September. 3. Brian Duensing was hit by a comebacker yesterday just over the knee on his thigh, but while he won’t pitch for a couple of days, he should have no problem being back for opening day. 4. Tim Stauffer has a major league contract, and while Terry Ryan stopped short of calling him an “absolute lock” in his pregame press conference, he did say he’ll be getting the “benefit of the doubt.” So he’s in. That leaves three spots and they are largely dependent on what happens in the fifth spot in the rotation. At least one, and possibly, two, are spoken for. Mike Pelfrey, Tommy Milone and Trevor May are all competing for that last spot. Ryan confirmed that “is a fair assumption” that Pelfrey and Milone would end up in the bullpen if they don’t win the job, and oddly enough would not say that Trevor May would be sent to Rochester if he didn’t with the job, leaving the option open that he could be in the bullpen, too. However, that chance seems very remote. Your guess is as good as mine regarding the fifth starter job. Everyone seems to be playing their cards very close to their vest. Prior to the postgame conference, I would have handicapped it like this: Pelfrey 1:1 Milone 2:1 May 5:1 But I talked to at least one veteran sportswriter who thought Milone was still in the lead, and it also seemed like there was some confusion whether Pelfrey would get another start with the big league club. Whether that means he’s out of the running or they just don’t need to see any more is unknown. So again, take those odds with much more than a grain of salt. Like, maybe a shaker of salt. Back to the bullpen. Whoever wins could have a major effect on the makeup of the bullpen. Let’s look at the scenarios. What If Pelfrey Wins The Fifth Starter Spot? 5. Tommy Milone becomes the second (or third if you count Perkins) lefty in the bullpen. That leaves two spots in the bullpen. My best guess is they are taken by the right-handers: 6. Blaine Boyer and 7. J.R. Graham Missing out: RHP Mark Hamburger LHP Caleb Thielbar, Aaron Thompson Boyer and Graham are mostly a guess, though they have had great camps. But so have all the guys that are still in camp, so either one could be replaced by Hamburger. It’s also possible that the Twins could decide to still take another left-hander, and Terry Ryan praised both Thielbar and Thompson’s spring earlier today. Ryan also said a few days ago he doesn’t feel strongly about how many left-handers or right-handers are in the bullpen. What If Milone Wins The Fifth Starter Spot? 5. Mike Pelfrey becomes the third right-hander in the bullpen. That leaves two spots in the bullpen. My best guess is they would want a right-hander and a left-hander, so let’s go with: 6. Caleb Thielbar and 7. J.R. Graham Missing out: RHP Mark Hamburger LHP Blaine Boyer, Aaron Thompson I’m in the minority in thinking that the Twins would choose Graham over Boyer. But since Graham is a Rule 5 pick and since Boyer isn’t on the 40-man roster, that’s the way I’m going. I should emphasize – Boyer has really impressed people. If the Twins decide to keep Boyer and send Graham down in this scenario, they would either need to return him to the Braves or make a deal. In the past, the Twins have had some luck making deals with the Braves; that’s how they secured Scott Diamond. That happened very late in spring training that year, on the 28th of March. I’m optimistic that this could happen again. As for the lefties, I don’t know if Thielbar is really in front of Thompson. I think Thielbar will get the benefit of the doubt given his time on the team the last few years. Then today, Thompson pitched before Thielbar did today and Thielbar did struggle a bit, giving up two hits and the winning run (though I think it should have been unearned). However, Molitor emphasized that he didn’t mean to give them a “head-to-head” matchup; he just wasn’t able to use Thompson in the game yesterday, so he made sure he got him in the game today. What If May Wins The Fifth Starter Spot? 5. Mike Pelfrey becomes the third right-hander in the bullpen. 6. Tommy Milone becomes the second lefty in the bullpen. That leaves just one spot in the bullpen. My best guess is they would want a right-hander, so let’s go with: 7. Blaine Boyer Missing out: RHP Mark Hamburger, J.R. Graham LHP Caleb Thielbar, Aaron Thompson Looking at this, it seems that Trevor May is going to need to overcome even more than having an option to send him down and a limited spring training resume due to the flu. Putting him in the fifth spot also squeezes the bullpen that much more. (Oh, and the forecast for his start on Friday has a 90% chance of rain. What’s next? Locusts?) If you want to distill things a little further, it feels like there will likely be two spots in the bullpen and three pitchers essentially competing for it: Boyer, Graham and Thielbar. The key factor might be if they can work a trade for Graham. If so, and May doesn’t win the fifth job, the logjam could be cleared. Click here to view the article

The primary drama for the Twins-Phillies game on Monday surrounded Twins starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey looking to stake his claim on the last spot in the Twins rotation. The Phillies did their part to make the litmus test feel real. Their lineup featured Ben Revere, Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz in the top five spots. So how did Pelfrey do?He was "OK." He described it as such. He didn't dominate (only two strikeouts amid seven hits and two walks in 4.2 IP) but also didn't give up many runs (only two, and only one was earned). His control wasn't terrible, but it also wasn't stellar. He was hurt by his defense. (Eduardo Nunez had and error and a couple he probably could have fielded.) He was also helped by it. (Eduardo Escobar and Reynaldo Rodriguez both made wonderful plays, and Escobar's probably saved more runs.) In short, it wasn't the dominant game he probably wanted to lay sole claim to the job of fifth starter with, nor was it a step backwards. Both he and Twins Manager Paul Molitor said he "battled" and that's about right. When asked about the competition for fifth starter, Pelfrey deferred and talked about how he's just happy to feel healthy. "I feel good. In 2013, I came back from Tommy John in eleven months for opening day. Maybe it was too early," said Pelfrey. "Last year, it faded off pretty quick. But I feel good again. I expect good things to happen - to be successful - when I feel good. At the end of they day, as long as I feel good, no matter what happens, so be it." So this was not a knockout. Instead, it looks like we're going to have at least one more round as Molitor said after the game that both pitchers competing against Pelfrey, Tommy Milone and Trevor Mays, will get another start this week. It is not clear if both would start on the same day - both of them should have their next turn on Thursday. If that happens, one would need to start in one of the minor league games. But the Twins could bump one of them back a day to Friday - the day that Phil Hughes is scheduled to pitch - and have Hughes throw to minor leaguers instead. Whatever the decision, Molitor doesn't seem to be overly worried that he isn't going to be stuck with someone who isn't prepared. He finished his postgame talk by saying "I like my options." Escobar's Day Last night I wrote that we should trust Eduardo Escobar's bat more than we do, so today he struck out in his first three at-bats. He had only struck out twice over 32 at-bats in spring training prior to today. However, he made two very good defensive plays at third base. In the first inning, he started a double play that Molitor talked about at length, praising Escobar's patience. "On the first double play, we try to preach a lot: don't let the speed of the ball speed you up," reflected Molitor. "That was a play with a left-hand hitter, where the double play wasn't there yet. A lot of time, that guy catches that ball and turns and fires and there's nobody there yet, but he let the play kind of develop, and it made it close at first [base], but that was the right way to go about it." Then, in the second inning, following a two-run home run, the Phillies got runners on the corners with only one out. Ben Revere hit a hot grounder down the third base line where Escobar was playing inside the bag, but he ranged to the line, speared it, and caught the runner off base after an efficient run down. Pelfrey's outing might have looked a lot worse if not for that play. By the way, Molitor also had Escobar play a little in the outfield in the late innings today. He did not get a chance to field a fly ball. "A Real Fine Play" Escobar's play was topped the next innings when Twins first baseman Reynaldo Rodriguez dove and speared a hot grounder by Chase Utley, turning it into a leadoff out. When Reynaldo came up to bat at the top of the next frame, there was a memorable scene. One of the beer vendors at the Phillies park has a resonating voice that you can hear throughout the park. When Reynaldo was batting, the vendor happened to be working the aisle right behind home plate and had made it all the way to the bottom, right next to the netting. Midway between yelling "Water! Soda! Beer!" he looked up, saw Rodriguez and boomed "That was a REAL FINE PLAY at first base. JUST GREAT." Not only did Rodriguez hear him - he was only about 10 yards away - but I bet Aaron Hicks heard him in center field. Hell, Eddie Rosario might have heard him, and he didn't make the trip to Clearwater. Rodriguez just looked around as if thinking "Am I not in the middle of an at-bat here?" One More Defensive Play As Pelfrey was battling, trying to get through the fifth inning, the leadoff hitter laid down a successful bunt single. Suddenly, a tiring Pelfrey was faced with a speedster on first and Utley, Howard and Ruiz coming up to bat. Utley laced a line drive to deep right-center field but (at least from my angle behind home plate) it looked like Hicks got a great jump on the ball and raced it down. I asked Molitor about it after the game and Molitor thought he might have started to turn the wrong way but caught up to it. "We all know he can play the position out there." Center Field Battle Hicks started in center field, made that catch, but went 0-2 with a strikeout. He was facing a right-hander. Shane Robinson also made the trip and started in right field. He went 1-3 but also drew a walk. Before the game, I asked Twins general manager Terry Ryan if the Twins felt that Rosario or Hicks would need to play every day to make the 25-man roster. "You could give it some thought with Hicks," replied Ryan, "but I don't see falling into that situation at all. If he's going to be on this team, he's going to have to be a player." I got the sense the Twins are resistant to that idea for Hicks and dead set against it with Rosario. Boyer Continues To Roll Blaine Boyer relieved Pelfrey and continued his streak of strong pitching. He got through 1.1 innings on 14 pitches, and Molitor wanted to bring him back for one more inning, so Boyer had to bat in the National League park. It was not a comfortable moment. "I was just saying 'Don't get hurt. Don't get hurt,'" grinned Molitor. He didn't, by the way. He grounded out. Boyer is an interesting dark horse candidate to make the bullpen. The 33-year-old right-hander retired from baseball in 2012 but then went to play in Japan in 2013 and came back to play with the Padres last year. He's on a minor league deal. He hasn't posted impressive strikeout numbers - just 6.9 K/9 last year in San Diego - but was very effective with only 8 walks in 40.1 innings and a 1.04 WHIP (walks + hits divided by innings pitched). For reference, the only Twins pitchers that matched that WHIP were ... nobody. Not Phil Hughes. Not Glen Perkins. Nobody. Click here to view the article