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Last season the Minnesota Twins went into the year hoping to have a revamped pitching staff. While they did make moves on the starting front, they largely left the bullpen untouched. It didn’t go well and now it’s worth wondering if a complete opposite plan of action should be in the cards. Image courtesy of Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports Derek Falvey and Thad Levine added Emilio Pagan as somewhat of a throw-in alongside Chris Paddack right before Opening Day. Of course, that move also sent Taylor Rogers to San Diego. Aside from the deal with the Padres, Minnesota’s only move of note in relief was to sign 38-year-old veteran Joe Smith. He was ultimately designated for assignment after struggling into the summer. Minnesota found themselves using a whopping 38 pitchers, of which position players Nick Gordon and Jermaine Palacios were both included. It was a franchise record, and that level of usage is not ideal when multiple starters have the ability to only give five innings on a far too consistent basis. There’s plenty of money for the front office to allocate this offseason, but how much of it goes towards the bullpen, and should a significant chunk go to one player? Last offseason the largest deal given to a reliever was from the Los Angeles Angels in their pact with Raisel Iglesias. He secured $58 million on a four-year deal, checking in with a $14 million average annual value. Multiple relievers got two-year deals worth more than $15 million per year, but only Kenley Jansen’s deal commanded $16 million for a single season. The only other pitcher to reach double digits on a yearly basis was Corey Knebel, who got $10 million from the Philadelphia Phillies. Iglesias worked as the Angels closer but was far from lights out with a 4.04 ERA. His 3.17 FIP suggested the lack of production wasn’t entirely his fault, and eventually, he was dealt to Atlanta prior to the deadline. Jansen led the league in games finished and saves for the Braves, but he was still nowhere near the arm that went to All-Star games from 2016-18. Coming off an injury that allowed him to pitch just 25 2/3 innings in 2021, Knebel regressed quite a bit for the Phillies. He did work as their closer, and the 3.43 ERA wasn’t awful, but he had a 41/28 K/BB and was constantly flirting with disaster. This class of relievers will be interesting. There are some big names that don’t match production anymore such as Aroldis Chapman and Craig Kimbrel. There are some former Twins such as Trevor May and Taylor Rogers. There is some youth, but most of the group has hit 30, and really the only mega-deal-worthy arm was Edwin Diaz who signed an extension for $102 million remaining with the Mets for the next five years. I’m not sure there’s a Liam Hendriks or Iglesias in this group, but there’s certainly value to be had and there are guys that will command a solid sum for more than one season. Paying relievers isn’t something this front office has done, and it’s hard to think they’ll reverse course on that now. One would hope the bullpen is a bigger focus than it has been in years past, but that still comes by way of a focused approach and a lesser dollar amount. How much of their budget would you prefer the Twins allocate on relief pitching this season? Do they really need a big splash in the bullpen? View full article

Relievers pitch limited innings, but their impact on the game can reverberate through a team’s season. Alex Colome came to the Twins with a successful track record, but things didn’t go as planned. So, does it make sense to sign a reliever to a big contract? Every winter, relievers hit the open market with a proven track record, but relief pitching is never a sure bet. Here is how the top free agent relievers have fared over the last three off-seasons. Last winter, the Chicago White Sox gave Liam Hendriks a three-year, $54 million contract. In his first Southside season, he impressed as he posted baseball’s highest reliever WAR. The other relievers to receive over $10 million per season were Brad Hand and Trevor Rosenthal. Rosenthal was limited to 23 2/3 innings, and Hand was worth -0.3 WAR in 68 appearances. Leading into the 2020 season, Atlanta signed Will Smith to a three-year, $40 million deal following an All-Star Season. Over the last two seasons, he has a 124 ERA+ and a 1.10 WHIP. The other big deals that winter were for Drew Pomeranz (four-years, $34 million) and Will Harris (three-years, $24 million). Pomeranz tore his flexor tendon, and this has limited him to 44 1/3 innings. Harris underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, and this limited him to 23 2/3 innings. During the 2019 winter, some of the best relievers in recent history all hit the free-agent market in the same offseason. Craig Kimbrel, Zack Britton, Andrew Miller, and David Roberston all signed for an average value of over $11.5 million. However, each of these players had mixed results during the life of their contract. Kimbrel struggled through the first two years before bouncing back in 2021 (191 ERA+). Britton dominated in the first two years of his deal (232 ERA+), but he underwent two surgeries to remove bone chips from his elbow this year. Age started to catch up with Miller as he posted a 4.12 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP during his two-year deal. Robertson was limited to 6 2/3 innings as he needed Tommy John surgery in 2019. Upcoming Free Agent Class This winter’s free-agent crop includes some well-known names, but many top names have questions about their future performance. Kenley Jansen, the top available reliever, is 34-years-old and has pitched a ton of innings throughout his career. Craig Kimbrel has a $16 million option with the White Sox that seems likely to be declined, but he is coming off a strong season. It seems unlikely for the Twins to target either of these options because of the associated costs ($10 million or more per season) and other risks. Other top-tier options seem closer to meet Minnesota’s needs and are available for a more reasonable amount. At 32-years-old, Raisel Iglesias is the youngest among the top-tier relievers. He has been one of baseball’s best relievers for six straight seasons, and this should net him a multi-year contract. Mark Melancon, the oldest top-tier reliever, posted some strong numbers this season (175 ERA+), but he is already 37-years-old. If Minnesota wants one of the top-tier options, Iglesias might be the safest bet. He can provide insurance for Taylor Rogers as he comes back from a finger injury, and he can help improve a bullpen group that improved significantly in the second half. To read more about these relievers and other off-season options, make sure to pre-order your copy of the 2022 Offseason Handbook. Designed to serve as an essential companion for the Twins offseason ahead, this digital Handbook places you in the shoes of the general manager, equipping you with all the information you need to construct your own team-building blueprint (or predict what the real front office will do). Should the Twins spend big on a reliever? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article