All Arms on Deck: Should the Twins Accelerate Matt Canterino?

[TopGunn#22]

This was written on Saturday, just a couple days after Smeltzer's brilliant outing on Thursday.  I'm just finally reading it on Memorial Day.  

1.  Smeltzer is IN the rotation now.  He will have to be really bad for 4-5 starts to pitch himself out of it.

2.  Canterino has stuff that will play in the big leagues.  With the roster crunch when the Twins have to go to Toronto coming up, I'd move Canterino from AA right up to the Twins.  I like the idea of using him as an opener so he stays with his current routine as a "starter" and I'd throw him as many innings as his pitch count would dictate.  I have no idea what that pitch count is...60 pitches ?  70 ?  We have two older SP's who can't seem to get past the 4th inning---Archer and Bundy.  Once Winder comes back, I'd "open" with Winder and Canterino, and then let Archer and Bundy get me thru the 6th/7th before going to guys in their current "slots."  Primarily Pagan and Duran.  Guys like Theilbar and Duffey aren't giving the Twins much this year at all.

I'd REALLY like the Twins to acquire Montas.  He and Gray at the top of the rotation with Ryan is pretty darn solid.  Ober is having his ups and downs but Winder looks like he'll be part of the rotation for several years.  Montas would front the rotation and I'd sign him to an extension.  He's got a higher ceiling than Berrios ever had.  I'd look to add another power arm like Lopez from Baltimore too.

The question is, what would it take to get Montas ?  At this point, I'd be willing to make Balazovic the centerpiece of the deal, but I wouldn't be including Larnach, Kiriloff or Arraez.  It would have to be lower level minor league players that have potential but aren't ready to contribute within a year.  Oakland is not going to compete in 2023 anyway, so the A's should take some lower level, high potential guys.  Maybe someone like Wallner.  The key with Montas is to get him, not just for the rest of this year or next, but for the next 5 years.