Three Right-Handed Relievers the Twins Should Consider Signing

[Cody Schoenmann]

Finding bullpen help should be one of the Twins' top priorities during the offseason. Though they will likely acquire talent through trade, there are plenty of viable options on the free agent market. Here are three right-handed relief pitchers the Twins should consider signing.

Image courtesy of Tommy Gilligan - USA TODAY Sports

During the 2023 season, the Twins pitching staff put together one of their best performances in franchise history. Highlighted by soon-to-be Cy Young contender Sonny Gray and newfound long-term ace Pablo López, the Twins had the second-best starting rotation in baseball, finishing with 16.5 fWAR. Unfortunately, the starting rotation was responsible for most of the Twins' stellar pitching performance, as the bullpen generated only 3.2 fWAR, finishing 21st in Major League Baseball. 

Jhoan Duran was an All-Star-worthy closer, and Brock Stewart, Emilio Pagán, Caleb Thielbar, and Griffin Jax put together admirable seasons. Regardless, the latter half of the Twins bullpen was a revolving door of unstable veterans and untrustworthy young pitchers such as Oliver Ortega, Dylan Floro, Jovani Moran, Jordan Balazovic, Cole Sands, and Josh Winder.

Duran, Stewart, Thielbar, Jax, and potentially above-average young bullpen arms in Louie Varland and Kody Funderburk are a strong baseline. Even so, the Twins need to add one or two more bullpen arms to improve what was one of the worst regular season bullpens in baseball during the 2023 season. 

Re-signing Pagán is a logical move the Twins could make, but even if they manage to bring back the 32-year-old hard-throwing reliever, there is no guarantee he can replicate his stellar 2023 performance. Scarily, there is a chance Pagán could duplicate his dreadful 2022 performance, and it would be understandable if the front office elects to move on from him entirely.

The Twins ill be forced to make complex decisions in an attempt to fortify what is a robust front end of the bullpen. They could acquire players through trade, which is the more likely route they will decide to venture forth on, but there are plenty of viable options on the free-agent market. 

Minnesota appears set with their left-handed relief options in Theilbar and Funderburk, with Moran waiting in the wings at Triple-A, so they will likely pursue exclusively right-handed relief pitchers this offseason.

Here are three right-handed relievers the Twins should consider pursuing.

Shintaro Fujinami - 64 G, 79 IP, 23.2% K%, 12.6% BB%, 9.8% HR/FB, 7.18 ERA, 4.61 FIP, 0.2 fWAR

We start this list off with the ever-polarizing Shintaro Fujinami. At first glance, the statistics many notice when looking at Fujinami's numbers are his 7.18 ERA and 9.8% HR/FB.

Admittedly, a 7.18 ERA and 9.8% HR/FB are subpar. There is no way around it, but context needs to be provided to deliver a better understanding of Fujinami's struggles. Fujinami began the 2023 season as a starter for the eventual 50-112 Oakland Athletics. In his first four starts with the Athletics, Fujinami generated a 14.40 ERA, giving up 24 earned runs over just 15 innings pitched and 79 total batters faced.

Fujinami was a trainwreck as a starter, so after his April 22 start against the Texas Rangers, the Athletics decided to convert Fujinami into a reliever. Upon joining the bullpen, Fujinami improved as he was able to generate a 6.03 ERA as a reliever for the Athletics from April 26 to July 18 while also slashing his HR/FB nearly in half from 13% as a starter to 7.9% as a reliever.

Suddenly, Fujinami's world was flipped upside down as he went from pitching on one of the worst teams in baseball to being thrust into the middle of an unrelenting pennant race as the Baltimore Orioles traded minor league reliever Easton Lucas for Fujinami on July 19. 

Upon joining the Orioles, Fujinami's performance was a mixed bag. His reliever ERA dropped from 6.03 with the Athletics to 4.85 over 29 2/3 innings pitched and 126 total batters with the Orioles, but his HR/FB jumped from 7.9% with the Athletics to 9.7% as a member of the Orioles.

Fujinami's first season in MLB with the Athletics and Orioles was in no way awe-inspiring. Even so, his constant improvement, specifically showing noticeable strides with the pennant-contending Orioles, is reason to believe he could become an above-average and potentially elite flame-throwing reliever in the majors. 

Complementing Duran, Stewart, Jax, and potentially Varland and Pagán with a 102 MPH throwing Fujinami would present the Twins with a copious amount of hard-throwing right-handed relief pitchers. Adding Fujinami to the bullpen could blow up in the Twins' face, but it could also lead to them having one of the most intimidating and overpowering bullpens in all of baseball. 

Fujinami signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract as a starter with the Oakland Athletics last offseason. With Fujinami becoming a full-time reliever, he is expected to make around the same amount of money, with the longer term being a possibility. Nonetheless, don't be surprised if Fujinami nets a one-year deal worth $2-4 million.

Chris Stratton - 64 G, 82 2/3 IP, 24% K%, 7.4% K%, 7.7% HR/FB, 3.92 ERA, 3.53 FIP, 1.1 fWAR

The second right-handed relief pitcher on this list comes in the form of a more low-ceiling, high-floor option in 32-year-old Chris Stratton. 

After starting his career with the San Francisco Giants in 2016, Stratton has become a journeyman, pitching for four organizations over the past five seasons. Stratton began 2023 with the St. Louis Cardinals but was traded to the Rangers alongside Jordan Montgomery in exchange for infield prospect Thomas Saggese and pitching prospects Tekoah Roby and John King on July 30.

Stratton pitched well for the Cardinals in the first half of the season, generating a 4.19 ERA, 3.03 FIP, 6.9% HR/FB, and 59 strikeouts while giving up 45 hits, 25 earned runs, 17 walks, and four home runs over 53 2/3 innings pitched and 221 total batters faced. Stratton pitched a little less well after getting traded to the Rangers, sporting a 3.41 ERA, 4.46 FIP, 8.7% HR/FB, and 22 strikeouts while giving up 24 hits, 11 earned runs, eight walks, and four home runs over 29 innings pitched and 117 total batters faced. Still, his numbers were respectable for a back-half of the bullpen type reliever on a pennant-chasing team.

Stratton was a mainstay for the Rangers in the second half of the season and played a role in Texas winning their first World Series in franchise history. Stratton now enters free agency after his best season as a major-league relief pitcher.

Stratton was paid $2.8 million between the Cardinals and Rangers, and it is expected he will sign a one-year contract around the $3-4 million range for the 2024 season. He would be a serviceable veteran reliever who could adequately fortify the back half of the Twins bullpen, something they needed during the 2023 regular season. 

Reynaldo López - 68 G, 66 IP, 29.9% K%, 12.2 BB%, 11.6% HR/FB, 3.27 ERA, 3.91 FIP, 0.8 fWAR

The final pitcher on this list comes in the form of recent divisional foe Reynaldo López. 

López's 2023 season was hectic, as he was traded from the Chicago White Sox to the Los Angeles Angels roughly a week before the 2023 trade deadline, then subsequently waived by the Angels during their infamous roster purge that landed Lucas Giolito, Matt Moore, and López with the Cleveland Guardians. 

López pitched well for the White Sox, Angels, and Guardians, patrolling the seventh or eighth-inning setup role for all three teams. López concluded the 2023 season generating a 0.00 ERA, 2.16 FIP, 0.0 HR/FB, and 12 strikeouts over 11 innings pitched for the aforementioned Guardians.

Showing flashes of being an elite setup reliever with all three franchises, López illustrated he could also adequately occupy the closer role for a team if their primary closer were to have to miss a game due to rest or injury. If López were to sign with the Twins, he would instantly become the Twins' second or third-best reliever and quickly slot into contention for the role of seventh or eighth-inning setup reliever with Stewart, Jax, Thielbar, and potentially Varland.

López is one of the more desirable relievers on the free agent market and will require the Twins to spend more money and offer more years than Fujinami or Stratton. Don't be surprised if López receives a two-year contract worth $6-7 million per season.  

Despite having a solid front end of the bullpen, the Twins need to fortify the back half. With Thielbar and Funderburk occupying the two left-handed relief roles, the Twins are inclined to pursue right-handed relief help through trade or the free-agent market. Fujinami, Stratton, and López are three intriguing free-agent options the Twins should consider pursuing.

Should the Twins need to sign one or multiple relief pitchers? Does Fujinami, Stratton, or López intrigue you the most? Comment below.

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[Karbo]

IMO they won't go after any FA relievers unless there is someone they can pick up at the end of the off season. That way they can get more of a bargain, probably a 1 year make good deal. I would like to see them sign a starter like Maeda and convert Varland to full time pen. They can always stretch him out if they need a starter, and the guy was great in relief at the end of last year!

[Cory Engelhardt]

3 hours ago, Bigfork Twins Guy said:

No more pickups from the Orioles (Fujinami) after the Lopez fiasco please.

Just throwing it out there; I'd totally be ok with signing Lopez to a minor league deal this offseason. 

[NeverSeenATwinsPlayoffWin]

I'm sorry, but Fujinami is garbage, and I don't understand what people see in him besides his velocity. He's extremely wild, which leads to pitchers counts- and then HR and walks: the two worst things that relievers can do. He doesn't get chases because he can't command his stuff, and his secondary stuff is awful, just look at how little observed movement he has on his pitches: 

Chris Stratton fits the mold of what the Twins want to do (fill up the strike zone and induce fly balls), but Lopez is a sinkerballer that walks a lot of guys; I don't see the Twins having a ton of interest in him. I'd rather call up Miami and see what they want for Scott or Puk.

[terrydactyls]

Skip all three.  Trade for a good starter.  Move Varland to the pen.  Avoid all three of these guys.

[pierre75275]

I would actually like to see them add Matt Moore or R Lopez. And sign Kenta M and push Varland to the pen. 

But they didn't spend on the pen last year when they had money, I can't imagine them doing it this year when they dont

[DocBauer]

Of these 3, Lopez is the only one who I'm interested in. Velocity and pure stuff are there if the Twins can just harness it a bit more. 

Not interested in Fujinami unless he comes really cheap. I mean, his "getting better" as the season went along was still bad. 

[JD-TWINS]

These guys do nothing for me on paper. Pagan re-signed is a better move than Stratton.

Focus on a starter or two. Maeda is attractive for $11M.

Don't think he wants to hear it but Twins getting another starter and Varland in the Pen makes the team strongest!

I’d still like to go big with J. Montgomery as our first, and maybe only FA move.

[farmerguychris]

This FO has never spent anything on the pen.  Why would they now when payroll is going down for the first time in their tenure.  I expect a pen full of existing guys (Duran, Jax) and young guys from AAA.