One Internal Option Can Be the Twins’ Left-Handed Bullpen Upgrade

[Cody Christie]

After a quiet deadline, the Twins face lingering questions about relief depth and matchup options. Can an internal option be the team’s left-handed bullpen upgrade?

Image courtesy of William Parmeter

Minnesota had multiple needs heading into the 2024 MLB trade deadline, but there were more buyers than sellers, making it difficult for teams to find a deal. Instead, the Twins must rely on internal options for the second consecutive season. This strategy was successful in 2023, when the team won its first playoff series in two decades. Now, the front office is hoping their luck continues in 2024, but the road to the playoffs may be tougher than in previous seasons. 

One need for the team was adding a left-handed reliever. Caleb Thielbar and Steven Okert have served as the team’s primary lefties out of the bullpen, but their performances have been below expectations. Thielbar has made 34 appearances with a 5.96 ERA with a 21.8 K%. Okert has only been slightly better than Thielbar, with a 4.60 ERA and a 21.1 K%. Kody Funderburk is another internal option, but he has also struggled with a 5.61 ERA in 26 appearances. It seems unlikely for the Twins to trust any of these arms to get important outs in October.

With his reverse platoon splits, Trevor Richards partially fills the role, but sometimes what you want is the traditional platoon advantage. Some lefty batters are very uncomfortable with the physical looks of lefty pitchers, and are less affected by even very good right-handed changeups. The Twins have a left-handed pitcher on the 40-man roster who might be the team’s best option to provide an upgrade in the second half.

Brent Headrick was in the running for the team’s final bullpen spot in spring training. He made two starts for the Saints to begin the season but suffered a forearm injury and was placed on the 60-day IL. Headrick hasn’t pitched in a game since Apr. 6, but he has been ramping back up as part of the Florida Instructional League.

Minnesota drafted Headrick from Illinois State University in the 9th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. The front office has shown a tendency to draft college pitchers from lesser-known schools in the draft’s later rounds, in hopes of working with the player on slight mechanical adjustments to improve velocity and pitch mix. Headrick only sits in the low 90s with his fastball, but he has a good slider that can get swings and misses from lefties and righties.

“For me, fastball has always been a strength, slider has always been good," Headrick told Twins Daily's John Bonnes during spring training. "And now this year, we’re trying to promote the splitter a little bit more to give that third weapon.” Headrick hasn’t been able to use his splitter regularly this season because of his limited innings, so there is a chance it will help separate him from other lefties on the roster. 

Last season, he posted a 4.68 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP and 10.0 K/9 at Triple-A in a hitter-friendly league. With the Twins, he was asked to pitch multiple innings in half of his appearances, but he continued to strike out more than ten batters per inning. His biggest issue was keeping the ball in the park, with seven home runs allowed in 25 2/3 innings. Adding an improved splitter can help him to keep batters more off-balance and improve his big-league performance.

Headrick has been on a slow path back to the mound this season, but he might be getting healthy at the season’s most critical juncture. He must prove himself in multiple rehab outings before the Twins give him a chance at the big-league level. However, the team is desperate for a left-handed upgrade, and he might be the team’s best option for October.

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Can Headrick provide the Twins with a left-handed upgrade? Will one of the other left-handed options show improved performance in the season’s stretch run? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[terrydactyls]

After all the heart-pounding excitement of yesterday's trade deadline conclusion, I'm thrilled to learn that the Twins didn't need to make any moves (of significance) at all.  Playoffs, here we come!

[NYCTK]

Yeesh. What a sad state or affairs. We're so desperate we're left wishing on a dude that owns like a 4.50 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in high minors and hasn't pitched in 4 months. 

[Dman]

Maybe it is just wishful thinking, but could Prielipp make his debut? He has been K'ing hitters like crazy at the lower levels and he has two elite pitches, I believe.  Hard to say if those pitches are ready for MLB hitters, but maybe they could run him up to AA and see how he does there and AAA if he is getting good results at AA.  Then maybe MLB in September?

I know that might be too much to ask, but desperate for a good lefty and he likely is the best one we have right now.  He might not even be dominant at AA, but it seems worth a try given where we are with lefties in the pen.

I am probably higher on Headrick than most, but given his results even when he was good it's a stretch to say he is any better than Fundy or Okert.  He has been pretty homer prone which is not ideal for a reliever.  I'd need to see more than a month of build up to trust him, but that's just me.  I guess if we have nothing else he's probably the next best thing we have to try.  He should have a fresh arm.

[Jocko87]

Just running down the list of left handed pitchers in the organization and we've almost named all the names already in this thread.  Maybe a Jaylen Nowlin can cut it loose.  He's a Swiss army knife and almost every time I see his name he's doing something good.

[roger]

Add me to the list of those who were disappointed yesterday.  However, with the failure of so many pitchers traded for the past several years, maybe nothing is good.  Do understand not giving up too much young talent for a rental.

As for Headrick.  Must admit I had forgotten about him.  On the other hand, loved DMan's comment above about Prielipp.  Guess the next couple starts for the Kernels will tell us a lot.

[gman]

I think if Headrick is moved to shorter bullpen outings he will become a very competent reliever. Sometimes the teams just needs to put players in position to succeed. rather than get injured. As far as system lefties, with Moran injured this year, the next three pitchers are at Wichita.  MacCleod looks like he could possibly still be a starter, but has only pitched 1 game at 2A. Nowlin & Rozek both look like they should be moved full time into relief roles and they could be options for the Twins next year. With Rozek possibly, maybe could be, this year somewhat. Otherwise close to system ready their no one currently in double or triple A.

[Linus]

The premise of this article is not realistic. Headrick has shown nothing that would indicate he is a solution to the problem. 

[mikelink45]

Keep trying there is nothing here to excite and Headrick is such a reach for a team looking to go into the playoffs.  

[Karbo]

It seems that most people on this site are pretty sure they make the playoffs. I'm not so sure. Another injury to any of the top 4 pen arms would probably sink them. Add in the fact that both Buxton and Lewis are so injury prone, Correa with his planter injury, and who knows how Miranda comes back from the terrible HBP and there could be a lot go wrong. 

[Blyleven2011]

I too had forgotten all about Hendrick  , 

He might be good for us in September  but he'll have to work hard in August to get back to the show  ...

Don't forget , richards is our new lefthander acquiredat deadline ...

[Blyleven2011]

25 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

Keep trying there is nothing here to excite and Headrick is such a reach for a team looking to go into the playoffs.  

The FO keeps hoping and fans keep losing hope  ...

[FlyingFinn]

Headrick won't be the answer. Thielbar or Okert are just going to have to start pitching better. 

[USAFChief]

Laughable. 

Par for the course for this author. 

 

[LambchoP]

He needs to show he's even healthy first before we can pin our hopes on him to be our lefty. Look what happened with Stewart. I think the best way to shore up the bullpen is to get Stewart and Topa healthy, then move Varland and eventually Paddack into relief roles. Maybe Paddack and Festa switch places depending on who's pitching better. Would love to see Headrick if he can get healthy and productive quick. Love to see Zebby too, but that's a lot to ask out of a guy who's had one start at AAA.

[madtowntwin]

No - "Par for the course" would be a remote cheap shot from you dude. 

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

1 hour ago, Linus said:

The premise of this article is not realistic. Headrick has shown nothing that would indicate he is a solution to the problem. 

Article is wishcasting at its finest. Tomorrow's article will likely be a lengthy summation on why Caleb Thielbar is ready to turn things around!

[DocBauer]

I've always said you keep an arm in the rotation for asong as possible. Always hate to move someone, permanently, to the pen too soon. However, I've also said for a while that I think Headrick has the potential to be a very good pen arm, and I don't see room for him in the Ywibs rotation, or Saints rotation. 

His velocity will tick up in the pen, and he's shown the ability to K opposing batters. I believe that's his role going forward, and I see he and Funderburk, Moran back from TJ, and MAYBE Okert all fighting for a pen job 2025.

I don't know that there's time for Headrick to get back in a good groove and make the transition to the pen to help the club THIS year. Might be too much too soon for that to happen. But he's taken the mound in actual ML games, and out of the pen as well. So it's not completely foreign to him. I'm looking more toward next season, but if he's healthy and strong for August, I can definitely see him getting a late August, early Septemeber shot with the Twins.

[Heiny]

55 minutes ago, Karbo said:

It seems that most people on this site are pretty sure they make the playoffs. I'm not so sure. Another injury to any of the top 4 pen arms would probably sink them. Add in the fact that both Buxton and Lewis are so injury prone, Correa with his planter injury, and who knows how Miranda comes back from the terrible HBP and there could be a lot go wrong. 

I'm not most people I guess cuz I don't see us catching up to Cleveland.  On top of that I think KC will pass us by and we will miss the playoffs.  You might call me pessimistic, but I think I'm being realistic.  Yes, we have the 4th best record in the AL for now, but I don't think that will last very long.  The Twins are not trying to win WS,  they are just trying to make money.  This seems to be the annual modus operndi.

[thelanges5]

Was wondering about Headrick. Thanks for the update. Maybe I am too high in him but he could be a good piece if he can work his way back. Saw a Prielipp mention in the posts too. Looks good so far. 

[Seth Stohs]

Some impressive negativity here... Jeepers! 

Granted, Headrick has only recently been throwing some bullpens, so he's not an option anytime soon, and he's going to spend plenty of time rehabbing/with the Saints to be cautious and also just to show he would be comfortable in the roll. 

I'm no fan of Okert. If he's throwing strikes, he's solid. If not, it's a mess. That's true, really, with all three lefties. Funderburk is the one with some potential. 

There is no reason for them to mess with Prielipp at this point. To think of him in a MLB role right now makes no sense. 

Richards' splits help. Getting Topa back will help. And getting Varland back in the bullpen. No reason to do anything crazy. 

[bean5302]

I'm honestly not super concerned about the bullpen. I'm concerned about how the rotation will fare in the playoffs should the Twins make it, and I expect they will.

[Linus]

3 hours ago, Karbo said:

It seems that most people on this site are pretty sure they make the playoffs. I'm not so sure. Another injury to any of the top 4 pen arms would probably sink them. Add in the fact that both Buxton and Lewis are so injury prone, Correa with his planter injury, and who knows how Miranda comes back from the terrible HBP and there could be a lot go wrong. 

This is a good point. They could miss the playoffs as easily as they could make them. And if they miss them the Twins will have two groups of fans: angry in one and apathetic in the other. 

[SotaSports in NM]

Headrick has turned into a bit of an afterthought for me lately - justly, or not. Adding a splitter would be nice, but of greater importance is the need to fix the long balls. THEN we can talk.

[twinstalker]

5 hours ago, NYCTK said:

Yeesh. What a sad state or affairs. We're so desperate we're left wishing on a dude that owns like a 4.50 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in high minors and hasn't pitched in 4 months. 

And we wait four paragraphs for it!

I kid, sort of.  I realized this wasn't an article prompted by anything positive coming from a minor league lhp when three paragraphs went by without introducing the subject of the piece.  It's probably a better MO to cover the state of the lhp's in the system where Brent Headrick gets the half line he deserves,

[NYCTK]

3 hours ago, Seth Stohs said:

and he's going to spend plenty of time rehabbing

This is what you say about someone that should be on the major league roster. Not a massive question mark. He needs to prove himself because two decent starts in early April isn't enough to erase the 915 OPS major league hitters had off him last season. 

I actually am very thankful for the update, as I've been wondering about his health. But the framing of this article is just bonkers. 

[JD-TWINS]

On 7/31/2024 at 9:47 AM, Dman said:

Maybe it is just wishful thinking, but could Prielipp make his debut? He has been K'ing hitters like crazy at the lower levels and he has two elite pitches, I believe.  Hard to say if those pitches are ready for MLB hitters, but maybe they could run him up to AA and see how he does there and AAA if he is getting good results at AA.  Then maybe MLB in September?

I know that might be too much to ask, but desperate for a good lefty and he likely is the best one we have right now.  He might not even be dominant at AA, but it seems worth a try given where we are with lefties in the pen.

I am probably higher on Headrick than most, but given his results even when he was good it's a stretch to say he is any better than Fundy or Okert.  He has been pretty homer prone which is not ideal for a reliever.  I'd need to see more than a month of build up to trust him, but that's just me.  I guess if we have nothing else he's probably the next best thing we have to try.  He should have a fresh arm.

Headrick had two nice starts in St. Paul to start the year……I have confidence that he can get guys out in short bursts in the Show after 3-4 more weeks of work.

Prielipp is really a stretch, as you point out. He’s hurt 80-90% of the time it seems……he did well in Florida Coast and now one TWO INNING appearance at next level. “Striking out guys like crazy” seems to be a bit of wishful thinking as he would move up 3 more levels. I’d like to see him finish the year without hurting his arm…..,,a low bar. Can’t imagine him ever getting a chance with the big club in ‘24. His stuff might play an inning at a time for big club but protecting his arm and future has to be highest priority over next couple months.

[JD-TWINS]

Q: Who gets demoted if Topa comes up in a week or so?

Staumont has been OK but seems to be losing his edge…….just saw he’s been DFA’d! Thielbar & Okert have been ineffective. I assume the guy they got from Toronto gets 3-4 opportunities before any judgement is made. Stewart is back on IL.

Duran - Jax - Alcala - Sands - Richards - TOPA - Dobnack - Thielbar - Okert …..personally, I think Ronny Henriquez deserves consideration as well for promotion.

[Dman]

37 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

Headrick had two nice starts in St. Paul to start the year……I have confidence that he can get guys out in short bursts in the Show after 3-4 more weeks of work.

Prielipp is really a stretch, as you point out. He’s hurt 80-90% of the time it seems……he did well in Florida Coast and now one TWO INNING appearance at next level. “Striking out guys like crazy” seems to be a bit of wishful thinking as he would move up 3 more levels. I’d like to see him finish the year without hurting his arm…..,,a low bar. Can’t imagine him ever getting a chance with the big club in ‘24. His stuff might play an inning at a time for big club but protecting his arm and future has to be highest priority over next couple months.

Yeah Preilipp would be a stretch, but IMO he is the best lefty in the system when healthy. I agree that they will prioritize his health but he is only doing two innings at a time right now why not just see if his stuff plays at a higher level? Does it matter if he pitches those innings at high A or AA or AAA? If his stuff does play at those higher levels he could be an option for the MLB club and he just started pitching so it wouldn't be a ton of innings on his arm this year anyway. 

Also odds are they send him to fall league to build up innings anyway as they are likely going to have him on a pitch counts and innings limits as they build up his arm strength.  I guess I just don't see why you couldn't see how he does at AA and if he is getting killed there then yeah not an option for MLB this year. If he continues to do well he might be the arm they needed at the deadline.

Guys with good stuff have gone from the draft to MLB the same year so it can be done.  He just would have to prove his stuff is legit all the way up. If he's not ready yet then keep him where he is challenged or drop him back down a level.  I just think it's worth a try given the state of the pen.

[Mike Sixel]

20 minutes ago, Dman said:

Yeah Preilipp would be a stretch, but IMO he is the best lefty in the system when healthy. I agree that they will prioritize his health but he is only doing two innings at a time right now why not just see if his stuff plays at a higher level? Does it matter if he pitches those innings at high A or AA or AAA? If his stuff does play at those higher levels he could be an option for the MLB club and he just started pitching so it wouldn't be a ton of innings on his arm this year anyway. 

Also odds are they send him to fall league to build up innings anyway as they are likely going to have him on a pitch counts and innings limits as they build up his arm strength.  I guess I just don't see why you couldn't see how he does at AA and if he is getting killed there then yeah not an option for MLB this year. If he continues to do well he might be the arm they needed at the deadline.

Guys with good stuff have gone from the draft to MLB the same year so it can be done.  He just would have to prove his stuff is legit all the way up. If he's not ready yet then keep him where he is challenged or drop him back down a level.  I just think it's worth a try given the state of the pen.

this. But it is NOT how they operate.