Wind it up: The Case for Josh Winder as a Medium-Leverage Reliever for the Twins

[Sherry Cerny]

In the ever-evolving landscape of Major League Baseball, rosters and roles shift with the seasons. The Minnesota Twins have an intriguing opportunity to solidify their bullpen, by giving a more concrete gig to one of their up-and-down arms.

Image courtesy of © Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Josh Winder has demonstrated a powerful arm and a dynamic pitch arsenal. His fastball (which regularly touches the mid-90s), coupled with an effective slider and changeup, can be devastating. Winder’s ability to generate swings and misses and his strikeout potential are invaluable in high-leverage situations, where every pitch counts. 

In his past four appearances with the Twins, Winder has pitched nine innings, and while he allowed seven hits and three earned runs, all of those were in his appearance back on Jul. 5. In his appearances in August, he hasn’t allowed any runs; he’s only had two walks and eight strikeouts.

The fact that he is not a permanent reliever with the club is head-scratching. 
Winder started the season in St. Paul, before suffering an injury and needing to spend time in Florida. He was moved back up to Triple-A in May. Winder has allowed 13 walks and 50 hits in 38 innings for the Saints, and a .426 BABIP. His surface-level numbers are ugly, but the underlying indices are strong. His changeup is racking up whiffs at a phenomenal rate, for instance.

One of Winder’s strengths is his versatility. Having experience as both a starter and a reliever, he brings a well-rounded skill set. His experience as a starter allows him to understand how to adjust his approach based on hitters’ tendencies and game situations. 

He has been brought up to cover for other relievers and injuries, and fallen victim to the numbers game in the bullpen. More than once, the Twins have sent him down simply because he was the arm they could farm out without exposing anyone to waivers. Injuries and that roster crunch have made it difficult for Winder to establish himself in the big leagues, but with players like Josh Staumont and Steven Okert now out the door, there's a pathway for him. 

Winder continues to improve, and has adapted well to being placed in a late relief position, showing he has what it takes to adjust. His calm demeanor, ability to stay focused, and track record indicate he has the mental fortitude to excel, which the Twins need, especially if they want to make a postseason run.

Jhoan Durán, Griffin Jax, and Cole Sands are trustworthy high-leverage arms for Rocco Baldelli, but they need one or two more. Brock Stewart is unavailable, and Jorge Alcalá isn't exactly dependable. A reliable late reliever to help when the arms are tired is essential for maintaining leads and securing victories, and Winder’s potential to fulfill this role could help strengthen the Twins' overall performance and playoff aspirations.

The Twins went out and got Trevor Richards at the trade deadline, seemingly more to appease the masses than to materially improve, but that was the last thing they indeed did, and with the injuries from Chris Paddack and Joe Ryan, not making a massive move for the bullpen is something that has affected the team. While there are complaints about Baldelli’s bullpen management, it's extremely challenging to manage what you don’t have.

Winder’s combination of pitch mix, control, mental toughness, and versatility makes him an appealing option for the Minnesota Twins’ relief corps. By allowing Winder a full spot on the roster as a late reliever, the Twins could benefit from a pitcher with the tools and demeanor to thrive in high-pressure situations. As the Twins look to solidify their bullpen and enhance their competitive edge, Winder represents a promising solution for helping secure victories.

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[DJL44]

Asking a lot from a reliever with an ERA above 6 in AAA.

Winder was the worst on the Twins at holding baserunners last year. Any word on whether he has improved at holding runners?

[LA Vikes Fan]

I'm a Winder believer. I think he's back up soon, probably for Blewett. Keep in mind he was optioned on August 15 and has to remain in AAA for 15 days unless he's an injury replacement. I expect him back up on Friday for the Blue Jays series,

 

[bean5302]

Winder's velocity and stuff have looked good out of the bullpen this year. The team's usage of him is a bit of a head scratcher. Feels like they're wasting his value.

[Doctor Gast]

Great job Sherry! IMO it's a head-scratcher why the Twins picked up worthless relievers that can't be sent down & take up valuable roster spots. Winder should definitely be part of the revolving door of RPs to provide relief help to the rotation & BP. Winder along with Varland should be in the BP now! Get rid of the dead weight.

[ashbury]

I don't understand the headline, since "medium" was never used in the body of the article.  Unless a reliever is high-leverage, it means you don't trust him in tight situations, and that makes him filler.

[Craig Arko]

Winder is the guy you use to go 3-4 innings once every few days so you don’t have to burn 3-4 other relievers. Not super-special but very helpful when needed.

[roger]

Continue to believe in this young man who may have been their best pitcher a few years back at Wichita.  Was impressed watching his last few outings.

Expect he will join the Twins Sunday as the 14th pitcher when rosters expand.  Likely will also see Lee back on that date.  Do players still need to be on the roster 8/31 to be post season eligible?  If so, think we will see Lee back a day earlier.

[Dman]

I've lost my faith in Winder over the years, but I will say he has been better the last month or so at AAA and MLB. I don't know if he figured something out or is on a lucky BABIP streak, but probably worth it to find out. 

At one time he looked like a 5th starter type.  You'd like to think with three pitches he could make the bullpen.  They should probably find out one way or the other as there are a number of arms next year that might need spots on the 40 man.  It kind feels like now or never for Winder as a Twin. If his current numbers are who he really is he could be a nice weapon down the stretch. Pretty small sample size of success right now though.

[Karbo]

I'd be fine with cutting Richards and bringing Winder up.

[chpettit19]

4 hours ago, roger said:

Continue to believe in this young man who may have been their best pitcher a few years back at Wichita.  Was impressed watching his last few outings.

Expect he will join the Twins Sunday as the 14th pitcher when rosters expand.  Likely will also see Lee back on that date.  Do players still need to be on the roster 8/31 to be post season eligible?  If so, think we will see Lee back a day earlier.

Just on the 40-man by August 31, not 26-man for postseason eligibility. 

[DJL44]

4 hours ago, roger said:

Continue to believe in this young man who may have been their best pitcher a few years back at Wichita. 

I looked up the 2021 Wichita team and you may be right but that team didn't have much pitching. Winder, Balazovic, Sands, Vallimont, Austin Schulfer and Bryan Sammons were in the rotation. Sands looks like the best of the bunch now and they have all been moved to the bullpen. Jovani Moran, Kody Funderburk and Yennier Cano looked good in relief.

[Blyleven2011]

The article sounds like your looking for votes for his hall of fame ballot ...

Winder could improve more and become a high leverage  arm but right now he is just an innings eater ...

[thelanges5]

Winder for Henriquez on Friday. Maybe Varland when the roster goes to 28. 

[Linus]

I’m confused after reading this article. Why would the Twins keep a reliever as good as Mariano Rivera in AAA?

[DJL44]

12 hours ago, thelanges5 said:

Winder for Henriquez on Friday. Maybe Varland when the roster goes to 28. 

Why downgrade the bullpen by sending Henriquez to AAA?

[JD-TWINS]

On 8/27/2024 at 11:54 AM, Doctor Gast said:

Great job Sherry! IMO it's a head-scratcher why the Twins picked up worthless relievers that can't be sent down & take up valuable roster spots. Winder should definitely be part of the revolving door of RPs to provide relief help to the rotation & BP. Winder along with Varland should be in the BP now! Get rid of the dead weight.

When he got sent down they still had a full slate with of relievers with Henriquez coming up along with Richards & Okert. He’s not eligible until Saturday to come back - my sssumption is he’s the roster expansion pitcher come Sunday the 1st.

9.00 innings in the Show this year - 10 K’s & 1 Walk - .889 WHIP - 3.00 ERA……anything close to that would be very helpful!

[JD-TWINS]

Gotta think Varland is up by Sunday or sooner. need to pitch Alcala every other day at a maximum. Varland can be his alternative. Getting the ball to Sands/Jax in 7th/8th would be a nice routine.