Minnesota Must Ease the Load on Its Bullpen Big Three to Sustain Success

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Matt Krohn (Duran, Jax), Jesse Johnson (Varland)-Imagn Images

We’re not even to the All-Star break, and the Minnesota Twins are already walking a tightrope when it comes to bullpen management. After a stretch of disappointing offensive output in the early months of the season, the Twins have found themselves in an exhausting cycle of close games. And when you play close games, you call on your best arms. Again and again. And again.

The numbers tell the story: Louis Varland, in his first full season as a reliever, is tied for the most appearances in the American League with 28. However, that statistic doesn’t tell the whole story. Varland has logged more innings than the man he's tied with (Robert Garcia), and the workload raises fundamental questions about how long his effectiveness can last under these conditions.

Then there’s the duo of Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, who are two of the best setup-closer combinations in baseball over the last two seasons. Both right-handers are just two appearances behind Varland, putting them in a tie for fourth in the league. Their recent dominance has been nothing short of essential for Minnesota, but the concern is less about what they’re doing now and more about whether they'll still be able to do it in August or, more importantly, October. The message is clear: Minnesota’s bullpen strategy is unsustainable unless something changes.

A Necessary Evil So Far
No one will argue that Duran, Jax, and Varland haven’t delivered when asked. In fact, they're a big reason the Twins have stayed afloat despite some underwhelming run production for much of the season. Duran is flashing his trademark 100+ mph heat again. Jax has looked like the bullpen ace since overcoming some early-season struggles. Varland has found new life in shorter stints, dialing up velocity and attacking hitters with a bulldog mentality (including actual barking in the bullpen).

Since April 20th, Jax has led all AL relievers with 0.9 fWAR and 1.15 WPA. Duran is tied for sixth in fWAR (0.6) and has the ninth-highest WPA (0.86). (All stats through 5/29.) But here’s the problem: this isn’t a short-term fix anymore. It's become the day-to-day norm. And arms, especially in the bullpen, don’t operate on endless fuel.

Even though relievers pitch fewer innings than starters, the grind of regular high-leverage situations, frequent warmups, and the mental strain of being “the guy” in pressure spots can wear down even the most durable pitchers. Varland is a prime candidate for this concern because he’s new to the role and has never experienced the daily toll that a full season of relief work entails. His arm isn’t used to the frequent ups and downs, both physically and mentally. For a Twins club with playoff aspirations, managing that wear and tear is going to be just as important as managing the win column in July.

 

Who Else Can the Twins Trust?
Unfortunately, that’s the tricky question. Brock Stewart, who looked like a revelation when healthy, hasn’t looked quite the same this year. In 11 1/3 innings, he has allowed five earned runs with 18 strikeouts and four walks. Whether it’s lingering physical issues or just regression to the mean, it’s clear the Twins haven’t seen the same dominance from Stewart that made him such a weapon over the last two seasons. 

Danny Coulombe, one of the team’s most trusted left-handers, is currently shelved with an injury after a strong start to the season. His absence is particularly felt against tough lefty matchups late in games, and it has further funneled opportunities toward the Duran-Jax-Varland trio.

Cole Sands was one of the team’s breakout relievers last season, but he showed some early-season struggles in 2025. In his first 12 appearances (10 1/3 innings), he allowed five earned runs and had an 8-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In May, he seems to have turned the corner by allowing one earned run in 13 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts and one walk. He’s made 24 appearances in 2025, so his usage is also something to watch.  

Meanwhile, Jorge Alcala and Kody Funderburk are two pitchers who have yet to gain Rocco Baldelli’s complete trust. Funderburk took over the lefty role with Coulombe on the IL. He has shown some intriguing skills, but he’s often bypassed in close games. Alcala has struggled to find consistency over the last two seasons, having battled injuries earlier in his career. 

The bottom line is this: if Minnesota is going to ease the burden on its top bullpen arms, it either needs to start trusting those lower-leverage options in big spots or go out and find some new ones.

 

The Offense Holds the Key
Of course, there's another angle to this problem, and it's arguably the most straightforward: score more runs. The Twins' offense, to its credit, has shown flashes of life in recent weeks. Carlos Correa has looked more like himself, Kody Clemens has brought energy, and Brooks Lee has chipped in with quality at-bats. Matt Wallner and Byron Buxton are returning to the lineup, which could provide a boost, but inconsistency remains. Too often, the Twins have been locked into one or two-run games, which demand perfection from the bullpen night after night.

Give Rocco Baldelli a few more four or five-run leads, and let's see Alcala or Funderburk take the mound in the eighth inning instead of Jax or Duran. It’s a domino effect that starts with the bats. There’s no doubt Baldelli is facing a tricky balancing act. You want to win today’s game, but you also need your best players available down the stretch. That’s the paradox of managing a baseball team through 162 games.

Baldelli has often shown a willingness to play the long game, whether it’s resting position players, rotating catchers, or carefully managing workloads. However, this season's bullpen usage patterns suggest that the urgency to win now has taken precedence, and understandably so, given how tight the AL Central race is shaping up to be. But if Minnesota wants to be playing meaningful baseball in October, they need Duran, Jax, and Varland firing on all cylinders when they get there, not running on fumes.

The Twins have two clear options:
1. Start trusting more bullpen arms in higher-leverage spots: That might mean giving Alcala or Funderburk a real shot to earn meaningful innings, even if it comes with some bumps along the way. It could also mean calling up a fresh arm from Triple-A or acquiring a midseason bullpen piece via trade.

2. Get more out of the offense: If the bats can put up bigger leads, the bullpen doesn’t need to be perfect every night. That means more power, more timely hitting, and better execution in situational spots. It’s not about becoming the 2019 Bomba Squad overnight. It’s about consistent, quality at-bats that keep the bullpen off the hook.

Whatever the path, something has to give. The Twins can’t keep leaning on the same three relievers night after night and expect it to work indefinitely. If they don’t make some changes, this bullpen might burn bright for now, but there’s a real risk it burns out just when the Twins need it most.

 

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How can the Twins do a better job of managing the bullpen? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

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[Whitey333]

Great article.  The current bullpen usage is not sustainable over the long haul.  Yes offense is key but so is pushing starters to pitch at least 6- 7 innings each time out.  

[JD-TWINS]

How did using Alcala in high leverage work out last night? He’s an overthrowing head case! If he had options he wouldn’t currently be on the staff. He averages 6 walks/9 innings.

Funderburk, like Alcala, is a coin toss each time he throws ……with significantly lesser stuff.

Relievers throwing in 70-76 appearances over the year is once every 2.25 games ……..certainly the guys down there are capable of 2-3 innings per week.

35% of the way through the season Sands - Jax - Varland - Duran are at 25-27 innings……that’s low to mid 70’s at end of regular season. Obviously, they need to be protected but there is no abuse or overuse of the PEN arms to date.

3-4 days off every week and no more than 2 days in a row, followed by 2 days off minimum………this is what I’ve observed.

[JD-TWINS]

3 minutes ago, Whitey333 said:

Great article.  The current bullpen usage is not sustainable over the long haul.  Yes offense is key but so is pushing starters to pitch at least 6- 7 innings each time out.  

No team in Baseball has starters in Rotation that go 6-7 innings routinely …….who are they? Guys 1-5 (not just 2) in any rotation? Twins, in ‘23 & ‘24 were slightly above average in starter innings. This is 2020’s baseball - max effort & lower innings.

[mikelink45]

Bring back the complete game!  I know I am dreaming but was inspired by Tarik Skubal's Maddax game recently.  However, that is not in our team plans so back to what we have and like JD-Twins I have absolutely no faith in Alcala and would replace him in a minute. He has -0.5 WAR, 7.08 era, 1.672 WHIP.  

Funderburk has a career 5.66 era and 1.491 WHIP and this year is worse that his career stats. His WAR is -0.3. 

Maybe it is time to use some of the minor league RP or SP and see if we can find another Varland.  

In the meantime give us more 7 inning starts like we got from Mathews!!

[thelanges5]

Option #2 is the key. Can the offense be 15th instead of 23rd in runs scored? Can they average 4-5 runs per game instead of 3? The problem is that this group hasn’t been able to do that since mid-August of last season. 
 

Lot of “ifs” for the offense. 
If Buck, Correa, Wallner stay healthy. If Lewis figures things out. If Larnach, Lee, Jeffers, Castro can produce at an average to above average level.                                               If 🇫🇷, Bader, Clemens continue hitting as they have so far. 
 

I like this team - we will sink or swim with our hitters. 

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, JD-TWINS said:

Relievers throwing in 70-76 appearances over the year is once every 2.25 games ……..certainly the guys down there are capable of 2-3 innings per week.

35% of the way through the season Sands - Jax - Varland - Duran are at 25-27 innings……that’s low to mid 70’s at end of regular season. Obviously, they need to be protected but there is no abuse or overuse of the PEN arms to date.

3-4 days off every week and no more than 2 days in a row, followed by 2 days off minimum………this is what I’ve observed.

I also dispute that the workload is too stressful for these pitchers. They're getting adequate rest between outings, never being asked to go more than one inning, taking advantage of off days. If a pitcher can't handle 2-3 innings a week, then he's probably not suited for a major league bullpen.

[DJL44]

It is interesting that Topa was overlooked as an option to get more innings in the article. He's been overlooked by Rocco, too. He has a 2.37 ERA and good peripherals to go with it but he sits on the bench for multiple games in a row. Alcala pitched with the lead and Topa went into the game when they were behind but I don't understand why the roles weren't reversed.

[Linus]

Alcala and Funderburk are not good pitchers. They’ve never been good pitchers for any sustained length of time as neither of them has control or command. It’s always been frustrating to read people fawning over their “stuff” when they have no idea where it’s going. 
I think it is time to get creative and bring in some of our promising AAA pitchers and use them in a piggy back role. If they go multiple innings a couple times a week they could handle a spot start if need be. 
 

There is no such thing as a low leverage reliever. 

[Eris]

2 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

Relievers throwing in 70-76 appearances over the year is once every 2.25 games ……..certainly the guys down there are capable of 2-3 innings per week.

I think this level of usage for a relief pitcher is approaching burnout. While they may have success for 1 or 2 years their effectiveness will not be sustained. 
 

[DJL44]

2 hours ago, Whitey333 said:

pushing starters to pitch at least 6- 7 innings each time out.  

Nobody is going to turn the clock back to 1985.

[Patzky]

2 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

Bring back the complete game!  I know I am dreaming but was inspired by Tarik Skubal's Maddax game recently.  However, that is not in our team plans so back to what we have and like JD-Twins I have absolutely no faith in Alcala and would replace him in a minute. He has -0.5 WAR, 7.08 era, 1.672 WHIP.  

Funderburk has a career 5.66 era and 1.491 WHIP and this year is worse that his career stats. His WAR is -0.3. 

Maybe it is time to use some of the minor league RP or SP and see if we can find another Varland.  

In the meantime give us more 7 inning starts like we got from Mathews!!

Got to think SWR could easily be put into a long reliever role at least for the present. Alclala..  seen enough. Soon as Coulombe is back drop Fundy too.

[LambchoP]

Our top pen arms are throwing too many innings, we all know that. We are going to need some other relief arms to step up. Stewart and Sands are ok options most days, same with Coloumbe. I really hope he can come back soon because we need him. Topa has looked pretty good too. No clue why Rocco used Alcala over him last night. It is clear, or should be clear, that Alcala and Funderburk cannot be trusted in a close game. I know they want a lefty for the pen, but both these guys are nothing but a blow up waiting to happen. Time to prove all this supposed minor league pitching depth. SWR could be a great long relief arm who could eat 2-3 innings every now and again to save the pen. Travis Adams, Mcgaughan . I'd give these guys a go. Why waste two important roster spots on guys you can't throw out there?

 

[JD-TWINS]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

It is interesting that Topa was overlooked as an option to get more innings in the article. He's been overlooked by Rocco, too. He has a 2.37 ERA and good peripherals to go with it but he sits on the bench for multiple games in a row. Alcala pitched with the lead and Topa went into the game when they were behind but I don't understand why the roles weren't reversed.

My guess is Topa threw the day before and at some point, Alcala needs to (is expected to pitch to his capabilities) get the guys out when brought in - prior to blowing up. It’s almost like once he really screws up, he takes a deep breath and becomes a pitcher……….tough to watch!

[Richie the Rally Goat]

2 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

How did using Alcala in high leverage work out last night? He’s an overthrowing head case! If he had options he wouldn’t currently be on the staff. He averages 6 walks/9 innings.

Funderburk, like Alcala, is a coin toss each time he throws ……with significantly lesser stuff.

Relievers throwing in 70-76 appearances over the year is once every 2.25 games ……..certainly the guys down there are capable of 2-3 innings per week.

35% of the way through the season Sands - Jax - Varland - Duran are at 25-27 innings……that’s low to mid 70’s at end of regular season. Obviously, they need to be protected but there is no abuse or overuse of the PEN arms to date.

3-4 days off every week and no more than 2 days in a row, followed by 2 days off minimum………this is what I’ve observed.

Agreed, Alcala should not be used in Leverage. He has no idea where his pitches are going.

in 2024 only Jax made 70 appearances (72). Sands made 62, Duran 58. 70 isn’t some huge milestone, but the OP has a point that 70+ appearances should not be counted on.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

3 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

My guess is Topa threw the day before and at some point, Alcala needs to (is expected to pitch to his capabilities) get the guys out when brought in - prior to blowing up. It’s almost like once he really screws up, he takes a deep breath and becomes a pitcher……….tough to watch!

No need to guess

https://twinsdaily.com/minnesota-twins-bullpen-usage/

Topa hadn’t pitched in a week. Absolutely perplexed that Topa wasn’t trusted with a lead over Alcala

[DJL44]

12 minutes ago, JD-TWINS said:

My guess is Topa threw the day before and at some point, Alcala needs to (is expected to pitch to his capabilities) get the guys out when brought in - prior to blowing up. It’s almost like once he really screws up, he takes a deep breath and becomes a pitcher……….tough to watch!

Topa pitched last 5/26 against the Rays.

[Jham]

2 hours ago, DJL44 said:

It is interesting that Topa was overlooked as an option to get more innings in the article. He's been overlooked by Rocco, too. He has a 2.37 ERA and good peripherals to go with it but he sits on the bench for multiple games in a row. Alcala pitched with the lead and Topa went into the game when they were behind but I don't understand why the roles weren't reversed.

In fairness, that wasn't Rocco!

[Parfigliano]

1 hour ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

No need to guess

https://twinsdaily.com/minnesota-twins-bullpen-usage/

Topa hadn’t pitched in a week. Absolutely perplexed that Topa wasn’t trusted with a lead over Alcala

It's simple.  It was a dumb managerial move.  

[Eris]

2 hours ago, DJL44 said:

Nobody is going to turn the clock back to 1985.

There was article  in the WSJ sometime ago about the San Francisco Giants asking their minor league pitchers to throw deeper into the game.  I have no idea how successful this will be.  All of MLB realizes that there is a pitching utilization problem.  There not many solutions.  Ask starters to pitch more.  Ask relievers to throw more innings per outing but with less frequency.  Expand the roster (includes increasing number of times a player can be sent to the minors in a season).  Get position players to pitch. 

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/baseball-s-pitch-to-fix-pitchers-make-them-throw-more/ar-AA1D1Lv8

 

 

[Fatbat]

If we had a reasonable replacement for Alcala, he should just be DFA’d. One more go to guy in any situation would make this bullpen ELITE.

[Fatbat]

Festa, SWR, Adams and Raya are viable options on the 40 man. Why not try one of them in the bullpen?

[jorgenswest]

While Topa’s ERA is low there are signs of decline from his one outlier successful season of 2023. His sample is small so the ERA estimators are of little value and all over the map.

Looking at data that stabilizes early, his average velocity has dropped 2 mph.  The sinker his most effective pitch of 2023 is no longer a plus. His strike out rate dropped from 21.9% to 15.5%. His walk rate is up from 6.5% to 8.3%. His swing and miss has dropped from 8.4% to 5.9%. His groundball rate has dropped from 56.7% to 43.5%. It shouldn’t be surprising given his age and injury history.

I think it is more likely that we will see the reemergence of the 2024 Alcala than Topa will return to his 2023 form. Most likely neither is returning to their previous peaks but I would give the both a longer run.

 

[Mike Sixel]

5 hours ago, Fatbat said:

Festa, SWR, Adams and Raya are viable options on the 40 man. Why not try one of them in the bullpen?

No way I do that with Festa. But Raya? 100 percent. Preilipp also, how many pitches does he get this year?

[Doctor Gast]

Burning out our BP has been a Twins' problem for as long as I can remember. Many fans complained that Simmy could only pitch 5 innings, then he was switched for Zebby, who'd be lucky to get through 4. Bring up Simmy & then figure out who should be the long RP. Then use the long RP to max to conserve the rotation & BP.

[Pat]

One of the things that is often overlooked is warming up takes a toll as well.  If reliever makes 75 one inning appearances, that is 75 times he has to warm up.  If a reliever pitched two or thee innings twice a week, he would still get the same number of innings in half the appearances and warm up half as many times.  There is no real reason beyond being conditioned/trained to throw only one inning that multiple innings could not be thrown.  I was at a game where Stewart threw 7 pitches, retired the side, and didn't come out for the next inning.  Enter Jax who used nine pitches to get three outs and he was done.  Is this the best approach for 162 games and subsequent playoffs?

[HerbieFan]

Sands kind of makes it a Big Four.  Stewart.  Topa.  I think it's time Rocco starts trusting those guys late as well.  Alcala?  Hard pass......

[HerbieFan]

Raya's WHIP at St.Paul is 2.186, so......

[Eris]

1 hour ago, Pat said:

There is no real reason beyond being conditioned/trained to throw only one inning that multiple innings could not be thrown.  I was at a game where Stewart threw 7 pitches, retired the side, and didn't come out for the next inning.  Enter Jax who used nine pitches to get three outs and he was done.  Is this the best approach for 162 games and subsequent playoffs?

I think the reason is about availability and managerial flexibility. A RP who throws only one inning will be available the next day. This availability then needs to be weighed against winning a game tomorrow vs burnout and also protecting a pitchers career. 

[DJL44]

3 hours ago, Pat said:

There is no real reason beyond being conditioned/trained to throw only one inning that multiple innings could not be thrown.  I was at a game where Stewart threw 7 pitches, retired the side, and didn't come out for the next inning.  Enter Jax who used nine pitches to get three outs and he was done.  Is this the best approach for 162 games and subsequent playoffs?

The Twins believe there is data that sitting and getting back into the game leads to injury for relievers.