Are Marco Raya and Connor Prielipp Destined for the Bullpen?

[Matt Braun]

Image courtesy of © Chris Tilley-Imagn Images

The starter-to-reliever conversion is a Twins specialty. We saw it with Griffin Jax, Jhoan Duran, and Cole Sands in years past: at some point, it becomes clear that someone just may not be cut out for the rotation. That’s no insult: relievers are critical parts of any team, and the job requires a mentality that suits some hurlers better than the one needed to thrive as a starter. Today, we’ll talk about two players who have yet to pitch for the Twins, who may find themselves in the bullpen. 

Connor Prielipp
Let’s start with the Wisconsin native. His bullpen case rests on a simple premise: he’s barely pitched. As a pro, the lefty has tossed 112 ⅔ frames, with 82 ⅔ of those coming this season, his first fully healthy year in the Twins system. Even in this era of diminished inning totals from starters, that’s not a lot of work. Assuming a conservative yearly frames increase, it would take Prielipp two more seasons to build up to 150 innings, even if everything goes well.

The Twins can’t afford to wait that long: he had to be added to the 40-man roster this week. Minnesota did so, but will they want to burn precious option years on a slow buildup? Could they stomach having an in-his-prime lefty attempting to develop at St. Paul when the major-league roster demands pitching talent today? I don’t believe so. At some point, a team wants to see a return on their investment, and moving to a relief role accelerates that process. Plus, his play in 2025 wasn’t so dominant that it demands an extended run as a starter: he posted a 4.03 ERA and a 1.51 WHIP. 

Place him in the bullpen, pump up the fastball velocity, and let the already elite slider continue to dominate. A lefty gets an especially big bump from that move, because he can go from facing fellow lefties 25% of the time or less to anywhere from 33% to 40% of the time. He could be the team’s best left-handed weapon since peak Taylor Rogers.

Marco Raya
Raya is a different case. He’s already on the 40-man roster; one of his options is gone. The Twins treated him with contradictory carefulness as a prospect. For years, he was rarely allowed to go past three innings, yet he was also promoted so aggressively that he was always at least three years younger than the level he pitched at. The result? Underwhelming stats, but a sense that his play was more impressive than it appeared. 

That changed this year. He was dreadful with the Saints. Headed into August 15, his season ERA sat at 6.27 across 80 ⅓ innings, and his WHIP was 1.71—each figure bloated by a ghastly 12.9% walk rate. No qualified MLB starter walked hitters at a rate that high in 2025 (or 2024).

Perhaps sensing that this was more than an ordinary case of a youngster struggling against elevated talent, the Twins moved him to the Saints’ bullpen. His final nine appearances were all in relief, though the results were mixed. His ERA and WHIP fell (to 4.91 and 1.25, respectively), but his peripherals remained largely unchanged. The walks dropped a little, but so did the strikeouts. 

He had outings like September 3, when he whiffed five over three innings, displaying the kind of whizzing sweeper that appears capable of corkscrewing big-league hitters, but he also allowed multiple runs in three of those appearances. A 33% chance of implosion is untenable.

The sample was small, this adjustment was made on the fly, he’s (impossibly) still just 23, and I believe an offseason spent preparing as a reliever should sharpen his skills. Like Prielipp, he has a breaking ball that can succeed at the major-league level. That alone could carry a relief profile. Overall, according to Baseball Prospectus, the raw quality of his pitches (release point, trajectory, velocity, movement and location, adjusted for count and batter handedness) was much better after the switch. His stuff was 0.5 runs worse than average per 100 pitches during his time as a starter, and 0.1 runs better than average per 100 as a reliever.

Minnesota has a lot to sort through this offseason. They have an abundance of young pitchers, but only a small number of them can claim big-league success in any capacity. Someone will need to move to the bullpen; several will likely make that transition this spring. If you're looking for high-impact arms who may be among that group, Raya and Prielipp are two players to keep your eyes on. They just might be pitching in late-game situations sooner than you think. 

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[Mike Sixel]

Raya? Should be, 100%.

I think they give Connor another year, but if they keep all their guys, why would you? If you are trying to win, get him to the majors....in the bullpen.

[mikelink45]

WHY NOT?  At this point I would take every potential SP that is not in the rotation at the end of ST and make them a reliever.  Do they not understand that RP can be turned into SP when needed?

[LA Vikes Fan]

Easy call to do this for the reasons you stated. Prielipp is MLB ready but not as a starter. Raya may not be, but he isn't getting any better as a starter so he has to go to the BP. We have openings, let's give them a shot. 

[HerbieFan]

Uh, yes.  

[Dman]

The Twins have no Lefty starters so I could see them giving Prielipp more time.  I'd think they see how he performs at AAA to start the year and depending on results and MLB team needs make that move later rather than sooner.

Raya has seemed destined for the pen for a while.  His pitches rate as elite yet he struggles with control and in the end giving up too many hits.  The Twins have a lot of righty arms.  Raya has a slim build and while they have kept his arm in good shape it just feels like the pen makes too much sense.  Hey if he figures things out and becomes a dominant reliever they could always look at him as a starter again if needed.

[Linus]

Raya hasn’t been a good AAA pitcher. Why do we think he will be a good big leaguer?

[mrguy]

I've continued to be confused why Raya was so fast tracked when I feel like his stats at most levels hadn't suggested he was really ready to move up. Now it just feels like he's going to be hanging out in AAA for a while until eventually they either rush him to the majors in a boom or bust way, or he just fizzles out as a top prospect. Prielipp definitely has more potential than him, but continues to have the question about his health on the back of everyone's mind. I don't think he's at all ready to try in the big leagues since he kind of had a not that solid intro to AAA, but if he can adjust throughout this next season, I don't see why they shouldn't let him get some bullpen work in MLB.

[tony&rodney]

Take the 13 best pitchers in the system and put them on the MLB team. There isn't a rule about once a relief pitcher, always a reliever. Seth Lugo and many others.

[Blyleven2011]

2 hours ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

Easy call to do this for the reasons you stated. Prielipp is MLB ready but not as a starter. Raya may not be, but he isn't getting any better as a starter so he has to go to the BP. We have openings, let's give them a shot. 

We have openings and we have starting pitchers that aren't going to open the season as a 1 thru 5 starter  , add them to the bullpen and use them correctly out of the bullpen and if injuries develop slide them back into rotation ( Hawkins will nurse them through the transition )...

Let's let our homegrown players play , raya and Prielipp in the pen , I think we have enough of our own to fill this bullpen up ... 

For depth  , sign a bunch of minor league contracts , let's see our hyped up pipeline pitch , sink or swim it's got to be more exciting than the last 2 months of 2025 ...

We have nothing to lose ...

 

Canterino is out there somewhere , hows he coming along ....

 

[bean5302]

Raya doesn't have enough control to be effective at the MLB level with the stuff he has. I think he's a 6 pitch guy if I remember right. I think he's going to have to narrow down the offerings and get more consistent to have a shot.

Preilipp is a universal top 100 prospect at this point. He'll have to demonstrate better control in his second full season after turning from UCL surgery. It'll be interesting to see how the Twins use him next season. Falvey is on record indicating he thinks Prielipp is a reliever while Zoll wants him as a starter.

[TJSweens]

Drew McPhail was recently quoted as saying the Twins still view Prielipp as a top of the rotation starter. I hate seeing someone like that moved to the pen just to get him up the majors quicker. 

Moving Raya to the pen makes complete sense. He is way down the pecking order as a potential starter. 

[The Great Hambino]

Prielipp has what, 140 competitive innings since high school?  He'll be 25 years old next year.

At the rate they're bringing him along, he might be ready to reliably shoulder a starter's workload in about 2032.

Someone with his injury history has very long odds of sticking long-term as a reliable starter. Play the odds.  Put him in the bullpen.  He's one of the only in-house options with a legitimate chance to be a true weapon back there.

[Vanimal46]

I thought every prospect was in the innovative Falvey Pitching Program? They’re referred to as bulk pitchers now. Forget this starting and bullpen jargon 

[Doctor Wu]

9 hours ago, Blyleven2011 said:

Canterino is out there somewhere , hows he coming along ....

the annual mystery question!

[Doctor Wu]

8 hours ago, TJSweens said:

Drew McPhail was recently quoted as saying the Twins still view Prielipp as a top of the rotation starter. I hate seeing someone like that moved to the pen just to get him up the majors quicker. 

Moving Raya to the pen makes complete sense. He is way down the pecking order as a potential starter. 

I'd still like to see Prielipp end up as a starter too, but I don't see any harm in him getting some MLB innings this season in the bullpen. He's not a youngster at this point but obviously he hasn't pitched a lot of pro innings due to his injury history. He certainly COULD start the season at AAA, but with our urgent need for bullpen arms, if might be good for him, and the team, to get a chance as soon as possible. 

[the_brute_squad]

Does anyone know if the new manager is like the former manager and thinks that a three inning start is a quality one?

[Riverbrian]

Someone will have to. 

It doesn't have to be permanent. 

 

[old nurse]

36 minutes ago, the_brute_squad said:

Does anyone know if the new manager is like the former manager and thinks that a three inning start is a quality one?

Pretty much it is a 100-110 pitch count for the teams. . 

[Doctor Gast]

Duran had a healthier arm than Raya & Prielipp, plus we have fooled around with Canterino as a SP; where has that got us? Put Raya, Prielipp, Fiesta & Canterino in the BP. Johann Santana started out in the BP, so can everyone else. We have Lopez, Ryan, Ober & SWR as established SPs in the rotation. Have Matthews & the rest rotate as spot starters & long relief, to cover the 5th spot or when the others need a rest.

[bean5302]

11 hours ago, The Great Hambino said:

Prielipp has what, 140 competitive innings since high school?  He'll be 25 years old next year.

At the rate they're bringing him along, he might be ready to reliably shoulder a starter's workload in about 2032.

 

2020 = a19 University of Alabama 4GS - National season canceled
2021 = a20 UCL tear, lost season, Tommy John
2022 = a21 UCL surgery recovery, throwing program/drafted
2023 = a22 confirmed the Tommy John surgery failed, UCL brace surgery
2024 = a23 mid-season return R -> A+
2025 = a24 A+ -> AA -> AAA

Prielipp had pretty much the worst possible timing on the UCL tear, and the surgery to repair it was seemingly botched so he had to have a followup surgery.

He moved up aggressively last year, and I think the Twins handled him with kid gloves too much in 2024 by not sending him to the AFL to get some innings, but Prielipp pitched 82.2 innings last year reliably and durably. 

There's too much negativity around Prielipp, especially considering the lack of concern about a 120-130 inning full-season guy like SWR.

[rdehring]

Add me to those above curious if there is any information, anywhere, about Canterino?

Seems to me they still would like to see Prielipp as a starter.  Doesn't mean he can't be stretched out to 3+ innings next spring, then brought up for the Twins Pen either to start the season or soon thereafter.  Should he be used as an opener pitching 2-3 innings or a bulk guy pitching multiple innings, they should be able to get him in 40-50 games with 100+ innings.  It would still be possible getting him into the starting rotation in the future. 

Would also like to comment on the references to Prielipp's numbers last year.  If I recall, a lot of his games were dominant for a couple three innings, then he gave up X runs in the fourth or fifth as he was being stretched out.  That would indicate the best return from him in 2026 may be out of the pen.

As for Raya?  Just don't know what to expect.

[Permanent Twins Fan]

I think that Raya needs to be in the bullpen. I don't think that he will ever be able to develop into anything other than a number four or five starter. Prielipp is more interesting, however. Falvey has indirectly commented about Prielipp moving to the bullpen this year. If it was up to me, I would give Prielipp a month or two in AAA to try and work it out as a starter, but I don't think that will happen. The major league team is desparately in need of bullpen arms, and Prielipp has the upside to become a 8th or 9th inning guy. I expect Raya to be in the bullpen to start the season.

[DJL44]

1 hour ago, Doctor Gast said:

Put Raya, Prielipp, Fiesta & Canterino in the BP. 

People shouldn't really mention Canterino as an option for the MLB bullpen. He hasn't pitched in years. The most likely scenario is he retires from baseball. Next most likely is he struggles in AAA as he works back to pitching at a high level.

I think the bullpen is basically the only way the Twins will get any value from Raya. He's running out of options and he's not going to be good enough to start in any reasonable timeline before the Twins run out of control.

I think Festa and Prielipp could be the high leverage relievers the Twins desperately need.

[saviking]

I hope so. Those 2 have never been healthy enough to oitch meaningful innings so let's start then out in the pen pitching meaningless innings. 

[TJSweens]

3 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

Someone will have to. 

It doesn't have to be permanent. 

 

The problem with the Twins is that the change to the pen is invariably permanent. Duran was supposed to be a temporary move to the pen to get him to the show faster and address a short term bullpen need. He wanted to move back to the rotation and the Twins said no. He has proven to be a good closer, but he had everything to be a high end starter as well. I'm just not a fan of moving a top arm to the pen until they show they can't start, like Varland.

[Riverbrian]

6 minutes ago, TJSweens said:

The problem with the Twins is that the change to the pen is invariably permanent. Duran was supposed to be a temporary move to the pen to get him to the show faster and address a short term bullpen need. He wanted to move back to the rotation and the Twins said no. He has proven to be a good closer, but he had everything to be a high end starter as well. I'm just not a fan of moving a top arm to the pen until they show they can't start, like Varland.

I agree with you. And I think a lot... if not all teams... do the same thing. 

It's going well in the bullpen so let's not mess with it. 

That's something all front offices need to get over. 

The context of all baseball teams are living breathing fluid things and teams need to be prepared to fill their squads based on wherever the context leads them. 

[PatPfund]

Prielipp should go to ST as an RP, get a trial, and see how it goes. If the team offers him an RP shot to make the MLB roster, or another year-plus of building up his arm if he doesn't re-damage it, and then a shot to make MLB if he is pitching well... I'm pretty sure he takes the immediate shot.

No harm in trying Raya, but he'll have to pitch better in either format to matter in the Bigs.

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, DJL44 said:

People shouldn't really mention Canterino as an option for the MLB bullpen. He hasn't pitched in years. The most likely scenario is he retires from baseball. Next most likely is he struggles in AAA as he works back to pitching at a high level.

I think the bullpen is basically the only way the Twins will get any value from Raya. He's running out of options and he's not going to be good enough to start in any reasonable timeline before the Twins run out of control.

I think Festa and Prielipp could be the high leverage relievers the Twins desperately need.

Yep. 99% Canterino's career is already over. It was nice of the Twins to bring him back on a MiLB deal so his rehab can be handled within the sports team medical world. I have sincere doubts he'll ever throw a professional regular season pitch again.

[weitz41]

To make the 26-man roster. Yeah, probably BP or AAA. BP doesn't mean it's forever.