Should the Twins Consider Adding Another Starting Pitcher Before the Season Begins?

[Matthew Taylor]

Much of the conversation this offseason centered on the Twins adding impact offense or bolstering the bullpen. On paper, they have checked those boxes, albeit without much flash. Josh Bell adds a switch-hitting bat with power. Victor Caratini provides depth and flexibility behind the plate. Taylor Rogers brings a familiar and reliable late-inning arm back into the fold. None of those moves qualify as headline-grabbers, but they do improve the roster.

One area the Twins have not yet addressed is starting pitching, and on the surface that is a perfectly reasonable stance. Starting pitching is arguably the strongest area of the roster heading into 2026. Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez anchor the rotation as proven, high-end starters. Bailey Ober, despite a frustrating and injury-marred 2025 season, still offers mid-rotation stability when healthy. Behind them is a wave of young, intriguing arms with upside, including Zebby Matthews, Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa, Taj Bradley, and Mick Abel.

Because of that depth, it was somewhat surprising to read ESPN’s Jesse Rogers nugget that the Twins were “in” on Framber Valdez before the Tigers signed the former Astros ace. That came on the heels of Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reporting earlier this offseason that the Twins expressed “late interest” in Freddy Peralta before the Mets ultimately traded for him. Both pitchers represent a clear tier above the remaining free agent starters, however those reports suggest the Twins may not be as content with their current rotation as it appears.

 

Adding another starting pitcher makes sense on multiple levels. While the Twins have a lot of depth and upside, there is also a significant amount of risk baked into the group. Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan are as close to certainties as the Twins have. After that, confidence becomes much shakier. Bailey Ober entered last season as a reliable option, but injuries, inconsistency, and a tendency to give up the long ball introduced real doubt heading into 2026. Beyond Ober, the rotation is filled with young arms who are interesting but unproven. Simeon Woods Richardson profiles as a steady option, though his upside is limited. David Festa and Zebby Matthews have flashed promise across two seasons but have also struggled with command and efficiency. Taj Bradley and Mick Abel offer top-half-of-the-rotation upside, but both have shown the kind of volatility that makes it hard to count on them as being ready. High ERAs, uneven workloads, and growing pains have been part of the story for nearly all of the Twins' starting pitching depth.

Another reason to continue exploring the starting pitching market is identity. A common critique of this iteration of the Twins is that they lack a clear identity. Leaning fully into starting pitching could change that. Even without a true ace available, adding a dependable veteran would allow the Twins to push young arms to Triple A, protect workloads, and build depth that inevitably gets tested over a long season. It is a way to build on a strength rather than constantly chasing weaknesses.

If the Twins do decide to add a starter during spring training, there are still a few intriguing names on the market.

Zac Gallen
Gallen is the clear top remaining starter available in free agency. The 30-year-old former All Star finished third in the Cy Young voting as recently as 2023. His 2025 season was a step back, as he posted a 4.83 ERA across 192 innings for Arizona. A change of scenery could do him some good, particularly if it means leaving the hitter-friendly environment of Chase Field. Fangraphs projects Gallen for 2.1 wins above replacement in 2026, which would have ranked second among Twins starters last season. He will not be cheap, but turning down a qualifying offer and the attached draft pick compensation could suppress his market and contract more than expected.

Zack Littell
A familiar name for Twins fans, Littell pitched out of the bullpen for Minnesota for parts of three seasons before bouncing around and reinventing himself as a starter in Tampa Bay. Since the start of the 2024 season, Littell owns a 3.73 ERA with an excellent 4.30 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Now 30 years old, a reunion where his career began would be an interesting full-circle moment. There are reasons to be skeptical based on his underlying numbers, but Littell has delivered consistently solid outings since being permanently moved into a rotation.

Griffin Canning
Now 29 years old, Canning, was once a highly regarded prospect after being selected in the second round. Injuries have defined much of his career, but he showed promise early last season, posting a 3.77 ERA over 76 1/3 innings before tearing his Achilles. He is still rehabbing but should be ready around Opening Day. That injury likely creates an opportunity to sign him at a reasonable price on a short-term, make-good deal. There is upside here, and if things click, Canning could also become a trade chip at the deadline, should the Twins season find themselves in the position to sell yet again this season.

Spring training being underway does not mean the Twins are done shaping their roster. Recent reporting indicates the front office has at least explored adding another impact arm. While starting pitching is already a strength, it is also an area filled with volatility beneath the top two names.

Adding a veteran starter would not only mitigate risk but could also help define what this Twins team wants to be in 2026. Depth, durability, and pitching could become the backbone of the roster, giving Minnesota a clearer identity and a higher floor heading into the season.

What do you think? Should the Twins stand pat and trust their young arms, or does it make sense to add another starter even this late in the offseason? Join the conversation and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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[Fire Dan Gladden]

I won't complain if they go out and get a SP that will improve the rotation, but it seems like they have bigger needs to fill, especially with a glut of SP sitting in the SP5-8 position.

My guess is they kicked the tires on Valdez and Peralta to see if they could get them at a discount, but were never really "in" the discussion.

[sweetmusicviola16]

Personally I would sign both Giolito and Littel and then turn around and trade both Lopez and Ryan as soon as I could. This would keep the starting pitching as a positive on the whole. And be upfront with the new guys, that hey, if we're out of it in July they can expect to be traded too. We're competing, but it's for 3rd place at best. If many things go well and fall into place. The moves we make this year will significantly impact our level of competing for years to come. For good or bad.

[sweetmusicviola16]

Griffin Canning already has a deal in place with San Diego I believe. 

[umterp23]

“In” on Valdez and Peralta is like me saying I’m in on winning the power ball. Spend money to make money and I decided no investment on the power ball. I was in though. 
 

I don’t see where mgmt has really done anything more than lip service about building around the core…some dumpster pickups doesn’t really mean investing or building the core. 
 

None of the 3 excite me

[Parfigliano]

Question.....am I "in" on attempting to acquire a 2024 Porsche 911  with 14,000 miles if I go to the dealer and offer a 2022 Accord and $5 K?

I say no.  Realistically this is probably how "in" TC was on Valdez.

[bean5302]

It would be a very Falvey-esque move to add a whole bunch of depth, waste budget on positions the team doesn't need and logjam talent for no good reason. Since I'm currently of the opinion that Zoll = Falvey, I could see this happening.

 

[TJSweens]

Absolutely not. Signing guys like Giolito and Littell just clogs the path in front of the guys we need to develop. 

[TheLeviathan]

Lopez-Ryan-Ober are locked in.

SWR, Zebby, Festa, Abel, Bradley, and Rojas should also get opportunities. 

Seriously, why is there a bi-weekly "Should we sign a starter?" post?

[rdehring]

Have a question.  When will the writers and some of the commentors recognize that SWR is no longer an unknown prospect?  The kid has pitched most of the past two years with very solid results.  Everyone says he doesn't have great stuff.  That's probably true, however, personally I have no way of knowing.  But his results sure seem to be competitive. 

Seems every game he gives the Twins 5 or so innings and a real chance at winning the game.  I don't know if he will be their #5 or #4 starter in 2026.  Seems he deserves to be one of those.  As for adding another starter, NO, they should spend their time and dollars filling other holes on the roster.

[USAFChief]

1 hour ago, sweetmusicviola16 said:

Griffin Canning already has a deal in place with San Diego I believe. 

Indeed. And Zac Gallen signed with Arizona. 

Was this article delayed somehow? 

Otherwise, pretty embarrassing writing. 

 

[TopGunn#22]

The only reason the Twins should sign Giolito is to trade him for something later in the season to a rotation needy team.  That's not a good enough reason to use resources when there are bigger holes elsewhere.  Kopech would be a better signing as he could actually be the Closer for a BP with a glimmer of hope.  Plus, no one is estimating what it would cost to sign Giolito.  $10 million?  $12 Million?  

O.K.  Maybe the Twins should sign Giolito if a Bailey Ober trade can bring them an actual Major League starting SS.  That kind of move would make Brooks Lee the Utilityman able to play all around the IF.  But the Twins shouldn't sign Giolito first.  The trade of Ober (or some other SP) for a bona fide MLB SS should be done first.  Then you could sign Giolito to hold down the #3 spot in the rotation while still giving Bradley, Matthews, SWR and Abel the opportunity to compete for spots #4 & #5.  

The goal was supposed to be getting better defensively in 2026.  That's unlikely to happen as long as you have a below average SS and Larnach/Wallner in LF/RF.  NONE of this has yet to be addressed.  

[The Great Hambino]

If I'm the Twins, I'd be interested in Littell only with the understanding that a spot in the rotation isn''t guaranteed.  He could end up there through injuries/inefectiveness/a late-offseason trade of Ryan/Lopez/Ober, but his planned role would be that of swingman/long relief.

If I'm Littell, I'm telling the Twins to pound sand and holding out for a rotation opportunity that will surely materialize elsewhere as spring training unfolds and injuries inevitably mount up somewhere.

I don't know if they're allowed to bring in Giolito in a similar role since he hasn't pitched for the Twins before

[terrydactyls]

2 hours ago, sweetmusicviola16 said:

Griffin Canning already has a deal in place with San Diego I believe. 

Damn.  And he had the most recent and serious injury history.  He would have been perfect.

[OregonTwinsFan]

No to a starting pitcher. Yes to a legitimate closer and a good shortstop.

[mike8791]

47 minutes ago, TopGunn#22 said:

  

  The trade of Ober (or some other SP) for a bona fide MLB SS should be done first.  Then you could sign Giolito to hold down the #3 spot in the rotation while still giving Bradley, Matthews, SWR and Abel the opportunity to compete for spots #4 & #5.  

The goal was supposed to be getting better defensively in 2026.  That's unlikely to happen as long as you have a below average SS and Larnach/Wallner in LF/RF.  NONE of this has yet to be addressed.  

This!  From everything I've seen/read on Lee, he is(and most likely never will be) a major league SS.  This is just too important a position to gloss over.  We have an excess of major league starters.  If TP can be believed(a big if!), the only way this team can be competitive is by keeping Lopez/Ryan atop the rotation and trade one of the 4-5 starters who brings back the most value.  My preference would be to trade Ober but chances are one of SWR, Abel, Mathews or Bradley(probably in that order) would bring back more quality.  In any event, just one of these guys would not bring back a quality major league SS, which is why the FO should recognize there is excess in the OF and at C.  Adding Wallner or Jeffers should increase chances for a significant SS upgrade.  And throwing Lee into the trade package even more so.  We have enough utility IFs already!

The big question is who is available?  I'm not able to come up with a best bet here, but that's why we have a FO.  Time for Zoll to show his worth!

[Danchat]

If Lopez/Ryan aren't traded after signing a veteran starter, what's the point of trading for Bradley and Abel just to continue to not let them start games in the majors? I get that rotation depth is important, but did we really trade away Duran and Jax for depth instead of MLB-caliber players who can contribute to the team? 

[ashbury]

48 minutes ago, terrydactyls said:

Damn.  And he had the most recent and serious injury history.  He would have been perfect.

Maybe we were in on him though.  That has to count for something.

[Craig Arko]

I’d say they need to add a catcher and left handed corner outfielder first.

[jmlease1]

Only reason to sign another starter right now is if we're also dealing a starter to fill holes on this roster and attempt to rebalance things. 

Let the kids pitch.

[Cris E]

A few guesses:

1. This was almost certainly just a check to see if they could do another one year deal like Correa's first one.

2. It would almost certainly have been predicated on dealing Lopez to cover most of the new salary. 

3. I am guessing they already had discussions with someone like BOS who could trade a good OF for a good starter like Lopez, if he became available. 

[chpettit19]

Pablo getting an MRI. If they're still trying to compete, yes, they should look at bringing in another starting pitcher. No matter what the results of that MRI are. Their rotation has to be lights out. Has to be top 5 in the AL, top 10 in baseball if they're going to compete. They can't rely on Zebby, Festa, Abel, or Bradley being good. Or Ober even at this point. They need another starter if they're trying to contend.

[TheLeviathan]

10 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

Pablo getting an MRI. If they're still trying to compete, yes, they should look at bringing in another starting pitcher. No matter what the results of that MRI are. Their rotation has to be lights out. Has to be top 5 in the AL, top 10 in baseball if they're going to compete. They can't rely on Zebby, Festa, Abel, or Bradley being good. Or Ober even at this point. They need another starter if they're trying to contend.

Well....should they be trying to contend?  I know you're speaking to the mixed messaging of the Twins ownership, but Littell or Giolito isn't making them a top 5 rotation.

As @Danchat said...what's the point of trading major league relievers with team control for starters with team control only to house all those guys at AAA?

[Dawgzilla]

Lopez already hurt.  Trade him already when healthy, sign Giolito to replace him in rotation.  Use Lopez and Larnach to get a shortstop and reliever.  Trade our #1 catcher for a great utility player, capable of playing multiple infield/outfield positions and can hit a decent bit.  There!

[chpettit19]

13 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

Well....should they be trying to contend?  I know you're speaking to the mixed messaging of the Twins ownership, but Littell or Giolito isn't making them a top 5 rotation.

As @Danchat said...what's the point of trading major league relievers with team control for starters with team control only to house all those guys at AAA?

No, I don't think they should be trying to contend. I think they should have gone full rebuild, and a potential elbow injury to one of their most valuable trade chips is the exact risk they take by not doing it over the offseason. It sounds like they're just being cautious with Pablo at this point, but this is a good reminder to all the "they have the same value at the deadline" people out there who don't think there's any risk in holding Ryan and Pablo. A blown elbow takes their value to 0. Immediately. Likely for the length of their remaining contracts.

Yes, I am speaking to the mixed messaging of ownership, but also just the mixed team building strategy I think they've been taking since the deadline. I said it deadline day. I didn't think they were going full rebuild then. I thought they were trying to thread the needle. I don't know if that was the intent, but it's ended up being the result at this point. I never thought anyone in the org would come out and say that success in 2026 is vital to building future successful teams, though. None of that matters, though. They're "trying" to win. They could announce surgery for Pablo tomorrow and they aren't trading Ryan the day after. This team is "trying" to win. So, bring in another arm. Bring in more talent.

Depth. That's the point now. The Twins are going to need more than 5 starters this year. If they are trying to win this year, they are going to need their rotation to carry them. Like nearly 100%. The lineup is unlikely to do much heavy lifting. The defense will do no lifting. The bullpen will do no lifting. It is almost all on the rotation while the lineup, I'd guess, has some nice stretches where it provides some nice support, but also goes ice cold for other stretches and they only win games where the rotation is superhuman. That means you need to go 10 deep in rotation arms because every team goes through 9+ arms a year. Bradley, Abel, Zebby, and/or Festa can't spend the first month or 2 getting their feet under them in the majors. Your best bet for guys coming out of the gates strong are veterans who've been there and done that. But they have to be in camp early. So, you need to sign them now. You can't wait until a week before the season and bring in Giolito.

If they actually have money to spend, like they claim to. And if they're really trying to compete, like they claim to be. Go get more talent. The talent that is still available on the FA market are guys like Lucas Giolito. Go get him. Or Littell. Go get more talent.

[TheLeviathan]

3 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

No, I don't think they should be trying to contend. I think they should have gone full rebuild, and a potential elbow injury to one of their most valuable trade chips is the exact risk they take by not doing it over the offseason. It sounds like they're just being cautious with Pablo at this point, but this is a good reminder to all the "they have the same value at the deadline" people out there who don't think there's any risk in holding Ryan and Pablo. A blown elbow takes their value to 0. Immediately. Likely for the length of their remaining contracts.

Yes, I am speaking to the mixed messaging of ownership, but also just the mixed team building strategy I think they've been taking since the deadline. I said it deadline day. I didn't think they were going full rebuild then. I thought they were trying to thread the needle. I don't know if that was the intent, but it's ended up being the result at this point. I never thought anyone in the org would come out and say that success in 2026 is vital to building future successful teams, though. None of that matters, though. They're "trying" to win. They could announce surgery for Pablo tomorrow and they aren't trading Ryan the day after. This team is "trying" to win. So, bring in another arm. Bring in more talent.

Depth. That's the point now. The Twins are going to need more than 5 starters this year. If they are trying to win this year, they are going to need their rotation to carry them. Like nearly 100%. The lineup is unlikely to do much heavy lifting. The defense will do no lifting. The bullpen will do no lifting. It is almost all on the rotation while the lineup, I'd guess, has some nice stretches where it provides some nice support, but also goes ice cold for other stretches and they only win games where the rotation is superhuman. That means you need to go 10 deep in rotation arms because every team goes through 9+ arms a year. Bradley, Abel, Zebby, and/or Festa can't spend the first month or 2 getting their feet under them in the majors. Your best bet for guys coming out of the gates strong are veterans who've been there and done that. But they have to be in camp early. So, you need to sign them now. You can't wait until a week before the season and bring in Giolito.

If they actually have money to spend, like they claim to. And if they're really trying to compete, like they claim to be. Go get more talent. The talent that is still available on the FA market are guys like Lucas Giolito. Go get him. Or Littell. Go get more talent.

They should have dealt Lopez, agreed.  Ryan probably too.

But I'm not looking to put mediocre dudes in front of young guys.  It's time to pitch these guys.  Having our prospects debut when they're 26 ala Wallner is just bad asset management IMO.

I'm not blocking promising young players for the sake of any of the names mentioned here.  This team should be rebuilding.

[chpettit19]

1 minute ago, TheLeviathan said:

They should have dealt Lopez, agreed.  Ryan probably too.

But I'm not looking to put mediocre dudes in front of young guys.  It's time to pitch these guys.  Having our prospects debut when they're 26 ala Wallner is just bad asset management IMO.

I'm not blocking promising young players for the sake of any of the names mentioned here.  This team should be rebuilding.

I think it should be, but it isn't. I want them to pick a lane. I said it at the deadline. I said it at the beginning of the offseason. Middle of the offseason. Now. I agree with you. They should rebuild. But more so, I just want them to a pick a lane.

I'd prefer the rebuild lane, but if they prefer the "judge us on wins and losses" lane, the "meaningful September baseball" lane, then get in that lane. Lucas Giolito is a legitimate major league starting pitcher. A team trying to win starts the season with Lucas Giolito in its rotation, not Taj Bradley or Mick Abel or Zebby Matthews or David Festa. I'd have preferred they traded Ryan and Pablo and had all those guys in the rotation because they're rebuilding, but they didn't and they aren't. Once you make that decision, then fully make that decision.

Taj, Mick, Zebby, and David have all debuted already. At 22, 23, 24, 24 years old. They all have things to work on. None of them have shown enough to be in the opening day rotation of a team trying to win in 2026. Yes, I'd prefer they rebuild, but they aren't. And I'd prefer they actually try to win if that's what they're trying to do instead of playing the middle ground and not doing either. Pick a lane. I don't need you to spend 150 mil on an opening day payroll this season, but don't do this nonsense "roll it back while picking up a bunch of cheap relievers" routine. 

Pick a lane. That's what I'm asking. They say they've picked the "compete" lane. Spring training is here. The new head man is in place. I'm going to take them at their word. If that's their lane then it's the one I'm going to view things through. So, I want them to get in that lane. And that means getting legit major leaguers for the opening day roster.

[TheLeviathan]

5 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

I think it should be, but it isn't. I want them to pick a lane. I said it at the deadline. I said it at the beginning of the offseason. Middle of the offseason. Now. I agree with you. They should rebuild. But more so, I just want them to a pick a lane.

I'd prefer the rebuild lane, but if they prefer the "judge us on wins and losses" lane, the "meaningful September baseball" lane, then get in that lane. Lucas Giolito is a legitimate major league starting pitcher. A team trying to win starts the season with Lucas Giolito in its rotation, not Taj Bradley or Mick Abel or Zebby Matthews or David Festa. I'd have preferred they traded Ryan and Pablo and had all those guys in the rotation because they're rebuilding, but they didn't and they aren't. Once you make that decision, then fully make that decision.

Taj, Mick, Zebby, and David have all debuted already. At 22, 23, 24, 24 years old. They all have things to work on. None of them have shown enough to be in the opening day rotation of a team trying to win in 2026. Yes, I'd prefer they rebuild, but they aren't. And I'd prefer they actually try to win if that's what they're trying to do instead of playing the middle ground and not doing either. Pick a lane. I don't need you to spend 150 mil on an opening day payroll this season, but don't do this nonsense "roll it back while picking up a bunch of cheap relievers" routine. 

Pick a lane. That's what I'm asking. They say they've picked the "compete" lane. Spring training is here. The new head man is in place. I'm going to take them at their word. If that's their lane then it's the one I'm going to view things through. So, I want them to get in that lane. And that means getting legit major leaguers for the opening day roster.

You're right that these guys have all debuted, but Zebby is 25.  He should be starting in the big leagues or working on being a reliever in the big leagues.  Ditto Taj at 24, Abel at 24, Festa at 25, and SWR at 25.  These are not green 20 year olds, they're at the age where it's time to pitch in the big leagues.  Make or break time.  Not sit behind a reclamation project.

For me, I could care less what the newest Pohlad they found in the closet has to say about direction.   I agree, pick a lane...but to me it's obvious that lane is "play young guys".

[chpettit19]

2 minutes ago, TheLeviathan said:

You're right that these guys have all debuted, but Zebby is 25.  He should be starting in the big leagues or working on being a reliever in the big leagues.  Ditto Taj at 24, Abel at 24, Festa at 25, and SWR at 25.  These are not green 20 year olds, they're at the age where it's time to pitch in the big leagues.  Make or break time.  Not sit behind a reclamation project.

For me, I could care less what the newest Pohlad they found in the closet has to say about direction.   I agree, pick a lane...but to me it's obvious that lane is "play young guys".

Lucas Giolito had a 3.41 ERA in more innings than any Twins pitcher not named Ober or Ryan last year. Not sure that's a "reclamation project" exactly. We're not talking about Chris Archer or JA Happ here. 

If I had it my way 3 of those inexperienced guys would throw multiple innings every 4th day as bulk relievers like they did with a handful of guys in the minors last year. But they don't ask me what I'd do with the team. As it turns out, what the newest Pohlad they found has to say about the direction is the only thing that matters. I'd have 8 guys scheduled for 100+ innings with health and performance this year and take a bunch of the load off the 1 inning relievers while not expecting those "young" guys to get through the lineup multiple times until they show they can succeed in multiple innings.

I'm all for playing the young guys. I don't care about the Ws and Ls this year (obviously prefer more Ws). But the guy at the top claims he does care. And if he does, then their best chance to gain more Ws is to sign somebody like Giolito or Littell. That's all I'm saying.

[TheLeviathan]

26 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

Lucas Giolito had a 3.41 ERA in more innings than any Twins pitcher not named Ober or Ryan last year. Not sure that's a "reclamation project" exactly. We're not talking about Chris Archer or JA Happ here. 

If I had it my way 3 of those inexperienced guys would throw multiple innings every 4th day as bulk relievers like they did with a handful of guys in the minors last year. But they don't ask me what I'd do with the team. As it turns out, what the newest Pohlad they found has to say about the direction is the only thing that matters. I'd have 8 guys scheduled for 100+ innings with health and performance this year and take a bunch of the load off the 1 inning relievers while not expecting those "young" guys to get through the lineup multiple times until they show they can succeed in multiple innings.

I'm all for playing the young guys. I don't care about the Ws and Ls this year (obviously prefer more Ws). But the guy at the top claims he does care. And if he does, then their best chance to gain more Ws is to sign somebody like Giolito or Littell. That's all I'm saying.

Littel is a guy I could be talked into if Pablo is hurt, but even then I'm not excited.   Giolito only pitched 145 innings, saw his K/9 dip, and his ERA was significantly lower than his peripherals would indicate.  "Reclamation"?  No, probably not the right framing on my part.  Upside play?  Also probably no.  I'm not interested in the innings going to guys with limited upside.  I want ABs and innings going to players who can help us win over the next 5 years.

I just can't waste time here advocating for what Tom Pohlad wants.  I'll post what I think is the right course of action to get this team back to playing fun, contending baseball.  Dumping innings into 30 year olds who sign as ST opens ain't my cup of tea for this team.