Twins Can Upgrade Rotation and Bullpen With One Trade Deadline Move

[Matthew Taylor]

Image courtesy of © Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Twins have no shortage of needs as the trade deadline approaches, but one priority stands above the rest. If this team is serious about making a playoff push, the bullpen has to be fixed.

The numbers leave little room for debate. Minnesota's relievers rank 27th in baseball with a 4.72 ERA and 24th in fWAR. Too often, strong starts have unraveled late because the bullpen simply has not been able to protect leads with any consistency. Every contender needs trustworthy relief pitching in October, and right now, the Twins are far from having that.

That reality has naturally led to plenty of discussion about adding another high-leverage reliever or two before the deadline. While that certainly makes sense, there may be an even smarter way to address the bullpen. Instead of strictly trading for relievers, the Twins should consider trading for another starting pitcher.

At first glance, it seems counterintuitive. The rotation has clearly outperformed the bullpen this season, ranking 15th in MLB in ERA and 13th in fWAR. Compared to the relief corps, that looks like a strength. Dig a little deeper, however, and there are still legitimate concerns about whether this group can carry the Twins through the final two months.

Zebby Matthews remains one of the biggest question marks. His season ERA sits at 5.40, and while he has flashed the ability that made him one of the organization's most intriguing pitching prospects, the inconsistency has been impossible to ignore. Three of his 12 starts have resulted in seven or more earned runs allowed, including Sunday's outing at Wrigley Field when he surrendered eight runs in just three innings. Those kinds of blowups are incredibly difficult for a playoff hopeful to absorb.

Connor Prielipp has experienced a similar learning curve. There have been stretches where his upside has been obvious, but there have also been too many outings where command or efficiency has eluded him. His 5.00 ERA reflects that inconsistency. Prielipp is currently on a rehab assignment and should return to the major-league rotation soon, but he is also entering uncharted territory with his workload. After years of injuries limited his innings, asking him to shoulder a significant role throughout the remainder of the season comes with understandable risk.

Bailey Ober adds another layer of uncertainty. He recently returned from the injured list and owns a respectable 4.32 ERA, but his profile continues to walk a fine line. Ober succeeds through command and deception, rather than overpowering velocity, and every outing seems to require near-perfect execution. His 88-MPH fastball leaves very little margin for error against playoff-caliber lineups.

None of this is to suggest the rotation is a disaster. Joe Ryan has pitched like an ace, Taj Bradley has been an outstanding addition, and the group has generally done enough to keep the Twins competitive. The problem is that Minnesota cannot afford to ignore the uncertainty behind them while also trying to solve the bullpen.

The solution may be simpler than many expect. Instead of splitting prospect capital between a starting pitcher and a reliever, the Twins could acquire another established starter who slots behind Ryan and Bradley in the postseason rotation. Whether that pitcher is someone like Freddy Peralta, Kevin Gausman, or another veteran who becomes available, adding a quality starter would immediately strengthen the rotation while creating another benefit that extends beyond those five days between starts. It would free one of the current starters to move into the bullpen.

Both Matthews and Prielipp have the type of arsenal that could become even more dangerous in relief. We've already seen this blueprint succeed within the Twins organization. Griffin Jax transformed from an inconsistent starter into one of baseball's best relievers. Louis Varland followed a similar path and has become one of baseball's most valuable bullpen arms (unfortunately with Toronto).

Matthews has all the ingredients to be next. As a starter, he already sits comfortably in the mid-90s with his fastball. Working one inning at a time, it's easy to envision that velocity climbing into the upper 90s and regularly touching 98 MPH. Pair that with a slider opponents are hitting just .203 against this season, and suddenly the Twins could have another legitimate late-inning weapon. His changeup would also likely play up against left-handed hitters once it's paired with premium velocity.

Prielipp offers a similarly intriguing profile. His fastball already has plenty of life, and shorter outings could allow him to consistently approach triple digits. His slider has been his best pitch, limiting opponents to a .198 batting average. As a reliever, he would immediately give Minnesota a power lefthander capable of attacking the highest-leverage situations, something this bullpen desperately lacks.

Rather than viewing a starting pitcher as a luxury, the Twins should see one as an opportunity to improve two areas of the roster at once. A new starter would stabilize the rotation, reduce the pressure on Matthews or Prielipp, and allow one of those electric young arms to shift into a bullpen role where the raw stuff could play at an even higher level. The Twins unquestionably need bullpen help before the deadline. They might find the best way to get it by trading for a starter, instead.

---

What do you think? Should the Twins prioritize another reliever, or would adding a starting pitcher and moving Matthews or Prielipp into the bullpen be the smarter deadline strategy? Leave a comment below and start the conversation!

View full article

[TJSweens]

The Twinsdaily writers' obsession with moving Prielipp to the pen continues.

[gmwannabe]

I agree. I like Detmers more than Gausman or Peralta though mainly because he has 2 arbitration years left making him more affordable.

[DJL44]

Isn’t Rojas already a power LH reliever?

[tony&rodney]

Sure, it would be nice to have Peralta or Detmers but what is the cost. The Twins have a pile of outfielders and some others that could be traded in the right deal which has the possibility of being mutually beneficial. The question remains ..... Who all is involved in any transaction?

[Colbeh]

If the Twins are going to pay up some prospects id prefer that they grab someone with control, preferably through 2028. That would be a smart win-win trade. 

I do love the idea of Zebby hitting the pen, I think he could really succeed there. Theres also already a precedent sent where struggling starters hit the pen for a few years and then eventually transition back. Im also not against him sticking it out as a starter the rest of the year if we stand pat

I'll trust the process on what they do with Prielipp, whether they ride him out this year as a SP or throw him in the bullpen, im just happy to see him play.

[thelanges5]

Last year Peralta cost the Mets MLB#30 prospect and the Brewers #6

Might be a little less than that now, but Culpepper is MLBs number 31 and Gabriel Gonzalez is our number 6

[DataNerd]

30 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

Last year Peralta cost the Mets MLB#30 prospect and the Brewers #6

Might be a little less than that now, but Culpepper is MLBs number 31 and Gabriel Gonzalez is our number 6

His cost is not in that ballpark.  He had a 2.70 ERA/3.64 FIP last year, this year is 4.66/4.38.  It's also only half a year rather than a full year.  They also overpaid for him at the time, which is why the Mets are the 2nd to worst team in the NL--their FO is one of if not the worst in baseball

[Derojo]

Bailey Ober doesn't belong in this discussion. He's a solid four, or maybe three starter. He's not going to shut teams down, but he rarely implodes. He gives you 5-6 innings of solid pitching; and an opportunity to win the game. That fits the 3-4 slots. 

[Paul Walerius]

1 hour ago, TJSweens said:

The Twinsdaily writers' obsession with moving Prielipp to the pen continues.

The injury issues and needing to watch his innings is why I would say this. At the beginning of the year i said Zebby has the stuff and mentality to be a closer and thought Prielipp should be in pen (for injury reasons).  That being said Prielipp has been pretty good as a starter and if you had to use him for 4 innings at a time to keep him healthy, I would be ok with it.   

To be fair they usually take the opposite stance that the Twins do. Last year it was Jax and Varland as Starters,  

[MMBoys93]

1 hour ago, TJSweens said:

The Twinsdaily writers' obsession with moving Prielipp to the pen continues.

I really prefer  “fans continue to be shocked that conversation about moving Prielipp to the pen, even though he has already undergone two major UCL reconstructions and has pitched all of 180 innings combined in the last 4 seasons and might not be able to make 10 more starts this season”

[weitz41]

Why not a 3-way trade for Peralta, Gausman and Hoffman? Going to cost a top 10 prospect and the Pohlad's will want some $ headed to the Twins. Go big or go home. I think that fits.

 

[LA Vikes Fan]

I prefer a bigger trade of a better prospect for a guy 2.5 years of control like like Detmers or Soriano, but I also know that's going to be hard to pull off. This approach actually could kill two birds with one stone and allow us to trade a lesser prospect for a rental starter like Robbie Ray or Kevin Gausman. As always, the big question is the price. Ray has pitched extremely well this year, Gausman less, and Ray is getting better as the year goes on while Gausman is getting worse.

Would a prospect in the 10 – 20 range like Henry Mendez, Brandon Winokur, Kyle DeBarge, or someone similar the enough to get Ray? Maybe one of those guys and an A+ guy like Henrique Jimenez or Yasser Mercedes? Gausman assumedly would be cheaper, maybe a prospect in the 20-30 range or even a non-top 30 guy. I would definitely explore getting Robbie Ray. Gausman doesn't excite me a lot but might be worth having the price is right.

What I like about this is that it moves Zebby and possibly Prielipp the bullpen for the rest of the season. And before somebody complains about why are we making these guys relievers, we aren't making them relievers, were making them relievers for the rest of this season only. There is nothing that stops the Twins from bringing these guys back and stretching them out as starters for next year. This is just for now to strengthen the 2026 bullpen. Prielipp needs to go there or go home relatively soon anyway because he is on a justified innings limit as he is ramping up from major arm surgery. The bullpen may be Matthews' destiny but we don't know that. One thing we do know is he is not performing well as a starter this year, and seems to have the right kind of pitches be a lockdown, late inning guy. Another thing we know is the bullpen needs help, these guys could provide some help, and getting help from outside is going to be expensive like a decent prospect for a reliever in his mid-30s.

Look, I would like to have a bigger, more headlining trade of one of our top 10 prospects as part of a package for Detmers or maybe a little less as part of a package for Soriano. I also think that's probably not going to happen. This is a good fallback option to help the 2026 team without giving away the farm. It's definitely worth exploring. 

[LA Vikes Fan]

Just now, weitz41 said:

Why not a 3-way trade for Peralta, Gausman and Hoffman? Going to cost a top 10 prospect and the Pohlad's will want some $ headed to the Twins. Go big or go home. I think that fits.

 

Interesting idea. It would probably would cost us a guy in the top 15 to the Mets, and a guy back half of the top 30 to the Blue Jays, but it would add a lot. It depends on the cost. 

[Linus]

How is Zebbys inconsistency going to magically disappear working out of the pen?

[LA Vikes Fan]

3 hours ago, TJSweens said:

The Twinsdaily writers' obsession with moving Prielipp to the pen continues.

I don't think they are obsessed with moving Prielipp to the bullpen permanently, at least I'm not, but is going to have to go to the bullpen this year if you want him pitching past August 1. He has not pitched enough innings in the past to build himself up for even 120 innings this year without breaking down. He is already at 85 innings. I say give them about four more starts, about 20 to 25 innings, and use his remaining 20 after that in the bullpen. Otherwise, is a pretty good chance that he will break down again before the season is out. 

I agree that Prielipp should stay a starter as long as possible in his career and I would love to see him have 30 starts next year. Not going to get 30 starts this year, and won't get even to 25 without very high injury risk. Moving him to the bullpen is a temporary measure. We can stretch them back out as a starter next year. The Dodgers do this all the time and do it very successfully

[amjgt]

Whoever we trade for, I hope they are from an atrocious underachieving organization like the Mets or Angels.

[Major League Ready]

2 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Sure, it would be nice to have Peralta or Detmers but what is the cost. The Twins have a pile of outfielders and some others that could be traded in the right deal which has the possibility of being mutually beneficial. The question remains ..... Who all is involved in any transaction?

Peralta has not been good.  Why would it be nice to have him?

[darin617]

Moving starters to the bullpen should be the last thing they should be doing. There's nothing to say they will succeed. 

The problem with Prielipp is his innings, since he has been injured and missed so much time.  His future should be as a starter.

With Zebby I still view him as a starter. I don't know any of the advanced metrics but is there one pitch that he is getting beat up all the time? I'm curious if they took a pitch away that he's struggling with if that would help? I remember one of his better games this year he was successful when he dialed back the speed on his pitches and it helped.

[Steve Lein]

2 hours ago, TJSweens said:

The Twinsdaily writers' obsession with moving Prielipp to the pen continues.

The issue has never been about permanently moving Prielipp to the bullpen.

At 84+ innings this season, he is already setting a career high for innings pitched. It is literally uncharted territory for him. It's about preserving him for the future so that he can eventually be a 150+ inning starter. Doing so this year would be a malpractice. 

So instead of shutting him down for the rest of the year in late August or September, you move him into the pen so you can get those last 20 innings out of him while trying to make the playoffs instead of getting nothing from him.

[shimrod]

11 minutes ago, darin617 said:

With Zebby I still view him as a starter. I don't know any of the advanced metrics but is there one pitch that he is getting beat up all the time?

It appears to me he throws too many pitches in the middle of the zone. How that improves in the BP is a mystery to me. 

[old nurse]

32 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

Peralta has not been good.  Why would it be nice to have him?

There have been many players that have played better once they left New York. 

[Senior Softball Guy]

Zebby is a classic "innings eater" that gives you 6 innings consistently. Every good staff needs a 4-5 starter that does this and every so often they steal wins with. For this team right now that is more than enough with the bullpen a possibility down the road. Look at other teams right now and evaluate and compare the backends of rotations to ours.

[Stew]

Seems to me this writer is on to something. Get another starter. Hold and use the other guys as hybrids. Relievers, openers, and sixth starter. Shelton is pretty good at using his pitchers. He also is not afraid to to switch people around. One more thing.,Cole sands. He's almost back. And he was considered the possible closer at seasons start. Is he or Matthews not better than a couple of people presently in the bullpen?

[clone52]

3 hours ago, TJSweens said:

The Twinsdaily writers' obsession with moving Prielipp to the pen continues.

Makes sense temporarily.  His career high innings was 82.2 and this year he's at 85.1.  Lets say he starts 1 game every week for the rest of the season, he'd be pushing 140 innings or more.  Its just highly unlikely he can pull that off this season.

[Wedman13]

3 hours ago, TJSweens said:

The Twinsdaily writers' obsession with moving Prielipp to the pen continues.

Oh crap... here goes the 'root for the local guy angle'

CP would be awesome in the pen.  Just opinion we'll see how it goes.

to the original post, yes, the team  needs 1 more more consistent starter.

[clone52]

3 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Sure, it would be nice to have Peralta or Detmers but what is the cost. The Twins have a pile of outfielders and some others that could be traded in the right deal which has the possibility of being mutually beneficial. The question remains ..... Who all is involved in any transaction?

Go get Detmers for Soto, Rodriguez and Gallagher.

Heck, grab Paralta or Gausman as well.

[Major League Ready]

35 minutes ago, old nurse said:

There have been many players that have played better once they left New York. 

Fair enough but is trading for a guy that is not playing well the best we can do.

[tony&rodney]

31 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

Fair enough but is trading for a guy that is not playing well the best we can do.

Peralta has not been real good, granted, but it never hurts to talk. There are better SP to shoot for at the moment. Reid Detmers might be worth a shot. He has decent stuff, although his consistency has been a problem. Again, what is the cost. The Twins have a pile of outfielders and could gamble by trading a young pitcher as well. It sure isn't clear what can be done.

[um_stevenel]

53 minutes ago, clone52 said:

Makes sense temporarily.  His career high innings was 82.2 and this year he's at 85.1.  Let’s say he starts 1 game every week for the rest of the season, he'd be pushing 140 innings or more.  It’s just highly unlikely he can pull that off this season.

Not only that, but I think it would be unwise to try. I’m even worried that shifting to the bullpen and going max velocity for an inning at a time if he gets past 120 innings will be risky this year. If he hits that many total innings as a starter, I hope they call the season a great success for him and leave it at that. Don’t even worry about getting a few more innings from him or trying to keep using him in the playoffs.