Minnesota's New Bullpen Hierarchy: Where Do Trade Deadline Pieces Fit?

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

A few weeks ago, the Twins' bullpen looked like one of the biggest obstacles standing between them and a postseason berth. The front office recognized that reality and attacked it aggressively, adding three veteran relievers to reshape a unit that had carried too much uncertainty throughout the first half.

The result is a bullpen that barely resembles the group Minnesota broke camp with in March. Jeff Hoffman, A.J. Minter, and Tommy Nance have joined a relief corps that already featured breakout closer Yoendrys Gomez and emerging right-hander Andrew Morris. Instead of searching for answers every night, manager Derek Shelton now has multiple ways to navigate the game's biggest moments.

If Minnesota is going to stay in the playoff race over the final two months, this bullpen has to become one of the club's biggest strengths.

Closer: Yoendrys Gomez

Gomez earned the right to keep the ninth inning. After arriving in Minnesota, the Twins made subtle mechanical adjustments that unlocked another level for the right-hander. He rewarded them with a 1.93 ERA while stabilizing a bullpen that desperately needed someone capable of finishing games. His 21.0% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate aren't overwhelming, but he consistently made the biggest pitches when the Twins needed them.

There are still reasons to wonder how sustainable his production will be. Gomez owns a 4.50 FIP, a 5.24 expected ERA, and opponents have produced a 43.5% hard-hit rate against him. Those numbers suggest he's benefited from some favorable outcomes.

That doesn't mean Minnesota should make a change. Closers are often as much about confidence as pure stuff, and Gomez has earned that confidence. If regression comes, the Twins now have another elite option waiting in the wings. Until then, Gomez should continue handling the ninth.

Backup Closer: Jeff Hoffman

The trade deadline gave Minnesota exactly what every contender wants: another pitcher capable of getting the game's biggest outs. Hoffman's ERA with Toronto over the last two seasons sits north of 4.00, but the underlying metrics paint a completely different picture. His 3.33 expected ERA and .211 expected batting average suggest he has pitched much better than the traditional numbers indicate.

Even more impressive is how dominant his arsenal remains. His Chase Rate, Whiff Rate, and strikeout rate all rank among the top two percent of pitchers in baseball. Few relievers miss bats at his level.

Keeping Gomez in the closer's role could actually maximize Hoffman's value. Instead of waiting for save situations, Shelton can deploy Hoffman whenever the heart of the opposing lineup is due up. Whether that's the seventh, eighth, or ninth inning becomes irrelevant if he's facing the most dangerous hitters. That's often how playoff bullpens operate.

Left-Handed Fireman: A.J. Minter

Minnesota spent much of the first half searching for a dependable left-handed reliever capable of neutralizing the opposition's biggest bats. Minter checks every box. He arrived from the Mets with a 2.35 ERA over 23 innings, although his 4.01 FIP suggests some regression could follow. Even so, his track record speaks for itself. Left-handed hitters own just a .614 OPS against him during his career, and he has struck out 30.3% of the lefties he's faced.

That makes him an ideal fireman. Rather than saving him for a predetermined inning, Minter can be deployed whenever an opponent's toughest left-handed hitters threaten to swing the game. Whether that's escaping a seventh-inning jam or protecting a one-run lead in the eighth, Minter gives Minnesota a matchup weapon it simply didn't possess earlier this season.

Right-Handed Fireman: Andrew Morris

Ironically, the deadline additions may have created an even better role for Morris. Instead of asking him to handle traditional setup duties every night, the Twins can now use him as a versatile weapon capable of entering whenever the game begins to tilt. If a starter exits early, Morris can finish an inning. If the biggest rally comes in the sixth, he can erase it before handing the game to Hoffman or Gomez.

That flexibility should only increase his value. Long term, Morris still looks like a potential closer. For now, though, this role allows him to impact games without the pressure of owning one specific inning. It could become the perfect bridge toward eventually handling the ninth himself.

Middle-Inning Options: Tommy Nance, Travis Adams, Kody Funderburk, Taylor Rogers

Nance technically qualifies as one of Minnesota's deadline additions, even though his acquisition came before the deadline frenzy began. He's not in the same class as Hoffman or Minter, but he doesn't have to be. His job is providing quality innings and protecting the late-inning trio from overuse. That's something the Twins lacked for much of the season.

The supporting cast has also started trending in the right direction. Travis Adams, Kody Funderburk, and Taylor Rogers all found another gear during July after inconsistent first halves. Their improvements coincided with the bullpen's turnaround. Since July 1, Minnesota ranks 10th in Major League Baseball in bullpen ERA and ninth in Win Probability Added, evidence that the entire relief corps has begun pitching at a much higher level.

Reinforcements: Zebby Matthews, Connor Prielipp, Kendry Rojas

The bullpen may not be finished evolving. Matthews, Prielipp, and Rojas all remain part of Minnesota's starting pitching depth, but September often changes priorities. As innings become more valuable and workloads begin to mount, converting one or more of those arms into relief roles could make plenty of sense.

We've seen contenders follow that blueprint before. Power stuff often plays even better in one- or two-inning bursts, and all three pitchers have the type of arsenal that could immediately translate to high-leverage relief work. If the Twins reach October, don't be surprised if at least one member of this group becomes another important bullpen piece.

A Bullpen Built for the Stretch Run

Minnesota didn't just add talent at the trade deadline—it added structure. Gomez remains the closer. Hoffman and Minter give Shelton two legitimate firemen capable of putting out rallies before they become game-changing. Morris can float wherever he's needed most, while Nance and the rest of the middle relief group provide the depth that was missing for much of the first half.

No bullpen is ever finished. Injuries happen, workloads pile up, and September always introduces new wrinkles. But compared to the group that left Fort Myers in March, this version is deeper, more experienced, and significantly better equipped for meaningful baseball.

If the Twins are still playing in October, this bullpen makeover will be one of the biggest reasons why.

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What stands out about the new bullpen hierarchy? Leave a comment and start the discussion. 

 

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[Jeff K]

This is a solid bullpen.  I think last night's game demonstrated who the bottom two are based on their low leverage use.

[Patzky]

Rojas for Rogers seems an inevitably at this point. I've been pretty impressed with the additions and the evolution of Morris and Funderburk as the year ages. The only other help at AAA might be Acton.. Raya is struggling badly there. 

[TL]

Bullpen is suddenly a strength, who would have thunk it. Funderburk is having the same second half he had last year. I may put him in the same class as Minter where we can deploy whomever is more rested for that lefty fireman role. 

[IndianaTwin]

With only Minter and Rogers not under control for next year, right?

And Ryan, Lopez, Bradley, Ober, Prielipp, Matthews, Rojas, Abel, et al., in the rotation. 

And only losing Bell and likely Jeffers from the offense, adding Jenkins and others. 

And an owner saying he’s ready to increase payroll. 

Me likey. 

[Patzky]

19 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

With only Minter and Rogers not under control for next year, right?

And Ryan, Lopez, Bradley, Ober, Prielipp, Matthews, Rojas, Abel, et al., in the rotation. 

And only losing Bell and likely Jeffers from the offense, adding Jenkins and others. 

And an owner saying he’s ready to increase payroll. 

Me likey. 

It's sad to lose Bell in the same way it was sad to lose Solano and Santana. Good clubhouse vibes and pretty good production from a piece player.  Understand the process behind it too.. he genuinely seems to like playing here.  Cmon back as a hitting coach in a few years when you're ready 56.

 

[IndianaTwin]

15 minutes ago, Patzky said:

It's sad to lose Bell in the same way it was sad to lose Solano and Santana. Good clubhouse vibes and pretty good production from a piece player.  Understand the process behind it too.. he genuinely seems to like playing here.  Cmon back as a hitting coach in a few years when you're ready 56.

 

Something Bell, Solano and Santana have in common is that they were each generally disparaged on TD when signed and by midseason people were often liking the signing. 

It’s almost like the front office knows something and has access to information we don’t. 

[mikelink45]

Taylor Rogers seems spent - I have no trust in him and I think he is now on the bottom of the BP hierarchy. 

[Coach Wheels]

1 hour ago, Patzky said:

Rojas for Rogers seems an inevitably at this point. I've been pretty impressed with the additions and the evolution of Morris and Funderburk as the year ages. The only other help at AAA might be Acton.. Raya is struggling badly there. 

I agree that Rojas in the 7th or 8th instead of Rogers is the correct play. Rogers was a mess.last night and there is a place earlier in the game for Taylor. Hoffman, Morris, and Gomez are the last 6 outs in my opinion.

[DJL44]

There is some actual depth in AAA that is better than the waiver wire