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Since the Twins signed reliever Josh Staumont to a one-year, $950,000 contract on December 27, the Atlanta Braves traded Vaughn Grissom to the Boston Red Sox for Chris Sale; the Seattle Mariners traded Robbie Ray to the San Francisco Giants for Mitch Haniger and Anthony DeSclafani; 10-foot-tall aliens were "discovered" in Miami, and, since the Twins (or "cheap pohlad") have yet to acquire a starting pitcher, Greggory Masterson has been forced to post 12 different versions of Shotgun Mario on Twitter. The world and (more relevantly) Twins Territory is in shambles, and nothing can cure our collective boredom but a significant transaction. Any worthwhile transaction will suffice, Derek Falvey. Please.
Jokes aside, after the significant payroll cuts the Twins are willingly imposing due to uncertainty surrounding their television deal, the second-most plausible reason why the Twins have done essentially nothing is that, as Jim Bowden noted in his most recent piece at The Athletic, "(the Twins) don't really have a lot of needs, thanks to a roster filled with young players and a strong farm system." Bowden continued, "The Twins could use more starting pitching depth and a center fielder to complement Byron Buxton but they have time to fill both needs between now and the start of spring training."
Though often misguided in his takes and insight, Bowden makes a valid point here that is important for Twins fans to remember during this moment of torpor: The Twins' 2024 roster is almost entirely set, and there's not much more they need to do. Trading for a frontline starting pitcher like Jesús Luzardo, Logan Gilbert, or Mitch Keller would be the ideal way to address the biggest remaining need, but consummating a trade of that magnitude would require the Twins to part with a significant prospect hau. A pitching market with inflationary price tags could cause them to err on the side of caution.
With this being the state the Twins find themselves in, the most likely transactions for them are small ones that fortify their starting rotation and bullpen depth. Examples of such transactions include signing Staumont and A.J. Alexy, and claiming Ryan Jensen off waivers from the Miami Marlins. Although knowing whom the team will sign, trade for, or claim is nearly impossible due to the huge number of easily obtainable replacement-level pitchers, some candidates are more enticing than others. Here are three intriguing pitchers the Twins should consider signing to minor-league deals.
Pomeranz, a 35-year-old left-handed reliever, has missed the last two regular seasons due to various forearm and elbow injuries in his throwing arm. Though it would be understandable if, having finished a four-year, $34-million contract he signed with the San Diego Padres in 2020, he elected to ride off into the sunset, it appears the former All-Star has no plans to retire and wants to continue pitching in 2024.
Soon-to-be 37-year-old Caleb Thielbar is the top left-handed reliever on the Twins' 26-man roster. Although the Minnesota native will retain that status at the beginning of the 2024 season, the combination of a nagging oblique injury and steady decline in performance in the latter half of last season has led the confidence of those who follow the team to wane. Twenty-six-year-old left-handed reliever Kody Funderburk will play a prominent role in the team's bullpen plans in 2024 as well, but with Brent Headrick being the third left-handed relief pitcher on the organization's depth chart, Pomeranz becomes an attractive option on a minor-league deal.
Signing Pomeranz (without tying up a 40-man roster spot or guaranteeing him money that might encroach on spending in other areas) would give the Twins a potential low-cost, high-leverage left-handed relief arm. They could always cut bait with him if injuries keep him unable to perform at the level needed to pitch in MLB.
Brad Keller
Formerly an Opening Day starter for the Kansas City Royals, Keller is a pitcher Twins fans are exceedingly familiar with. Over the past five seasons, Keller has made 13 starts against the Twins, generating a 3.74 ERA, striking out 70 and walking 35 over 74 2/3 IP and 327 total batters faced. Though Keller used to be an integral part of the Royals rotation, the combination of a sharp decline in performance in 2023 (1.92 WHIP in 45 1/3 innings pitched) and his former team adding talented veterans in Michael Wacha and Seth Lugo to their starting rotation has left him without a home for 2024.
Keller, 28, is a quality veteran depth piece who could get a big-league contract team with a team like the Washington Nationals or Oakland Athletics—who would look to flip him for prospects if he shows signs of success early in the season. Though this is a plausible outcome for Keller during free agency, there is a chance he could elect to sign a minor-league deal with a contender in hopes of being their sixth starter—the first depth option in case of injury or poor performance from one of their starters. If Keller goes this route, it would make sense for the Twins to make the former Royal a priority depth signing.
Jake Odorizzi
The final pitcher the Twins should consider signing to a minor-league deal is a familiar face. Odorizzi, 33, spent parts of three seasons with the Twins before signing a three-year, $23.5-million contract with the Houston Astros before the 2021 season. Odorizzi, the Twins' Opening Day starting pitcher in 2018, was a fan favorite, and fans would welcome a return to Twins Territory with open arms. Interestingly, Odorizzi would, too, as during a recent episode of Gleeman and the Geek, Dan Hayes of The Athletic said that Odorizzi's camp would be interested in a reunion with the franchise.
Odorizzi is nearing the end of his MLB career, but still presents value as a sixth or seventh starter who can occasionally be a short-term injury replacement or make a spot start. Due to his extensive injury history and a recent drop-off in performance when healthy, Odorizzi shouldn't be relied on as an integral part of any club's five-pitcher rotation, let alone a team that intends on contending in 2024. Signing Odorizzi to a non-guaranteed contract and having him compete with young starting pitchers like Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa, and Headrick as one of the team's primary depth starters could make sense for the World Series-hopeful Twins.
Though making a trade for a frontline starting pitcher like Luzardo, Gilbert, or Keller is the transaction those who follow the Twins want to occur, the franchise is more likely to fortify their already formidable rotation and bullpen with depth signings on minor-league deals. Do any of these three pitchers intrigue you? Would you welcome a reunion between the Twins and Odorizzi? Join the discussion and comment below.
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