A Six Pack of High-Impact Relievers for the Twins to Consider

Ted your on a roll like Miranda.  That’s like 6 good articles in a row.  Have you been taking writing lessons from Nick Nelson?  Keep it up. 👍 

I agree that if the Twins do make a trade it would be for a reliever.  JD Martinez is the only impact bat that wouldn’t cost much dollar wise that would be an upgrade to the lineup.  I’m sure there are others.  But not many.   
 

I’m it sure who the Twins would target in that group but if we got Jansen then Velazquez would have to be included in that trade and maybe Dobnak too.  I doubt the Reds sell Cruz they are close to the end of their rebuild.  Their rotation is shaping up if they stay healthy and take a step forward next season.  Yates is a good option.  
for Mason Miller I wonder if we could build a package around the OF we got from the Mariners, Funderburk or Sands and Raya or Culpepper and if need be a low a flyer.  I would do that trade.  

I'd take Cruz for sure. Good strikeout reliever for real cheap with years of control. Miller would be a great weapon to have, but not at the cost of gutting our farm system. I think we need a good lefty more than anything. I know Aroldis Chapman's having a down year, but he still could be good for us down the stretch. Definitely an improvement over Theilbar or Funderburk.

Nardi would be my choice. I have had an eye on him for the last couple seasons. If I remember right, he was a top 10 Marlin prospect and borderline top 100 one as well. I know his ERA doesn't stand out this season, but 11.1/k per 9, 2.7 bb per and .5 HR per 9. There's a lot there to like and a longer track record of good to great numbers.

Cruz is interesting. Like an above poster. I think the Reds may be too close to completing to part with an arm with more than a year of control.

I'm kind Meh on the rest due to salary, prospect cost or they just don't seem like much of an upgrade over what is already here.

I think the additions will be Stewart and Topa. They will help in the stretch run. In the playoffs, Paddack will be available in the pen. Those 3 plus Duran, Jax, Alcala make the top 6. Okert has to be good against lh batters. I think they will go with 3 starting pitchers and SWR would work out of the pen as well. 

No more trading good prospects for relievers. Fans are done with this. Grab some buy low guys for no name prospects and be done. Maybe in the future they can do a better job with internal scouting so that guys like Hoffman, Cano, Megill, Columbe are in our bullpen and not another teams. 

They really need a couple of good bullpen pieces and a starter.  This pitching staff has no chance  in a playoff series the way it’s currently constructed.  That’s the case even if Pablo and Duran round back into form.

It still baffles me that they don’t try to sign some of these relievers that get 1 or 2 year deals every year.  The back end is in place, all they need is a couple guys to bridge the gap.  Stop waiting for Alcala, Winder, etc. to figure it out after 5 years.  Instead, we’re talking about giving up guys like Raya and Culpepper on a team desperate for competent rotation pieces to fill in after Ober.  Just pony up the $5-$10 million in free agency and at least have the chance of saving the prospect capital to develop or package for a starter.  This is my biggest gripe with the FO/ownership right now.

Most of these relievers (including Miller) are potent & intoxicating but we'll sober right up once we see a price tag. I really like our BP even with Duran not on top of his game, we still have Jax, Alcala & overdue Varland still in AAA. If use Stamant properly I don't see much of a regression. Duran can still return to his old self, Steward will be back before we know it, hopes that Canterino & Topo can still return & have an impact sometime before postseason. Now IMO LHRPs is a need. Thielbar is no longer high-leverage, Okert & Funderburg cannot be trusted beyond low -leverage. (MIA) Nardi will be in demand & expensive. Gonzales's value is over-inflated so I'd like to trade him before it falls too much, So Gonzales & Doncon or Culpepper could get the job done. 

16 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

Most of these relievers (including Miller) are potent & intoxicating but we'll sober right up once we see a price tag. I really like our BP even with Duran not on top of his game, we still have Jax, Alcala & overdue Varland still in AAA. If use Stamant properly I don't see much of a regression. Duran can still return to his old self, Steward will be back before we know it, hopes that Canterino & Topo can still return & have an impact sometime before postseason. Now IMO LHRPs is a need. Thielbar is no longer high-leverage, Okert & Funderburg cannot be trusted beyond low -leverage. (MIA) Nardi will be in demand & expensive. Gonzales's value is over-inflated so I'd like to trade him before it falls too much, So Gonzales & Doncon or Culpepper could get the job done. 

 

MIA LHRPs Scott & Nardi are very expensive but MIA has another LHRP, failed SP experiment AJ Pukk. His #s are very inflated because he did poorly & lasted just a few innings in each game but returning to the BP his ERA has constantly improved where is he's 3.4 in the BP. (LHSP). Luzardo has been put on the IL due to a stressed lumbar. It takes 4-6 weeks to recover which is just before the deadline. Not enough time to showcase him & to make room for others on the roster they put him on the 60 day. Nobody will seek after him, his arm isn't hurt & his back isn't that bad, where Paparesta can whip him into shape not long after the deadline. Throw Pukk in there we'd have a pretty good package. I love the idea 

Good article, and I like the fact that you are throwing out some interesting under-the-radar names to consider. Nardi strikes me as the one to aim for, but as bean5302 said, the asking price from Miami may be too high for our liking. If some of our injured arms like Stewart and Topa can start contributing later this month we may not need another arm in the bullpen, but my hunch is that we will need at least one more arm from outside the system as we head into the stretch. 

Sarcastically, the FO has a track record of trading for injury prone pitchers. So Garcia would be their guy. With the lack of front of the rotation starting pitchers in the Twin minor leagues, I wouldn’t trade Lewis or Culpepper for a short term rental. The Twins still don’t have a legit number one starter, like a Verlander type. And they aren’t going to pay a top  free agent starter $30+million a year over five years. So they have to rely on starter depth. 

Good article !!  These are some interesting options.  A LOT of this depends on the return of Stewart and Topa and the eventual addition of Varland to the BP.  As always, this comes down to cost of acquisition. Let's start winnowing them down.

Jansen-Don't see the Red Sox trading him.  They are competing for a Wild Card.

Cruz-Don't really see the Reds trading him either especially with the multiple years of control and the fact that he strikes guys out by the ton.

Yates-A proven closer and high leverage guy but probably far too expensive (prospect-wise) and a FA at seasons end.

Yimi Garcia-Health and impending FA make him unlikely.

Nick Mears-Interesting arm that we could probably improve upon.  27 years old currently on a one-year deal for $750,000.  A decent possibility.  But with Stewart, Topa and possibly Varland, what role does a RH arm like Mears fill when Cole Sands has be decent??

Andrew Nardi-Left-Handed...CHECK!!  His stats don't look good but his underlying stats look very good.  He's not a junk-baller with a 96+ fastball and a hard biting slider.  I see Nardi as a definite target.  A package for him and Jesus Luzardo would check 2 boxes.  It would probably be steep but could prove to be well worth it for 2024 and beyond.  I lack confidence in Okert.  I see the end for Thielbar, and for as much of a booster as I've been for Funderburk he's struggling this year.  He needs to polish up some rough edges for sure. 

I know Vasquez is a negative asset, but he would be considered a Silver Slugger at catcher on the Marlins.  Their catchers are the worst in baseball and they don't hit.  The Marlins have a young pitching staff that Vasquez could be very beneficial to.  They were reportedly interested in him this last off season.  A deal for Luzardo and Nardi would take some prospect power, maybe a Gonzalez or Julien.  But if Vasquez were thrown in and we paid the remainder of his salary for this season along with Julien/Gonzalez and someone like Winder/Zebby Matthews, maybe that would be good enough to get Luzardo and Nardi.  I'm all for giving Jeffers more AB's and a chance to Camargo.    

Jansen would likely cost a highly rated prospect That is not happening

The Reds are poised for contention long before 2028.  That trade isn’t happening

Texas with that pitching staff is probably looking to bolster their hitting. Sure, they might trade Yates for Jose Miranda

Miami. Giving up a pitcher with 2 years of control left after this year and left handed. Even with a poor season ERA wise, the cost would not be low.  Given Miami’s trade history, a couple of midlevel prospect might do it 

An injured pitcher and the Twins. . Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results  Chargois  came off the injury list, perhaps he should be on the list, too

Yet Another pitcher with bad results and better peripheral numbers. This time a team that rarely sells at the deadline 

It seems likely to replace Larnach or Margot with Wallner soon. Larnach hasn't been as effective at outfield (or at bat lately) and neither has Margot (a number of missed catches and runs scored). 

57 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

The more accurate way of putting his injury is broken back. He's got a stress reaction (a bunch of microfractures) in his vertebrae.

A broken back is not the accurate way to put it. The connotation of a broken back is something very serious. A stress reaction is something common in HS athletes & again it takes 4-6 weeks to heal, which is quicker than some soft tissue injuries. Probably caused by pitching through pain, no surgery just rest & treatment & he'll be healed before the deadline. And again he can be ready long before we need him.

1 hour ago, Doctor Gast said:

A broken back is not the accurate way to put it. The connotation of a broken back is something very serious. A stress reaction is something common in HS athletes & again it takes 4-6 weeks to heal, which is quicker than some soft tissue injuries. Probably caused by pitching through pain, no surgery just rest & treatment & he'll be healed before the deadline. And again he can be ready long before we need him.

Even after being put on the 60-day IL, teams are making offers on Luzardo & MIA is listening.

Kenley Jansen is light brown toast.

17 hours ago, Jocko87 said:

I think the target would have to be a high voltage lefty.

3 hours ago, bean5302 said:

I'm familiar with the concept of a stress reaction. Microfractures in bones. Generally related to chronic stress of the bones/over aggressive ramp up, etc.

I do not doubt your knowledge, What I object is how you spin it. Broken back! Give me a break! The chronic stress of the bones if over-aggressively ramped up. I believe you left off if. Again there is no rush to ramp him up & I'm sure Paparesta will see to it.

4 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Is it or is it not fractures in his vertebrae?

The term "stress reaction" is used to make micro-fractures sound better. Miami put Luzardo on the 60 day IL almost immediately. 4-6 weeks is 28-42 days, and Miami really wanted to move Luzardo for cost savings and trade assets. Moving him to the 60 day IL makes it clear this is a serious injury, but this type of injury Luzardo is expected to make a full recovery. Stress reactions are very common in runners, especially new runners who ramp up too fast. Got them shins a barkin'

The first time I really looked into the stress reaction was good 'ol Miguel Sano. He gained a gazillion pounds, got moved to the outfield and literally broke his legs by running on them as a result. Stress reaction. A lot of his fans blamed a ball off the shin out of the batters box, but stress reactions are not acute type injuries.

Broken back is more accurate, IMHO. It gives the injury a clear definition. Fractures in bone. I'm not sure what Nick Paparesta has to do with Jesus Luzardo's recovery from his injury? Lee Meyer is Florida's head trainer. You might take broken back to mean spinal cord injury, but they're not the same.

A broken back normally means spinal cord injury, fractured vertebrae is a different thing & lumbar stress reaction is another.

If we trade for Luzardo (as I suggested) he becomes Twins's property therefore Paparesta becomes his trainer.

I was not aware of stress reaction related to Sano & I couldn't find anything related. But I'm glad you stated that stress reaction isn't an acute type of injury.