Four Relievers the Twins Need to Work in 2024

I would put all four pitchers in the "more likely to fail than succeed" category.

Cole Sands? Nah. Seen enough of him. The others? A big maybe at best. 

The Twins really need one of this foursome to come through with a big year.  Expect the most likely is Alcala, but could be anyone.

Didn't need to read your opening reminding us that Sands making the team meant they released Coloumbe.  Sure could have used that lefty last year.

Although Canterino still has hopes to be a SP, he'll start in the BP in '24. That'll put more pressure on these 4.

14 minutes ago, roger said:

The Twins really need one of this foursome to come through with a big year.  Expect the most likely is Alcala, but could be anyone.

I think 1 out of 4 is the most they should count on for this year. Relievers are not usually dependable but this group is unlikely to have much success.

Duran, Jax, Stewart and Thielbar would be in the "likely to pitch well" category. Funderburk is as likely to pitch well as to not pitch well. The rest of the relief options should not be counted on. Unfortunately, they are currently allocating 3 spots in the opening day bullpen to the group that is unlikely to succeed (these 4 plus Staumont and Jensen). I'd bet on Canterino and Varland contributing instead of this group.

I feel like we will be having the same discussion next year and the year after. None of these guys have been good. None are young except Balazovic. At what point do we just get better pitchers?

Winder's 4 seam fastball got clobbered, but the word is he is working on a 2 seam sinker. My predicted order of success Alcala, Sands, Winder. Balazovic? Wild Card 

Options give Sands, Winder and Alcala value and time.

Go back a few seasons and Sands was on the path Festa is today. Both threw 80 innings in AA at 23 years old with similar strike out and walk rates. Sands has the much better ERA but that may have been the luck of BABiP. In his 2022 top 40 prospects Gleeman wrote about Sand’s increased velocity, some trouble with control and working towards the big leagues AAA as mid rotation starter.  He wrote the same about Festa this year. I haven’t given up hope that Sands can be helpful in the majors.

Winder and Alcala have both shown glimpses of success in the majors. I am hopeful that health for Alcala and an improved fastball from Winder will be their turning point.

Balazovic has come to the crossroads. He is going to have to be more than the last arm in the pen to stick with the club. He hit AA in 2022 at 22 with very similar numbers to Sands and Festa. Gleeman wrote about his increased velocity, walks and potential as a mid rotation starter for him also adding a chance of being at the top of a rotation. It would be awesome to see that arm in spring training this year earning an important role in the bullpen.

And this doesn't address the annual Who will be the reclamation find of the year? Last year it was Stewart, and this year's candidates include Staumont, Jenson and Stewart (who still has to prove that last year wasn't a fluke.) So there are more options than just these guys to populate the middle innings.

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

I think 1 out of 4 is the most they should count on for this year. Relievers are not usually dependable but this group is unlikely to have much success.

Duran, Jax, Stewart and Thielbar would be in the "likely to pitch well" category. Funderburk is as likely to pitch well as to not pitch well. The rest of the relief options should not be counted on. Unfortunately, they are currently allocating 3 spots in the opening day bullpen to the group that is unlikely to succeed (these 4 plus Staumont and Jensen). I'd bet on Canterino and Varland contributing instead of this group.

 

I pray that Canterino will finally have put his health problems behind him.  I know they still talk about him being a starter, but he just won't be able to pitch that many innings in 2024.  So I see him maybe beginning as a starter in the minors for a month or two, then moving to the pen for a month before joining the Twins.  Hopefully, we see him at Target Field by the All-Star break. 

Relief pitching is not a priority.

I mean, I think these guys need to make it work this season for their own careers as much as the Twins do. Alcala is in the best shape: he's shown some success before and his biggest issue is injury, which means someone will take another chance on him even if this season busts for the Twins. Arguably, Balazovic in the next best positioned in that he has all that theoretical "upside" attached to a player who was a highly rated prospect once upon a time, and doesn't have a lot of innings in MLB to drag him down. Sands has had some success and hasn't been awful. Winder is in the diciest spot, as his fastball has been incredibly hittable and it seems unlikely that he can survive even in the bullpen just chucking curveballs.

I'm thinking there's 2 spots in the bullpen right now and these guys are fighting for them. Right now, I'd bet on Alcala and Sands, but Balazovic could surprise. Unless Winder unlocks something at Driveline with a new pitch...I think he's about done as anything other than a mop-up dude. I still like Alcala; the slider is a weapon and if the changeup is working he's got something to slow down lefties (which might help his fastball from getting pummeled).

we'll see how the rest do. the 8th spot won't get much work and is fairly wasteful unless the starters are back to "5 and Fly"; the last 2 spots are more about being the first calls up to higher leverage spots if someone gets dinged out of the Duran/Jax/Stewart group.

11 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

Relief pitching is not a priority.

Not for the Twins it's not. We're still hurt over swinging and missing on Addison Reed and Jorge Lopez. So since you have a chance of failing why try at all?

Acala , Balazovic  , Sands and Winder  .... 

Once upon a time in Winder's rookie year  I liked what i saw  , spot starting and relief  ,  what happened , has he lost his confidence  , because he had confidence in his rookie year ...

Sands has been  a decent AAA pitcher  but sitting him in the bullpen  and not using him  regularly on the MLB club , no wonder his walk rate is high ...

Blazovic was once a promising  pitching prospect  ,  then he lost everything between the ears  ...

Acala  has shown he cannot stay healthy  but probably has the best stuff  of this group of 4 ... 

We need someone of the 4 to step up and EARN the roster spot in the bullpen  , SOMEONE has to be awfully hungry  , LET the competition begin  ...

Alcala has the best shot at being something special this year. He is healthy and full of confidence. 
Balazovich…. 98% chance of crash and burn but never say never. He might actually be on the opening day roster. 
Sands and Winder are in the same options river taxi. …. Unless  one or both decide that MLB is the place to be.  I’m betting on them getting the taxi rides. 
In an emergency break glass… Randy Dobnak 

Those AAA FA signings will look real good in Saints uniforms. Maybe one will call Dobbers for an uber ride across the river. 

Alcala. He is good and has the right makeup to get outs. Easy call, plus he's signed thru 2025.

That's the whole list?  Gulp.  

11 hours ago, HerbieFan said:

That's the whole list?  Gulp.  

There's also some guys cut by bad teams and a pitcher coming off thoracic outlet surgery. It's not a promising list.

56 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

I think Balazovic has an advantage to stick in that he is out of options. Also, I've seen reports that Jordy Blaze was a disappointment/failure in the bullpen. My recollection is that he was quite effective in his few five or so outings and was being used in higher leverage situations. That tumbled down in his last outings. Maybe the league figured him out, maybe he fatigued, but I wonder if the Twins don't think there's some quality innings in his arm. 

Or he got lucky in a small sample size. There is absolutely nothing in his 2023 statistics that suggests he'll be an effective pitcher in 2024. His walk rate is terrible. He gives up too many HR. In August and September his ERA was over 7 pitching out of the bullpen in AAA.

I am surprised he still has a roster spot. Many teams have cut players this offseason who pitched better than Balazovic in 2023. It is certain that other teams will cut players this spring who are more likely to pitch well than Balazovic.