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Now, that isn't exactly an explicit guarantee that May will open the season as a reliever, but it's a big leap from the "We're asking him prepare for spring training as a starter and we'll see what happens" line that Twins officials have been sticking with through most of the offseason.
In many ways, this is a frustrating development, both for fans who were eager to see what the right-hander could do with a full-time starting gig, and even more so for May himself. There's little doubt that he would prefer to be in the rotation. If May feels like he's being unfairly victimized for rising to the occasion when asked to transition into an unfamiliar role last year, one could hardly blame him.
But it's also pretty easy to see and understand the team's thinking here. As we've discussed frequently, quality bullpens are becoming increasingly imperative in today's game, and in recent weeks we've seen contenders around the league take drastic steps to power up their relief corps.
May possesses a higher ceiling, and I would argue a higher floor, than multiple pitchers that will be competing for rotation spots in front of him. His emergence last year as a rare Twins starter capable of actually striking people out was a breath of fresh air, and contributed to much of the promise that we saw in this starting unit going forward.
Removing him from that mix puts a damper on the outlook for the rotation, but there are still quite a few respectable names in play. Even if you've completely given up on Ricky Nolasco (I haven't), you've still got Ervin Santana, Phil Hughes, Kyle Gibson, Tommy Milone, Tyler Duffey and Jose Berrios vying for spots. And it's important to remember that the 26-year-old May's fate is not being permanently sealed by any means.
If injuries strike or multiple starters unravel, stretching May out and reverting him to his natural role isn't all that difficult. Moreover, if some of the big relief arms in the minors turn the corner, May can go back to starting in 2017. Adam Wainwright came up for the Cardinals as a starter but spent his full rookie season as a late-inning reliever in 2006; the next year they moved him back to the rotation and the rest is history.
Right now, with those aforementioned relief prospects still uncertainties at best, the Twins quite simply need May more in the bullpen than in the rotation. While the latter is far from an obvious strong point, they do have some reliable quality within that group. The relief picture is far more jumbled, and that's a serious concern that could put them at a significant competitive disadvantage.
With what he showed last year in his first prolonged exposure in the pen, May has given us plenty of reason to believe he can be a shut-down setup man and perhaps the club's bullpen ace. As well as he performed when thrown into the fire, I'm very interested to see what he can do heading into a season with the preparation and mindset of a relief pitcher.
Would it be nice if the Twins went out and got themselves an impact relief arm via trade or free agency rather than further clouding a murky bullpen situation by gambling on a bunch of minor-league contracts? Yes, and they still might. Depth is good. But when they look at May, they see a guy who is every bit as capable as some of the veterans getting expensive three-year deals, and one who provides them with a lot more flexibility and freedom going forward.
For now, it's the right call.
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Not everyone agrees, of course. Tom Froemming argues that Trevor May should be in the rotation.
What do you think?
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