Minnesota Must Ease the Load on Its Bullpen Big Three to Sustain Success

We’re not even to the All-Star break, and the Minnesota Twins are already walking a tightrope when it comes to bullpen management. After a stretch of disappointing offensive output in the early months of the season, the Twins have found themselves in an exhausting cycle of close games. And when you play close games, you call on your best arms. Again and again. And again.

The numbers tell the story: Louis Varland, in his first full season as a reliever, is tied for the most appearances in the American League with 28. However, that statistic doesn’t tell the whole story. Varland has logged more innings than the man he's tied with (Robert Garcia), and the workload raises fundamental questions about how long his effectiveness can last under these conditions.

Then there’s the duo of Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax, who are two of the best setup-closer combinations in baseball over the last two seasons. Both right-handers are just two appearances behind Varland, putting them in a tie for fourth in the league. Their recent dominance has been nothing short of essential for Minnesota, but the concern is less about what they’re doing now and more about whether they'll still be able to do it in August or, more importantly, October. The message is clear: Minnesota’s bullpen strategy is unsustainable unless something changes.

A Necessary Evil So Far
No one will argue that Duran, Jax, and Varland haven’t delivered when asked. In fact, they're a big reason the Twins have stayed afloat despite some underwhelming run production for much of the season. Duran is flashing his trademark 100+ mph heat again. Jax has looked like the bullpen ace since overcoming some early-season struggles. Varland has found new life in shorter stints, dialing up velocity and attacking hitters with a bulldog mentality (including actual barking in the bullpen).

Since April 20th, Jax has led all AL relievers with 0.9 fWAR and 1.15 WPA. Duran is tied for sixth in fWAR (0.6) and has the ninth-highest WPA (0.86). (All stats through 5/29.) But here’s the problem: this isn’t a short-term fix anymore. It's become the day-to-day norm. And arms, especially in the bullpen, don’t operate on endless fuel.

Even though relievers pitch fewer innings than starters, the grind of regular high-leverage situations, frequent warmups, and the mental strain of being “the guy” in pressure spots can wear down even the most durable pitchers. Varland is a prime candidate for this concern because he’s new to the role and has never experienced the daily toll that a full season of relief work entails. His arm isn’t used to the frequent ups and downs, both physically and mentally. For a Twins club with playoff aspirations, managing that wear and tear is going to be just as important as managing the win column in July.

Who Else Can the Twins Trust?
Unfortunately, that’s the tricky question. Brock Stewart, who looked like a revelation when healthy, hasn’t looked quite the same this year. In 11 1/3 innings, he has allowed five earned runs with 18 strikeouts and four walks. Whether it’s lingering physical issues or just regression to the mean, it’s clear the Twins haven’t seen the same dominance from Stewart that made him such a weapon over the last two seasons. 

Danny Coulombe, one of the team’s most trusted left-handers, is currently shelved with an injury after a strong start to the season. His absence is particularly felt against tough lefty matchups late in games, and it has further funneled opportunities toward the Duran-Jax-Varland trio.

Cole Sands was one of the team’s breakout relievers last season, but he showed some early-season struggles in 2025. In his first 12 appearances (10 1/3 innings), he allowed five earned runs and had an 8-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In May, he seems to have turned the corner by allowing one earned run in 13 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts and one walk. He’s made 24 appearances in 2025, so his usage is also something to watch.  

Meanwhile, Jorge Alcala and Kody Funderburk are two pitchers who have yet to gain Rocco Baldelli’s complete trust. Funderburk took over the lefty role with Coulombe on the IL. He has shown some intriguing skills, but he’s often bypassed in close games. Alcala has struggled to find consistency over the last two seasons, having battled injuries earlier in his career. 

The bottom line is this: if Minnesota is going to ease the burden on its top bullpen arms, it either needs to start trusting those lower-leverage options in big spots or go out and find some new ones.

The Offense Holds the Key
Of course, there's another angle to this problem, and it's arguably the most straightforward: score more runs. The Twins' offense, to its credit, has shown flashes of life in recent weeks. Carlos Correa has looked more like himself, Kody Clemens has brought energy, and Brooks Lee has chipped in with quality at-bats. Matt Wallner and Byron Buxton are returning to the lineup, which could provide a boost, but inconsistency remains. Too often, the Twins have been locked into one or two-run games, which demand perfection from the bullpen night after night.

Give Rocco Baldelli a few more four or five-run leads, and let's see Alcala or Funderburk take the mound in the eighth inning instead of Jax or Duran. It’s a domino effect that starts with the bats. There’s no doubt Baldelli is facing a tricky balancing act. You want to win today’s game, but you also need your best players available down the stretch. That’s the paradox of managing a baseball team through 162 games.

Baldelli has often shown a willingness to play the long game, whether it’s resting position players, rotating catchers, or carefully managing workloads. However, this season's bullpen usage patterns suggest that the urgency to win now has taken precedence, and understandably so, given how tight the AL Central race is shaping up to be. But if Minnesota wants to be playing meaningful baseball in October, they need Duran, Jax, and Varland firing on all cylinders when they get there, not running on fumes.

The Twins have two clear options:
1. Start trusting more bullpen arms in higher-leverage spots: That might mean giving Alcala or Funderburk a real shot to earn meaningful innings, even if it comes with some bumps along the way. It could also mean calling up a fresh arm from Triple-A or acquiring a midseason bullpen piece via trade.

2. Get more out of the offense: If the bats can put up bigger leads, the bullpen doesn’t need to be perfect every night. That means more power, more timely hitting, and better execution in situational spots. It’s not about becoming the 2019 Bomba Squad overnight. It’s about consistent, quality at-bats that keep the bullpen off the hook.

Whatever the path, something has to give. The Twins can’t keep leaning on the same three relievers night after night and expect it to work indefinitely. If they don’t make some changes, this bullpen might burn bright for now, but there’s a real risk it burns out just when the Twins need it most.

How can the Twins do a better job of managing the bullpen? Leave a comment and start the discussion.