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Minnesota had multiple needs heading into the 2024 MLB trade deadline, but there were more buyers than sellers, making it difficult for teams to find a deal. Instead, the Twins must rely on internal options for the second consecutive season. This strategy was successful in 2023, when the team won its first playoff series in two decades. Now, the front office is hoping their luck continues in 2024, but the road to the playoffs may be tougher than in previous seasons.
One need for the team was adding a left-handed reliever. Caleb Thielbar and Steven Okert have served as the team’s primary lefties out of the bullpen, but their performances have been below expectations. Thielbar has made 34 appearances with a 5.96 ERA with a 21.8 K%. Okert has only been slightly better than Thielbar, with a 4.60 ERA and a 21.1 K%. Kody Funderburk is another internal option, but he has also struggled with a 5.61 ERA in 26 appearances. It seems unlikely for the Twins to trust any of these arms to get important outs in October.
With his reverse platoon splits, Trevor Richards partially fills the role, but sometimes what you want is the traditional platoon advantage. Some lefty batters are very uncomfortable with the physical looks of lefty pitchers, and are less affected by even very good right-handed changeups. The Twins have a left-handed pitcher on the 40-man roster who might be the team’s best option to provide an upgrade in the second half.
Brent Headrick was in the running for the team’s final bullpen spot in spring training. He made two starts for the Saints to begin the season but suffered a forearm injury and was placed on the 60-day IL. Headrick hasn’t pitched in a game since Apr. 6, but he has been ramping back up as part of the Florida Instructional League.
Minnesota drafted Headrick from Illinois State University in the 9th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. The front office has shown a tendency to draft college pitchers from lesser-known schools in the draft’s later rounds, in hopes of working with the player on slight mechanical adjustments to improve velocity and pitch mix. Headrick only sits in the low 90s with his fastball, but he has a good slider that can get swings and misses from lefties and righties.
“For me, fastball has always been a strength, slider has always been good," Headrick told Twins Daily's John Bonnes during spring training. "And now this year, we’re trying to promote the splitter a little bit more to give that third weapon.” Headrick hasn’t been able to use his splitter regularly this season because of his limited innings, so there is a chance it will help separate him from other lefties on the roster.
Last season, he posted a 4.68 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP and 10.0 K/9 at Triple-A in a hitter-friendly league. With the Twins, he was asked to pitch multiple innings in half of his appearances, but he continued to strike out more than ten batters per inning. His biggest issue was keeping the ball in the park, with seven home runs allowed in 25 2/3 innings. Adding an improved splitter can help him to keep batters more off-balance and improve his big-league performance.
Headrick has been on a slow path back to the mound this season, but he might be getting healthy at the season’s most critical juncture. He must prove himself in multiple rehab outings before the Twins give him a chance at the big-league level. However, the team is desperate for a left-handed upgrade, and he might be the team’s best option for October.
Can Headrick provide the Twins with a left-handed upgrade? Will one of the other left-handed options show improved performance in the season’s stretch run? Leave a comment and start the discussion.
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