Reviewing the Bullpen Hierarchy With Two Late Inning Arms Returning

Things looked bleak for the Twins as the team left Fort Myers a little over a month ago. Jhoan Durán, Justin Topa, and Caleb Thielbar started the year on the IL, which tested the team’s bullpen depth right out of the gate. It would have been understandable for the relief group to collapse and take the blame for a poor start to the season. Instead, they've been terrific, to the point where the front office will have a tough decision on who should be demoted when players return from the IL.

Matt Bowman has no remaining options, and the Twins decided to designate him for assignment with Durán's activation. The Twins kept Bowman on the roster once, when Thielbar came off the IL, by sending down Jorge Alcalá, who still ranks in the team’s top five for rWAR. The front office doesn’t like to give up on players with value, so it was somewhat surprising for Bowman to be placed on waivers. There were other candidates for demotion with options remaining, and those will be the names for the team to consider with the next activation. 

As Topa nears his Twins debut, the question becomes: “Who will be sent down?” The current low man in the bullpen hierarchy seems to be Kody Funderburk, who has performed well this year. He has allowed five earned runs on 12 hits, with a 25.4 K% and an 8.5 BB% in 11 appearances. Minnesota has two other lefties in the bullpen, and Funderburk has options remaining, so he’s the odd man out. Cole Sands also has to be a candidate, even though he has been one of the bullpen’s bright spots. Rocco Baldelli has discussed the possibility of Sands getting stretched back out as a starter, which makes sense with the lack of starting pitching depth at Triple-A.  

So, what’s the hierarchy when the injured players return? Let’s dive in. 

Closer: Jhoan Durán
Durán’s velocity was diminished during spring training, which was cause for concern. He suffered a strained oblique, forcing the team to put him on the IL. His first rehab appearance also saw some diminished velocity, but Duran claimed it was because he was working on throwing strikes, and his next appearance proved that to be true. He can be, arguably, the AL’s top reliever when he is healthy, but he needs his full velocity to reclaim that title.

Set-Up Men: Brock Stewart, Griffin Jax
Baldelli has been in a unique spot with Durán on the IL. He has been able to use Stewart and Jax interchangeably in the ninth inning, while not limiting them to a traditional closer’s role. He has used them both in the middle innings, when the game seems to hang in the balance. This strategy forces the team to turn the ninth inning over to other options (named below), but the strategy has worked to this point. Many teams would be happy to have Jax and Stewart as their closer, so the Twins are lucky to have them as weapons late in close games.

Middle Innings: Steven Okert, Caleb Thielbar, Justin Topa
Like Durán, Topa has been on the IL (knee tendinitis) since the team broke camp in late March. He pitched in a set-up role for Seattle last season, but the Twins currently have better options ahead of him. Okert and Thielbar have gotten opportunities to close games because of the strategy outlined above. Adding Durán back should allow the team to use them more regularly in the middle innings for matchups that suit their skill set. 

Long Relief: Cole Sands, Jay Jackson
Sands and Jackson will often be needed for multiple innings--if Sands avoids being optioned. Jackson has one of the bullpen’s highest ERAs, but the club targeted him this winter. It seems likely that the team will stick with him, especially if he can get into lower-leverage situations. Sands began his professional career as a starter, so he has pitched more than one inning in six of his first nine appearances this season. Baldelli came from the Rays organization, which has previously used an opener, and Sands seems like a strong candidate to fit into this role if the Twins need another starting option. At the very least, he could get some programmed volume, in the form of multiple innings as part of a bullpen game when needed.

Bullpens can be fickle, as a result of small sample sizes and pitching in high-pressure situations. The front office should be commended for their approach to bullpen construction over the last two years to get these pieces in place. Minnesota has seen some bad bullpens in recent weeks, which should give Twins fans comfort knowing they get to watch one of baseball’s best relief units on a nightly basis. 

How do you think the bullpen performs moving forward? Are you worried about Durán's velocity from this spring and his rehab? Leave a comment and start the discussion.