Twins Continue to Roll Dice on Relief Options

Since Derek Falvey and Thad Levine took over the Minnesota Twins' front office, they have not been interested in paying for relief pitchers. The one time they did so, offering Addison Reed a two-year deal shy of $17 million, it blew up in their faces. With Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Caleb Thielbar, and others among their 2024 options, it doesn’t seem likely a cost-cutting team will spend there this year.

That means Rocco Baldelli will be handed some unproven arms to fill out his bullpen, and while someone in there might become the next Brock Stewart, others will flame out. The 40-man roster is flush with options, but minor-league contracts will also bring in external candidates. Who ends up going north for Opening Day remains to be seen.

Here are some names to watch:

Brock Stewart
A 40-man member for Minnesota already, Stewart is a lock as a late-inning reliever. The problem is that he’s coming off an injury that kept him out until right before the postseason in 2023, and he has an unfortunate injury history, overall. Stewart was exceptional for the Twins last season, but he contributed just 27 2/3 innings.

If he can be healthy all season, he showed good enough stuff to slot in as Durán’s setup man. For a guy who hasn’t thrown 30 innings in a single season since 2017, though, it’s hard to project a full season of work. Minnesota did an excellent job targeting him a year ago, and what innings he does provide should be strong. The question is quantity, rather than quality.

Jorge Alcala
Over the past few seasons, no one has held down a place on the 40-man roster while producing less value than Alcalá has. He, too, has impressive talent, but it hasn't always translated to success against big-league hitters. Throwing just 17 1/3 inconsistent innings for the Twins last year, he also spent time at Triple-A. He has flashed productivity this offseason in winter league action, but it is more of the same.

If Alcalá could stay healthy, Minnesota could start to feel better about the Ryan Pressly trade. He's now arbitration-eligible, though, and the waiting game is getting old. This may be the final season in which the Twins give him a chance, but all sides are hoping that patience pays off in a big way.

Matt Canterino
Now on the 40-man roster, the former second-round pick didn’t pitch at all in 2023. Rice doesn’t have a great track record of protecting the arms and maximizing the professional futures of their pitchers, but this one could follow in the footsteps of Tyler Duffey and survive long enough to carve out a big-league career. While he was initially used as a starter, the relief route was the way to go all along.

Canterino has dealt with a lot over the past year. Losing a season to Tommy John surgery, his focus has been rehab and recovery with 2024 as a goal for his debut. When pitching previously during spring training, his stuff looked legit, and he could be a weapon as soon as the big club is ready to deploy him. The surgery doesn't take away how impressive the fastball plays up in the zone, and it definitely will remain a plus offering. Canterino could emerge as an immediate weapon in relief if a Jhoan Duran-type transition from starter to reliever is made in camp.

Jordan Balazovic
There was a time when Balazovic was the next big thing for the Twins' pitching pipeline, much like Fernando Romero, but circumstances have drastically changed. After a terrible 2022 influenced by injury, his 2023 wasn’t much better, despite making a major-league debut. His strikeout stuff from the minors didn't come with across town, and he issued free passes at ridiculous rates while giving up dingers to boot.

On the 40-man roster heading into the 2024 season, Balazovic has been formally transitioned to the pen, according to Falvey. He needs to find substantially better command, but realistically, the stuff can make him a weapon if a few tweaks are made. This switch to short relief is his last chance to be a disappointment as profound as Romero turned out to be.

Cole Sands
How Sands is utilized could be a big thing to watch for in 2024. He was handed the final bullpen spot last season over the likes of both Jeff Hoffman and Danny Coulombe. Minnesota felt a need to have a long reliever, and Sands fit the bill. As a starter, it looked like there was upside as he progressed through the system, but his stuff could play up better in the bullpen.

In 2021, Sands put up a 2.46 ERA for Double-A Wichita in 80 1/3 innings. He punched out plenty but gave up 3.9 walks per nine innings. Taking a step backward in 2022, the stuff was entirely too hittable. Sands found something that worked at Triple-A last season, but the success didn't translate to the major-league level. Going from a long man destined to eat innings to a legitimate shutdown arm would show substantial growth.

Josh Winder
Drafted as a seventh-round starter from the Virginia Military Institute, Winder took his time to show value for Minnesota. He took the ball as a starter in 11 of his 15 outings for the Twins in 2022. He provided mediocre results and did little to push the envelope for his future inclusion in the rotation.

Behind Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, and even Louie Varland, Winder lingered briefly as a starting candidate. Minnesota converted him to a reliever in 2023, though, and the 34 2/3 innings he pitched in that role were unimpressive. In 2024, he'll have to find a better way to handle the vagaries of relief duty, with its unpredictable and sometimes daily schedule.

The Twins will likely target multiple arms on minor-league contracts, in hopes of making something stick. This front office has gotten things right before, but missing on Jeff Hoffman and Danny Coulombe in 2023 is an ugly stain. Hopefully, they can roll enough 7s for 2024 and target the right names to supplement the group along the way.