Two Relievers to Watch for the Twins

Looking at the Twins roster, there are a couple of key areas they’ll need to add. The outfield has been entirely left-handed heavy, and the bullpen is very heavily-reliant on Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. If there is a straightforward opportunity to add, it’s in both of those key areas.

Recently, Lou Hennessy brought up the St. Louis Cardinals Dylan Carlson. The bigger names are Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, but it’s the switch-hitting outfielder that seems most reasonable. Under team control through 2026, Carlson would not come cheap, and pitching prospects Louie Varland and David Festa could both be a fit.

Beyond hitting though, it’s the bullpen where Rocco Baldelli needs help. Jhoan Duran can’t continually go multiple days in a row, and Jorge Lopez has been shaky behind Griffin Jax. Minnesota doesn’t need to add closer types, but pushing Cole Sands, Oliver Ortega, and even Jovani Moran down a bit is a good overall outcome.

So, where do the Twins look for arms when they didn’t spend money on the bullpen this off-season? They clearly weren’t interested in Royals Aroldis Chapman, and flipping for Matt Moore at this point seems unlikely. A couple of names make sense though, and individually they provide unique skill sets. 

Julian Merryweather
The Chicago Cubs are expected to be sellers. Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger are the peak of their assets, but other alternatives exist. Merryweather was a fifth-round pick by Cleveland back in 2014 which provides a connection to Derek Falvey. He didn’t debut in the big leagues until 2020 with the Toronto Blue Jays, and this is his first season with the Cubs.

Merryweather had previously never thrown more than 27 big-league innings in a season, but he has racked up nearly 50 innings in 2023. His ERA (4.01) is nothing to write home about, but all of the underlying numbers are better. As of July 24th, he had a 3.52 xERA, 3.33 FIP, and 3.82 xFIP. Pair that with an impressive 12.2 K/9 and there’s clearly something there.

The Cubs have seen Merryweather strand over 75% of base runners this year, and that comes despite an inflated .358 BABIP. He’s done a good job keeping the ball in the yard, and his 24.5% hard hit rate this season is impressive in and of itself. Merryweather is also throwing his fastball at a career-best 97.9 mph, and Minnesota would certainly hope to have opportunity to increase that.

Under team control through 2026, Merryweather presents a muted opportunity along the lines of Jorge Lopez a season ago. There is no reason a premium should need to be paid, and youth isn’t on the 31-year-old's side, but there is projectable talent for both the present and future here.

Brent Suter
Maybe you remember Suter from his days with the Milwaukee Brewers, or even his cameo playing as a cast member of Dumb and Dumber. Either way, he’s been a relief arm for eight years, and is someone the Twins could nab from the Colorado Rockies.

Suter is in his first season away for the Brewers, and he has posted a 2.62 ERA across 44 2/3 innings. He’s not a massive strikeout guy, and the 3.22 FIP suggests some room for regression, but allowing just two homers has been reflective of an ability to keep the ball in the yard. Suter is a lefty that could supplement a bullpen featuring only the injured Caleb Thielbar, and a still green Jovani Moran.

Looking under the hood, Suter owns a 2.58 xERA but pairs that with a 4.37 xFIP. This is one of the best seasons he’s had during his career, and it’s not shocking that it has come on a 20.2% career-low hard hit rate. He isn’t a velocity guy, and he really doesn’t even miss bats, but inducing medium and weak contact is something that sets him apart.

It would be surprising to see the Twins make massive splashes at the trade deadline, but they should add a reliever or two. Both of these names make sense, and either could help to make sure Rocco Baldelli isn’t praying for Duran on a nightly basis.