Nick Nelson

Byron Buxton has been the fastest player in major-league baseball. He has the highest SB percentage in MLB history (min 50 attempts). He won a Platinum Glove in CF at age 23 -- one year older than Lewis (who still hasn't settled on a position) will be next year. He ranks 4th among all MLB players in SLG over the past 3 years (min 600 PA). He's played at a pace of 6.5 fWAR/150G over the past 3 seasons. Royce Lewis may turn out to be an amazing player but he's not going to do these things. Nobody's doing these things. Nobody possesses this combination of elite skills. In your attempt to prove a point you've only proven the opposite, and pinpointed exactly what makes Buxton so different and special. "Tools projections" for prospects are subjective, somewhat arbitrary, and often wildly optimistic. Buxton has fulfilled the most lofty interpretations of his potential. That is why the Twins cannot let him leave. That said, I will echo the sentiment of @USAFChief... I hope your highly favorable estimation of Lewis comes to fruition!

No one anointed him as a god. People rightfully said Royce Lewis's talent and tools are not on the same plane as Byron Buxton, which is very obviously true and quite silly to argue with (nor is it insult to Lewis). Then you went on some long hyperbolic rant in response, invoking Barry Bonds. Tell me again what's far fetched?

I mean, Buxton has had like multiple career-threatening injuries within the past couple years. He's had several concussions. He has to understand as well as anyone that nothing is guaranteed. Safety and security are factors here, right? There is something to be said for locking down $80 million and setting your family up for generations, and not needing to worry about it anymore. I'm not sure I quite buy into the idea that this is a "cut-rate contract" he'd be moronic to sign, although obviously I find it very favorable to the Twins.

That's because Byron Buxton legitimately has a Trout-like skill set, which was on display in April when he managed to out-play peak form Mike Trout. I'm not sure you quite understand the extent of Buxton's tools? You can't just compare him to other players because others can run, hit, and field. He's off the charts in these categories.

You don't have to break the bank, that's the whole point! A deal that maxes out at $14M/yr is absurdly reasonable and affordable for a player of Buxton's caliber, and the only reason he'd conceivably be available at such a rate is BECAUSE of the injury history. That's why this is such a momentous opportunity for the Twins, and why fans are almost unanimously baffled and infuriated by these stalled negotiations. If Buxton were demanding to be paid like the MVP-caliber player he is when fully healthy and producing, I think there'd be a lot more room for disagreement and more understanding of the team's position. From all indications that does not appear to be the case, or even close.

I think it's a combination of #1 (inaccurate numbers -- I find it impossible to believe a deal wouldn't be done if those terms were legit as we're perceiving them) and #3 (Buxton doesn't want to sign an extension). I mentioned this on Twitter but will add it here too: If Buxton's traded, you'd like to think the Twins find a way to get their side of the story out there, because if we're left to believe they passed on a chance to extend him on a deal that would've *maxed out* at 100M over 7 years, some of us will never forgive them

In many cases, getting more information about a situation brings clarity. But in the case of the Minnesota Twins and their negotiations with star center fielder Byron Buxton, emerging details only generate further confusion. Based on what's been reported, it's really hard to make sense of what the team is doing here. Image courtesy of Aaron Josefczyk-USA TODAY Sports In many cases, getting more information about a situation brings clarity. But in the case of the Minnesota Twins and their negotiations with star center fielder Byron Buxton, emerging details only generate further confusion. Based on what's been reported, it's really hard to make sense of what the team is doing here. On Tuesday, Dan Hayes and Ken Rosenthal bylined a report in The Athletic with the headline: Byron Buxton’s future with the Twins remains in limbo as team gauges trade interest, potential extension offers. The article depicts a team struggling to decide whether it should trade its best player with one year remaining under contract, or hold him for the 2022 season. The option that seems most obvious and desirable — striking a long-term extension with this generational talent in his prime — doesn't really seem to be on the table, even if it hasn't been ruled out. "Chairman Jim Pohlad, according to major-league sources, is reluctant to move Buxton, knowing such a decision potentially would upset a fan base tired of seeing the team part with homegrown stars," per The Athletic. Pohlad's absolutely right in his assessment of how trading Buxton will be perceived by Twins fans, who just watched Jose Berrios sign an extension with Toronto. Fortunately, it would seem nobody is in better position than he to ensure Buxton sticks around. Pohlad and his ownership group have the power to greenlight an offer that keeps Buxton in Minnesota long-term, and such a framework — from all indications — is extremely achievable under team-friendly terms. The article from Hayes and Rosenthal reiterates that a 7-year, $80 million offer was extended in July, which we've heard before, but later offers up this detail: "Sources said talks about an incentive-laden extension in July broke down because of the Twins’ unwillingness to push the potential total value to $100 million." Back in July, reports indicated Buxton's side was amenable to that guaranteed amount of $80 million (which surprised me), but that an agreement couldn't be reached over the incentive structure. In my mind, I figured Buxton's camp must have been demanding some extravagant bonuses that could've done something like double the base amount. Yet, the wording of this new report — talks about an incentive-laden extension in July broke down because of the Twins’ unwillingness to push the potential total value to $100 million — well, that sure sounds like the team was not open to a contract that would maximize at $100 million. And if true, that's nothing short of embarrassing. Shameful. And egregiously foolish. I mean, come on, that would average out to about $14 million per year. That's Ricky Nolasco money, for a homegrown MVP-caliber player in his prime years. I'm having a really hard time connecting the dots here. If Twins ownership is adamant about keeping Buxton, and the center fielder's side is open to a reasonable deal, then what is the hold-up? Why are the Twins mired in internal debate over whether to trade Buxton or let him leave as a free agent, rather than opting for the best choice, which is neither of those? Here are a few possibilities I can conjure. If you have others, I'd love to hear them in the comments. The reported numbers are inaccurate. Hayes and Rosenthal are two of the more respected writers in the biz, and I trust they're providing a realistic view of the overall dynamic, but that doesn't mean every single detail is spot-on. Perhaps there are some specifics getting obscured in the communication loop. Or maybe they're receiving false info from a biased source with an agenda. (Ostensibly, this would be Buxton's agent, but I'm not sure what their end-game would be in leaking a low-ball offer?) Also: the numbers that've been reported would have be a loooong ways off to not make sense for the Twins. The Twins front office doesn't believe in Buxton. Or at least doesn't have enough confidence in his durability and aging regression to feel that a long-term extension is in their interest. I find this kind of hard to believe, but when you look at the evidence available to us — an owner expressing his desire to retain a player who is seemingly open to reasonable terms, and a front office that isn't making it happen — it's a plausible explanation. Buxton has no interest in signing an extension in Minnesota. This would run contrary to what he's said publicly, but it'd hardly be the first time a pro athlete gave lip service to appease fans. Maybe the bridge truly was burned when the Twins held Buxton in the minors in September of 2018. Or maybe Buck has a yearning to return to the South where he was raised. Or maybe he simply recognizes an opportunity to earn a much bigger payday one year from now if he can deliver in 2022. Sadly, I think this is probably the most likely answer behind everything, and also the only one that completely ties the Twins' hands. Pohlad is bluffing, and doesn't really want to pay up. It's the favored explanation for many, I'm sure. Maybe it's true, and Pohlad is portraying himself to media as the good guy who fought for Buxton before an inevitable trade. But if the reported number he's targeting is anywhere close to correct, there's no reason that Twins shouldn't be able to keep Buxton while building a quality team around him under the payroll parameters that have become standard under this ownership. One thing I will say: if Pohlad is pushing to prevent a Buxton trade solely to mitigate fan blowback, knowing the team won't be able to re-sign him (which is one way to read the opening in the Athletic article), the front office needs to shut him out and not listen. Team strategy cannot be dictated by such factors. Trading Buxton will be a bitter pill to swallow, but it may result in making the best of a bad situation. A totally self-inflicted bad situation, if reports around these negotiations are to be believed. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Order the Offseason Handbook — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Great comments and discourse y'all. I've really enjoyed reading all the thoughts.

As we all know, the current Twins front office has had some whiffs when it comes to offseason pitching pickups. Addison Reed, Lance Lynn, J.A. Happ, Matt Shoemaker and Alex Colomé are names that come to mind. While recency bias – primed by those last three names – might lead one to believe this leadership can do no right, that isn't the case. In looking at some of their most successful acquisitions, perhaps we can identify a formula for getting back on track this offseason. Image courtesy of Jesse Johnson–USA Today As we all know, the current Twins front office has had some whiffs when it comes to offseason pitching pickups. Addison Reed, Lance Lynn, J.A. Happ, Matt Shoemaker and Alex Colomé are names that come to mind. While recency bias – primed by those last three names – might lead one to believe this leadership can do no right, that isn't the case. In looking at some of their most successful acquisitions, perhaps we can identify a formula for getting back on track this offseason. With a lens on 2022, we're judging these acquisitions in terms of immediate impact, so we'll rank them by the fWAR (Fangraphs Wins Above Replacement) in their first season after coming aboard. These are the seven names that stand out. 1. Michael Pineda, 2019 (2.6 fWAR) Signed as a free agent (2 years, $10M) This wasn't actually the first year after Pineda came aboard, because Minnesota signed him ahead of the 2018 season, knowing he'd miss most or all of it while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Once Big Mike was ready to get rolling in 2019, he was every bit the rock-solid mid-rotation starter they sought, posting a 4.01 ERA over 146 innings while leading the team to a 16-10 record in his starts. His PED suspension in September soured the overall season, especially because it prevented him from being able to make an impact in the playoffs (and led to Randy Dobnak starting Game 2). But all that aside, he was a key part of the team's success in 2019, and continued to provide value to the team after re-signing on another two-year deal, posting a 3.57 ERA between 2020 and '21. Takeaway: Patience is a virtue. The Twins were willing to commit money up-front and wait out Pineda's surgery rehab, and it has paid dividends for three years since. 2. Jake Odorizzi, 2018 (2.5 fWAR) Acquired from Tampa Bay in trade The Rays were looking to unload Odorizzi's salary ahead of the 2018 season. Finding a lack of demand in the market, they settled for a trade with Minnesota that brought back middling shortstop prospect Jermaine Palacios. It was a mystery to me why Tampa couldn't get more for Odorizzi, who posted solid numbers in 2017 and had two years of control remaining. Maybe it was the timing of the move, just before spring training. One could purport he fell into the Twins' laps, but alas, they made the move and no one else did. They were glad it was them. Odorizzi was once again solid in 2018, becoming a much-needed veteran fixture in a rotation that ended up getting nothing from Ervin Santana in the final year of his deal. (In fact, the condition of Santana's surgically-repaired finger when he showed up in camp was likely the primary driver of this move in the first place.) Of course, the real value in Odorizzi's acquisition came the following year, when he blossomed as an All-Star with 4.3 fWAR. Takeaway: If you're willing to take on salary from a small-market team, you can sometimes take advantage of weird desperation moves late in the offseason. 3. Kenta Maeda, 2020 (2.1 fWAR) Acquired from Los Angeles in trade Ranking Maeda third on this list doesn't do him justice. He is easily the most successful pitching acquisition by this front office. If you extrapolate his performance from the pandemic-shortened 2020 season into a 162-game sample, he'd have registered a 5.7 fWAR, which is Cy Young territory. (Accordingly, he finished runner-up in the AL Cy Young voting.) But to keep things consistent, we'll place him here, and it's fitting in a way, because he wasn't as much of a pure value-add as the two above. Whereas the additions of Pineda and Odorizzi cost the Twins only a bit of money and a dispensable minor-leaguer, acquiring Maeda required the organization to part with its top pitching prospect, Brusdar Graterol. Takeaway: Pay to play. The Twins' most impactful pitching acquisition during this regime has also required the greatest sacrifice. 4. Martin Perez, 2019 (1.9 fWAR) Signed as a free agent (1 year, $3.5 million) I know, I know. Many of you are rolling your eyes and scoffing at the notion of Perez as a "successful" acquisition. For what it's worth, I'd agree with you, and so would Baseball Reference's WAR calculation would agree with you (it had him at 0.1). For whatever reason, FanGraphs' version of the metric is charitable toward his 2019 season even though he posted a 5.12 ERA and 4.66 FIP, unraveling after a strong start. I will say this much: Perez took the ball every fifth day and did enough for an offense-driven club to go 17-12 behind him in 29 starts. Realistically that's probably the kind of thing we need to hope for from a Twins fourth or fifth starter next year. Moreover, while his poor results in 2019 were plain to see, Perez nevertheless found a new home in Boston the following offseason, and has made 48 appearances (34 starts) for the Red Sox over the past two years, not including his four appearances in the most recent ALCS (!). The Twins saw something in Perez and it's hard to say they were entirely wrong. Takeaway: This was an analytics play. The Twins were intrigued by Perez's late-season velocity jump in 2018, and by his experimentation with a cutter. They were onto something – his cutter held opponents to a .269 wOBA in 2019, during which he posted career-high strikeout and swing-and-miss rates. That just didn't end up being enough to offset his shortcomings. 5. Tyler Clippard, 2020 (0.8 fWAR) Signed as a free agent (1 year, $2.75 million) The last three names on this last will have the same caveat applied as Maeda: their performances came in a shortened season, so the cumulative WAR comparison is not apples to apples. Clippard's 0.8 fWAR would've been pretty decent for a regular full season (Tyler Duffey was worth 0.8 fWAR this year), but when projected to 162 games he'd have been at 2.2, which is like, prime Joe Nathan territory. Clippard did everything for this bullpen. He opened, he closed. He was effective against righties and lefties. He threw strikes, he limited hits, he kept the ball in the yard. Clippard was everything you could ever want from a free agent reliever signing, albeit in an abbreviated sample. Takeaway: The free agent relief market is volatile, but sometimes when you take an inexpensive flier on a veteran who's been consistently good for many years, it works out. 6. Rich Hill, 2020 (0.7 fWAR) Signed as a free agent (1 year, $3 million plus incentives) We can't fairly extrapolate Hill's 2020 season in quite the same way as we can the others. He was recovering from elbow surgery and wouldn't have been available until June or July even if the season started on time. The late start enabled him to join the rotation out of the gates, and he proved to be a quality asset at the back end, posting a 3.03 ERA in eight starts. Nothing special, but for such a low-cost investment, this is exactly what you hope to extract. Takeaway: Like with Pineda, the Twins were rewarded for their patience. They were willing to pay up-front and wait out an elbow rehab. Sometimes that type of willingness can be a differentiator for mid-market teams seeking impact pitching talent. 7. Matt Wisler, 2020 (0.6 fWAR) Claimed off waivers from Seattle Wisler was waived by Seattle after posting a 5.61 ERA in 2019, then the Twins snagged him and watched him put up a 1.07 ERA over 25 ⅓ innings in 2020. It's the kind of fix-up we were hoping to see frequently from this front office, and seemingly a recipe they tried to replicate in 2021 with pickups like Brandon Waddell, Ian Gibaut and Shaun Anderson – to little success. Takeaway: The Twins love to find a slider they feel they can unlock and unleash. In this case, they were right on the money. In others, maybe not so much. This speaks to the hazardous nature of gambling on fringy talent discarded by other organizations. ~~~ So what did we learn here? What kind of insight can we extract from looking at these seven acquisitions from the past four offseasons? A few things strike me. Patience reaps rewards. The Twins were willing to wait on Pineda and Hill. This played to their advantage. Looking at the current market, one could apply this thinking to someone like Kirby Yates (rehabbing from Tommy John surgery last March) or James Paxton (TJ surgery in April). Either one of these free agents could offer massive upside at a relatively low price. By the way, the patience factor also applies to the rhythm of the offseason itself, because this front office pulled off two of its best trades (Odorizzi and Maeda) in February. Rely on analytics to fill the fringes. Say what you will about Perez, but there was validity to the uptick detected in his arsenal. As a low-cost addition at the back of the rotation, he worked out fine. Wisler was a lower-tier bullpen cog, so his emergence was more of a luxury than a necessity, but it sure helped. So long as the Twins are making these kinds of bets in non-essential roles, I hope they'll keep making them. Go big or go home. While this front office has made several good pitching acquisitions, only one could be described as a true immediate slam dunk, and that's Maeda. The Twins needed an ace to slot in front of José Berríos – a monumentally tall task – and they managed to do it. The cost was a brilliant young arm in Graterol. We haven't seen this regime make such an aggressive bid for high-end starting pitching outside of that trade. The only starter they've signed to a multi-year deal is Pineda, which has turned out pretty well but was altogether low-stakes (in both cases). Their interest in Zack Wheeler was well known, and that obviously would've been a big hit if they could've made it happen. Will the Twins find a way to entice a top-tier target of their choosing this winter? The need has never been greater. Hopefully this front office can learn from what's worked – and what hasn't worked – during their first five years, and course-correct after a failed previous offseason. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Order the Offseason Handbook — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

Actually this rule was never put into effect. I kind of doubt it will be.

I don't think anyone's actually suggesting the usage would be this rigid. Theoretically guys like Ryan and Ober will still go 5 innings frequently. There will also still be shorter-burst relievers like Alcala and Duffey for the late innings. Mostly the concept here is about shifting away from the idea that a SP has to go 5+ innings or it's a failure. Instead, you can plan around frequent short starts or piggyback situations. The way this plays out in practice would be fluid. But I think with a 14-man staff you can accommodate it.

The problem is that it's not always easy to determine which situations they're best suited for. Some pitchers spend a large portion of their careers being misused. There aren't many who've even been tested in a McHugh-type role so it's hard to say how they'll take it to it, which is why this is a bit experimental and risky. There's a big reason it's not THAT risky, though: For all their variations, one thing that is almost universally true for pitchers is that they;re better against hitters the first time facing them in a game compared to the second or third time.

Arbitration and baseball in general are moving away from valuing pitcher "wins" because we can all see they're a team-based stat -- not meaningful indicators of individual performance. Pitchers will go where they can make money and succeed. As the game evolves, teams will start paying more for roles that are deemed impactful. I could see these kinds of multi-inning/hybrid types earning more on average than the typical 1-inning setup man or scrap heap back-end starter (Shoemaker et al.) so it may become somewhat appealing for players. When the 2019 season ended, the Twins had Berrios penciled in for the 2020 season and that's it. Gibson, Pineda, and Odorizzi were all free agents.

It's developing a method to get effective pitching results in the interim while you wait for the prospect pipeline to start providing. Again, as I said earlier: I don't think it's fair to judge this regime on on the merits of its systemic pitching development yet. It took 5 years after Berrios was drafted to reach the majors and he was terrible his first year. This is Year 5 for the current front office. If nobody from the Winder, Duran, Canterino, Balazovic, Strotman, Woods Richardson etc group pans out you'll have a point.

A few people have made comments along these lines and I think it's on point. What I presented in the article is a vision for a more extreme version of this model, but I think the sweet spot might lie in the middle: commit 2-3 rotation spots to more traditional starters who can go 5-6 regularly, but use the last couple as sort of "extended bullpen games" on a regular basis. And this kind of plan can always stay flexible over the course of the season. Maybe some guys step up and show they can be counted on to get through the lineup 2-3 times. Maybe a prospect comes up with workhorse qualities. The problem is, with all the pitching talent in the Twins' system, I don't see a single guy who is realistically equipped to do that.

So you're telling me that taking pitchers and implementing changes to make them more effective does not qualify as "developing pitching." I'd love to hear your definition! Yes, it's about bringing young players up through your system but development is an ongoing focus throughout a player's career. When the Twins brought in Matt Wisler and turned him into a high-quality RP, that was a development success. When Cleveland traded for a no-name prospect named Kluber and made him a Cy Young winner, that was a development success. Tampa Bay has enjoyed a number of development successes with older & more established pitchers, and it's a big part of why they are successful. This front office was not brought in to sign $150M starters in free agency. They were brought in to think creatively, find opportunities, and get more out of players. That's the kind of thinking this article is framed around. They had basically one proven starter on their MLB roster going in to the 2019-2020 offseason. Worked out fine. (shrug) The reason they have zero starters going into this one is because they traded Jose Berrios for prospects at the deadline, making a short-term sacrifice for a perceived long-term gain. Agree or disagree with the move, I'm not sure how you could describe it as anything other than "forward thinking"?

This is a fair point, because Gant's definitely a perfect fit with the model we're discussing here, but I think bringing him back at the arb price was a nonstarter. Wouldn't shock me at all if the Twins end up re-signing him for like 1.5-2M.

They have developed pitching. There are few if any teams in baseball with more quality arms awaiting at the top level of their system. In evaluating them on this front, we can't underestimate the disruptive impact of 2020's canceled MiLB season on health, routines, timelines, etc. It takes 4-5 years to develop pitching from scratch (which is largely what they had to do) and that was Year 4. Part of the appeal in this plan is that it becomes easier to bring those prospects along in a carefully managed way that also portends more immediate success (because the guys can lean more on their best pitches, not face lineups multiple times, etc.). Also, what we're talking about here is taking fringy arms (Griffin Jax, Lewis Thorpe, or free agents like Garrett Richards) and making them more effective by altering their roles and usage. Isn't that the definition of developing pitching?

Great point. Yennier Cano another example, pitched 2.0+ innings in 15 of his 30 appearances for St. Paul this year. You almost wonder if they've been building toward something like this for awhile and we just haven't noticed...

As the Twins embark on the daunting offseason task of building their 2022 pitching staff nearly from scratch, it's worth wondering if their forward-thinking front office might step outside the box and take a nontraditional approach. A revealing recent quote from general manager Thad Levine leads one to believe it's a path they're considering. Image courtesy of Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports (Garrett Richards) As the Twins embark on the daunting offseason task of building their 2022 pitching staff nearly from scratch, it's worth wondering if their forward-thinking front office might step outside the box and take a nontraditional approach. A revealing recent quote from general manager Thad Levine leads one to believe it's a path they're considering. Earlier this week, Dan Hayes of The Athletic penned a piece sizing up the monumental challenge ahead of the Twins as they seek to fill the top three spots in their rotation from the outside. The end of the piece includes this quote from the Twins GM, which really caught my attention: “I think with the challenge comes opportunity,” Levine said. “We’re going to be as creative as we can be in terms of not being necessarily hemmed into the notion of it has to look exactly the way it has always looked. We may end up looking at this from the lens of how many multi-inning guys can we add to a staff and how far does that take us?” While Levine's allusion is not overly specific, one could take it to mean the Twins are envisioning a staff filled with "hybrid" pitchers – not quite starters, but not traditional one-inning relievers either – stringing together nine-inning games, without the expectation of one guy throwing six or seven. This is, in some respects, the direction baseball is trending, and it's been very noticeable in recent postseasons. For a team in Minnesota's position, embracing this revolution fully would make a lot of sense. Here are some reasons why: Free agent starting pitchers are expensive and hazardous. Mid-market teams like the Twins rarely play at the highest level because it's tough to be outbid resource-intensive (not to mention more appealing) heavy hitters, and because getting it wrong on a guy you commit $100+ million to can really set you back. As Hayes notes in his article, the Twins face an especially tough challenge because the two "sure things" in their rotation, Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan, are young and inexperienced starters who threw about 100 innings apiece this season. They'll surely have workload limits in place next year, and the model we're discussing would help accommodate that, while reducing a need to compensate by going out and finding proven durable workhorses on the open market (far and few between, highly expensive). Theoretically this could be a way to maximize effectiveness for a multitude of pitchers. We've seen many failing starters reinvent themselves as outstanding relievers, and this would be a pivot in the same vein. Guys can let loose more in shorter stints, rely on a two- or three-pitch mix, and avoid going through the lineup multiple times. In the not-too-distant past, it would've been difficult if not impossible to facilitate a system like this, but the expansion of rosters and the ability to continually carry 13-14 pitchers makes it feasible. You might ask, what types of pitchers would fit under an approach like this? There are a few names on the free agent market that catch my eye, but first, let's discuss some internal candidates to thrive under such an arrangement. Randy Dobnak: He's not really built up to a starter's full workload after throwing 46 and 70 innings in the last two seasons. As a multi-inning reliever or "extended opener" type starter, he'd be able to stretch out without pushing too hard. Griffin Jax: I wrote a while ago about why I like Jax as a candidate to level-up in a relief role: he's got one really good pitch (his slider), and he held opponents to a .597 OPS the first time through the lineup this year. Limiting him to two- or three-inning stints could help unlock his peak form. Lewis Thorpe: I'm not sure if the Twins will continue to try and see things through with Thorpe, and it wouldn't surprise me if he's dumped from the 40-man roster in the near future. That said, if they are committed to giving him one more shot to get healthy and show his stuff, this seems like the way to do it. Full-time starter is out the window at this point. Upcoming Prospects: The Twins have a wealth of near-ready prospects in the minors, but most of them have been plagued by injury issues and nearly all will need to be carefully managed and monitored. This approach helps here, just as it does with managing young MLB starters like Ober and Ryan. Of course, the Twins can't do it all with what they have on hand. They'll need to bring in some talent. The downside of this model is that established MLB starters are probably not going to want to sign on for such unconventional and reduced usage. The upside is that you can possibly make savvy and cost-effective moves, signing down-and-out guys and turning them around. To be clear, the kinds of pitchers who would likely to be signed to support this framework are NOT going to excite anyone. As you look at some of the names I'll throw out below, it's important to think of them not as they are, but as what they could be. Surely no one in Seattle was excited when they signed downtrodden starter Kendall Graveman for $1.25M last year, but now he's suddenly a hot commodity after posting a 1.77 ERA as a reliever. Here are a few pitchers from the current free agent class who strike me as fits in the hybrid mold: Garrett Richards: Struggled as a starter for Boston this year, but moved to the bullpen in mid-August and posted a 3.42 ERA with one homer allowed in 18 appearances the rest of the way. He threw two or more innings in five of those appearances. Jordan Lyles: Been terrible the past two years while mostly pitching out of the rotation. But he's still only 31 and had some success as a multi-inning RP/swing-man type as recently as 2018. Vince Velasquez: I don't have a specific reason for identifying Velasquez in this mix other than he's always had good stuff that has never really played as a starter. Why not try something else? He'll be extremely cheap despite a career 9.9 K/9 rate. Trevor Cahill: Sort of the same deal here as above. Cahill has a good repertoire but has struggled to sustainably harness it. He has plenty of experience as both starter and reliever, so the shift to a role like this could be relatively natural for him. Josh Tomlin: There's nothing very interesting or exciting about Tomlin; I just think he'd be a likely target if the Twins were to take an approach like this. He's an experienced veteran who spent the past three years in Atlanta pitching in such a capacity – frequent multi-inning relief appearances with the occasional start mixed in – and he has Derek Falvey ties from his days in Cleveland. I'm sure much of the response to names like these, or even to an overall experimental approach like the one being proposed, will be some variation of "Cheap Pohlads." But I'd submit that the cost efficiencies of this approach enable the team to invest heavily elsewhere – say, a star shortstop, or a high-end closer, or putting all of their chips on one workhorse type starter while using the shorter-duration usage patterns otherwise. Will the Twins actually lean into a radically innovative pitching staff model like this? I don't know. Would I personally advise it? I'm not sure. But you don't have to read between the lines much to see they're considering something along these lines, and you don't have to squint too hard to see the logic and potential value in it. "How many multi-inning guys can we add to a staff and how far does that take us?” Maybe we're about to find out. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Order the Offseason Handbook — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email View full article

I continue to believe people are way too down on Dobnak! The guy was pitching through a bum finger on his pitching hand most of last year. When healthy and on his game, he's a great fit in a long-relief role: a strike-throwing, efficient, GB pitcher who can bridge several innings on a regular basis. I'm not ready to judge him entirely on the basis of his 2021 season. He did some special things in the first ~60 MLB innings and he has a legit formula to succeed.