Nick Nelson

Break the glass. Sound the alarm. Mash the panic button. The Twins have a full-on crisis in their bullpen. They don't have the benefit of time to sort it out internally, or wait for a favorable upgrade opportunity. They need to go get help, now.Tuesday night's ugly loss felt like a replay of the same episode with a slightly different script. Alex Colomé, the team's 1A closer coming into the season, had been so inconceivably bad in his first 10 appearances that he was deemed off-limits despite being the most well-rested pitcher in the bullpen. And so, when the Twins reached the ninth inning with a two-run lead, it was closer 1B getting the ball. Naturally, Taylor Rogers gave up two runs, allowing the last-place Rangers to tie the game and force extra innings. Rogers has been the team's best reliever this year but has now given up monster homers while protecting slim leads in back-to-back games. Just the latest in an endless barrage of bullpen misfortunes. These woes of course continued in the 10th, when Brandon Waddell was clobbered for a second straight night to drop the Twins to 0-6 in extra innings. One can quibble with Rocco Baldelli's choice to go with Waddell in that spot, and indeed he was a bad option, but the bottom line is this: they were all bad options. Jorge Alcala has been horrendous against lefties and the team – for whatever reason – doesn't trust him in leverage. Colomé, the bullpen's marquee free agent addition during the offseason, is unusable, but occupying an active roster spot and handcuffing Baldelli. This bullpen is in a dire, dire state. The relief corps is not showing any signs of turning around – quite the contrary. And frankly it's hard to feel like Shaun Anderson or Ian Hamilton or Derek Law or whatever other fringy pickup they made last winter is going to make any significant difference. The Twins have already erased most of their margin for error by banking nonstop losses in the early weeks. They need to take bold action on this bullpen before it's too late. This could mean one (or both) of two things: A: Sign a free agent. Shane Greene is the big remaining name. He inexplicably went unsigned during the offseason, despite posting a 2.39 ERA and 1.04 WHIP over 90 innings in the past two seasons. Greene has a rep as a righty silencer, which the Twins could very much use. Jon Heyman reported on Sunday that Greene "is having ongoing discussions with multiple teams." It's an option with its share of appeal. But the 32-year-old Greene isn't an overwhelmingly dominant arm, and bringing him in at this point in the season, hoping he just picks up the ball and quickly assume his top form ... that's a gamble in its own right. The better bet? B: Trade for a bad team's best reliever. It's unusual for trades to happen this early in the season. Buyers almost always opt to wait until the deadline is closer, and asking prices come down. The Twins don't have that luxury. They need to spend what it takes in prospect capital to bring in a difference-maker. The good news is that they've retained almost all of said prospect capital, by passing up any major trades during the winter. It's time for the front office to set aside its value-seeking philosophy and put some of that built-up talent equity to use by making a splash. Waiting until the deadline would be akin to saving your closer until the ninth inning for a save opportunity that may never materialize. At this rate the Twins will be dead in the water by late July. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

They did sign Addison Reed to a $16 million deal – a free agent bullpen investment that is entirely unprecedented before or since for this franchise. He was a complete bust. Another example of the folly of free agent relievers. They did a very nice job building their bullpen last season. This year the opposite's been true, and they definitely need to take action on it before things unravel. Monday's game made that clearer than ever.

Like Kirby Yates or Trevor Rosenthal? I don't disagree with your premise about Colome but signing "high upside FAs" in the bullpen is not quite as simple as you make it sound, even if you're willing to spend. The bet on Robles has looked decent so far, fwiw.

Three offensive explosions became three victories in a week where the Twins finally started to emerge from their profound funk. Much work still lies ahead, but their first series victory in three weeks is a start. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 4/26 through Sun, 5/2 *** Record Last Week: 3-3 (Overall: 10-16) Run Differential Last Week: +12 (Overall: +3) Standing: 4th Place in AL Central (6.0 GB) Last Week's Game Recaps: Game 21 | CLE 5, MIN 3: Twins Fall to 0-5 in Extras as Colomé Takes 3rd Loss Game 22 | CLE 7, MIN 4: Maeda Can't Find Answers, Slump Drags On Game 23 | MIN 10, CLE 2: Buxton Keys Offense in Dominant Victory Game 24 | MIN 9, KC 1: Pineda Rolls as Kirilloff Breaks Out with 2 HR Game 25 | KC 11, MIN 3: Twins Blown Out as Shoemaker Implodes Game 26 | MIN 13, KC 4: Another Big Day for the Twins Bats NEWS & NOTES Last week in this space, I broke down Minnesota's immense difficulties at catcher, noting that while both Mitch Garver and Ryan Jeffers were looking totally lost, the struggles of the latter were more pressing given his status as a developing 23-year-old player. "The Twins may need to start thinking about how they'll proceed at the catcher position," I wrote, "if they determine Jeffers needs more time in the minors." It took only a few more days, and one more start from Jeffers – he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts against Cleveland on Monday – for the Twins to decide they'd seen enough. On Friday he was optioned to the alternate site, and replaced by the team's other top catching prospect, Ben Rortvedt. Optioned alongside Jeffers on Friday was Brent Rooker, who has largely struggled during his time with the Twins. Concurrently, JT Riddle and Tzu-Wei Lin were designated for assignment to open space on the 40-man roster for the returns of Max Kepler and Kyle Garlick from COVID-IL. Miguel Sanó is reportedly ready to go with the hamstring that placed him on IL, but the Twins are going to give him a few days to take swings and get his timing back. (To the extent he ever had it to begin with.) He figures to be activated midway through the upcoming week. HIGHLIGHTS How about that Byron Buxton? He wrapped up the greatest month in Twins history with another phenomenal week, highlighted by Wednesday's 5-for-5 explosion in Cleveland. In five games, Buxton went 10-for-21 with two home runs, three doubles, and two stolen bases. TRENDING STORYLINE This team doesn't have the luxury of giving away games right now. The offense shows signs of turning a corner, but Baldelli can't afford to be trotting pitchers out to the mound he can't trust. Which brings us to the names mentioned above. Maeda's not going anywhere, and we'll just have to hope he can find himself in a hurry. Shoemaker, as a one-year signing who looked like a temporary plug to begin with, has a far shorter leash, especially considering how irredeemably bad he's looked. While Dobnak might not be the most appealing replacement at this time, Lewis Thorpe looked good in his spot start a few weeks ago, and we know the club was high on him in spring training. How much longer will they wait to make a move? As for Colomé, it's probably still too early to be thinking about a DFA, but there is certainly some urgency for the Twins to address their bullpen issues and he's clearly the primary culprit. This is a stickier situation than Shoemaker; replacing your closer is obviously tougher than replacing your fifth starter. While Taylor Rogers is now assuming ninth-inning duties, the Twins have key high-leverage innings to backfill. Unfortunately, their minimal margin for error makes it tough to audition uncertain commodities – such as Shaun Anderson, Brandon Waddell, or Ian Hamilton – on the fly. There simply aren't enough low-leverage innings to go around for testing these fringe arms and also accommodating Colomé. You can't count on the continuance of lopsided margins like we saw all weekend against Kansas City. We'll see where the Twins go from here. Trusting the bullpen to fix itself seems unwise. LOOKING AHEAD I can't stress this enough: it is CRUCIAL for the Twins to take advantage of the upcoming soft patch in their schedule. With a full slate in the week ahead, they'll be hosting last-place Texas for four games before traveling to Detroit for three against the lowly Tigers. After that, things get a whole lot tougher and the stakes will be raised considerably: 14 games against the White Sox (6), Cleveland (3), Oakland (3), and Los Angeles (2). We haven't seen the Sox yet but the Twins are thus far 1-6 against the other three clubs. If they can't make some inroads toward .500 in these next seven days, they'll be putting themselves in a very, very precarious position. Of note: On Tuesday, Kyle Gibson makes his return to Target Field as a Ranger. He's riding a hell of a hot streak: 3-0 with a 0.82 ERA in his past five starts. Gibby has allowed zero home runs all season. Can his former team solve him? MONDAY, 5/3: RANGERS @ TWINS – RHP Dane Dunning v. RHP Kenta Maeda TUESDAY, 5/4: RANGERS @ TWINS – RHP Kyle Gibson v. LHP J.A. Happ WEDNESDAY, 5/5: RANGERS @ TWINS – RHP Kohei Arihara v. RHP Michael Pineda THURSDAY, 5/6: RANGERS @ TWINS – RHP Jordan Lyles v. RHP Matt Shoemaker FRIDAY, 5/7: TWINS @ TIGERS – RHP Jose Berrios v. RHP Spencer Turnbull SATURDAY, 5/8: TWINS @ TIGERS – RHP Kenta Maeda v. RHP Jose Urena SUNDAY, 5/9: TWINS @ TIGERS – LHP J.A. Happ v. RHP Casey Mize MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

They say history repeats itself. For the 2021 Twins, that could be a good or bad thing. Two precedents from the franchise's past 15 years illustrate diverging paths forward.Five years ago today, on April 27th, 2016, the Minnesota Twins had the exact same record as they do currently: 7-14. About one week later, owner Jim Pohlad uttered three words to the media that would become irrevocably associated with an historical trainwreck of a season: "Total System Failure." By that point, things had further devolved. From 7-14, the Twins lost 12 of their next 13 games and by mid-May they were 8-26. This disastrous spiral culminated in a 103-loss season and led to a (perhaps long overdue) complete overhaul of the front office and baseball ops department. In came Derek Falvey and Thad Levine, who did a remarkable job of turning around this wayward Twins franchise. But here in 2021, a year of sky-high expectations, they find their club heading down a familiarly distressing path. Looking back at that 2016 team, you do see some noticeable similarities. A lineup that mostly failed to produce and rarely scored more than three runs. A blowup-prone bullpen with a maddeningly ineffective closer (Kevin Jepsen, meet Alex Colomé). Mounting injuries and misfortunes. A constant inability to execute in big spots or win games in convincing fashion. Then again, this 2021 roster also feels a whole lot different than that mish-mashed, transitional group. The 2016 Twins had a miscast Miguel Sanó playing in right field, ByungHo Park at DH, and Eduardo Escobar badly stretched as a shortstop for much of the year, before Jorge Polanco stepped in and looked even worse. The rotation featured Ricky Nolasco, Tommy Milone, and brutal rookie performances from Jose Berrios and Tyler Duffey. That was not a team that stacked up on paper against this year's Twins, with Nelson Cruz, Josh Donaldson, and a fully-formed Byron Buxton leading the charge. It wasn't a slightly modified version of a team that had played .600 ball and won two division titles in the past two seasons. Most notably, it was very clear from the start that the 2016 team was terrible. They started out 0-9 and really never gave the impression they were better than the results indicated. This 2021 team got off to a much different start. They were 5-2, with the best run differential in the league, and leading Seattle 6-0 on April 11th before the bottom completely fell out. A meltdown in that series finale against the Mariners gave way to a 2-12 slump that these Twins are now desperately trying to find their way out of. Unlike the 2016 Twins, we know this team is better than its record indicates. We've seen what they're capable of, even though that strong start now feels like ancient history. So to envision what a necessary turnaround might look like, let's turn the clock back another 10 years, to 2006. The '06 Twins were in better shape as of this date (9-12) but they struggled mightily during the first two months overall. As late as June 7th, they were eight games below 500 at 25-33, trailing first place by 11.5 games in the Central. No one was thinking at that time Minnesota had much of a chance. But as the summer hit its stride, so did the Twins, suddenly unlocking a series of best-case scenarios that fueled a stunning four-month run. They ended up winning 96 games and the division. What needed to happen for that team to exorcise its demons and fulfill its potential? In examining the 2006 squad, and the key factors behind their turnaround, let's see if we can't extract a few promising parallels. Justin Morneau's surge: On this date in 2006, Morneau was slashing .208/.260/.431 and looking lost. From that point forward he was a force to be reckoned with. Starting on May 1st, the first baseman hit .338/.390/.581 with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs in 136 games, earning MVP honors as a result. Now, most laggards on the current Twins have looked even worse than Morneau did early on, but they've got sleepers who've proven capable of producing like the second-half Morneau from 2006. I'm thinking of Miguel Sano, Mitch Garver, and Max Kepler, specifically. Francisco Liriano's emergence: The rookie phenom was an electrifying presence on the mound every fifth day after he joined the rotation in mid-May. I'm not saying there's any prospect in the Twins organization capable of replicating that impact, but the Twins do have some high-octane starting arms — namely Jhoan Duran, Jordan Balazovic and Matt Canterino — who are verging on MLB-ready and could step in at any time to be legit difference-makers. Front office intervention: Terry Ryan and Co. were customarily patient as things devolved in the early months of 2006, but eventually they took action and made some important moves. Not in the form of trades or external additions, mind you, but pivotal internal decisions. They phased out non-performers like Tony Batista, Juan Castro and Lew Ford. They cut bait on Kyle Lohse. They eventually gave up on their weird Willie Eyre fixation in the bullpen and called up a kid by the name of Pat Neshek. So far we haven't seen this current front office take any kind of significant action as its team has sunk into despair, other than reactive moves to fill needs. But action is bound to come. And while it's hard to feel ultra-confident in their ability to right the ship, given that they built this leaky thing to begin with, they have shown they can make critical adjustments and improvements on the fly: most importantly, in the bullpen. Lest we forget: Minnesota opened the 2019 season with a bullpen consisting of Trevor May, Taylor Rogers, Blake Parker, Trevor Hildenberger, Ryne Harper, Martín Pérez, Adalberto Mejía. The unit endured some painful struggles in the first half, but by year's end it was a high-powered, dependable relief corps with very few of the same names. I don't know what will happen from here. Admittedly, it's difficult now to imagine this team coming alive and playing at the 100+ win pace likely necessary to take the division. Then again, we could've said the same at times in early 2006. And like that team, this one has got some of the requisite pieces and capabilities to go on such a run. Or, maybe they'll continue to unravel in spectacular fashion, and we're in the midst of another Total System Failure. Or perhaps the best comp is 2018, and we'll ultimately learn that this team is neither extraordinarily good or bad, but simply a mediocre also-ran. That frankly seems like the most likely outcome at this time. The bottom line is we don't know. There's still a ton of season left and many things that can play out. Keep that in mind, and stay hopeful. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The Twins returned home after a nightmarish road trip but saw little improvement in their play, falling to 3-7 at Target Field with a thoroughly lackluster performance against Pittsburgh. This team is in an astonishingly deep funk. Can they find their way out? Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 4/19 through Sun, 4/25 *** Record Last Week: 1-5 (Overall: 7-13) Run Differential Last Week: -15 (Overall: -9) Standing: 4th Place in AL Central Last Week's Game Recaps: Game 15 | OAK 7, MIN 0: Hapless Twins Continue Woeful Streak; Swept by Athletics Game 16 | OAK 1, MIN 0: Hapless Twins Continue Woeful Streak; Swept by Athletics Game 17 | OAK 13, MIN 12: Offensive Breakout Wasted in Total Unraveling Game 18 | MIN 2, PIT 0: Happ Takes No-hitter into 8th, Twins Blank Bucs Game 19 | PIT 6, MIN 2: Lineup Sleepwalks in Another Dire Loss Game 20 | PIT 6, MIN 2: Déjà Vu All Over Again NEWS & NOTES Between COVID-related maneuvering, injury replacements, and procedural moves, there was a ton of roster action over the past week. Let's quickly get caught up: On Tuesday, Max Kepler, Kyle Garlick and Caleb Thielbar were placed on the COVID-IL. They were replaced on the roster by Brent Rooker, Travis Blankenhorn, and Luke Farrell, who were all traveling with the team as taxi squad members. Lewis Thorpe was called up as the 27th man during the doubleheader in Anaheim, then returned to the minors.The next day, JT Riddle joined others on the COVID-IL, having been deemed a close contact. Tomás Telis came over from the taxi squad to replace him.On Friday, Telis and Blankenhorn were returned to the alternate site, and Miguel Sanó was placed on the IL with a hamstring injury. Taking over those roster spots were Alex Kirilloff, Nick Gordon, and Tzu-Wei Lin.On Saturday, Thielbar was reactivated after clearing COVID protocols, sending Farrell back to the alternate site.Having thrown 4 ⅔ strong innings in relief on Saturday, Smeltzer was swapped out from the bullpen for a fresh arm – Cody Stashak, who rejoined the roster on Sunday.It also sounds as though Andrelton Simmons is past his bout with COVID and ready to return, possibly as soon as Monday, although he hasn't yet been activated. Presumably Gordon, who didn't appear in the Pittsburgh series, will be sent out to make room. HIGHLIGHTS Rocco Baldelli has dealt with his share of unwelcome problems and headaches in the first month of the season, but we can probably file this one under "nice problems to have": Deciding whether or not to keep starters in games as they chase no-hitters and their pitch counts mount. José Berríos put the manager in such a spot a couple weeks ago, with six hitless frames in Milwaukee, and now J.A. Happ became the latest, carrying a no-no bid into the eighth against Pittsburgh on Friday. Fortunately, for Rocco, Happ took the decision out of his hands, giving up a double with one out in the eighth inning, but he finished with a stellar line: 7.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K. Left Field The Twins moved on from Eddie Rosario during the offseason because they understandably felt they had enough to cover for his absence in left field. Thus far, this has not proven to be the case. Minnesota's left fielders have collectively gone 10-for-74 (.135) with zero home runs, 30 strikeouts, and two walks. Kirilloff, a hopeful savior, is hitless through 14 plate appearances. First Base Primarily due to Sanó's pre-injury struggles, first base has been a void of offensive production, with a .157 batting average and only three extra-base hits (all home runs). Willians Astudillo has been an uninspiring replacement. Catcher Both Mitch Garver and Ryan Jeffers are, incredibly, striking out in nearly half of their plate appearances. The struggles of Jeffers – who is slashing .167/.242/.200 with 16 strikeouts in 33 plate appearances – are especially pressing, given that he's a 23-year-old who is still developing as a player. The Twins may need to start thinking about how they'll proceed at the catcher position if they determine Jeffers needs more time in the minors. Who knows what can be done with the dazed-and-confused Garver. Second Base Like catcher, this position looked like a clear source of strength coming into the season, but has proven to be anything but. Owing mostly to Jorge Polanco's struggles, Twins second basemen had produced a .164/.235/.205 slash line before Arraez lifted those numbers slightly on Sunday. The pitching has largely not been good, especially in the disastrous meltdown that transpired on Thursday. Starters are laboring and the bullpen has been full of leaks, top to bottom. But it almost doesn't matter, because the offense has been so persistently incapable of scoring runs. There are some very talented hitters here, and I have to believe an awakening is forthcoming. But then again, so many of these familiar issues trace back to last year's struggles – especially in the playoffs. Watching inning after inning of lethargic, non-competitive at-bats against unremarkable pitchers, you can't help but wonder ... is this a closer approximation to the Twins in their true form than the juggernaut that emerged in 2019? TRENDING STORYLINE In the early part of his tenure, Baldelli's teams developed a reputation for resilience. They routinely bounced back from losses and overcame adversity on the way to a 101-win season in his managerial debut. When the times got tough, those Twins got tougher. (Up until October, anyway.) Of late, this trait has been completely amiss. The Twins have seen their troubles snowball as the month progresses. Losing two of three while scoring six runs at home against that Pirates team is just brutal. So now, we'll simply have to see if Rocco and his Twins can find some resilience within themselves. They whiffed on a juicy get-right opportunity against Pittsburgh, and if the miserable play carries forward into the next week it's going start getting costly: six games lie ahead against teams the Twins are chasing in the standings. It sounds like Simmons will be back very soon. Kepler and Garlick hopefully are not far behind. The Twins will gradually return to full strength. The pressure is mounting for them to show it's a team worth believing in. One wonders how much longer this can go on before the front office steps in and takes some kind of significant action, rather than waiting for things to get right on their own. We're moving past the realm of overreactions to small samples. LOOKING AHEAD Only three of Minnesota's first 21 games came against a division rival, and they featured the least relevant one (Detroit) at that. Now, the Twins are about to get a heavy dose of the AL Central – 25 of their next 38 games – and it starts with a slate of six match-ups against Cleveland and the Royals this week. Of note: The Twins will luckily miss Shane Bieber in the Cleveland series. We'll take whatever breaks we can get at this point. MONDAY, 4/26: TWINS @ CLEVELAND – RHP José Berríos v. RHP Zach Plesac TUESDAY, 4/27: TWINS @ CLEVELAND – RHP Kenta Maeda v. RHP Aaron Civale WEDNESDAY, 4/28: TWINS @ CLEVELAND – LHP J.A. Happ v. LHP Logan Allen FRIDAY, 4/30: ROYALS @ TWINS – LHP Mike Minor v. RHP Michael Pineda SATURDAY, 5/1: ROYALS @ TWINS – LHP Danny Duffy v. RHP Matt Shoemaker SUNDAY, 5/2: ROYALS @ TWINS – RHP Brad Keller v. RHP José Berríos MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins need help. Is it on the way? Friday they'll be joined by two former first-round draft picks, who have followed radically different paths to get here. The stakes are high: for the team, for Alex Kirilloff, and especially for Nick Gordon.Returning home after one of the worst road trips imaginable, the Twins are shorthanded, with at least three regulars sidelined. Miguel Sanó (hamstring) joins Andrelton Simmons and Max Kepler (COVID) on the injured list, while the status of hobbled Nelson Cruz is uncertain. The good news, for both the Twins and their newly promoted prospects, is that Kirilloff and Gordon can functionally fill the gaps quite well. There will be no shortage of opportunity right away for these guys. Last summer, while Kirilloff was dazzling everyone at the alternate site, eventually earning a postseason promotion, Gordon was recovering from a scary and prolonged bout with COVID. He missed the entire season, which is a true shame because he undoubtedly would've gotten a shot with the injury-ravaged Twins grasping for reinforcements. They now find themselves doing so again, very early, in 2021. And this time Gordon is ready to answer the call. He's not a guy who's been on the radar for some time, and it might feel easy to downplay his addition, but I will say this: The Twins front office has stuck with this guy, and they sure didn't need to. They had no real attachment to him, as an underperforming draft pick of the former regime, but they've steadfastly kept him on their 40-man roster – sometimes at the expense of quality players that got away. (At the moment, Akil Baddoo comes to mind.) They see something in Gordon. He's always been a talented and innately gifted ballplayer, infused with big-league DNA, and now he'll finally get to step onto the big stage, with a mire of misfortune hopefully behind him. I'm excited for Kirilloff, but I also have a baseline idea of what to expect from him. I'm deeply intrigued by Gordon because I have no idea what to expect. I do know this much: if he can make any kind of impact off the bat, playing time is available at second base right now. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

COVID cancellations, key players sidelined by injuries, and several crushing losses: It was a rough week for Twins baseball. Let's review it, and try to figure out where we go from here. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 4/12 through Sun, 4/18 *** Record Last Week: 1-4 (Overall: 6-8) Run Differential Last Week: -15 (Overall: +6) Standing: 4th Place in AL Central Last Week's Game Recaps: Game 10 | BOS 4, MIN 2: More Missed Opportunities, Another Blown LeadGame 11 | BOS 3, MIN 2: Twins Swept by Red Sox, Slip Deeper Into SlumpGame 12 | BOS 7, MIN 1: Twins Swept by Red Sox, Slip Deeper Into SlumpGame 13 | MIN 4, BOS 3: Twins Snap Losing Streak Despite Another Blown LeadGame 14 | LAA 10, MIN 3: Upton Slam Sinks Struggling TwinsNEWS & NOTES Lest anyone thought we'd moved beyond the dangers and disruptions of a global pandemic, this past week for the Twins served as a sobering reminder that COVID-19 is very much still raging in our society, and pro sports are not immune (especially when partially-distributed vaccinations have yet to take full effect). On Wednesday, Andrelton Simmons tested positive and was placed on the COVID-19 IL. The following two days were both thrown into doubt as chaos ensued with pre-game false positives, and on Saturday, mounting fears came to roost. The Twins registered multiple positive tests in their Tier-1 group (including Kyle Garlick and another as-yet-unnamed player), shutting down the rest of their series against the Angels and leaving the upcoming trip to Oakland in limbo. Outside of the virus outbreak, the Twins had some other high-profile health issues. As soon as Josh Donaldson returned from his hamstring injury, Byron Buxton suffered one of his own, sitting out four straight games from Wednesday through Friday with what was described as a minor strain. So far, in a season where we were all so eager to see those two together in the lineup, it hasn't really happened yet. On the bright side, Buxton was slated to play on Saturday night before the game was axed, so he should be fine once the Twins get going again. Perhaps the extra time off for his legs will be a hidden silver lining of an extremely unfortunate situation. In other roster moves, the carousel at the end of the bullpen is already spinning, as expected. Brandon Waddell was optioned on Wednesday to make room for Donaldson. The next day, Cody Stashak was optioned and replaced for one game by Shaun Anderson, who was himself sent out the following day to make room for Friday night's starter Lewis Thorpe. Thorpe went back down after making his spot start, with Devin Smeltzer arriving to fill in as long reliever. It's probably just gonna be like this all year for the relief corps. Buckle up. HIGHLIGHTS In a week sparse on highlights and happy moments, Michael Pineda came through in a big way. His seven shutout innings against Boston on Thursday helped the Twins secure their only victory of the week, avoiding a sweep at home. In his finest start yet as a Twin, Big Mike cruised through seven frames on 88 pitches, striking out six and walking one with two singles allowed. A red-hot Boston lineup could never really mount a threat against Pineda as he pounded the zone with quality fastballs and then attacked with sharp sliders. LOWLIGHTS Aside from the smattering of encouraging developments above, the past seven days were a flurry of almost nonstop bad news for the Twins, both on the field and off it. The gravity of the latter outweighs the former so heavily, it feels pointless to pick apart individual performances in an almost universally ugly 1-4 stretch. Suffice to say that the offense as a whole slashed .228/.316/.282 with five doubles, one home run, and 12 runs scored in five games. With runners in scoring position they put up a putrid .175/.271/.200 line. Meanwhile, the bullpen posted a collective 9.19 ERA, with almost every reliever taking part in a series of poorly-timed implosions. Rocco Baldelli made a number of borderline decisions, and basically every one went the wrong way. With all that's going on, I find it difficult to hold these struggles against the manager or team. Beginning with Simmons on Wednesday, the Twins dealt with an endless onslaught of stress and drama, sparked by positive tests both legitimate and illegitimate. Beyond the mental distractions stemming from all this, the ability of players to prepare for games and go through normal routines was impeded. It's all bad. You just hope they can use this immense challenge as an opportunity to come together, rest up, and hit the ground running as they seek to turn around one of the most confounding team-wide slumps of Baldelli's tenure. More than anything, you hope there's no further spread, and that all who've been affected by this outbreak can recover quickly and fully. TRENDING STORYLINE Obviously, the overarching and all-consuming storyline is: when will the Twins play again? But within that, the status and outlook for Alex Kirilloff becomes a pivotal thread. Kirilloff came and went quickly on Thursday, joining as 27th man for the doubleheader and taking three hitless plate appearances before returning to the alternate site. But there's certainly an argument the Twins could've benefited from keeping him around, given the wavering availability of Buxton and the ongoing struggles of Jake Cave. One way or another, it's only a matter of time. Within the next few days, and perhaps before the team even plays again, Kirilloff will reach the point where it becomes impossible for him to accrue a full year of major-league service this season, meaning there's no reason to keep him down unless the Twins don't think he's ready or don't think he can help. That's becoming a tougher and tougher case to make, especially since they know they'll be without Garlick (at least) for some time. LOOKING AHEAD With Monday's series opener in Oakland already canceled, the tentative plan is for a traditional doubleheader on Tuesday – the second in a weeklong span for the Twins. Keyword: tentative. If they play then, it's anyone's guess how they might handle their rotation. Matt Shoemaker was due up on Saturday but with all the days off, the Twins have the option to skip him and J.A. Happ, starting both José Berríos and Kenta Maeda on five days rest. Then again, everyone needs their work and there's nothing wrong with getting the top two arms a little extra rest here early in the season. So I'd expect Shoemaker and Happ to start on Tuesday. Next weekend the Twins are scheduled to return home for a quick one-off series against the Pirates, but with Minneapolis bracing for the potential fallout of a verdict in the Derek Chauvin murder trial in the days ahead, that series carries its own cloud of uncertainty. Stay tuned and we'll keep you updated on things as they develop. But be ready for a weird week. TUESDAY, 4/20 (G1): TWINS @ ATHLETICS – TBD v. RHP Jesus Luzardo TUESDAY, 4/20 (G2): TWINS @ ATHLETICS – TBD v. LHP Sean Manaea WEDNESDAY, 4/21: TWINS @ ATHLETICS – TBD v. RHP Frankie Montas FRIDAY, 4/23: PIRATES @ TWINS – RHP Trevor Cahill v. TBD SATURDAY, 4/24: PIRATES @ TWINS – RHP Chad Kuhl v. TBD SUNDAY, 4/25: PIRATES @ TWINS – LHP Tyler Anderson v. TBD MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

They say first impressions last. That would seem to be the only explanation for Rocco Baldelli's enduring and unwavering faith in Jorge Polanco as an exceptional hitter, despite mounting evidence that says otherwise. At what point will the ever-analytical manager just accept the data?Look, I understand why Baldelli would have built up some confidence in Polanco's offensive abilities. During Rocco's first few months as manager of the Twins, Jorge was a monster. Through the end of May in 2019, he was slashing .338/.409/.590, which consequentially earned him a starting nod on the All-Star team. That's absolutely the kind of guy you want near the top of your lineup. Since then, however, Polanco has been a completely average hitter. Even that description might be generous. In 164 games since June 1st, 2019, he has a .260/.313/.393 slash line and .303 wOBA. In his career prior to 2019, he slashed .272/.329/.420 with a .323 wOBA, which is better of course but still not by any means exceptional. Not the kind of guy you want near the top of your lineup. And yet. Here's the number of times Rocco Baldelli, in 232 regular-season games at the helm, has ever batted Jorge Polanco anywhere below fourth in the lineup: seven. They all came at the end of last year, when a blatantly-hobbled Polanco finally hit sixth (3x), seventh (3x) and eighth (1x) in Baldelli's lineups in the final weeks. Jorge also batted seventh in both playoff games, and went 1-for-7 with a single. It appeared perhaps Baldelli's long-standing faith in Polanco as a hitter was wavering. But this year, following another offseason ankle surgery, the confidence is apparently restored. Polanco's batted second (5x), first (2x), fourth (2x) or third (1x) in every game so far, and has yet to sit one out. (Granted he was scheduled to do so on Monday before the postponement.) As a result of hitting so frequently and highly in a very productive offense, Polanco entered this week leading the American League in at-bats. Meanwhile, he has shown no signs of rebounding from a dismal 2020 campaign. Polanco looks terrible at the plate. He's slashing a miserable .119/.191/.167 and the advanced metrics back up the brutal results. Download attachment: polancostatcast.png An accumulating preponderance of evidence suggests that Polanco is a mediocre hitter who belongs near the bottom of the Twins lineup, much like Andrelton Simmons (who, by the way .268/.334/.348 with a .301 wOBA since 6/1/2019 – almost identical to Polanco). A couple of things bear noting here. One is that Baldelli had Polanco lined up to bat fifth on Tuesday before Nelson Cruz pulled out pre-game due to illness. That's still a pretty critical spot, hitting behind Cruz and Mitch Garver against a lefty, but it's further down than a healthy Polanco has ever batted under Baldelli. So maybe we're seeing some slight signs of diminishing faith. There's also the fact that injuries and poor performance have led to a lack of competition for Polanco at these key spots. But Josh Donaldson is about to return from the Injured List, and I believe Baldelli will soon start finding it hard to place Luis Arraez at the bottom of the order even against left-handers. In the near future, one longstanding pattern is going to have to snap: either Polanco will prove he's a far better hitter than he's shown over the past season's worth of games, or Baldelli will need to stop operating as if he is. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The game outcomes were disappointing in a 3-3 stretch marked by late-game lapses, but the biggest story of the first full week Twins action in 2021 was Byron Buxton and his relentless dominance. Weekly Snapshot: Mon, 4/5 through Sun, 4/11 *** Record Last Week: 3-3 (Overall: 5-4) Run Differential Last Week: +14 (Overall: +21) Standing: T-2nd Place in AL Central Last Week's Game Recaps: Game 4 | MIN 15, DET 6: Cruz Leads Trouncing of TigersGame 5 | DET 4, MIN 3: Twins Fail to Execute in ExtrasGame 6 | MIN 3, DET 2: Colomé Holds on for 6-Out SaveGame 7 | MIN 10, SEA 2: Twins Treat Returning Fans With Dominant VictoryGame 8 | SEA 4, MIN 3: Another Loss in Extra InningsGame 9 | SEA 8, MIN 6: Mariners Score Eight Unanswered Runs NEWS & NOTES It's been a rough go for Brent Rooker. The slugging prospect looked quite good upon arriving in the major leagues last year, but broke his arm on an HBP in just his seventh game. This spring he missed out on a roster spot that many expected him to claim, with left field open, but quickly got his chance when Josh Donaldson went down in the opener. Unfortunately, Rooker just never looked right, going 1-for-11 with six strikeouts before being placed on the Injured List with a cervical strain ahead of Wednesday's game. Brandon Waddell replaced him on the roster, adding a 14th reliever. HIGHLIGHTS It is all coming together for Byron Buxton. We've seen torrid stretches from the center fielder before, but never in his career has he been so visibly confident, casual, and carefree while straight-up obliterating the competition. He looks like a fully-realized Neo in The Matrix right now, seeing ones and zeros. It's magical. Last week Buxton went 10-for-19 with three home runs and three doubles, lifting his seasonal hitting line to a hysterical .481/.548/1.185 while cementing his status as bona fide cleanup hitter. It sounds like there's a very real chance he'll rejoin the team this week, if not on Monday. With Miguel Sanó, Jorge Polanco, and basically everyone who sets foot in left field failing to do much offensively, the lineup could use JD's boost. LOOKING AHEAD The first full-slate week of the season is on tap, with seven games in seven days. First, the Twins will welcome the Red Sox for four at Target Field. Then it's off to Southern California for three against the Angels. It's unclear whether Shohei Ohtani, who missed his last start with a blister, might be ready to take the mound in one of those contests. MONDAY, 4/12: RED SOX @ TWINS – LHP Martin Perez v. LHP J.A. Happ TUESDAY, 4/13: RED SOX @ TWINS – RHP Nathan Eovaldi v. RHP Kenta Maeda WEDNESDAY, 4/14: RED SOX @ TWINS – LHP Eduardo Rodriguez v. RHP Jose Berrios THURSDAY, 4/15: RED SOX @ TWINS – RHP Garrett Richards v. RHP Michael Pineda FRIDAY, 4/16: TWINS @ ANGELS – RHP Matt Shoemaker v. TBD SATURDAY, 4/17: TWINS @ ANGELS – LHP J.A. Happ v. TBD SUNDAY, 4/11: TWINS @ ANGELS – RHP Kenta Maeda v. TBD MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Coming into this 2021 season, there was much bluster about Major League Baseball's attempts to deaden its baseball. Nelson Cruz was even asked about it. How silly he and a Twins teammate are making those efforts seem in the early going.When asked ahead of spring training if he was concerned about reported alterations to the baseball, and their impact on his production, Cruz gave a perfectly logical answer: "That's gonna be for every hitter. If they were gonna keep it only for myself, yeah, I'd be worried, but that's everybody. I'll be good." So far in this young season, it does kinda seem like Cruz is hitting a different kind of baseball than everyone else. But not in the way he intimated. The 40-year-old DH was raring to go after sitting out much of the opening series. In the second at-bat of his first start of the season, Monday in Detroit, Cruz launched a grand slam that traveled out of the yard at 114.6 MPH. The return of baseball itself is itself a shock to the system, but if you feel like what you've been seeing from these Twins hitters at the plate is extraordinary, you're not wrong. Within the first five games of the season, this team is already doing eye-popping things. Cruz and Buxton are leading the charge by decimating balls in unprecedented fashion. So, with all that said, I can't really speak much to the efficacy of MLB's efforts to deaden the baseball. But I can say with certainty that a few of those baseballs are dead now. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Twins baseball is back, and that means so too is our season-long Sunday night tradition of reviewing the week that was. Here's a rundown of the highlights and lowlights from opening weekend in Milwaukee, where the Twins took two of three from the Brewers, as well as a look ahead to what's coming in the season's first full week. Weekly Snapshot: Thurs, 4/1 through Sun, 4/4 *** Record Last Week: 2-1 (Overall: 2-1) Run Differential Last Week: +7 (Overall: +7) Standing: T-1st Place in AL Central Last Week's Game Recaps: Game 1 | MIL 6, MIN 5: Twins Blow 3-Run Lead in 9th InningGame 2 | MIN 2, MIL 0: Take a Bow, José BerríosGame 3 | MIN 8, MIL 2: Arraez Reaches 5 Times, Twins Take Series NEWS & NOTES An opening series victory in Milwaukee brought plenty of glowing positives, but also a familiar feeling of dread as Minnesota's two most critical players – Josh Donaldson and Byron Buxton – still can't seem to stay on the field. Donaldson made it through only one plate appearance before his balky legs acted up once again. A tight hamstring disrupted his stride while he rounded first base on a double in Thursday's opener, and Donaldson was removed before taking the field at third base. The diagnosis is relatively encouraging, in that it wasn't calf-related and the Twins emphasized the "mild" nature of the injury ... but still. This is a gutting development right off the bat. While they weren't quite as overwhelmingly impressive, Kenta Maeda and Michael Pineda also deserve credit for high-caliber first turns in the rotation. The fielders behind them weren't always helpful (more on that in a moment), and Maeda especially was not at his sharpest, but both starters were effective, combining to allow just one earned run in 9 ⅓ innings with 10 strikeouts. The path to a 100-win season for the Twins this year lies in getting consistently strong starting pitching, day in day out, and letting the rest take care of itself. So far, so good on that front. LOWLIGHTS The Twins revamped their roster during the offseason with a clear objective in mind: upgrade to a world-class defense that can uplift the pitching staff and cut down on costly miscues. So far, not so good on that front. The series in Milwaukee featured a medley of gaffes and blunders. Andrelton Simmons dropped a force-out thrown right into his glove. Jorge Polanco muffed a routine grounder. Alex Colomé committed a mental and physical error with a wayward throw to second on Thursday. Later that inning, Kepler failed to secure a deep drive to right despite getting leather on it. Certainly not the hallmarks of a stalwart defensive club, although it's wise not to overreact at this stage, and there were some nifty plays mixed in as well. The disappointing glovework, and Colomé's ninth-inning meltdown in the opener, were really the only significant rough spots in this series, since the Twins outplayed Milwaukee quite thoroughly otherwise. TRENDING STORYLINE We've gotten past the known commodities in the Twins rotation. Maeda, Berríos and Pineda all looked good, but that's nothing new. They powered this starting staff to stellar results last year. Now, we'll get a look at the new guys. Matt Shoemaker is set to make his Twins debut on Monday, followed by J.A. Happ on Tuesday. Shoemaker will be looking to shake off a rough spring, where he posted a 6.57 ERA and allowed four homers in 12 ⅓ innings, while Happ will be looking to go as deep as he can following a COVID-shortened ramp-up. Expect to see some Randy Dobnak in the days ahead, and possibly some roster moves (position player out, pitcher in?) as the Twins aim to keep fresh arms stocked while escaping from NL rules. LOOKING AHEAD With interleague play in the rearview (for now), the Twins will welcome Cruz back to their starting lineup on Monday in Detroit, where they kick off a three-game series against the worst team in the division. Of note: in an early-season scheduling quirk, all three games at Detroit are noon starts. On Thursday, Target Field will welcome back fans for the first time in 18 months. It promises to be a very special occasion. With six games on tap against two of the worst teams in the league, this should hopefully be a chance for the Twins to flex their muscles a bit. MONDAY, 4/5: TWINS @ TIGERS – RHP Matt Shoemaker v. RHP Jose Urena TUESDAY, 4/6: TWINS @ TIGERS – LHP J.A. Happ v. RHP Casey Mize WEDNESDAY, 4/7: TWINS @ TIGERS – RHP Kenta Maeda v. LHP Matthew Boyd THURSDAY, 4/8: MARINERS @ TWINS – LHP Marco Gonzales v. RHP Jose Berrios SATURDAY, 4/10: MARINERS @ TWINS – RHP Yusei Kikuchi v. RHP Michael Pineda SUNDAY, 4/11: MARINERS @ TWINS – RHP Chris Flexen v. RHP Matt Shoemaker MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Today, a new season of Minnesota Twins baseball gets underway. While 2021 won't represent a full return to normalcy in baseball, it figures to be a big step in that direction. Can the Twins take a big step of their own and get over the hump in October? First, they'll need to fend off a challenge in the Central from a familiar and formidable foe.The 2020 MLB season will be mostly looked back upon as an anomaly – an abbreviated 60-game sprint, played out before empty ballparks, leading up to a hugely expanded playoff field. It was an odd, warped year of baseball that nonetheless produced a worthy champion. For the Twins and their fans, 2020 season was fun, yet unfulfilling. The team played .600 ball and won the division (or more accurately, Chicago lost the division), then went out with a whimper in the postseason. With 18 consecutive playoff losses in tow, Minnesota's directive in 2021 is crystal-clear. But that's putting the cart before the horse. They need to get to the dance before they can step onto the floor, and unlike last year, reaching the postseason will be no mere formality for quality teams. Having added a frontline starter and elite reliever to their emerging squad, the White Sox are favored by bettors to win the Central, and are feeling plenty confident for their part. That's nice and all, but the Twins are favored by most projection systems, including the latest forecast from Five Thirty Eight, a stats & analytics super-site. Their algorithm gives Minnesota a substantial advantage in the AL Central with a 64% chance to make the playoffs and 47% chance to win the division. Download attachment: 538forecast.JPG The White Sox have plenty of hype, and rightfully so. They're a talented young team coming off a breakout year, bolstered by big-name offseason additions. But until further notice, this division belongs to the two-time defending champs, and Chicago will need to get past the Twins. Projections and bettings odds are fun and all, but it's time to let it play out on the field. Here's the roster Minnesota is bringing to battle out of the gates: Download attachment: openingdayroster.png It's a deep and balanced group, which is also (knocking on wood) remarkably healthy at the moment. In our on Wednesday night, Seth and I went through the Twins 2021 roster position-by-position, and were joined by MLB.com's Do-Hyoung Park. You can watch that below, or keep scrolling for the skinny on each position, with links to the full breakdowns for each. CATCHER Starter: Mitch Garver Backup: Ryan Jeffers Depth: Willians Astudillo, Tomás Telis Prospects: Ben Rortvedt The Twins are perfectly equipped for a new era of workload management behind the plate, with two starting-caliber options who figure to split the time almost evenly. Garver is one year removed from playing at a borderline-MVP level and Jeffers looked tremendous as a rookie. Astudillo is a better third catcher than most other teams can boast, and Rortvedt gives them a legitimate prospect in the minors who's nearing readiness. This position is stacked. FIRST BASE Starter: Miguel Sanó Backup: Willians Astudillo Depth: Brent Rooker, Mitch Garver Prospects: Alex Kirilloff, Aaron Sabato This is definitely a prove-it year for Sanó, who followed up his breakout 2019 – and contract extension – with a disappointing 2020 campaign that saw him bat .204 while leading the league in strikeouts. He looked pretty solid defensively in his transition to first base, but the slugger's bat will determine his future. Sanó certainly has the makings of a prototypical run-producing first baseman. If he can't shake off the inconsistency and contact woes, the Twins have no shortage of options behind him; Rooker is just waiting his turn. SECOND BASE Starter: Jorge Polanco Backup: Luis Arraez Depth: Nick Gordon, Travis Blankenhorn Prospects: Jose Miranda, Yunior Severino Sanó is still acclimating to the right side of the diamond, and now the guy playing alongside him at second base will be doing the same. Polanco is shifting over from shortstop, to a position where he seems a more natural fit. His success as a second baseman will be defined in part by his ability to adapt defensively and let his fielding skills shine through, but even more so by his ability to rebound at the plate after a lackluster campaign and second consecutive offseason ankle surgery. THIRD BASE Starter: Josh Donaldson Backup: Luis Arraez Depth: Willians Astudillo, Travis Blankenhorn Prospects: Keoni Cavaco, Jose Miranda The first year of Donaldson's historic free agent contract with the Twins was more or less a flop, as his problematic calf flared up multiple times and kept him out of the lineup for half the shortened season, as well as the playoffs. The good news is that he looked mostly like his usual self when on the field. If he can shake off the injury relapse and play a full season at age 35, he can completely change the complexion of this team – offensively and defensively – but we should probably expect to see a significant amount of Arraez and Astudillo at third. SHORTSTOP Starter: Andrelton Simmons Backup: Jorge Polanco Depth: Luis Arráez, Nick Gordon Prospects: Royce Lewis, Wander Javier In one of their most intriguing offseason moves ever, the Twins supplanted Polanco from shortstop (where he started in the 2019 All-Star Game) by signing an all-time great defender in Simmons. It's an open question whether the 31-year-old can continue to play at that same historically outstanding level in the field, coming off a season where he hurt his ankle and his defensive metrics tanked, but on a one-year deal there's not much risk. The upside, if he's anywhere near his previous defensive norm, could be transformative. The downside basically involves going back to the previous Polanco-Arraez alignment in the middle infield, which is hardly a nightmare. LEFT FIELD Starter: Jake Cave Backup: Kyle Garlick Depth: Luis Arráez, Brent Rooker Prospects: Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach Left field will belong to Kirilloff at some point, but up until then, a platoon of Cave and Garlick will be keeping the spot warm, with Arraez likely rotating through a fair amount. The team's top prospect brings tantalizing excitement to this position, but Cave and Garlick should be a perfectly serviceable interim solution. With Rooker, Larnach, Keon Broxton, and others all serving as depth, the Twins are in no danger of being needy here, even with longtime staple Eddie Rosario now gone. CENTER FIELD Starter: Byron Buxton Backup: Jake Cave Depth: Max Kepler, Keon Broxton Prospects: Gilberto Celestino, Misael Urbina Can Buxton stay healthy enough to play a full season, or even anything close? As usual, that's the big question in center field – one with pivotal implications for the team at large. If he can stay on the field he's a decisive difference-maker, but unfortunately the Twins must plan around the expectation of his absence at this point. They're fairly well equipped to sustain his loss, with Kepler able to shift over and plenty of depth in the corners, so Buxton's presence almost feels like a bonus this year – one with game-changing potential. RIGHT FIELD Starter: Max Kepler Backup: Jake Cave Depth: Brent Rooker, Kyle Garlick Prospects: Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach Kepler is one of the best defensive right fielders in the game, but for much of his career, his bat hasn't quite measured up. Is he the average hitter we saw through 2018, or the true offensive asset we saw in a breakthrough, 36-homer 2019 season? His step backward in 2020 points to the former, but now Kepler has a chance to get back on track and re-establish himself as a top-tier right fielder. The pressure is mounting a bit, with top prospects starting to press. DESIGNATED HITTER Starter: Nelson Cruz Backup: Miguel Sanó Depth: Luis Arráez, Mitch Garver Prospects: Aaron Sabato, Brent Rooker Cruz's ongoing battle against Father Time is one of the big storylines heading into the 2021 season. Very few hitters in major-league history – even in the class of all-time greats – have remained productive at the same age as Nelly, who turns 41 in three months. But the good news is that he can drop off significantly and still be an asset at DH, and the better news is that even if things go totally awry, the Twins have numerous quality bats they can plug in at this position. It's really hard to envision a scenario where DH isn't a strength for this team. STARTING PITCHER Rotation: Kenta Maeda, José Berríos, Michael Pineda, J.A. Happ, Matt Shoemaker Depth: Randy Dobnak, Devin Smeltzer, Lewis Thorpe, Bailey Ober Prospects: Jhoan Duran, Jordan Balazovic, Matt Canterino, Blayne Enlow, Cole Sands It's difficult to remember a time when the Twins had this much starting pitching depth. Not only are they strong at the top, with the reigning Cy Young runner-up Maeda and the steadily great Berríos leading the charge, but through the middle and beyond the back end. Pineda and Happ are better than most third/fourth starters. Dobnak, with his freshly minted contract extension, is on the outside to open the season. Top prospects Duran, Balazovic, and Canterino could all make an impact imminently. Thorpe has looked tremendous this spring. Just a ton to like here. RELIEF PITCHER Bullpen: Taylor Rogers, Alex Colomé, Tyler Duffey, Hansel Robles, Caleb Thielbar, Jorge Alcalá, Cody Stashak, Randy Dobnak Depth: Shaun Anderson, Ian Hamilton, Brandon Waddell, Ian Gibaut Prospects: Jhoan Duran, Edwar Colina, Dakota Chalmers, Josh Winder This unit certainly represents the biggest question mark on the roster heading into the season. Almost every pitcher in the mix is either looking to rebound from a down year, modestly experienced, rejected by other teams, or all of the above. And yet ... how can we not faith in the way this team operates its bullpen plan? They've proven they know what they're doing, and so I trust them, and you don't have to squint too hard to see any pitcher in their collection being a real asset. With that said, if things unravel in the relief corps this year, the Twins will definitely be open to criticism after letting several key contributors from an outstanding 2020 bullpen walk. ~~~ The Twins are fielding a hell of a team this year. Health will of course be the primary determinant of their fate, and it's not an area they've fared well recently, but as they take the field in Milwaukee, they'll be healthy and at full strength. What more can you ask for? Happy Opening Day, and cheers to the return of baseball. This team is absolutely capable of winning a World Series. Can they fulfill their potential in what may be Nelly's last ride? MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

With Opening Day upon us, we held an Opening Day Eve live-stream on Wednesday. Check out the discussion below!On Wednesday night, Seth and I went live with our 2021 season preview, breaking down the division battle ahead and the roster that Minnesota will roll out on Opening Day. We were joined during the first part of the show by MLB.com beat writer Do-Hyoung Park, who's in Milwaukee where the Twins open their season on Thursday. Watch below: Baseball's back, folks. Let us celebrate. You can catch future streams live on YouTube, and also via our Twitter and Facebook pages. Subscribe and follow them all so you never miss out! Click here to view the article