Lou Hennessy

The Twins may have just dropped their series against the Pirates, but can they pick up any of Pittsburgh’s roster treasures come July’s trade deadline? Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports The Twins may be catching the Pittsburgh Pirates at a tricky time, both in terms of playing them on the field, and with considering their roster as a target for pillaging. The Bucs have been sellers at many of the recent trade deadlines, and they haven’t made the postseason since 2015. But this year feels like a possible turning point for their historic franchise. While they still find themselves at the cellar of the NL East, their current trajectory is certainly pointed in the right direction. They have emerging stars in their lineup in the form of shortstop Oneil Cruz and Ke’Bryan Hayes that pair well with veteran regulars such as Andrew McCutchen and Bryan Reynolds, and their young rotation has become the envy of baseball, led by two standout rookies in Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. It’s hard to imagine the Twins and Pirates matching up for a swap of any of the aforementioned players, but their roster still presents some options that are at least intriguing to say the least. The Hitters With Cruz, Hayes and Reynolds almost certainly staying put as building blocks going forward, and McCutchen likely staying in Pittsburgh for a swan song to his illustrious career, there aren’t many clean fits that could be clear upgrades for the Twins’ lineup, or at least in positions of need. The Twins’ wish list in a trade acquisition for a hitter would likely center around a right-handed outfielder with a good bat that presents a clear upgrade over a suddenly-hot Manuel Margot, a left-handed hitter who can play first and/or second base and a catcher that can either hit left-handed or is just a clear upgrade over Christian Vazquez. Let’s start in the outfield. The Pirates have a few intriguing guys that could possibly be of interest to the Twins. Connor Joe has been a speculative target for the Twins since the 2022-2023 offseason, and is currently having one of his better all-around campaigns. The 31-year-old right-handed slugger sports a .263/.338/.440 clip (120 wRC+) and can play either corner outfield spot, plus first base in a pinch. The most appealing aspect of Joe’s game would be his solid numbers against southpaw pitching (.856 OPS, 138 wRC+) and the three-plus years of club control via arbitration. If we would’ve looked at the Pirates’ roster a few weeks ago, old friend Michael A. Taylor may have been a reasonable name to target for a low-wattage move, especially if the Twins were confident they could get his bat back to its lefty-mashing ways from last season. But now that Margot has improved drastically, his slightly above-average .708 OPS against southpaws is considerably higher than Taylor’s .583 OPS this season. Might be best to leave that one on the table. As far as a target at the catcher position is concerned, Joey Bart caught my eye before he went on the injured list with thumb discomfort a few weeks ago. Upon joining the Pirates after being designated for assignment by the San Francisco Giants, the former top prospect lit it up at the plate to the tune of a .267/.362/.517 (149 wRC+) clip. He’s most likely going to be blocked by former number one overall pick Henry Davis going forward, though Davis himself is off to a slow start this year. Had Bart remained healthy, and if the Pirates were willing to dangle him in a trade, the Twins would’ve had to give up a decent but not elite return package to secure his services. After all, the catching position is pretty bleak league-wide aside from a few stars at the top, and Bart is under club control through the 2027 season. He could theoretically still be a target for the Twins, but it’s not as clean of a fit as it probably needs to be to get across the finish line. The Pitchers Skenes or Jones are as untouchable as any pitchers can be in today’s game, but there are a few other arms that could make sense for the Twins. I would’ve loved to put Mitch Keller (3.16 ERA across 13 starts this year) on this list, but he recently signed a five-year contract extension to stay in Pittsburgh, very similar to that of Pablo Lopez. It’s likely that the Twins would have more interest in acquiring a player in this mold before they sign an extension. The most-realistic trade targets on the Pirates’ roster are all housed in their bullpen. Some of their lower-leverage arms such as Justin Bruihl and Carmen Mlodzinski could make some sense if the Twins are willing to work some of their mechanical tweak magic. Bruihl (4.09 ERA across parts of four MLB seasons) is a 26-year-old lefty with an interesting sweeper, despite low velocity on his sinker. He’s under club control for four more years after the 2024 season, so he may need to be part of a bigger package to make a trade work. Mlodzinski is a former first-round pick of the Pirates from 2020, and while he doesn’t appear to be tracking toward his ceiling that was set when they drafted him, he could still have some upside in a relief role. Since becoming a full-time reliever in 2023, the 25-year-old has a 3.17 ERA across 48 ⅓ innings pitched, and is still a work in progress when it comes to refining his repertoire. He’s still working with a five-pitch mix, but three of his offerings are marginal at best. The Twins could look for him to focus on his fastball and gyro-slider, which has been his best breaking ball offering so far. They’ve done it before with former starters as they transition to a bullpen role, and they’ll surely do it again with someone like Mlodzinski at some point. Pittsburgh’s closer David Bednar is another name I’d keep an eye on. He would cost a pretty penny, especially given the fact that he’s a native son of Pittsburgh. His season started with a handful of blown saves (though he has seemed to straighten out in the last month), making the trade possibility even trickier, as they would be selling him at a relatively low-point of his career. But what if the Twins offered the Pirates another Yinzer as part of the return package? Could Alex Kirilloff (plus an actual centerpiece or two) entice Pittsburgh’s front office into considering a trade for their native son? It’s hard to say, but there’s plenty to like when looking at Bednar as another late-game option to pair with Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax. What do you think? Are there any realistic targets on the Pirate’s roster that the Twins should consider targeting in a trade? Let us know what you think in the comments, and as always, keep it sweet. View full article

I used to love the show Life With Louie.

According to sources, the intern responsible for designing the new threads spaced on the need for trousers. Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports Realization set in quickly for the Twins as they prepared to unveil their highly-anticipated City Connect uniforms on Monday morning. While the jerseys themselves were well-designed with a unique color scheme tying to a quintessential aspect of Minnesota, the club’s marketing department discovered a problematic oversight. The new uniforms didn’t include pants, and per Rule 1148.A of the contract signed between the league, players union, the distributors of MLB licensed uniforms material, and for some reason the Catholic Church, the club is not allowed to take the field with any pants from their other uniforms while donning the new alternate jerseys. That is, of course, unless the club is willing to pay a modest fine for their discrepancy. With that consequence in mind, the club’s ownership decided to accept their pantsless new uniform going forward. “Look, it’s not ideal for our guys to go out there in their skivvies, but rules are rules,” said a team spokesperson. “People can’t expect us to throw money at every problem we come across. Sometimes you have to just live with some conditions that aren’t ideal.” The reason for the missing pants in the uniform design stems from a newly-hired intern who was tasked with submitting the blueprints last month. According to sources, he was late for his shift that day, saying he had car trouble. Yet as he made his way to his cubicle upon arriving, he was seen with a large iced coffee and donut crumbs cascading down his shirt. Then, as is the case most days, he took an extra-long lunch hour. “I’m not saying it’s all the kid’s fault, but he is an absolute space cadet,” said a member of the Twins’ marketing team. “Last week he asked me how to spell the word ‘drawing’ and then he put his air pods in and walked away as I answered.” Seemingly, there is already a failsafe set in place by the distributors in case any errors like this occur. They are to immediately call the contact person with the team to explain the discrepancy and make alternate plans. Apparently they tried calling the Twins’ intern time after time, but he refused to answer his phone because it was an unknown number, the sight of which caused him to spiral with anxiety. “What, like I’m just going to answer a call on my phone? What am I, a psychopath?” he said when pressed on the situation. “I’ll tell you what I tell my mother – if you need something from me, hit me up on TikTok or just do it yourself.” So the club will take the field on Friday just as their blueprints dictated - without anything covering the lower half. Okay, they won’t go full commando, as players will still wear plenty of compression layers and protective gear that will cover their shame. But this situation makes it clear just how far ownership is willing to go in an effort to avoid paying more out of pocket. Sure, they’d love to shake the reputation of being cheap, and they’ll argue factors outside of their control are what’s prohibitive. But like their new uniforms, that argument just doesn’t have legs. View full article

There are plenty of reasons to be disappointed by the Twins’ decision to option Edouard Julien to Triple-A, but keep in mind that there are a handful of silver linings that make the transaction a little easier to swallow. The Twins are still carving out a spot for second baseman Edouard Julien in their long-term plans, but the young slugger will have to take some lumps in the minor leagues for the time being. With superstar third baseman Royce Lewis being activated from the injured list after a two-month recovery from a quad strain that he suffered on Opening Day, Julien ended up being the odd man out on the club’s 26-man roster. It’s a disappointing development for the 25-year-old Quebecois, but his last month of underwhelming play helped necessitate a move. Since May 1st, Julien has hit .147/.282/.200 with just one extra-base hit and a brutal 36.2% strikeout rate. He follows the unfortunate footsteps of a few other rookies from last year that were also optioned to Triple-A after rough starts to their 2024 campaign. Matt Wallner and Louie Varland (both of Twins Daily Winter Meltdown fame) were each in a similar position about a month ago, and their demotions ended up really benefiting the big league club since then. Of course, the best version of this Twins team would include all three of these players being on the big league roster and contributing at the high level that each displayed in the second half of last season. But there can still be positive ripples that come out of disappointing developments. With that said, here are a few silver linings that can come out of the decision to send Julien on the green line to St. Paul. Royce is a Difference-Maker It would be one thing if Julien was yielding a roster spot and playing time to a marginal player that is coming back from a prolonged injury. If it were Kyle Farmer coming back from a strained quad and the team still decided Julien was the player that needed to be sent down, more outrage would be well-warranted. But Lewis was counted on to be the heart of the lineup, and frankly, the clubhouse for years to come, and his outlook hasn’t lost that shine despite his lengthy absence. Through his first 71 games of action in the major leagues, the young face of the franchise has impressed mightily to the tune of a .313/.369/.564 clip, with 18 home runs and 58 RBI. In his admittedly small sample size, he’s done nothing but thrive at the game’s highest level, and it doesn’t appear to be a mirage. Getting Lewis back in the fold will be worthwhile, even if it comes at the immediate expense of Julien as his offensive numbers continue to tumble. The Post-Hype Prospects Continue To Hit As Lewis began his rehab assignment a couple weeks ago, many started to speculate what the corresponding roster move would be upon his official return. The go-to answer was the safe assumption that these questions usually answer themselves with yet another injury elsewhere on the roster. But this time, the Twins had to make an imperfect move to address the rare problem of having a roster that’s just too damn healthy (*furiously knocks on wood*). The Twins have shown a hesitancy to pull the plug on struggling veterans in the past, so an early-season designation for the likes of someone like Manuel Margot or Farmer in this instance never felt realistic, as underwhelming as their play has been so far in 2024. That left a small handful of names under team control as potential demotions. Along with Julien, this included former top prospects Alex Kirilloff, Trevor Larnach and Jose Miranda. But each of those three have been hitting the snot out of the ball over the last few weeks. Since May 20th, Kirilloff and Larnach each have an OPS nearing 1.000 and Jose Miranda has an impressive .832 OPS himself while providing huge results in clutch situations time after time. In that timeframe, the 25-year-old hit an otherworldly .409/.417/.909 in medium and high-leverage situations, with three home runs and nine runs batted in. In short, it stinks when an exciting young player gets demoted after the only significant month-long slump in their entire career. But it’s easier to swallow when three other young players are stepping up like we’ve seen in recent weeks. Julien Could Be Back Up Shortly Even after Julien’s brutal month of May, he still grades out as above-average player on the year thanks to his hot stretch in April, and his surprisingly solid defense all season long. No question, he’ll have some things to work on in Triple-A, namely his ability to drive off-speed and breaking balls while maintaining his elite passivity toward chasing out of the zone. But there’s a sense that his demotion is different from someone like Wallner or Varland, who never got on track from the get-go. It’s reasonable to expect that Julien goes down and mashes for a few weeks, forcing the Twins’ hand into a harder decision with some of their underperforming veterans, which seems to be what many critics of this move seem to be craving at this moment rather than kicking the can down the road. It’s also reasonable to expect Julien to be the first name called if there’s an injury to the major league roster, especially if he’s replacing a fellow left-handed hitter (Austin Martin would likely be the replacement for Byron Buxton or Margot only). Because Julien’s demotion had more to do with the other names that are on the Twins roster rather than his own need for a harder reset, he’s more likely to be available for a swift return to the MLB roster. What do you think? Do these silver linings to Julien’s demotion make up for the disappointment of sending him down? Where do you think he fits into the team’s long-term plans? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and as always, keep it sweet. View full article

Perfect episode? That's what the streets are sayin'.

The Twins’ second baseman was looking for a reset after a recent cold stretch, but not like this. Now he and the team have a new set of problems to figure “oot” as they return to American soil. Image courtesy of Purple Wolf Graphics O Canada! Here we go again. As the Twins completed a series win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon, something started to change within second baseman Edouard Julien. Teammates started to notice his infield chatter getting more and more - how you say? - French-Canadian with each passing moment. “Something is definitely up with Ed. He’s acting weirder than normal, and that’s saying something,” said infielder Kyle Farmer with concern in his voice. “We got the last out on Sunday and he shouted ‘sacre bleu!’ and got on his knee like he was doing a hockey goal celebration.” As the team completed their postgame high-fives and moved the party to the clubhouse, Julien changed from his game-torn baseball uniform to a full Red Serge and Stetson hat as if he were about to go on patrol as a Canadian Mountie. The Quebecois then went to the clubhouse kitchenette and poured an entire bottle of maple syrup into his Tim Horton’s coffee cup, saluted the Canadian flag and promptly left without so much as bidding his teammates adieu. “Look, he’s a quirky guy, but this is taking things to a whole new level, “ said manager Rocco Baldelli with the exhaustion of an abashed parent. “When we got back to the Twin Cities, we all went out to eat at Fogo de Chao and he tried to order poutine. Have some shame, man!” Over the last few years, Julien has taken on the role of lovable little brother in the Twins’ clubhouse, mostly due to his good-hearted yet goofy demeanor. It has come with a fair share of ribbing, but he’s mostly taken it in stride. But how will his teammates respond now that he’s reverted to his original factory settings that have him spouting Canadian buzzwords and blasting Bryan Adams over the stadium speakers during every round of batting practice? “I’m pretty sure he called me a hoser the other day,” said a flabbergasted Byron Buxton. “And even worse - he keeps insisting Drake won when it came to his beef with Kendrick Lamar. That ain’t right, man. Ed’s not like us anymore.” According to a team spokesperson, the training staff is already working on strategies to help restore the Americanized data that was lost during the Toronto road trip. But if the club is forced to start from scratch, they’ll have extreme measures at their disposal. This would include having Julien spend a few hours in one of their cold tubs filled with Bud Light, while simultaneously watching reruns of King of the Hill and gorging on cheese fries. “I really do not want it to come down to that, but I need to get back to where I was before I made the trip to the true North,” Julien said backhandedly through an interpreter. “And what do you mean we have a game on Victoria Day?!?” As long as Julien keeps producing on the field with his red-hot ball club, the team may just have to put up with the shenanigans for the time being. Even if it’s to the chagrin of his manager. “If he keeps hitting like he did last season, I don’t care if he goes up to bat wearing hockey skates and an ‘I Love Trudeau’ shirt,” said a defeated Baldelli. “Congrats, Canada. Looks like you have one more canuckle-head standing on guard for thee.” View full article

The club is hoping this “substantial package” will continue inspiring their resurgent lineup. In an unprecedented move, the Minnesota Twins are adding a third hitting coach to their uniformed squad, making it the meatiest trio in Major League Baseball. The club announced that their beloved Rally Sausage is being promoted to this new role after inspiring the Twins’ hitters over their recent hot stretch. “Coaching isn’t just about the depth of information that’s in your brain, but how you inspire others with your everyday routines,” said an emotional Twins’ President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey as a single tear drop slowly cascaded down the ridge of his cheek. “We owe everything to Rall'. He’s not just another guy in the room. He’s our muse.” It’s a meteoric rise for the one-pound package of summer sausage, who has yet to comment on his promotion. He just made his debut in the Twins’ dugout last week, when the Twins were just starting their nine-game winning streak that propelled them back into contention. For Twins’ hitters, seeing their beloved Rally Sausage finally don a team uniform for every game is going to be a welcome sight, and one that is well-deserved. “I can’t wait to see him repping our squad and looking the part – a vital part of what we’re trying to do,” said manager Rocco Baldelli as he bowed his head in reverence, almost to genuflect at the sight of his new hitting coach. “In my many years in baseball, I don’t know if I’ve ever met someone that can be so effective at inspiring a group of men while being completely inanimate.” Baldelli paused and leaned in as if he was going to whisper discretely. “I am a little bit afraid of how these new uniforms are going to fit him,” he said with a skepticism drenching his hushed voice. “Let’s be real – these things are practically see-through. We’re going to be able to see the sausage through those pants clear as day.” While many have fallen in love with the Rally Sausage in his short time sweating in the spotlight, this new development is bound to rub some people the wrong way. Critics will point to his lack of experience, his fat content and the fact that he’s never possessed the capability to have a cogent thought and likely never will. “I get it. Sure, Rally Sausage is just a big tube of gross, smelly meat. That’s going to be something that a lot of people can’t get over,” said star catcher Ryan Jeffers as he put the finishing touch on his homemade oil painting of his new mentor. “But at the end of the day, aren’t we all just big tubes of gross, smelly meat? Pretty sure I read that in the bible.” The Twins are hoping that the trio of David Popkins, Rudy Hernandez and Rally Sausage will come together to form a knowledgeable, insightful and naturally hardwood slow-smoked tandem that keeps their bats as tangy as they have been in recent weeks. If all goes well, the current crop of surging Twins hitters could earn the moniker The Boys of Summer Sausage. View full article

The red-hot Minnesota Twins are getting their closer back, after the fireballer missed the last six weeks of action with an oblique strain. He’ll be available Tuesday night in Chicago, as the club tries to extend their winning streak to nine games. Image courtesy of © Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK The Twins are activating Jhoan Durán from the injured list, which should improve the back end of an already solid bullpen picture. To make room on the active roster, the club is designating righty Matt Bowman for release or assignment, per their announcement. Durán has been one of the premier arms in the American League since making his debut in 2022, and there’s a case to be made for him being the most electric arm in club history. In his first two seasons of action at the major-league level, the righty has dazzled with a combined 2.15 ERA and a stellar 33.2% strikeout rate. His fastball has touched 104 MPH, and his high-90s splinker and hard curveball have proven to be excellent complements to that heat. He’ll join Griffin Jax and Blake Stewart as high-leverage arms in the club’s relief corps. Durán’s return is pretty much right on schedule, based on the club’s comments at the onset of his injury diagnosis. The speculation was that it would be a four- to six-week recovery period, making early May a target for his return. But after two rehab outings in St. Paul last week, the club decided to send him straight to Chicago to join the major-league unit. The team is taking a risk by designating Bowman for assignment, as it will expose him to other teams who could be interested in submitting a waiver claim. The veteran hurler was surprisingly effective in his five games with the Twins, pitching to a 2.35 ERA across 7 2/3 innings, with six strikeouts against four walks. His underlying metrics left much to be desired, though, as he had trouble missing bats (20% whiff rate) and gave up plenty of hard contact (47.4% hard-hit rate). In the unlikely event that every other team passes on their opportunity to claim the 32-year-old, he could theoretically remain in the Twins' organization, albeit off the 40-man roster. Other speculated candidates who could have been removed from the major-league roster to make room for Durán include lefty Kody Funderburk (2.38 ERA) or righty Cole Sands (1.35 ERA). Both have minor-league options remaining, and could therefore avoid being exposed to the waiver wire. The club will likely have to make another roster decision shortly, as righty Justin Topa has started a rehab stint with the Saints, and assuming all goes as planned, he should be ready for activation in the coming week. For now, though, they'll keep the impressive Funderburk and Sands around and risk losing Bowman. What do you think? Can Durán reclaim his throne as the hardest-thrower in baseball? Was designating Bowman for assignment the right call? What should the club do when Topa returns? Let us know what you think in the comment section, and as always, keep it sweet. View full article

The Minnesota Twins are getting one star infielder back on the field. But in the process, they’re sending down a young guy who (mostly) held his own in his first stint in the major leagues. Even with the Twins riding a seven-game winning streak, Correa’s return is a welcome development for a lineup that just recently pulled itself out of the cellar. Before being placed on the injured list with what was thought to be an oblique injury on Apr. 12, the veteran shortstop was having his best April at the plate since joining the Twins in 2022. Correa had a .306/.442/.444 line (162 wRC+) across 11 games, with a career-high 18.2% walk rate on top of just nine strikeouts. Luckily, it was discovered that the injury actually occurred to his intercostal muscles, which presented a much shorter recovery time than an oblique strain likely would have. If he can pick up right where he left off despite skipping a rehab assignment, Correa will deliver stabilizing production from the right side of the plate, while giving his backup, Willi Castro, some much-needed time off. For his part, Martin held his own in his 22 games since being promoted after Royce Lewis suffered a strained quad on Opening Day. The speedy 25-year-old sports a .226/.294/.371 (94 wRC+) clip, while playing a defensively sound left field and a passable center field. Martin also presented some much-needed diversity when it came to his approach at the plate, especially during a stretch where strikeouts were at an all-time high for much of the Twins’ lineup. He’ll now head to the Saints to get everyday playing time in the outfield, and possibly second base, where he only appeared in one game for the Twins. One of the other speculated options to be demoted would have been infielder José Miranda, who is limited to first base, third base and designated hitter, but he’s been on a tear over the last week, and the optics of sending down a player who has helped rejuvenate the Twins’ offense with an .820 OPS might have presented an issue. With this decision to keep him with the major-league club, the Twins can play Miranda’s hot hand, and they can easily reverse the move if he goes through a cold streak and Martin's performance in St. Paul calls for another call-up. What do you think? What will Correa’s return mean to the red-hot Twins lineup? What should Martin work on in the minor leagues as he awaits another shot in the big leagues? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section, and as always, keep it sweet. View full article

Things are about to get porky at Target Field. (Can we say that on God's own internet?) Image courtesy of © Reid Glenn / USA TODAY NETWORK After a shaky start to the season by the Twins, the team’s top brass made a move to bring in some fresh meat. It was announced earlier today that OzemPig, the team’s top mascot prospect, would be taking over as the club’s primary cheerleader for the time being. The incumbent, TC Bear, is going down to Triple-A St. Paul to work on his mechanics as he tries to get himself back on track. “We still have the utmost confidence in TC, but at this point we’re not doing him any favors by keeping him up here on a nightly basis,” said the Twins’ President of Baseball Operations, Derek Falvey. “And on the other end, OzemPig has really burst onto the scene with the Saints and we’re excited to see what he can bring to our big league club.” Figuring things out in the minor leagues is going to be new territory for TC Bear, who has been with the major-league club since debuting on Opening Day in 2000. But it’s a necessary move, as his sa-bear metrics have taken a noticeable plummet in the season’s first few weeks. So far, TC Bear is seeing career lows when it comes to T-shirt cannon exit velocity, bear-el rate and xwO-BEAR. “We know TC will get it going eventually, but right now it feels like he’s still in hibernation,” said the club’s vibes coordinator, Chet Simpson. “And what the hell happened to his paws?” In his place, OzemPig will try to establish himself as a high-energy contributor, and less of the distraction that he was in the first week of the minor-league season. Many Saints fans complained that his name was somehow insensitive, as it reflects a controversial weight loss drug that has been promoted by many celebrities. “Wait, that’s what people are upset about now?” said Twins’ manager Rocco Baldelli. “Geez, I guess Minnesotans really can find a way to cry about anything.” OzemPig has the chops to ignite some excitement in what has been a relatively lifeless start to the season for the Twins. His calling card is his OAA (Oinks Above Average), but he’s starting to develop some offensive firepower, as well. In 12 games with the Saints this year, he has a .969 slOPS+ and he leads the league in xwo-BACON. “We’re excited to see what Ozzie can do,” said Simpson. “At the risk of sounding cute, I guess you could say it’s time to bring home the bacon." OzemPig is expected to make his debut on Friday night against the Detroit Tigers, which by pure coincidence happens to be Pork Belly Appreciation Night sponsored by Minnesota Pork Farmers. View full article

Thanks for the click!

Thanks for the feedback! Really not intended to be gloomy. I think Thielbar can still be a really effective option and I by no means wanted to suggest he's washed-up.

Thank you very much for the click and the comments, Bombo. I'm glad my shocking headline was able to reel you in.

I wouldn't disagree with that. I didn't call for the team to shoot him out of a cannon. I merely asked if they should go with a committee mindset rather than relying on one primary high-leverage lefty as they've done over the last few years.

Did this really come off as a doomer article?

Caleb Thielbar was somewhat of a reclamation project when the Twins brought him back into the fold in 2020. But since then, he’s established himself as one of the best left-handed relievers in club history. But after losing some steam in the final couple months of last season, and a delayed ramp-up this season, is it time for him to pass the baton to someone else? Caleb Thielbar isn’t just another veteran reliever that the club churns through year after year. Maybe that was the club’s intention when they convinced him to delay his collegiate coaching career in lieu of one last opportunity to compete for a roster spot coming into the 2020 season, but something has kept him in their long-term plans ever since. Surely the club saw something they liked about the veteran hurler, but there’s no way they expected him to become the buzzsaw that he’s been ever since. Since returning to the league in 2020, Thielbar has a combined 3.36 ERA across 174 ⅓ innings pitched, with a superb 30% strikeout rate on top of a very reasonable 7.4% walk rate. He’s nailed down big outs time after time, and he’s taken younger pitchers under his wing with each new season. But the sun will set on him at some point, as it will with all pitchers. Are we seeing Thilbar’s twilight? Have we already seen it? It’s easy to say it’s time to pass the baton when Thielbar has an 81.00 ERA on the year, even if it is after about as small of a sample size as you can get. The veteran southpaw had a delayed start to his season after experiencing some hamstring discomfort during spring training, then coughed up three earned runs and the lead in his first game back on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers. That’s not exactly the start that Twins’ brass envisioned when constructing their veteran-heavy bullpen picture, with Thielbar penned somewhere in the inner ring. But now that he’s back on the mound, are we going to see manager Rocco Baldelli throw him right into the fire as a primary set-up option? Is he going to be the high-leverage lefty that he’s been for the last four seasons? There are two major factors that should be taken into account when answering these questions – Thilebar’s age and the possible replacements that they have in tow. At 38-years-old, it’s hard to rely on Thielbar being the same lights-out weapon on a contending team that he has been. Can he still pitch meaningful innings if his stuff does start to understandably slip? Absolutely, and the Twins’ decision-makers are likely banking on that. But it doesn’t mean he needs to sit atop their pecking order when it comes to left-handed relief options, or even late-and-close situations. In his absence early on, Steven Okert has performed quite admirably, albeit over a very small sample size of five innings pitched. In those five games, the 32-year-old lefty has a 1.80 ERA and is striking out 40.9% of the batters he’s faced. He hasn’t been able to get his opponents to chase as much as you’d like from a high-leverage arm (21.6%), but part of that is due to the fact that he gets plenty of swing-and-miss within the strike zone, especially with his lethal slider that he’s leaned on pretty heavily. In fact, opponents have a miss rate of 33% on pitches in the strike zone this season, which is good for fourth-best in all of baseball so far this year according to Inside Edge. Kody Funderburk has been another lefty option out of the pen in this young season, and he’s mostly passed every test he’s been given. In six games with the club, the 27-year-old rookie has a 1.29 ERA and has struck out 11 batters across seven innings pitched. He doesn’t boast the same raw stuff that an Okert or Thielbar has, but he gets ground balls at an impressive 55.6% clip and he has yet to give up an extra-base hit with his slider so far in his big league career. Could the Twins shift toward using these three with a committee outlook rather than sticking to a lefty hierarchy as they have in the past? It could help mitigate the risk of Thielbar regressing as he ages, and it could help keep the bullpen arms fresh throughout the year. Of course, the hope is that Thielbar can get back on track, and he hasn’t shown us any specific reason why he can’t to this point. Besides having a spotty track record with injuries in recent years, the veteran has mostly performed up to the high standards that have been set for him when he’s been healthy. But the sun sets fast on a lot of players as they enter their late-thirties, and the Twins should be proactive as they navigate a lengthy season that is still in its infancy, especially as it pertains to the veteran lefty that should go down as one of the best in franchise history when all is said and done. What do you think? Does Caleb Thielbar still have gas in the tank? Should the Twins shuffle their relief plans knowing regression could be on the way? Who has impressed you most out of their bullpen so far this season? Let us know in the comments, and as always, keep it sweet. View full article