Twins general manager Terry Ryan has never shown any willingness to spend top dollar to acquire elite pitching talent and this offseason hasn’t shaped up to suggest anything different. Although I may be in the minority, I agree with Ryan’s approach this offseason as the Twins are not knocking at the doorstep of contention nor have their prized prospects established any currency in the major leagues to suggest they are building blocks for the future. This upcoming season may ultimately answer many of those questions and Ryan can then use the money he saved this year to theoretically spend on top free agent pitchers next offseason when he and his staff have more answers and the youngsters are one year further along in their development. I would like to believe that is true, but for now I will remain skeptical.
History has shown that Ryan prefers to acquire talent via trades and since he has regained control of the Twins GM position, he has stayed true to this approach. He went out and acquired what may be the best pitching prospect that the Twins have had in years with the acquisition of Alex Meyer for Denard Span and he also bolstered future pitching depth with the acquisition of Trevor May for Ben Revere. Since then, however, Ryan has remained relatively quiet on the trade front, aside for minor deals at the trading deadline over the past few seasons. I don’t know if it is my Minnesotan bias or if I have simply gotten too close to the preverbal Hot Stove, but I feel like Ryan may be up to his old ways and a trade may be slowly cooking under the surface.
As a Twins fan, I want to believe that any potential deal would be for starting pitching, but at this point in the offseason, it is tough to tell. With all the focus this offseason being on elite starters such as Lester, James Shields, and Max Scherzer in free agency and big names such as Jordan Zimmerman and Johnny Cueto being rumored as potential trade bait, one name has gone relatively unnoticed and could possibly be quite the bargain if he were to land in the right place. He would also fit the mold of the Twins finding an underappreciated and second or third tier starting pitcher at the right price and right time. The pitcher I am referring to is none other than Rick Porcello.
Porcello’s name has been floated in trade rumors over the past few seasons as the Detroit Tigers have upgraded their pitching staff with marquee names such as David Price, yet the Tigers have refused to part with him up to this point. It is easy to understand the Tigers’ unwillingness to move Porcello as Porcello has posted 10 or more wins in every one of his major league seasons with the Tigers and has averaged almost 179 innings per season with a 4.30 ERA, 1.359 WHIP, and a 2.49 strikeout to walk ratio over six years with the club. Over that time, Porcello also posted a WAR of 10.8. Now I am not here to argue that Porcello is at the level of a Lester, Price, Scherzer, or even Cueto, but I am here to pose the question as to why the Twins have not been rumored to be pursuing a pitcher of Porcello’s ability.
Porcello is young, 25, under team control until 2016, and plays for a team that may have a current surplus of starting pitchers after the acquisition of Shane Greene in the Didi Gregorious trade and the potential resigning of Scherzer. He is set to earn $8.5 million this year via arbitration, but still offers many of the qualities that the Twins desire with their pitching staff: talent, controllability, dependability, and durability. While he may not be the headliner or ace that fans may crave for, he may be the most attainable and realistic option for the Twins if they are motivated to upgrade their rotation without sacrificing much of their future assets. The team has been rumored to be looking at the likes of Ervin Santana, but that would come at the cost of a 2nd round pick if he were to sign with the Twins and for a team that is not near contention, I would rather the team save the draft picks they have unless it means a bonafide ace is coming to town. The Twins could garner similar production if they chose to invest in acquiring Porcello over a guy like Santana and Porcello’s age would fit nicely with their present and future plans as long as he continues to perform at the level he has shown he is capable of.
Now the main question that fans may be asking themselves is: what would he cost? Quite frankly, I am not sure. I do feel as though the Tigers are looking for upgrades at catcher, the bullpen, and potentially in the corner outfield positions. In addition, Nick Castellanos is by no means a sure thing at third base either and the team could look to add insurance and depth at the position, but the team appears heavily invested in the youngster at the time being. With that being said, would a potential package of players such as Josmil Pinto and/or Trevor Plouffe be enough to secure Porcello or would the team need to add in a bullpen piece in any deal?
Losing Pinto would cost the Twins their catcher of the future, but with his defensive liabilities, it is tough to imagine Pinto ever amounting to a starting caliber catcher. He may be best suited in a part-time catcher role and spend the rest of his time as a designated hitter or potentially first basemen. In Plouffe’s case, it would be tough to deal a player that seems to have turned the corner in terms of figuring out how to perform at a major league level; however, there is a mega prospect waiting in the wings at third base and is casting a huge shadow and that is Miguel Sano. Sano, himself, has had his fair share of injury concerns and by trading Plouffe, the Twins would leave themselves thin for options at third with only Eduardo Escobar and Eduardo Nunez remaining. In addition, Plouffe offers long-term flexibility with his ability to play multiple positions in the infield and outfield and could be a second coming of Michael Cuddyer if given enough time; but he is exactly the type of player the Tigers may covet and require in any deal for Porcello. In my opinion, a package built around Pinto would be the most realistic option and with the Twins currently looking at a lineup that may not have room for Pinto due to his defensive shortcomings, he may be expendable.
No deal has been rumored between the two clubs and nothing is imminent, but my premise remains: why not? If I am Terry Ryan, I am seriously considering this option and am working tirelessly to make a move like this to improve my ballclub for the upcoming season. The Torii Hunter signing was sentimental and nice, but it won’t translate into anything unless the pitching staff is upgraded. We have heard now for years that young pitching talent is on its way. In addition, it is understandable to think that talents like Meyer and May are and will be in need of an opportunity to start and work through growing pains in the majors and a player like Porcello may get in the way of that; but as we have learned in the past, prospects are never sure things. Even if both Meyer and May work out, the rotation would still benefit from an addition like Porcello who could eventually replace an ineffective Ricky Nolasco long-term and provide immediate depth for the rotation while the youngsters develop.
The acquisition of a talent like Porcello is something the Twins are sure to be considering, but now is the time that they act upon these considerations. Porcello, himself, may not be the pitcher the Twins are envisioning in terms of someone that could be acquired and plugged in to improve a porous starting rotation. Instead, it is the idea and caliber of what type of a pitcher he is and would represent to a franchise like the Twins that is important. Porcello alone won’t save this team and pitching staff, but acquiring him will send the right message to fans and players alike that the Twins are serious about contending now and in the future.
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