How Should the Minnesota Twins Use Their Last Bullpen Spot?
In 2023, the Minnesota Twins’ eighth bullpen spot was occupied primarily by a young stretch reliever (usually Cole Sands or Josh Winder) who could be used in an emergency. Should the Twins have a different type of reliever occupy their last bullpen spot in 2024?
Entering the 2023 season, the Twins front office elected to part ways with talented veteran short relievers Danny Coulombe and Jeff Hoffman in the name of rostering a “stretch reliever” who could pitch multiple innings at a time, in case the starting pitcher performed poorly or became injured early in their start. Relatively inexperienced pitchers Cole Sands, Josh Winder, and Brent Headrick were the primary occupants of the stretch reliever role last season, yet the three appeared in just 48 total games.
For perspective, Jorge López, who underwent an extended absence from the team before being traded to the Miami Marlins in late July, appeared in 37 games. The Twins bullpen ranked 21st in MLB in Wins Above Replacement at FanGraphs (fWAR), and although it was wise for the organization to roster a “break glass in case of emergency” pitcher in theory, keeping a viable short reliever like Coulombe or Hoffman to fortify the pen would have been in the team’s best interest.
With hindsight (and a greater understanding of the unavailing nature of the role they envisioned), will the Twins look to use their eighth bullpen spot differently in 2024? A definitive answer won’t emerge until late March, but we have some inklings. Since the beginning of the offseason, the Twins have signed, claimed, or traded for relievers Josh Staumont, Ryan Jensen, Justin Topa, Daniel Duarte, Zack Weiss, Jay Jackson, and Steven Okert. Anthony DeSclafani (acquired alongside Topa from the Seattle Mariners) and Louie Varland could also fulfill short relief roles if necessary. Right now, though, the two are slated to compete for the team’s fifth rotation spot.
Caleb Thielbar, Brock Stewart, and the previously mentioned Jackson and Okert are out of options, effectively guaranteeing them spots on the 26-man roster out of Spring Training. The team could option Jhoan Durán or Griffin Jax, but that is an obscene notion even to consider. Durán, Jax, Thielbar, Stewart, Jackson and Okert makes six, leaving two unoccupied spots in the bullpen. Fellow recently acquired reliever Topa appeared to be a sure bet, but with multiple viable MLB relievers joining the mix since the team initially acquired the 32-year-old, his spot on the Opening Day roster has become less of a certainty.
Topa has two minor-league options available, so if he struggles in camp, he could be optioned to Triple-A St. Paul to begin the season. Yet, he should be considered the favorite to earn the seventh bullpen spot. Considering the intricacies and dynamic variables at hand, who earns the eighth spot in the bullpen depends on whether the organization prefers to keep a stretch reliever or short reliever with dominant upside.
Case For a Stretch Reliever
The primary reason Minnesota would elect to roster a stretch reliever over a short reliever is because the former can absorb innings in losses, which was why they elected to keep one most of last season. Manager Rocco Baldelli hates “chasing wins” with his better relievers like Durán or Stewart when the team is trailing. So, instead of wasting his high-leverage bullpen arms on low-leverage situations, he would attempt a comeback with a marginal pitcher like Winder or Headrick on the mound.
A secondary reason why the Twins value keeping a stretch reliever on the 26-man roster is that it provides Baldelli a reliable piggyback option if he needs to pull a starter early. In application, this situation would likely arise in games where Chris Paddack starts. Coming off missing 18 months from his second Tommy John surgery, Paddack must be sheltered from overuse early in the season. Also, Paddack has a thin repertoire, meaning the risk of a start imploding rises when facing the opposing team’s lineup a second or third time. Last season’s starting rotation was much more formidable than the current construction of this year’s staff, meaning a stretch reliever was less necessary. Yet, entering the upcoming season with Paddack, DeSclafani, and Varland set to pitch a significant number of innings next season, rostering a stretch reliever becomes a greater necessity.
Here are the Twins’ stretch reliever candidates who are currently on the 40-man roster:
Sands
Winder
Headrick
Simeon Woods Richardson
Matt Canterino
Rostering a stretch reliever is less about the specific pitcher who inhabits the role and more about simply having someone who can mop up innings. The five names here could be viewed as an interchangeable taxi squad that rotates between Triple-A and the parent club, depending on who is fresh at any given moment. Though this is the case, Sands, Winder, and Headrick have the most experience operating as stretch relievers, while Woods Richardson and Canterino provide more upside. Having an assortment of arms who could interchangeably eat up innings early on would be a savvy decision for the Twins to make, especially at the beginning of a 162-game regular season.
Case for a Short Reliever
The central argument for the Twins rostering a short reliever with their eighth bullpen spot is upside. As constructed, the short relievers who would compete for the final spot in the Twins ‘pen are:
Staumont
Weiss
Kody Funderburk
Jorge Alcalá
If Staumont can prove he’s healthy after undergoing thoracic outlet syndrome surgery last August, the former Royals reliever would be the favorite to beat out Funderburk, Alcalá, and Weiss in a camp competition. Regardless of which short reliever performs best in camp, though, their chances will all be subject to whether the team’s decision-makers prefer to roster a high-strikeout, high-intensity short reliever or a stretch reliever capable of pitching multiple innings in a pinch.
While having a stretch reliever on the roster at the beginning of the season would be wise and convenient, the Twins could be doing themselves a disservice. Yes, they could find themselves needing someone to navigate four innings after Paddack imploded in the second inning of a start in early April, and it would be nice to have a stretch reliever rostered at that time. At the same time, the team could find itself needing to get out of a jam in the 11th inning of an extra-innings game they need to win, and their only option is someone like Headrick.
There are two sides to this coin, and both options make sense. With the Twins having fewer dependable, veteran starting pitchers than last season, they are highly incentivized to roster someone who could eat up multiple innings. Yet, they have the opportunity to create one of the most formidable bullpens in baseball if they elect to leave camp with a high-upside arm like Staumont or Funderburk. While they could easily flip between having a stretch reliever one day and a short reliever the next, it would be in the team’s best interest not to shy away from making their bullpen a real strength. The way to do that is to keep a high-strikeout, high-intensity reliever.
