3 potential starting pitchers the Twins should sign
The biggest area of need this offseason for the Minnesota Twins is their starting pitching. Bailey Ober and Joe Ryan are the only two players you can pencil into starting rotation. Michael Pineda is a free agent, and more than likely Kenta Maeda will be out for the season. That leaves three empty slots that the Twins must address this winter.
Here are three starting pitchers Minnesota should target:
1. Carlos Rodon
It’s hard to see Carlos Rodón signing with the Twins because of the position they’re in after a disappointing season. However, money talks, and Minnesota has plenty to offer.
At 28 years old, Rodón is still in the prime of his career. The Chicago White Sox selected him in the first round of the 2011 MLB Draft and made his debut in 2015. In seven years, Rodón is 42-38, with an ERA of 3.79.
His 2021 campaign was far and away his best season, finishing 13-5, with an ERA of 2.37. Rodón appeared in his first All-Star game this year and is credited for helping the White Sox finish with the fourth-best ERA in baseball.
Rodón is a left-handed pitcher who dominates right-handed batters.
- RHB: .175 BA, 12 HR, 34 R, 31 BB, 150 SO
- LHB: .240 BA, 1 HR, 5 R, 5 BB, 35 SO
According to Baseball Savant, the three (out of 15) categories he ranked poorly in were: Average Exit Velocity (38), Max Exit Velocity (18), Curve Spin (22).
Beyond that, he’s great at getting swing and misses and racking up strikeouts. He doesn’t give up many home runs, but when he does, they’re no doubters.
Minnesota should target Rodón this offseason because he’d easily become their No. 1 ace and a pitcher they can rely on in the playoffs.
2. Marcus Stroman
Marcus Stroman is one of the bigger named players on the market. Since 2014, he’s hovered around a .500 (61-60), with an ERA of 3.63.
However, he’s been largely inconsistent throughout his career.
| Year | W | L | ERA | G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 11 | 6 | 3.65 | 26 |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | 1.67 | 4 |
| 2016 | 9 | 10 | 4.37 | 32 |
| 2017 | 13 | 9 | 3.09 | 33 |
| 2018 | 4 | 9 | 5.54 | 19 |
| 2019 | 10 | 13 | 3.22 | 32 |
| 2019 | 6 | 11 | 2.96 | 21 |
| 2019 | 4 | 2 | 3.77 | 11 |
| 2020 | Did | Did | Did | Did |
| 2021 | 10 | 13 | 3.02 | 33 |
At 30 years old, Stroman is still in the midst of his prime and would help the Twins out for the foreseeable future. If I were the front office, I’d hesitate giving him a five-year deal, but a contract around three years would be reasonable. According to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson, the Twins have shown zero interest in Stroman.
The Twins should be in the playoff picture come 2024 (IF their prospects pan out), which would be the final year of his deal. Since their top prospects will be helping the team out in three-to-four years, Minnesota isn’t in a position to be handing out long-term deals.
Stroman finished the 2021 season 10-13, but he ranked pretty poorly in his strikeout rate, velocity and gave up a lot of hard-hit balls.
Target Field isn’t exactly a home run friendly ballpark, but there’s still a legit concern when it comes to Stroman, especially when there are a lot of good hitters in the AL Central.
Stroman brings a ton of energy and competitiveness that fans and the clubhouse would welcome. Is it worth $20 million a year? That’s a question for the front office, but he can be your No. 1 or 2 pitcher any given day.
3. Corey Kluber
More than likely the Twins will not be in contention for the playoffs next season. Which means they don’t have to be overly aggressive in free agency.
At 35, Corey Kluber is a perfect candidate for a one-year deal in Minnesota.
At this point in his career, he may be looking to sign with a contender. Since making his debut for the Cleveland Guardians in 2011, Kluber has been one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball. In that time he’s 103-61, with an ERA of 3.19.
He’s a three-time All-Star, two-time Cy Young winner and even won the ERA title in 2017 (2.25). Kluber comes with plenty of experience, and Minnesota can use someone with that much knowledge in their rotation. The Twins have a lot of young pitchers, and he’d be a perfect mentor for these players.
The Twins are familiar with Kluber’s game, and not just because he pitched against them for so many years. Derek Falvey, the current President of Baseball Operations, was with Cleveland when Kluber was pitching for the Guardians.
Despite being 35, Kluber pitched well for New York Yankees last season. In 16 games, the right-hander finished 5-3, with an ERA of 3.83. He also ranked very well among the MLB percentile rankings. The only three categories he finished below league average were: Max Exit Velocity, Base on Balls Percentage and Fastball Velocity.
It’s obvious that he’s not as dominant as he once was, but he still performed well. Last season his fastball clocked in around 91 MPH.
Kluber would be a great candidate for a one-year deal, which is perfect for where the Twins are at in this rebuilding process. He can teach the younger pitchers about having success in this league, while also making an impact on the mound.
we need pitching only leave the rest alone
They also need to find a shortstop as well, but pitching is the biggest need.