The Twins took care of some roster housekeeping Friday and in doing so, they left themselves an out.
Minnesota added 7 players to the 40-man roster, and lost two players on outright waivers, which brings the number of occupied 40-man roster spots to 38.
One of those, assuming they reach a contractual agreement, will go to Korean slugger Byung-ho Park. Another spot could be used if the Twins select a player in the Rule 5 draft this winter, or could go to a free agent. And maybe there’s other shuffling ahead, but this is where they’re at now.
The Twins bullpen was not very good last year and certainly will need to be better if they’re looking to improve on last year’s 83 wins and have their eyes on the postseason. Minnesota’s bullpen was last in strikeout rate (6.85 strikeouts per 9 innings), had the sixth-highest home run rate (1.08 long balls per 9 innings), and combined for the 10th highest ERA in baseball (3.95 as a bullpen).
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If Glen Perkins is healthy for a full season, some of these numbers should improve organically. Likewise, if hard-throwers like Nick Burdi, Jake Reed, J.R Graham or Ryan Pressly take a step forward, then the Twins could internally address the issue.
But it’s my contention that it’s wishful thinking to rely on these positive developments to happen. The time for bargain buys likely has passed. With the Twins’ competitive window open, they should target relief help through free agency or a trade. Adding a legitimate late-inning reliever to pair with Perkins and Kevin Jepsen would allow Trevor May to rejoin the rotation and give the Twins a more formidable bullpen. Here are six relievers I’d recommend:
Tier 1, the strong righties
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Tyler Clippard, RHP, 31
Clippard joined the Mets in a midseason trade and had a nice season overall. Between the Mets and Nationals, he logged 71 innings and struck out 64 batters compared with 31 walks. That’s a few more free passes than you’d like to see, but Clippard’s strength in 2015 came from dominating lefties.
He’s a right-handed pitcher, but the 157 lefties Clippard faced last year hit just .136/.231/.237 against him, so he’d be a nice addition if the Twins decide Ryan O’Rourke is overmatched in a left-handed specialists role.
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Darren O’Day, RHP, 33
O’Day quietly has been great in Baltimore’s bullpen and now he gets to test the free agent market after posting the best season of his career at age 32. He’s reportedly seeking a four-year deal worth about $30 million, which seems like a crazy-high price tag for a reliever.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see the side-armer make that kind of money, though, as teams around the league try to emulate what the Royals have done in building a lock-down bullpen to shorten games.
O’Day was lights-out in 2015 and made the All-Star team. He pitched 65 1/3 innings for the O’s and posted a really strong 82:14 strikeout-to-walk ratio. In other words, he would have been the strikeout king of the Twins’ bullpen by a wide margin and his walk rate would have been third behind only Casey Fien and Glen Perkins.
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Tier 2, the lefties
Tony Sipp, LHP, 32
After a few years in Cleveland, in which he walked too many batters to be truly effective, Sipp has found himself in Houston. In the past two seasons with the Astros, Sipp has logged 105 total innings with a 2.66 ERA, including 125 strikeouts and 32 walks.
He blew a save in the postseason against the Royals, but then again, who didn’t? Sipp was great against right- and left-handed hitters during the regular season last year. He held lefties to a .220 average and righties to just a .190 average.
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Antonio Bastardo, LHP, 30
Bastardo struck out more than 10 batters per 9 innings the past two seasons, and his ERA in with the Pirates this year was 2.98.
It’s probably unlikely Brian Duensing returns to the Twins in 2016, so finding a qualified lefty reliever should be on the to-do list. Maybe that’s O’Rourke, or maybe Tayler Rogers could fill that role, but for a little extra money Bastardo seems like a better bet.
He faced just 73 lefties last year, but collectively they only mustered 9 hits and he allowed just one earned run to the bunch. As a group, lefties hit .139/.233/.215 against Bastardo last year.
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Tier 3, worthwhile depth
Mark Lowe, RHP, 32
The perception about Lowe might be colored by his injury, which is fair, but he was really good in 2015. He began the year with the Mariners and was shipped to the Blue Jays as a midseason trade, but he was effective in both places.
Between the two teams, he racked up 55 innings and posted a 1.96 ERA. He struck out 61 batters and walked 12. Another bonus: he likely won’t be as expensive as some of the higher-tier relievers available this winter. Until 2015, the last time he pitched more than 50 innings in a season was in 2009. He appeared in just 18 games combined in 2013 and 2014.
There’s always the injury question and he’s more effective against righties than lefties, but if he stays healthy for a full year Lowe would be a nice addition to the Twins’ bullpen.
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Shawn Kelley, RHP, 31
Should there be concern that what he achieved last year – 51 innings, 2.45 ERA — was because he got to pitch a lot in Petco Park? Sure, a little. But Kelley also proved functional on the road, and strikeout and walks rates look like they belong in a high-leverage role in a bullpen.
With that said, Kelley’s never posted an ERA better than 3.25 until this year, and his career mark in 284 innings is 3.67. Still, if he is affordable and a clear upgrade to the Twins’ bullpen, it could make some sense to spend the money to bet on his improved walk rate carrying over. He wouldn’t be the first priority on this list for me, but he could add some depth, which would mean the Twins wouldn’t have to hope for some fortunate breaks for the reliever candidates currently in their system.
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