The trade deadline is less than a month away, and many teams could still be a week or two from moving to acquire the type of players they need. The Twins have many areas of their roster they need to upgrade, but none more so than their bullpen.
While Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax have been reliable, the next-best reliever, Brock Stewart is on the injured list until the all-star break with tendonitis in his right elbow. The rest of the relievers have remained inconsistent for the team throughout the season.
There have been flashes of good outings from young arms in Jordan Balazovic, Cole Sands, and Brent Headrick. Their sample size in the majors is too small to rely on, combining for 69⅓ innings across their careers. Caleb Thielbar has been Minnesota’s most reliable lefty reliever, but he has had more time spent on the injured list this season than any other Twins pitcher.
Then there are Emilio Pagán, Jovani Moran, and Jorge López, three veterans who have shown their best and worst stuff out of the bullpen throughout the season.
The Twins need at least one other stabilized, consistent arm out of the bullpen behind Durán, Jax, and Stewart. A constant reshuffling of the other five arms will not be enough to give the Twins a chance at winning the worst division in baseball.
There are many names for the Twins to consider to add into their bullpen at the deadline. However, Ryan Helsley and Brad Hand seem to be the best fits.
Ryan Helsley
He is currently on the injured list with a strained forearm. However, Ryan Helsley will be one of the most sought-after relievers at the deadline if the St. Louis Cardinals commit to selling.
Helsley has been one of the better relievers in baseball since breaking into the big leagues in 2019. Over 163 relief appearances, Helsley has posted a 2.96 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, .192 opponents average, 10.47 strikeouts per nine, and 1.11 WHIP.
Aside from three years of team control after 2023, what else will make Helsley’s price tag so high? His average fastball velocity tops out at 99.6 MPH, which is the third-best in baseball. He’s only behind Jhoan Durán’s league-leading 101.9 mph and teammate Jordan Hicks‘s 101.1 mph.
Helsley’s downsides? His health and hitters getting a better read on his pitches more frequently this season. Helsley has just two additional pitches in his arsenal outside his fastball: a slider and a curveball.
Both pitches have had favorable numbers against hitters this season, per Baseball Savant. Opponents have a .200 batting average and .177 wOBA off the curveball and a .158 batting average and .196 wOBA off his slider. These are still great numbers for a reliever with his arsenal, but his numbers are worse than a season ago.
In 2022, Helsley’s curveball was practically unhittable; batters had zero hits off it in the 101 times he threw it. Helsley’s curve was still hittable last season but just barely. Hitters had a .113 batting average and .211 wOBA in the 307 times he threw it.
It’s hard to replicate these numbers in back-to-back seasons. Still, given where Helsley’s level of performance is at when healthy, the Twins should pursue him. Having the two hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball would balance out a Twins bullpen that has been uneven all year.
Brad Hand
The Chaska native has been a journeyman reliever his entire career. He’s had his moments as an all-star over the years making three teams, and some not-so-great years. Last year, Hand revitalized himself in the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen after a shaky 2021 season.
Hand signed with the Colorado Rockies in the offseason, meaning he’s been pitching in the least-friendly pitcher’s park in the world. He had been able to manage good numbers out of the bullpen for most of the season. However, three of his last four outings have raised his ERA from 3.42 to 4.99.
However, Hand’s last outing against the New York Yankees on Saturday, July 15, indicated he’s turning things around. He faced the minimum number of hitters on 12 pitches.
The advantage of getting Hand this deadline, or at least pursuing him as a rental option, is that he can fill in for fellow lefty and Minnesota native Caleb Thielbar. The Twins could use him in situational matchups and facing two out of three lefties for an inning.
Hand, 33, is not the reliever he used to be. But he still has something to offer and has a team option after the 2023 season. It could be the right time for the Twins to bring him home.
