The Minnesota Twins are in the middle of a pennant race and pitching has been a problem. The Twins got through the first half of the season on a rotation headlined by Pablo López, Bailey Ober, and Joe Ryan. However, injuries have forced Minnesota to jerry-rig a solution as they try to get to October.
A quiet trade deadline frustrated fans, and everyone wondered where the pitching would come from. President of Baseball Operations Derek Falvey was a popular target. Still, as the Twins look to find a solution for their pitching woes, Falvey has a chance to show why they hired him in 2017.
When Terry Ryan stepped down as general manager midway through the 2016 season, pitching was an even bigger weakness for the Twins than it is now. The Ryan era had its ups and downs, but it always had a homegrown pitcher in the mix.
Twins fans remember Johan Santana and Francisco Liriano. However, Ryan was able to supplant them with arms like Joe Mays, Kevin Slowey, and Kyle Gibson in the rotation and Eddie Guardado, Joe Nathan, and Glen Perkins in the bullpen.
Homegrown talent helped the Twins win six division championships from 2002 to 2010. However, when Ryan returned for his second stint, Minnesota didn’t develop homegrown talent. Instead, they dove into free agency and handed Ervin Santana and Ricky Nolasco two of the largest contracts in franchise history.
The investment didn’t pay off. The Twins ranked 29th in team ERA and lost 103 games in 2016. To replace Ryan, they searched outside the organization for someone who could find and develop pitching.
The Cleveland Guardians were coming off a run to the World Series, and their pitching was a big reason they took the Chicago Cubs to a seven-game series. Corey Kluber served as the ace of the staff. However, they had acquired Trevor Bauer as a top prospect, with Josh Tomlin, Carlos Carrasco, and Danny Salazar also serving as homegrown arms.
Cleveland’s pitching factory continued into the 2020s even after the Twins hired Falvey following the 2016 season. Falvey wasn’t going to develop homegrown pitching instantly, and it led to some holes early in his tenure.
Homegrown talents José Berríos and Gibson led Minnesota’s pitching staff in 2019 Twins. However, Falvey complemented them by adding Michael Pineda, Martín Pérez, and Jake Odorizzi. Randy Dobnak and Devin Smeltzer also made cameos, but they weren’t long-term solutions.
Rich Hill, Homer Bailey, Kenta Maeda, and J.A. Happ would come through Minnesota in the next two seasons, but they were all to buy time for pitching to develop. Jordan Balazovic was once a top prospect in the Twins organization, but he didn’t pan out. However, some talent was beginning to shine through, like Bailey Ober and Griffin Jax.
Jorge Alcala flashed as a reliever between stints on the injured list; Jhoan Duran (2018) and Joe Ryan (2022) came to Minnesota through trades. More names, including Cole Sands and Louie Varland, started to come through in the past two seasons. Sonny Gray’s departure created an opportunity for Simeon Woods Richardson to become a major leaguer this season.
At first glance, this looks like part of the typical major league shuffle. However, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters on Monday that it’s part of a plan that begins when players join the organization.
We try to do everything possible, and it doesn’t start the day they get called up. It starts in Fort Myers, it starts in the offseason to acquaint them with the atmosphere, the clubhouse, the expectation level on the field and off the field, and really how to prepare for a game at the major league level.
We’re always trying to get better with things like this, but this is kind of why we kind of mix our groups in Spring Training, why young pitchers who may not really have much of an opportunity to pitch in the big leagues, or it’s not even likely, they get with our major league coaches and spend a lot of time with them. They get into sessions on how to prepare for a lineup. So all of these things we try to do with our guys.
The Twins always prepare their pitchers for life in the majors. However, they’ve kicked this preparation into overdrive recently.
Woods Richardson was the first pitcher to take advantage of the opportunity. He was one of the centerpieces of the Berríos trade and made his season debut on April 13, allowing one run over six innings against the Detroit Tigers. Woods Richardson joined the rotation for good on April 25 and has gone 3-3 with a 3.78 ERA in 20 starts this season.
David Festa was 3-3 with a 4.03 ERA in 15 starts for the St. Paul Saints this season but made his major league debut last month. He hasn’t been perfect. Still, he has improved in his second call-up, posting a 2.04 ERA and 25-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in four starts.
Then there is Zebby Matthews, who has made the biggest leap. Starting the season in High-A Cedar Rapids, Matthews has raced through the Twins system, posting a 6-3 record and a 2.60 ERA while walking only seven batters with 114 strikeouts.
Terry Ryan’s front office produced pitching but never did it this quickly. While the old guard had a conservative approach, Falvey has been aggressive this season. Some may be desperation due to injuries, but Baldelli suggested it’s part of Minnesota’s philosophy.
Some of these guys end up starting the year in minor league camp, but they work their way in, they pitch exceptionally well, and they put their name up in front of the conversation by performing. You love to see that. You’re looking for that. You’re hoping it doesn’t just happen every once in a while, you’re hoping that the talent you bring into the system can mature and help the major league club, and that’s what we’re seeing right now.
So we’re not shy in any way to throw young pitchers out there and young players out there. We actually kind of thrive on it. It’s not something that I have concerns about one bit. We talk about the players’ strengths and weaknesses, we try to get them ready to go, and we send them out there to perform.
The Twins probably aren’t adding 1998 Randy Johnson to the rotation, and fans hoped they would add pitching at the deadline. Still, developing pitching is part of the reason Minnesota hired Falvey in 2017.
