Writing this sentence feels like beating a dead horse, but the Twins' bullpen is arguably the worst in baseball. Entering Thursday, Minnesota's relievers ranked 29th in ERA (5.37). Because of their powerful offense, the Twins are still in the playoff race, trailing the third AL Wild Card spot by 2 1/2 games after Wednesday night's win against the Houston Astros. However, if the Twins want to remain a postseason contender, they must improve their bullpen.
2 relievers Twins must replace by trade deadline to make postseason run
Cody Laweryson
Laweryson's last relief appearance went poorly, as the right-hander allowed two runs on two hits and a walk. Granted, a Kody Clemens error made the two runs unearned, but it was still a rough outing for the right-hander.
Laweryson began the season on the Twins' Opening Day roster, then landed on the IL on April 11 due to a right forearm strain. Minnesota reinstated Lawyerson in late May, then optioned him to Triple-A St. Paul roughly a month later, on June 23. Laweryson didn't spend much time with the Saints, being recalled by Minnesota on June 29.
Laweryson, 28, hasn't had a great season, posting a 4.86 ERA (5.09 FIP) with a 23.1% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate over 16 2/3 innings for Minnesota. His peripherals aren't great, either, with a 92.4 mph average exit velocity, 50% hard-hit rate and 20.3% whiff rate. Laweryson has three minor-league options remaining, so Minnesota could demote him to the minors without losing him and then bring him back up if the team needs a fresh arm at some point.
Kody Funderburk
Funderburk has limited hard contact at an elite rate this year, but his awful strikeout (11.7%) and walk (18.1%) rates are enough to warrant another trip to Triple-A St. Paul. The left-hander actually had good results to begin the year, sporting a 2.81 ERA over 17 1/3 innings through May 9. However, the Twins knew Funderburk would likely regress, optioning him to Triple-A St. Paul on May 10.
Minnesota recalled Funderburk on May 29, optioned him again on June 2, then brought him back to the majors on June 24. Funderburk has made four appearances with Minnesota since being optioned on May 10, allowing six earned runs on seven hits and four walks over 4 1/3 innings.
Like Laweryson, Funderburk has options remaining. If the Twins send the left-hander down again, it doesn't mean he won't be back up later in the year. The bottom line is, Laweryson and Funderburk shouldn't be regulars out of the bullpen for a team attempting to reach the playoffs.
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