Free Agency: Twins Still In On Relief And Starting Pitching

By Ted Schwerzler |

So far this offseason, the Minnesota Twins only free agent signing has come in the form of fan favorite, and former Twins player, Torii Hunter. Looking to provide a much needed pitching upgrade, the Twins are reportedly still in on a handful of pitching options despite missing out on Francisco Liriano today.

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LaVelle Neal of the Star Tribune is reporting that one of the relief options is hometown kid, Pat Neshek. Apparently up to 12 teams have checked in on Neshek this offseason. An All-star for the St. Louis Cardinals last year, the Brooklyn Park, MN native was an integral cog in the success that the Cardinals experienced down the stretch.

Another option that Neal mentions is Dustin McGowan, who was used as both a starter and relief pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays just a season ago. There are no indications as to how Minnesota would chose to use McGowan however. Finally, Neal notes that Logan Ondruske could be a guy that the Twins take a flier on and give a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

Last week, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported that the Twins may have some interest in former Giants pitcher, Ryan Vogelsong as well. Although he is 37, his arm hasn’t been used in the majors as long as most other pitchers his age.

Of course, the Twins also remain contenders for names like Edinson Volquez, Brett Anderson, and Kris Medlen.

At this point, I would wager that it remains almost a certainty that the Twins sign another pitcher through free agency. While Neshek would be a good story and someone that would help the bullpen, I think Terry Ryan decided to address the starting rotation first. We can probably expect Phil Hughes to be consistent for the Twins once again in 2015, but they desparately need another quality option to throw behind him in the rotation.

As the Winter Meetings carry on this week, stay tuned as the Twins continue to track closely to their next free agent signing.

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