Projecting The Twins 5th Starter

Sep 7, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins pitcher Logan Darnell (38) pitches in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

The Field

As with every team, the Twins will undoubtedly have to turn the ball over to some less than predictable options this season. None of these names will figure into the 5th spot out of the gate for the Twins, but they could all end up making spot starts down the road. Among this group, I would consider Logan Darnell, Lester Oliveros, J.R. Graham, and potentially Stephen Pryor. Darnell and Oliveros have been Twins farm hands for a while, with both having made starts for the Twins in 2014. Graham is a Rule 5 addition for the Twins and has a very interesting pedigree. He has battled injuries and never lived up to his potential, but was once believed to have a very high ceiling. Pryor was the return the Twins got for Kendrys Morales, and despite being utilized as a reliever, he could be stretched out if needed.

The biggest takeaway from this list as a whole is that for the first time in a long while, Minnesota has options. The Twins have four quality arms that occupy the bulk of the rotation, and they have a slew of options that can slot into the final rotation spot and provide quality starts. If the Twins are going to bounce back in 2015, it will be thanks to a bounce back effort as a whole.

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