Minnesota Twins: Is Santiago Starting to Figure Things Out?
Since the Minnesota Twins acquired him at the deadline, there has potentially been no one person more disappointing than Hector Santiago.
And for a Minnesota Twins team that has gone 12-24 since the beginning of August, that is a definite tall task.
The Twins traded Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer for Santiago in what was supposed to be a very lopsided trade for the Twins.
While Nolasco hasn’t been anything special for the Los Angeles Angels, Santiago has been far from what the Twins expected.
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At one point, Santiago was even rumored to be moved before the end of the August to a competing team but his performance made that an impossible task.
What that more than likely means is for better or worse, Santiago may be in the mix for a rotation spot next season.
And that may be for the best.
A full season of Santiago could give him an opportunity to not only redeem himself but also, if need be, be moved at some point next year.
Hopefully he’ll be able to turn things around because it seems starting pitching is at a premium for the Twins.
If he can rebound and pitch well that would give the Twins Ervin Santana and Santiago as viable rotation options.
Definitely better than where they have been this season.
And who knows, perhaps his last three starts are a sign that he’s starting to turn things around.
He’s gone six innings or more in his last three starts and allowed three or less runs.
Saturday’s game was, despite struggling early, a very fine start as he allowed just one run over seven innings.
Like the article I wrote about Buxton, Santiago’s September numbers must continue. He must show he is a capable starter or run the risk of falling behind in 2017.
And as said before, it matters not only for him but for the Twins. Santana and Santiago could make a viable one, two punch for the starting staff and help take the pressure off some of the younger arms like Jose Berrios and Stephen Gonsalves.
That may also light a fire under Kyle Gibson, Tyler Duffey and Phil Hughes to perform.
With some incredibly inconsistent performances, their jobs are far from guaranteed.
But at the end of the day, this all comes down to how Santiago continues to pitch. Will he continue to improve?
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These last few starts of the 2016 season will be very important as he will need to show the Twins what he’s really made of.