Minnesota Twins: The impact of signing Lance Lynn
The Minnesota Twins have solidified their starting rotation heading into the 2018 season. Viewed as a weakness all Winter, the rotation has now transformed into a strength for the Twins.
The Minnesota Twins addition of Lance Lynn on Saturday puts the rotation on another level. I’ve not been a big supporter of signing Lynn to a long-term contract this offseason. However, the one-year deal Lynn received from Minnesota is a low-risk-high-reward deal and the Twins will reap the rewards.
Signing Lynn means that Minnesota does not have to rely upon Phil Hughes being healthy to start this season. Hughes has had his troubles staying on the field in recent seasons and acquiring Lynn makes Hughes even more expendable.
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However, this does mean that young starter Adalberto Mejia won’t have a spot in the rotation when Ervin Santana returns from his injury. With the built-in off-days through the season’s first month, the may not even need a fifth starter until after Santana returns. The smart move for the Twins would be to keep Mejia stretched out by pitching in the Minors in case he is needed to start later in the season.
What happens next with the remaining pitchers?
If the Minnesota Twins are smart this will mean Hughes shifts to a long reliever/spot starter for the 2018 season. Hughes has been effective throughout his career and deserves a place on this pitching staff. However, Hughes has dealt with a myriad of injuries in recent seasons and cannot be completely relied upon.
Mejia is the player that will be affected the most by the acquisition of Lynn. He has a 4.57 ERA in 100 1/3 innings pitched in the Major Leagues. While those numbers don’t jump off the page at you, he has been effective throughout his Minor League career and has a future in MLB.
The Minnesota Twins future is bright and the system is chock full of intriguing young pitchers. Fernando Romero and Stephen Gonsalves are the future, and thankfully that future doesn’t have to start this season. The Twins have set themselves up to contend this season, while still having options for the future.
Next: Taking a look at the Lance Lynn signing
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