Minnesota Twins: 5 bold predictions for the Twins this offseason

The Twins will sign a pair of pitchers in free agency

While some of their available funds would be tied up to Gibson in this scenario, the Twins can still go out and spend some money to upgrade the rotation. In fact, if Gibson comes at a cheaper price, they would have more money to throw at a pair of solid pitchers.

Two pitchers that should be on the Twins radar are Madison Bumgarner and Zach Wheeler. The Twins inquired about Bumgarner in the build-up to last season’s trade deadline and while Wheeler’s name was never specifically mentioned, there’s a chance it was tossed around while the Twins talked to the New York Mets about potentially acquiring Noah Syndergaard.

With Bumgarner, the Twins would add some experience as a three-time World Series champion and four-time All-Star. The issue here has been his recent performance as the left-hander posted a career-high 3.90 ERA and hasn’t made the All-Star team since 2016. Uniting him with Anderson could be a cure, however, as the Twins were able to get the most out of several reclamation projects last year, so what could they do with a track record like Bumgarner’s?

Much like Bumgarner, Wheeler falls into the second tier of free-agent pitchers that includes Gerrit Cole and (potentially) Stephen Strasburg. His 3.96 ERA with the Twins isn’t going to make anyone start drooling, but his fastball, which averaged out at 96.7 MPH last season, will as it adds another upside arm that could boost the top of the rotation.

Of course, the Twins could also make Cole or Strasburg one of these signings, but it’s likely they’ll have better options elsewhere. The Twins could also add another arm by going deep and signing someone like Rick Porcello. In any event, there will be some new faces in the rotation and for once, the Twins will dive into free agency to do it.