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Minnesota Twins Free Agency: Ranking the Twins potential starting pitching targets

By Chris Schad

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 04: Starting pitcher Zack Wheeler #45 of the New York Mets throws to a Washington Nationals batter in the fourth inning at Nationals Park on September 04, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 04: Starting pitcher Zack Wheeler #45 of the New York Mets throws to a Washington Nationals batter in the fourth inning at Nationals Park on September 04, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 04: Starting pitcher Zack Wheeler #45 of the New York Mets throws to a Washington Nationals batter in the fourth inning at Nationals Park on September 04, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 04: Starting pitcher Zack Wheeler #45 of the New York Mets throws to a Washington Nationals batter in the fourth inning at Nationals Park on September 04, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

The Minnesota Twins are going to be heavily involved in the pitching market during free agency this year, but which players should they target?

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or still in a cave after another ALDS sweep), the Minnesota Twins need pitching and are heading into this offseason looking to acquire it. Although two spots in the rotation are currently filled with Jose Berrios under contract and Jake Odorizzi returning on a one-year qualifying offer, the Twins are still looking to fill the other three spots either in the free agent market or via trade.

Between Kyle Gibson (who signed with the Texas Rangers last week), Martin Perez (who had his club option declined) and Michael Pineda (who is at the end of his two-year deal with the team), the Twins will be looking to replace 761 1/3 innings on the mound, which means they’ll have to ditch their notoriously frugal ways of the past in order to field a competitive staff in 2020.

The good news for the Twins is that this year’s free-agent pitching class is pretty deep. Although they’re not expected to go after top options Stephen Strasburg or Gerrit Cole, there’s enough here for the Twins to add a quality starter or two before reaching into the minor league system (think Brusdar Graterol) or even a trade to fill the fifth spot.

So who are some of the names that Twins fans should know heading into free agency? With the hot stove heating up, we broke down some of the pitchers into tiers to see what they bring to the table and how they can help solve the Twins’ pitching woes.

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