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Minnesota Twins: A Twins to-do list at the 2019 MLB Winter Meetings

By Chris Schad

DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 03: Starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants throws in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 03, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - AUGUST 03: Starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants throws in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 03, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 06: Pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu #99 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers in the first inning of Game 3 of the NLDS against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on October 06, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 06: Pitcher Hyun-Jin Ryu #99 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers in the first inning of Game 3 of the NLDS against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on October 06, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images) /

Fill out the starting rotation

As mentioned in the intro, the Twins have filled a pair of their vacant spots in the rotation as Michael Pineda and Jake Odorizzi both opted to remain in Minnesota. While the two returnees will team with Jose Berrios, the overhaul of the starting rotation shouldn’t stop here and there are several names that are attached to the Twins heading into the winter meetings.

One of those names is Madison Bumgarner. The San Francisco left-hander has been a model of consistency over the years logging 200+ innings in a season seven times since debuting in 2009 and could be a sneaky good signing for a Twins team desperate for something they can count on.

The bad news with Bumgarner is that his price has continued to skyrocket after Zack Wheeler opted to sign in Philadelphia. The price for Bumgarner has been rumored to soar past the $100 million mark and with his camp looking for a five-year deal, the money and years could be too much of a risk for the Twins to sign on the dotted line.

That could make Los Angeles Dodgers Hyun-Jin Ryu an ideal fit despite a lengthy injury history, which included shoulder problems and the fact he’ll turn 33 in March. However, he has been effective when he’s been on the mound and the reigning National League ERA champion could come with a shorter-term deal making him more of a stop-gap for prospects Brusdar Graterol, Jordan Balazovic, and Jhoan Duran.

If the Twins fail here, they could turn to the trade market which has several names available for a price. With most teams looking to build from within, acquiring a young up-and-coming pitcher may be difficult leaving the Twins to search for teams looking to dump salary.

Boston could be a name to watch here as they have three pitchers (David Price, Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi) who could be available if they want to shed salary and other teams may have a pitcher that may be effective, but simply cost too much. Either way, if the Twins don’t walk out of San Diego without some pitching, it will be a major disappointment.

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