The cold winter winds are blowing here in Minnesota. The first major snowfall for the Twins Cities arrived yesterday, and with cold temperatures expected over the next two weeks, the snow will likely still be on the ground when the Minnesota Twins front office heads to Winter Meetings next Sunday.
The team is expected to be very active at these meetings, as there is plenty of talent available, the Twins have plenty of talent to move, and the team has lots of money to spend (even if they’re just trying to reach their payroll from last year). While shortstop and catcher are two of the team’s biggest needs, the bullpen might need the most help.
A new closer or high-leverage setup man could boost the relief core to new heights, but the team would have to clear out some clutter first. The team currently holds Jorge Alcala, Griffin Jax, Ronny Henriquez, Jorge Lopez, Emilio Pagan, Trevor Megill, Jovani Moran, Caleb Thielbar, Jhoan Duran, and Cole Sands as relievers on their roster.
That’s simply too many to stomach. At most, a team can have five starters and eight relievers, and with the Twins currently fielding eleven men in that group (and no long reliever or sixth starter included), something’s gotta give. One way to alleviate this log jam is to cut ties with Trevor Megill.
It’s time for the Minnesota Twins to move on from reliever Trevor Megill.
The journeyman pitcher’s traditional stats were brutal in 2022, when he posted a -0.6 bWAR, a 4.80 ERA, 1.489 WHIP, and a 3.4 BB/9. Those are some awful-looking stats, but similar to Emilio Pagan, the team elected to keep him throughout the season and still retains him today. One might ask why, and that would be a great question.
They reason why they kept Pagan makes sense. His stuff has the potential to be great, and if you keep him in a low-leverage role, he can be extremely effective. For Megill though, it’s not nearly as cut and dry, but we can break it down into the good, the bad, and the ugly.
First, the good: his FIP and xFIP were great last year and his fastball averaged 98 (while topping out in triple digits) with a spin rate in the 92nd percentile. Now, the bad: every other metric has him getting mashed. His fastball allowed a .296 batting average (his .276 xBA isn’t much better), he walked a boatload of batters because of location, and worse still, he couldn’t locate pitches well.
Finally, there was stuff like this mid-game eruption:
Trevor Megill, who gave up five earned runs and recorded one out today, is upset with Gilberto Celestino. pic.twitter.com/HIUIvCxgey
— Nash Walker (@Nashwalker9) September 25, 2022
Yes, Gilberto Celestino’s defense is often infuriating, but screaming at your teammates with no regard for anything or anyone who might see you cussing someone out is a terrible look. For a team that often appeared to lack any sense of culture at points last season, this isn’t the kind of guy you want around.
The Minnesota Twins need to revamp their bullpen if they’re going to really contend in 2023, and having two players with good stuff and no location (Pagan and Megill) isn’t sustainable. When the team does make that first free agent signing, their first corresponding move should be moving on from Trevor Megill in their bullpen.