Minnesota Twins Need No. 3: Starting Pitcher
I’m sure some people’s first thought when reading this will be “How can starters not be first? This is ridiculous. The rotation is the worst in baseball.” I encourage you to reconsider that thought process.
For starters, the Twins rotation is good. Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle, Joe Ryan, Kenta Maeda, and Bailey Ober make up a very solid group, and with Simeon Woods Richardson, Louie Varland, and Josh Winder waiting in the wings, the team has a lot more depth than it did last year too.
What it doesn’t have, however, is an ace. There isn’t a clear pitcher on this staff who can go up against a Max Scherzer or a Justin Verlander and inspire confidence. The Twins don’t necessarily need one of those guys, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt.
With next-to-nothing left on the market, the Minnesota Twins have been active in the trade market, and while I don’t think Pablo Lopez is the answer (especially not worth trading Arraez, Kirilloff, Lewis, Larnach, or Lee for), there are some arms that might be available.
Max Fried could be available in a trade with the situation with the Braves deteriorating. If the Arizona Diamondbacks continue to struggle, the Twins could have the right combination to ship Lee and Lewis to bring in one of baseball’s best young arms. Maybe the New York Yankees dangle Frankie Montas after an unsuccessful half year in the Bronx.
Pablo Lopez doesn’t move the needle for the Twins, so if they can’t get a better pitcher than him via trade, the team should roll with the group they have and reassess at the deadline when the pool of talent available is deeper.