Colomé, a 32-year-old right-hander, was expected to pair nicely with lefty Taylor Rogers, each with the ability to close out games and ample experience doing so.
That move backfired quickly on the Twins, and while Colomé’s early-season failings are easy to point to — he blew three save opportunities and suffered three losses in April alone — the Twins’ bullpen issues extended far past just Colomé, who did wind up putting together a better second half of the season.
While the Twins have a core of bullpen arms to build around, adding dependable pitchers to the bullpen needs to be on the agenda this offseason.
The Twins had one of the best bullpens in the majors in 2020, but just one season later, a major strength of a division-winning team became a major weakness for a last-place team.
While the bullpen did pitch better down the stretch, the Twins finished with a 4.39 bullpen earned-run average for the season, after posting a 3.62 ERA the season before.
Things were fraught from the start with Colomé blowing a save in the first game of the season. Colomé largely contributed to a disappointing month of April, and when the Twins were forced to move him out of high-leverage situations, it exposed a lack of depth elsewhere in the bullpen. Eventually, he worked his way back up the pecking order, closing out games once again after the trade deadline.
Hansel Robles, the Twins’ other free-agent signing, had a 4.91 ERA at the time he was traded to Boston.
Rogers earned his first career all-star nod, but his season was cut short when he suffered a finger injury near the end of July that perhaps prevented him from being traded. Tyler Duffey wound up finishing the year with a 3.18 ERA after a difficult start to the season, and Caleb Thielbar, who went 7-0 with a 3.23 ERA, was a bright spot from the left side. Jorge Alcala showed continued development, posting a 0.96 ERA during the final two months of the season.
For much of the season, the Twins cycled through arms, trying to find dependable options within a group of minor-league free agents and waiver pickups. Guys like Brandon Waddell and Shaun Anderson were quickly shown the door. Others, like Juan Minaya and Danny Coulombe, made better impressions.
Once the World Series ends, the Twins will have to make an official decision on Colomé’s future. They hold a mutual option for $5.5 million. If they decline that, he is owed a $1.25 million buyout.
The Twins appear in good shape from the left side, with Rogers and Thielbar returning. Rookie Jovani Moran, also a lefty, briefly cracked the majors last year after putting up impressive numbers in Double-A and Triple-A, and he should get a look at some point during the season, if not from the start.
Duffey, like Rogers, has one more year of team control. Alcala certainly has the stuff to be used in higher-leverage situations and will likely begin to get more of those opportunities. Beyond that nucleus, the challenge will be to add more stability, especially from the right side.
Relievers currently on their 40-man roster include Minaya, Coulombe and Ralph Garza Jr., all of whom potentially could get another look next year. Cody Stashak began the season in the Twins’ bullpen, though he spent most of the season on the injured list after a demotion to Triple-A. Randy Dobnak could serve as an option in long relief, if not used as a starter.
The Twins also will have to make a decision on John Gant, a pitcher they received in a trade for J.A Happ at the deadline. If they keep him, he could potentially fit in in the bullpen — Gant has said in the past that he prefers starting, and he did get a look in that role later in the season — but he’s also due a raise in arbitration, and the Twins could opt to non-tender him.
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Twins need to add dependable bullpen arms - Pine Journal
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