Wednesday, February 05

As Spring Training approaches, MLB.com will be taking a look at the Twins’ roster, unit by unit. Thanks to some news this week, we’re going to skip the outfield for now and go straight to the bullpen.

With the expected addition of Danny Coulombe to an already deep unit, the Twins genuinely may have the best bullpen in baseball. At least one projection system already had them rated as such even before the addition of Coulombe, and now they are apparently adding a shutdown lefty to their bountiful stable of right-handers.

If you’re looking for reasons for optimism regarding the ’25 Twins, the relief pitching should rank near the top of the list. Jhoan Duran returns to anchor the back end, and setup men Griffin Jax and Cole Sands should form one of the AL’s best pre-closer combos.

Add Coulombe, and it’s clear there’s a lot to like. The veteran has become one of the better lefties around since his last stint with the Twins, and he is expected to finalize a deal with the Twins by the end of the week.

On the 40-man roster: Jorge Alcala, Eiberson Castellano, Duran, Kody Funderburk, Brent Headrick, Ronny Henriquez, Jax, Sands, Brock Stewart, Michael Tonkin, Justin Topa, Louie Varland

New arrivals: Castellano, Coulombe (will be added to 40-man when deal becomes official)

Departures: Caleb Thielbar, Steven Okert

Top 30 prospects: None (note: true relief prospects are very rare; most relievers came up as starters)

The big question: Are they actually that good?

There was a lot of optimism about the 2024 Twins bullpen, as well. And they weren’t bad. By the end of the year, Fangraphs had them tied with the Brewers as the No. 4 bullpen in baseball by WAR (5.9). But they were 19th in bullpen ERA (4.12) and had the eighth-most relief losses in MLB (31).

So … how good are these guys?

Some of that will depend on Coulombe. Part of the problem last year came from the left side. Thielbar, who had been a reliable option for years, saw his strikeout rate tumble and his walk rate balloon. Okert struggled with the long ball and Funderburk was too hittable. If Coulombe can be a lockdown option, the whole unit will look better.

Then there’s Duran, who was excellent but not up to his dominant 2022 and ’23. It seems safe to figure he’ll be very good again, but his strikeout rate was down and he took nine losses last year. If he’s the otherworldly pitcher from ’22 and ’23, that also makes things look different.

Finally, there’s finding the right mix among the remaining right-handers. The Twins have more Major League relievers than roster spots for them. Figuring out who goes on the big league roster, and then determining the right buttons to push will present challenges for the front office and manager Rocco Baldelli, respectively.

The Twins have a variety of intriguing options, and at a minimum this should be a solid ’pen. But if they can be dominant, that’s a big step toward the kind of season fans are hoping to see.

How many left-handers recorded at least one save for the Twins in 2024?

A. One

B. Two

C. Three

D. Four

The Twins announced their 2025 promotional schedule on Tuesday, with highlights including the dedication of the Joe Mauer statue (April 13) and a commemoration of the 1965 pennant-winning team (Aug. 16). Also on the docket are two bobblehead giveaways (May 24 and July 12), Corey Koskie’s Twins Hall of Fame induction (Aug. 17), and a Native American Heritage Night (Aug. 9).

Returning theme nights include two Bark in the Park events (May 19 and Sept. 2), the Colleges and Universities Series (11 dates throughout the season), First Responders Night (April 25) and Pride Day (June 7).

A couple of details still remain to be announced, most notably the artists playing the two postgame concerts. Those are set for July 11 and Aug. 15, with a hip-hop artist and a country artist, respectively.

Tickets are on sale now and the full slate of promotions can be found at https://www.mlb.com/twins/tickets/promotions.

On Feb. 5, 1991, the Twins made one of the most consequential free-agent signings in the history of the franchise. That’s when St. Paul native Jack Morris came home.

Morris signed a one-year deal to pitch for his hometown team, and no one could have envisioned how well it would turn out. A year after the Twins finished last and Morris posted a 4.51 ERA with Detroit, the right-hander rebounded for one of his best seasons of his career.

And the team? Well, as you may have heard, they won the World Series. Morris went 18-12 with a 3.43 ERA then was 4-0 in five postseason starts, including the legendary Game 7 World Series duel with John Smoltz and the Braves, in which Morris threw a 10-inning shutout. The season and postseason likely punched Morris’ eventual ticket to Cooperstown.

As the season approaches, the projections keep rolling in. The latest comes from Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA system, one of the longest-running and most respected models in the sport. And PECOTA likes the Twins.

The system projects Minnesota to win the AL Central with 86 wins, and in fact has the Twins five games better than any division rival (the Royals come in next at 81-81). The 86.2 win total is fifth highest in the AL behind the Yankees (89.7), Rangers (89.0), Orioles (88.9), and Astros (86.9).

C. Three.

Of the seven pitchers who tallied a save for the Twins last year, three were lefties. Thielbar had three, and Okert and Funderburk had one each.

In honor of the Grammys, here are five of my favorite songs that have won Record of the Year in recent years.

1. Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”

2. Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”

3. Childish Gambino, “This is America”

4. Bruno Mars, “24K Magic”

5. Daft Punk, “Get Lucky”

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