Adding pitching is hard!

 

Here we are, two days into the Winter Meetings, and Twins fans are on the cusp of a meltdown. Trea Turner signed below expectations, while Justin Verlander and Jacob DeGrom were signed to big deals elsewhere. In the eyes of the typically panic stricken Twins fan, this means, for some reason, that the Twins are going to be left out in the cold this offseason.

There are a couple of reasons for that, I guess. Perennially, the Twins fanbase always want the Twins to nab an "ace" which is a nice thought. The Twins fanbase always tabs the top several pitchers as "aces" even if they are not. Verlander and DeGrom, sure, but they were never in the plans for Minnesota. Since he is available, locals have labeled Carlos Rodon as the ace the Twins need. Yikes. 

Rodon has a long track of injuries to go along with recent success, which would make the Twins pause, and his status at the top of many organizational wish lists would make him expensive, even before you look at what has gone on Tuesday evening. Taijuan Walker signed with the Phillies for $72m over 4 years, which is an 18m/yr valuation. That's 6 more than Sonny Gray is making, and I'm not fully convinced that Walker is a more reliable asset, given his history.

So imagine how much Rodon, more well regarded than Walker, is going to command. It's hard to find another pitcher on the market that decidedly makes the Twins rotation better in 2023, aside from Rodon, and I seriously doubt the Twins want to play well above market for something that might not be a lift, anyways. 

Which explains the rumor today that Luis Arraez has been discussed as available in trades for pitchers. This would hurt l
ike crazy, because Arraez is a popular figure in the clubhouse and in the region, but also because Arraez would only be a small portion of a trade to get a better starter. The Twins would have to trade a popular player, AND send another prospect in order to get a pitcher that would move the needle.

The market is foreboding, and the Twins don't have any really good options from which to generate a trade. This is apparent, but I bet there are going to be a lot of upset fans if an addition isn't made!