Expectations are raised, but not alarms

 There is but one commodity that is flying off of the Free agency shelves: former Twins pitchers. The Cardinals alone have signed Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Sonny Gray, while Kenta Maeda joined the Detroit Tigers. Even since this morning, Emilio Pagan signed with the Reds. Gray, Maeda and Pagan, of course, were part of the team last year, playing important roles in the regular season and into the playoffs. Gray and Maeda also were runners up in the Cy Young race at one point in their time in Minnesota.

There is an immediate level of concern for many fans, who have memories of the Twins playing at the lowest end of the free agency market, and losing out on two good pitchers is a tough pill to swallow. Additionally all of the reports of a payroll slimdown on it's way lead all of us to assume the worst. 

Before we are consumed by despair, let's instead give credit to the Twins organization for their ability to get the most out of the three pitchers they are losing off the roster this season. Then, take solace in the fact that all of the players they are losing are agedd 33 or older. Maeda has sustained more than one serious elbow injury in his career. It is ok that the Twins have not spent the money, even if it wasn't limited, on three old pitchers. Remember, any money spent would be on their future performance, and not a guarantee of continued success.

It's also worth noting that the three pitchers in question were acquired via trade. Every pitcher expected to be in the rotation as it stands right now is a draftee or trade acquisition. Brock Stewart and Caleb Thielbar are the only members of the bullpen that were acquired as free agents. It's hard for me to get worked up anymore about free agents, particularly pitchers, when they don't sign with the Twins. There has been enough success without them.

That said, given the past year, the historic desire to have an ace pitcher, which has been the desire every offseason since Johan Santana left, has been updated. Now that members of Twins Territory have become accustomed to a quality rotation, fans want a second top tier starter to join Pablo Lopez atop the rotation. 

The Twins are now playoff winners, and the expectation have raised with it. I'm not panicked about the Twins not signing any of their pitching free agents, but I, like everyone, now expect the Twins to come away from the winter with a good rotation.