Some people talk about roller coaster seasons, but I don't think there is a finer example than how the Twins have started the 2024 season. Through about a month and a half, the Twins are about where they were expected to be, just with a more interesting path. And also, the team isn't really what we expected.
When the team trimmed payroll, most of the trimming was done in the rotation with Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda moving to new homes. Little was done to replace pitchers - the only starter added was already injured Anthony DeSclafani - that left, and fans were distraught. The pitching hasn't been the problem when things go sideways, however.
The rotation has been steady even if not spectacular. The bullpen, even without Jhoan Duran to start the year, has been spectacular. The pen is a low cost area to do good work, and the Twins have done so, with Griffin Jax and Cole Sands among the success stories. With that in mind, the rotation's steady output is all that they have needed. Selecting either Chris Paddack or Simeon Woods-Richardson as the replacement for Maeda is a clear win, given Maeda's start in Detroit. Gray has been very good in St. Louis, but the luxury of having him in the rotation was probably not worth being on the hook for 3 more years into his mid to late 30s, not when the Twins have faith in their emerging pitchers.
And again, the Twins have the prospect depth to add a frontline starter as the postseason approaches. The Twins shouldn't need an ace pitcher in May, but they would really like a good, healthy extra pitcher in October.
I've gone off the scent, responding to the various strawmen I usually respond to from the Twins internet. The problem this season, when there are problems, is the hitting. It hasn't helped that sparkplug Royce Lewis has been injured since game 1, but it hurts even more that through the first several weeks of the season, only Alex Kirilloff and Carlos Correa were providing any offensive value.
When the Twins bats started coming around, so did the teams' fortunes. Sure, getting to face the White Sox helped, but so too did Correa's return from injury, Ryan Jeffers' explosion and Max Kepler's full health. The struggling Willi Castro became the incandescent Willi Castro. Carlos Santana couldn't stop hitting home runs.
The Twins made a decision to cut payroll, and blamed it on the TV situation. In truth, they were probably loathe to spend a lot of money on old pitchers, and they didn't want to sink a lot of money into position players where youngsters were poised to take over. Last year, bridge players like Michael A. Taylor and Donovan Solano were effective. The one they held on to this year, Kyle Farmer, and his other players in similar roles, including Santana and Manuel Margot, have not picked up the slack, making things look even worse.
Minnesota simply hasn't had depth that was as effective last season, so when injuries arose early, they couldn't shake out of the funk. The closer to healthy roster, with input from Austin Martin, Trevor Larnach and Jose Miranda has been encouraging. The veteran bridge has disappointed this year, but as the Twins hope for a healthy Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee, while awaiting Walker Jenkins, the key to success might be realizing that the bridge has been built internally.
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