The Twins came away from Dallas with two players

 It may come as a shock to you. I know it did for me, but the Twins have actually shown a bit of a pulse this week. No, no, it hasn't been anything wild, but the team did add former Major Leaguer Huascar Ynoa to a minor league deal, and they selected Eiberson Caballero during the rule 5 draft. Better than nothing! And more than likely, better than anything from last year!

I think it should be noted that both players are pitchers. Ynoa is a former starter, who the Twins traded to Atlanta originally for Jaime Garcia (who was traded less than a week later, to the Yankees). Ynoa was a starter, who is now only 26, but has contended with elbow and shoulder injuries. If he is back and healthy, he seems a perfect candidate to get moved to the bullpen. 

Caballero is already in the bullpen, as the rules of the Rule 5 draft require players stay on the Major League roster, or be returned to the original club. Caballero has not yet appeared in a game above AA, and has not worked out of the 'pen. Caballero is a strike out machine, and a classic example of a player whose stuff may play up in shorter appearances.

Last year, amid uncertainty, the Twins were dormant in the offseason until quite later in the winter. That they have already made some moves, and that both players add to the bullpen depth invites some early speculation. This is the internet, so heck yeah, let's speculate.

There are two larger moves that moves to backfill the bullpen could hint at. The first is a large trade. Devin Williams was just traded from the Brewers to the Yankees for a package that includes a mid rotation starter in Nestor Cortes and a potential starter, or perhaps a platoon starter at third base in Caleb Durbin. Now imagine what Jhoan Duran and his multiple years of team control would collect on the market? Surely both talent, and perhaps the ability to offload one of the contracts that seems to be on the chopping block.

But maybe the larger move that could be coming isn't as dramatic as a blockbuster trade. There have been rumblings that, after a fantastic season in 2024, Griffin Jax may be interested in a return to starting. That could provide an inexpensive route to backfilling, say, a Chris Paddack trade, but would also open the hole in the bullpen that these new faces might help to fill.

These are minor moves, to be sure, but they are moves. Last offseason, the team didn't do a thing until very late. Having anything happen is fun. This is fun.