The Minnesota Twins were dealt a significant blow on February 6 when they found out the timetable for staff ace Ervin Santana's recovery. After undergoing surgery on his middle finger on his throwing hand, the club had to grasp the reality that he'll be on the shelf for the next 10-12 weeks. Putting his return sometime around late April or early May, Paul Molitor will have to make due in the meantime.
With that in mind, Minnesota's focus now has to be on where to go from here. At the current moment, the only starting locks remain Jose Berrios and Kyle Gibson. From there, Adelberto Mejia and Phil Hughes seem like good bets to claim a spot. The fifth and final spot should be up in the air for any number of arms to slot into. Names like Tyler Duffey, Dietrich Enns, Stephen Gonsalves. Fernando Romero, and Aaron Slegers should all be in the fold. Down in Fort Myers, Derek Falvey and Thad Levine will have to work with Molitor to figure out who gives them the best shot going forward.
Entering the offseason, the Twins needed to sign at least one top three arm. Someone that could slot in with Santana and Berrios was an absolute must for this roster. With a window of competitiveness opening, while the division itself got weaker, it simply made too much sense. That sentiment still rings true at this juncture, and the front office may even be looking at bringing in two arms to help pick up the slack. One thing is certain though, Santana's injury shouldn't change the course of the season.
At 35 years old, Santana has a ton of mileage on his arm. He's doled out more than his fair share of sliders, and he's contributed over 2,300 innings at the big league level in his 13 year career. Yesterday, Twins Daily contributor Tom Froemming noted that the track record for pitcher's over the age of 35 is far from spectacular. In 2017, only seven pitchers were able to post seasons with at least 100 IP while being at least 35 years of age. In short, the expectation for Santana to miss time could've been high from the onset. If we're looking for a positive here, it could be spun to suggest it's better than the time missed happens in April as opposed to September.
In 2017, Santana's 3.28 ERA was the second best mark of his career, and lowest since 2013. He posted a career high five complete games, and his 7th place finish in the Cy Young voting marked just the second time in 13 years that he's received votes. To put it simply, Santana was every bit the horse Minnesota needed a year ago.
Looking ahead to 2018, there should be significantly more help for the Twins pitching staff. First and foremost, the relief corps has been vastly improved. Additions like Zach Duke and Fernando Rodney both have tremendous upside, while Addison Reed is one of the best gets over the course of the entire offseason. Add in that the youth has another year of development under its belt, and the water level as a whole should be raised.
When all is said and done, injuries are going to occur for the majority of teams across Major League Baseball. The timing of Santana hitting the shelf is suboptimal, but there's significant points in the season in which the result could be much more detrimental. This team is still relatively void of superstar players and a next man up attitude should continue to be the mantra. Whether a rookie grabs a job out of spring training, or an established vet commands more from themselves, someone has an opportunity to fill Santana's shoes from the get go.
