Why Do Twins Doubt Themselves?

In 2016, the Minnesota Twins have been among the worst teams in baseball. While that's far from an ideal situation, the reality is that it's provided an opportunity for the organization to get a look at a lot of different players. In too many cases though, they haven't taken it. Why not remains a realistic question.

You can almost take your pick as to which players you may want to shake your head at getting significant time for Minnesota. Danny Santana has played in 75 games this season, Juan Centeno has caught 44, Ryan O'Rourke is currently on the big league roster, and Neil Ramirez was given over a month of poor performances before being sent packing. Over the course of the season, Paul Molitor has gone with plenty of low ceiling options.

Now, if the Twins were looking to field the team with the most veteran presence, there's probably some merit to their roster construction. The reality however, is that this team hasn't been good since the get go, and they really owe nobody anything. Poor performances didn't need to be compounded by lengthy stays on the 25 man roster. While Minnesota would have been promoting inexperience, it's that youth that is going to be relied upon to turn things around.

Highlighting the scenario as a whole is a current member of the starting rotation, Andrew Albers. Albers hasn't started a major league game since 2013, for a Twins team that finished the year 66-96 while also having Cole DeVries and P.J. Walters make starts. Since then, he was a failed starter in Korea (5.89 ERA in 28 starts), and played a game in the Atlantic League for the Lancaster Barnstormers. Now starting for Minnesota, he was added to the 40 man roster over a more deserving option in Jason Wheeler.

Wheeler, a 25 year old 8th round draft pick by the Twins, owns a 3.23 ERA in 23 Triple-A starts this season. He's not a high strikeout guy, owning just a 6.4 K/9 over 131 minor league starts. He pitched the final game for Double-A Chattanooga a season ago to win the Southern League title, and he's owned a 3.04 ERA in 2016 after resurfacing in Triple-A. By all measures, Wheeler has earned it at this point.

It's in these situations that the Twins appear to be operating with a confusing knowledge of their own organization. Sure, Wheeler is far from a sure thing, but when a 40 man roster move is needed regardless, putting the developed player with some upside in position to compete seems like a better bet than the castoff retread. In failing to understand these principles, the Twins turn an already bad season, into one that they learn little as well.

You have to ask yourself what the Twins may have been able to learn from Mitch Garver, D.J. Baxendale, or Jake Reed at the big league level right now. As rosters expand, they could easily be called up. No matter the 40 man situation, Minnesota is far from a position in which they don't have warm bodies occupying roster spots. Rather than lose and do so without purpose, using the stretch run as an acclimation process seems to be an ideal scenario.

At some point, you'd hope that the Twins would put stock in the players they've drafted, and seemingly developed. You can't assume they'll all work out, but rather than going out and cycling through the Neil Ramirez's and Edward Mujica's of the world, playing time at the highest levels for those expected to carry some realistic weight would be a good idea.

Sooner rather than later, the Twins need to understand (and covey that) what they have at their disposal, and actually use it.

Who Gets The Call In September?

The Minnesota Twins have played a lot of bad baseball in 2016. With the worst record in the American League, 49-81, the lone team below them in all of baseball is the hapless Atlanta Braves. In a matter of days though, we could see an influx of prospects from the farm as big league rosters expand. For a team looking for something of interest, this could be it.

For the most part, the big names Minnesota Twins fans have been clamoring for have made their debuts. Byron Buxton has gone back and forth, while Jose Berrios has followed suit as well. As the calendar turns to September however, there's a handful of guys that could be called up as the Triple-A season comes to an end.

Here's a look at some names we could be seeing in a Twins uniform not too far from now:

Adam Brett Walker- OF

Walker has betted .251/.313/.489 for Triple-A Rochester this season. once again, he's leading his respective league (the International League in this case) in homers with 26. A big power guy with swing and miss tendencies, he's posted a .282/.326/.520 line over his last 47 games. For someone already on the 40 man roster, Walker should be about as close to a slam dunk as it gets to join the Twins in September.

Mitch Garver- C

You could make a case for Garver to be in the big leagues already. He played in 95 games for Double-A Chattanooga this season owning a .753 OPS before earning his promotion to Triple-A. Since arriving in Rochester, he's totaled an .823 OPS in 15 games and he's caught 50% (26/52) of would be base stealers across both levels this season. I'd argue he should start 2017 with the Twins, and he's an immediate upgrade over Juan Centeno for Minnesota.

Daniel Palka- OF

If there's a reach when it comes to offensive additions on this list, then Palka may be it. His production looks very similar to that of Walker's, but he doesn't have the benefit of already being on the 40 man roster. Palka has hit 33 homers in 2016 between Double and Triple-A. Acquired from the Diamondbacks in exchange for Chris Herrmann, Palka has put up a respectable .247/.316/.523 line in 46 Triple-A games. He could take over the 4th outfield spot for Robbie Grossman to open 2017, and there'd be plenty more pop in his bat. Like Walker, he does strike out a ton as well, so I'm not sure Minnesota has room for both.

D.J. Baxendale- RP

If there was a guy who you can't blame for having some hard feelings when the Twins called up Alex Wimmers, it was D.J. Baxendale. The former 10th round pick owns a 1.19 ERA in 30.1 Triple-A IP this season. His 10.1 K/9 is the best mark since rookie ball, and now working as a reliever full time, he's excelled in the pen. Baxendale should be in the conversation to relieve for the Twins on Opening Day in 2017, and getting him a month of work sounds like a good idea.

Jason Wheeler- SP

When it comes to Triple-A starting pitching, Minnesota has exhausted most of it. The one player they have not yet called upon however is Wheeler. Not currently a 40 man guy, Wheeler owns a 3.23 ERA across 23 starts for Rochester this season. His 7.0 K/9 is pedestrian, but his 2.2 BB/9 suggests he limits damage. Wheeler isn't flashy by any means, but if we're looking for lefty options, Minnesota would be better served having him start than either Pat Dean or Andrew Albers.

Jake Reed- RP

Much later than expected, Jake Reed should be up with the Twins. I pegged Reed to be called up sometime in the middle of the summer. While he had an up and down time at Double-A Chattanooga, he's really settled in of late. For Rochester, he's made six appearances totaling 7.0 IP. One the year, he owns a 9.6 K/9 over 67.0 IP and that number will absolutely play in the Twins pen. He's a hard thrower with good stuff who can get big league hitters out. Like Baxendale, Reed should be a staple in the 2017 Minnesota bullpen, time to get him acquainted now.

Outside of the aforementioned players, it stands to reason that Minnesota will recall a handful of guys who have spent time with the big club previously. Jose Berrios could come back, Tyler Duffey will likely head to the majors, and Kennys Vargas could also see a return. Neil Ramirez, Logan Darnell, and Edqard Mujica represent former big leaguers not currently on the 40 man, which makes their chances tougher. There are two guys that I'd probably hold off on promoting however:

John Ryan Murphy- C

Acquired from the Yankees for Aaron Hicks, Murphy has been a massive bust. Not only didn't he perform at the big league level, but he's flopped at Triple-A as well. In 78 games, he's posted a measly .590 OPS and he's caught just 21% (10-47) base stealers. Garver has outplayed him since he got to Rochester, and Minnesota sending Murphy a harsh message going into the offseason is something I'd definitely be in favor of.

Byron Buxton- CF

It's not so much that I think Buxton needs a message sent, or isn't going to make it, as it is that we don't need to go down this road again. Simply put, he's not ready. Sure, he just won the hitter of the week award, but homers and average aside, he owns a 29/2 strikeout to walk ratio since his demotion back to Triple-A. That's awful, and largely demonstrative of his big league problems as well. Keep Byron on the farm, let him work on things through the offseason, and hopefully he wins the job out of spring training on his own merit.

We should have a lot more clarity in regards to what actually takes place over the course of the next few days, but for now it appears like the Twins could find some intriguing names on their roster down the stretch.

Paul Molitor and Twins Do In Berrios

Jose Berrios made his major league debut on April 27, 2016. He now has made nine starts for the Twins, the latest of which came today against the Detroit Tigers. As has been the case more often than not, he wasn't good. This time though, it resulted in Jose Berrios being demoted to Triple-A Rochester.

This is the second time Berrios has been demoted by the Twins this season. The latest occurrence though highlights a culture of ineptitude at the big league level. Everyone from Paul Molitor on down seems absolutely clueless when it comes to not only Berrios, but the majority of the young prospects supposedly tasked with revitalizing the organization.

On the season, Berrios owns a 9.24 ERA and is 2-4 across his nine big league starts. He owns a poor 35/23 K/BB ratio, and his pitches have been all over the strike zone. In hoping to fix that, Minnesota has recently gone with a committee approach. Molitor, pitching coach Neil Allen, pen coach Eddie Guardado, starter Ervin Santana, and even Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven have taken to observing the young Puerto Rican. The collective brain trust has failed, and done so miserably.

The issue I have with how things went down following Berrios' latest poor start is that the Twins come out looking clueless in the whole mess. A young 22 year old top pitching prospect just got shelled. It's not the first time, and his struggles haven't been consistently getting better either. Instead of letting him continue to work through it under the best coaches the organization should have, the big league club (and staff) simply washes their hands of him.

While with the Twins in his latest stint, Berrios was given direction by seemingly everyone with a mouth and the ability to walk to the Target Field pen. No doubt reeling with the amount of information and tweaks he was trying to make to his game, the process was absolutely experiencing more negativity than anything else. Rather than realize that this club is destined for 100 losses though, and Berrios continuing to work through things against the only competition he hasn't mastered, Minnesota gave up.

Earlier this season, Jorge Polanco was sent back and forth between Triple-A and the big leagues despite no reason for Minnesota to do so. Paul Molitor was clueless when it came to intitially utilizing Max Kepler. Heck, Byron Buxton is so wrecked that prominent national analyst Keith Law has suggested Buxton stay at Triple-A until he's traded to an organization that "knows how to develop him as a hitter" or Molitor and his staff is gone. The collective coaching staff at the highest level for the Twins is arguably a larger laughing stock than that of the clubs 48-79 record.

Don't worry though, Jim Pohlad has suggested that Paul Molitor will be the first thing inherited by his newly hired General Manager.

At this point, you can't help but to feel for the likes of Jose Berrios and Byron Buxton before him. Berrios doesn't have a good outing or two to spare him. Thankfully Kepler has 15 home runs, and Polanco has a solid average, otherwise the likelihood of Molitor continuing to mismanage them would remain high as well.

Going into 2017, there's nothing more important than Jose Berrios and Byron Buxton getting right at the major league level. The problem is, the Minnesota Twins don't have organization pieces in place to allow that to happen. Unfortunately, we got to see that on full display yet again.

Pitching In 2017? Twins Don't Need Any

Over the past few days, it seems the talk of Twins starting pitching has reared its head again. I talked about how bad it's been recently, and it probably can't be overstated. Right now, Minnesota has the worst ERA in the big leagues and it's not particularly close. They don't strike anyone out, and it's just not a great situation. A year from now though, they don't need pitching either.

Now before getting all up in arms, let's take a step back. It's nearly guaranteed that the Twins will lose 90 games this season, and they very well could find themselves staring at 100 losses for the first time since 1982. Regardless of the fact that Molitor and his bunched just missed the playoffs a season ago, they really aren't in a position to compete a season from now anyways. The most important factor for 2017 is that the new GM realize that, and construct the team with that reality in mind.

Over the course of the 2011 to 2014 seasons, the Twins were in no position to compete. What they did during the offseason though was to add warm bodies like Kevin Correia and Jason Marquis to their starting pitching staff. At that point, it may have been necessary with a less healthier farm system, especially on the pitching front. Right now though, that couldn't be further from the truth.

Here's the reality, the Twins already have Phil Hughes and Kyle Gibson as guaranteed rotation arms to start 2017. Assuming they don't trade Ervin Santana, he'll be at the top, and without DFA'ing Hector Santiago (which I'd be in favor of), there's just one spot left. That one spot is going to need to go to top pitching prospect Jose Berrios.

Therein lies the problem.

Minnesota could have as many as four of the five starting rotation spots filled, and only two of them may be around when this club gets back to relevance. If the hope is that 2018 sees Minnesota at the top of the AL Central again, that rotation should be led by Berrios. Behind the aforementioned group to open 2017, whoever is managing the 25 man needs to be getting significant looks at longer term options.

Trevor May's back is all but begging to go back to starting pitching. Adalberto Mejia is a top 100 pitching prospect Minnesota was flipped by the Giants for Eduardo Nunez. Stephen Gonsalves is nearly kicking the door down to be called up to the show, and he has both Tyler Jay and Kohl Stewart behind him. There's a ton of inexperience and youth among these names, but using 2017 as anything but a proving ground for the arms doesn't make much sense.

With the way things are set up, the bullpen should follow suit with the starting staff. Players like Jake Reed, Zack Jones, Trevor Hildenberger, D.J. Baxendale, Alex Wimmers, and even a healthy Nick Burdi should be given significant run in relief next season. While there's some spots already claimed, putting retreads ahead of the home grown talent doesn't stand to make much sense.

Now, it's absolutely fair to question the validity of each of these options (starting or relief) working out. There could be a handful of mediocrity among the options, and finding top tier players isn't an easy ask. That being said, making a move for an ace in a losing season before finding out what your internal talent looks like doesn't sound like a great ask either.

If you really want to deal Brian Dozier for a top tier starter, you can probably ask around. Given that he's 29 and not signed into any of his free agent years, I'm not sure that the return is necessarily what it's made out to look like. Outside of that scenario, hold onto your top prospects and actually play them. Turn 2017 into a big league providing ground. Get the kids' feet wet and make sure you know who's capable of leading you into relevancy during the 2018 season.

Prior to 2018, the Twins will likely have the same opportunity to make a deal in swapping prospects for a starter should they choose to do so. They'll likely have two more top 10 draft picks in their system, and a GM in place to actually turn things around should all be realities. Right now though, practice some patience and wait.

It may not be glamorous, but the 2017 Twins shouldn't be significantly different than this bunch. Move on from the holdovers and get the perceived difference makers from the farm up. After you've gotten some time to complete evaluations at the highest level, then figure out what's next.

Dozier's Dazzling Numbers For Twins

If you've been reading Off The Baggy at all this season, there's been no one I've been more all over the place on than Brian Dozier. From wondering if he's selling out too much, or becoming defiant in his approach during his down swing, to marveling at his uptick, his season has been a roller coaster ride. Since May 25 however, he's turned it on, and the results have been incredible.

At this point, you know what Brian Dozier is. He's a pull hitter, although doing so less often than in 2015 (just 54.9% of the time this season). He hits most of his homers to left field, and he's an adequate defender. This season, more of Dozier's fly balls are leaving the yard (15.8% HR/FB ratio) and he's hitting 32.9% of balls he puts in play with hard contact.

Let's end the statistical analysis there though and look at the ridiculousness of the numbers he's provided us in 2016.

In 2012, Dozier burst onto the scene during spring training. Many wanted him to come north with the club as the starting shortstop. He ended up being promoted in May and owned a career worst .603 OPS while playing a very poor defensive shortstop. Since transitioning to second base, Dozier has gone from non-prospect to relative national name.

Over the course of his career, Dozier has amassed 14.0 fWAR, which is already 25th best in Minnesota Twins history. Among franchise second basemen, only Rod Carew and Chuck Knoblauch have a higher total than Brian. Really, what fuels his rise though, has been the power numbers.

This season, Dozier has set a new career high in longballs for the Twins with 29 (excluding his wiped out shot in the Twins suspended game). Over the course of Major League Baseball's entire history, only 39 times has a second basemen hit that many. He becomes just the 18th second basemen in big league history to reach that plateau.

As things stand currently, Dozier is on pace to set career highs in multiple different categories. His batting average of .268 is well above his career mark of .245, and his .877 OPS is over 100 points better than his previous career best of .762 set in 2014. He's already tripled five times this season, another career high, and his 87 strikeouts have him on pace to post a career low by a longshot.

Considering the power output, Dozier also compare favorably across all of baseball position-wide. His ISO of .268 is easily the best mark of his career, and currently puts him 12th in the big leagues during 2016. That mark is higher than that of names such as Nelson Cruz, Giancarlo Stanton, Manny Machado, and Mike Trout.

Thus far, the Twins have played 125 games, meaning they've got 37 left to go. Calculating off of his current pace, Dozier would end the season with 38 homers. That would be the 9th highest single season total in Twins franchise history, and the highest by a player not named Harmon Killebrew. 38 homers would tie for the 7th most in major league history during a single season by a second basemen.

To summarize, Brian Dozier went from a fun spring training story, to a failed shortstop, to an incredibly polarizing second basemen. He's now one of the game's most legitimate middle infield power hitters, and the Twins are season production at levels they've never before experienced. To put it bluntly, Brian Dozier is a lot of fun.

Building The 2017 Minnesota Twins

There's no denying that 2016 has been a colossal disappointment across Twins Territory. Even if you weren't among the group of believers thinking this club could be a playoff team, you likely didn't see this level of disaster. That being said, it's probably past time to begin looking at next year. When doing so, maybe the most important factor is what names fill up the 25 man roster.

Here's some stipulations for this exercise. I won't be using trades to acquire anyone. First, I'm not a great matchmaker, and predicting who may or may not be available just isn't a rabbit hole I want to dive down. Secondly, I won't be taking any stabs at arbitration salaries. It's a complicated process, and while I'll note guaranteed salaries and any free agent dollars, I will merely mention players that will be arbitration eligible as well as referencing their 2016 dollars.

With that out of the way, here we go:

Starting Lineup (9)

• 1B Joe Mauer $23 million
• 2B Brian Dozier $6 million
• 3B Trevor Plouffe Arbitration Eligible ($7.25m in 2016)
• SS Jorge Polanco Pre-Arbitration
• C Wilson Ramos $20 million (5 year, $100 million)
• LF Eddie Rosario Pre-Arbitration
• CF Bryon Buxton Pre-Arbitration
• RF Max Kepler Pre-Arbitration
• DH Miguel Sano Pre-Arbitration

I'm not of the belief that Brian Dozier should be dealt. He may be the Twins best trade chip, but having not bought into his free agent years hurts the Twins some. Play him up the middle with Jorge Polanco and let them be the catalyst of the Minnesota lineup. My thoughts on Plouffe coming back have been fleshed out here, although I'm nervous to see what he gets in arbitration. By allowing him to play the field, Miguel Sano can focus on being a hitter, what he does best.

Obviously the biggest splash here is the Wilson Ramos acquisition. He's the best hitting catcher in the big leagues, and that deal may even be a bit light. Considering he just turned 29 and won't be 30 until the end of next season, I'd look to wrap him up for at least five years. He'll have plenty of suitors, and there's no telling what his feelings towards the organization are. Minnesota has serious catching issues. Don't keep putting a band-aid on them, the new GM can make a splash and fix this spot almost immediately.

Bench (4)

• Eduardo Escobar Arbitration Eligible ($2.15m in 2016)
• Mitch Garver Pre-Arbitration
• Daniel Palka Pre-Arbitration
• Byung Ho Park $2.75 million

When it comes to utility infielders, it's basically between Escobar and Danny Santana for the Twins. I'm really not concerned about Santana being out of options, and his positional flexibility doesn't mean much when he's below average everywhere. Give me Escobar to spell the infield. I'm more than ok with the idea that Mitch Garver can leap frog recently acquired John Ryan Murphy. The former Yankees backstop has struggled all year, and the Twins home grown product has done anything but. Garver can spell Ramos when needed.

In this scenario, Palka essentially replaces Robbie Grossman, who I don't think has a place on the 2017 Twins. Palka's power is real, he should be a very capable bench power bat, and can start in either corner outfield spot one or two days a week. Palka will strike out plenty, but I think he's shown just a bit more than the other guy I considered here, Adam Brett Walker.

That leaves us with Byung Ho Park. 2016 has been a disappointment for the Korean slugger. He's been nagged by a wrist issue, but I think there's a significant learning curve he's struggling with too. 2017 may see him head back to Triple-A again, but from the get go, let him rotate in at first base and designated hitter.

Starting Rotation (5)

• Ervin Santana $13.5 million
• Phil Hughes $13.2 million
• Kyle Gibson Arbitration Eligible ($586k in 2016)
• Trevor May Pre-Arbitration
• Jose Berrios Pre-Arbitration

Having nearly $27 million tied up in two average starters isn't ideal, but the rest of the Twins rotation comes on the cheap. I'd struggle with dealing Santana in part because of Hughes' injury concerns, as well as knowing the open market has next to nothing that you could replace him with. Minnesota will need to hope Hughes returns healthy and at least somewhat effective to start the 2017 season.

After the top two guys, it's youth all the way. Trevor May to the rotation is not something I've ever been convinced of, but his back suggests he needs to be back there. If he can pitch anything like he has as a reliever, Minnesota may have a high strikeout guy here which is something they desperately need. Speaking of strikeouts, Jose Berrios should provide plenty if he can get locked in as well. Something has to click, but I think he'll be fine.

I'd really rather see Adalberto Mejia in this five somehow, but I'm just not sure where he fits. If you deal Santana or Hughes can't stay healthy, then there's obvious room. There should be plenty of steam behind Stephen Gonsalves being an early season addition as well.

Bullpen (7)

• Glen Perkins $6.5 million
• J.T. Chargois Pre-Arbitration
• Taylor Rogers Pre-Arbitration
• Tyler Duffey Pre-Arbitration
• Brandon Kintzler Arbitration Eligible
• Michael Tonkin Pre- Arbitration
• Ryan Pressly Arbitration Eligible ($520k in 2016)

There's some real concern as to whether or not Perkins is ever effective again. Either way, I'd start sliding Chargois into some save situations sooner rather than later. Rogers has been lights out for Minnesota this season, and I think it's just the tip of the iceberg. Light is another hard thrower, coming over from Boston in exchange for Fernando Abad, and he could help the Twins push the strikeout total in relief.

When it comes to holdovers, Tonkin and Pressly both seem no brainers for me from the get go. I'm not sure Tonkin is a long term option, but I think he's too good to cut bait with from the get go. Pressly has been one of the Twins best relievers since 2014, and the former Rule 5 pick continues to be as trustworthy as they come in relief.

Probably the toughest to pin down for me is Brandon Kintzler. He's pitched himself into the immediate 2017 plans for the Twins, but he's not a piece of the future either. Operating as a closer, he's done admirably. Striking out just 5.5 per nine though, there's little upside here. I think he warms a 7th inning spot for the likes of Jake Reed, Pat Light, or Zack Jones in the not-so-distant future. If Minnesota gets any trade offers for him, I'd move him immediately.

If there's a surprise in this group, it's my inclusion of former starter Tyler Duffey. He was a reliever in college, and his lack of a solid third pitch has hurt him significantly as a starter. He profiles as a guy who could be very good in short bursts, and even if he's your long man, the Twins are better positioned with him out of the rotation.

As things sit right now, I feel pretty good about the above landscape. Sure, players like Danny Santana and Kennys Vargas are jettisoned from the organization as they are out of options, but trading them prior to losing them would be a good way to go about things. I have a hard time believing the Twins are destined for greatness in 2017, but think the above provides a solid foundation to begin to go for it in 2018.

While there's not a massive overhaul, I don't think there really needs to be either. Seeing the Twins turn the page the past few months, this current group is capable of playing competitive baseball. If the 2017 group I've laid out can play good baseball on a nightly basis, they'll hang around .500 long enough to be relevant all season. At the end of the day, they're going to need to pitch, which has been the organization's downfall. The pen is set up to be creative and cheap, while the rotation relies on arms that should have higher ceilings than those that have been run out in the not so distant past.

Should the Twins spend this offseason, it needs to be at the catcher position. With a free agent class void of any real diamonds, throwing money around with capable internal options doesn't seem ideal. That may not provide fireworks, but keeping a focus on the future needs to be the goal.

Starting Pitching Remains Twins Biggest Mystery

Now with the 2016 Major League Baseball season quickly racing to a close, the statistical output for teams has a solid base. When looking at team compiled numbers, no longer is there such a thing as a small sample size. For the Twins, that spells disaster once again on the starting pitching front. As has been the case plenty in recent years, Minnesota has failed to get out of its own when way it comes to getting games off on a good foot.

In 2016, the Minnesota Twins own a major league worst 5.37 ERA for starters. They are joined by Oakland, Arizona, and Los Angeles as the only other teams with starting ERAs north of the 5.00 mark. When it comes to strikeouts, Minnesota is also dead last with a 6.70 K/9 total. Only the Brewers, Athletics, Braves, and Rangers have also failed to strike out at least seven batters per nine innings with their starters. The unfortunate reality for the Twins is that this isn't new.

Almost certain to lose 90 games again this season, Minnesota ranked 30th in ERA and 29th in K/9 during the 2014 season, last in both categories during 2013, 29th and 30th respectively in 2012, and 26th in ERA while being 28th in K/9 during 2011. During their long drought of losing, starting pitching has been a significant problem. Even in 2015 when the Twins made a surprising run at the playoffs, starters owned just the 15th best ERA in the big leagues, while compiling the 28th best K/9 mark. As has been the case for quite some time, starters that don't strike anyone out generally struggle.

Individually, only Jose Berrios owns a K/9 of at least one per inning (9.0) among Twins starters. Tyler Duffey is second best coming in at 7.53 K/9, and rotation ace Ervin Santana has compiled a 6.97 K/9, When looking for pitching help in recent seasons, Minnesota has made a habit of going for inning eaters as opposed to difference makers.

Should the Twins be looking to turn things around in 2017 and beyond, and renewed focus in regards to their starting pitching is a must.

Going into 2017, the Twins likely could be looking at just two veteran pitchers in Santana and Phil Hughes. If they can somehow get out from underneath Hector Santiago's roster spot (even DFA'ing him), three rotation spots should be up for grabs. You'd hope that one of those would be handed to Jose Berrios. Ideally things begin to click for him, and whatever the big league coaches haven't been able to unlock is figured out. From there, a return of Trevor May to the rotation makes sense, and the 5th spot could be decided between Adelberto Mejia or even rising prospect Stephen Gonsalves.

What is promising among the aforementioned group is that the latter three or four (Berrios, May, Mejia, and Gonsalves) are all capable of generating swings and misses. Minnesota may flip Santana, and Hughes is far from a sure thing given his injury issues. Regardless, a transition to a more dominant version of a starter is something that's going to be necessary for Minnesota to be relevant and competitive.

This whole importance of strikeouts is something that's been a shift over the landscape of major league baseball for some time. Thus far, the Twins haven't adapted and it's been to their detriment. What is worth noting however, is that a change can be made when it's actually concentrated on. In 2012, the Cleveland Indians found themselves 29th in K/9 and just four years later, they've vaulted up to 5th. Actually implementing the change is half of the battle.

Considering that a new GM is coming, and organizational changes will be made, there's reason to believe that Minnesota stops operating on old principles. If the Twins are going to compete, they'll need to start playing the form of baseball that the current major league landscape dictates. If starting pitching continues to be something Minnesota takes mulligans on, it won't matter how many top prospects come through the system.

As has always been the case, pitching reigns supreme, and the Twins getting on board with true starters is a must. A turnaround is more than possible, but it needs to be one that the organization commits to.