Minnesota Twins: Taking an Early Look at the Rotation
May 1, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher
Mike Pelfrey(37) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
The Fifth Spot
No one yet knows who will hold down the final spot in the rotation for the Twins in 2015. Samuel Deduno is down the road and Kohl Stewart and Jose Berrios need more seasoning. That said, let’s look at the options the Twins do have.
Trevor May got his first taste of the Big Leagues last season, and unfortunately really struggled. He had a tough time with his control and ended up with a 3-6 record and carried a 7.88 ERA. Hopefully he can find something in the spring to alleviate his control problems. Alex Meyer is a flame thrower who is already 25 and deserves his shot soon. I expect that he will this season, but I don’t expect him to be in the rotation from the get-go. Tommy Milone came from Oakland in the Sam Fuld trade and got shelled in his short time with the Twins last fall, but he is still around too. I anticipate he will start the year in the bullpen. Mike Pelfrey is about as exciting as dry toast, but he has always been a starter in his career. He missed most of last season, but I expect he will be in the rotation to start the season. Hopefully one of the younger guys with higher upside pitch so well in the spring that the Twins have to go with him, but as conservative as the Twins are with their pitching, I expect Pelfrey at first.
Last season, due to injuries and roster turnover, some guys I had never heard of like Yohan Pino got starts so I expect all of these guys to pop up at some point. The good news is with Santana joining the club and the odds that Nolasco almost has to improve at least somewhat, I expect the Twins starting pitching to be improved in 2015.