Yet, as the Twins stood pat this offseason, their decision to retain their pitching depth appears to be the right one.
Minnesota’s pitching depth is staggering. Even beyond their established Major League rotation, the Saints’ Triple-A rotation features names like David Festa, Zebby Matthews, Andrew Morris, Cory Lewis, Travis Adams, and Marco Raya—all of whom have either shown flashes of success in the majors or are on the cusp of making an impact.
That doesn’t even include Louis Varland, who remains in limbo between a starting and bullpen role.
Despite this depth, the Twins opted against leveraging it in the trade market for a bat, instead filling their offensive gaps with free-agent additions like Harrison Bader and Ty France.
While a more aggressive approach could have landed them a significant impact bat, potentially at the cost of a front-end starter like Joe Ryan, Pablo López, or Bailey Ober, the team’s decision to hold onto its depth aligns with its organizational philosophy: pitching is paramount.
Last season demonstrated why. Injuries to Joe Ryan and Chris Paddack forced the Twins to tap into their reserves, with Simeon Woods Richardson, Zebby Matthews, and David Festa all stepping up when called upon.
That depth proved essential in navigating the inevitable attrition that comes with a 162-game season. Given that history, the Twins were wise to prioritize keeping their arms, even at the expense of offensive firepower.
However, this strategy does come with risks.
The Twins’ lineup is far from elite, lacking a true right-handed power threat and relying heavily on bounce-back performances from players like Jose Miranda and Royce Lewis.
Banking on improved health from their bats is a gamble, and if the offense sputters, the decision to hoard pitching depth could come under scrutiny.
Additionally, while depth is valuable, it can also create roster logjams. Prospects who are ready for the majors may find themselves stuck in Triple-A due to the sheer number of arms ahead of them.
This can lead to underutilization of talent and potentially diminish trade value if these players don’t get opportunities to showcase their abilities at the highest level. The Twins must balance retaining depth with ensuring player development isn’t stalled.
That said, the trade deadline presents a logical pivot point.
If Minnesota finds itself in playoff contention but struggling offensively, their surplus of arms will provide valuable trade capital.
The need for pitching depth decreases as the season progresses—by July, the rotation will be more settled, and the urgency to maintain a deep reservoir of arms lessens.
At that point, moving a Festa, Matthews, or even a more established arm for a lineup upgrade would make sense, allowing the Twins to fine-tune their roster for a postseason push.
Ultimately, the Twins’ conservative approach was the right call.
While their offense remains a question mark, the value of elite starting pitching depth cannot be overstated. What might seem like an excess of arms now could prove crucial when injuries inevitably arise.
And should they reach the trade deadline with a clear need for offense, they’ll have the assets to address it.
For now, the Twins are betting on depth—and their own recent history suggests that was the right decision.
