Twins Pitchers Aim To Solidify Starting Rotation At Spring Training
FORT MYERS, Fla. (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Twins were nearly a playoff team last year. Having Ervin Santana for a full season might have given them enough to be a wild card team.
But at Spring Training, pitchers are doing their part to solidify a spot in the starting rotation when Opening Day comes in April. That starts Wednesday with the Twins' first game against the Boston Red Sox.
Four spots seem to be at least somewhat solidified, barring injury or major ineffectiveness. But it's anyone's guess who the No. 5 starter will be.
Ervin Santana didn't do the Twins any favors last year after missing the first 80 games of last season due to a suspension for using performance enhancing drugs. That came months after signing a $55 million contract with the Twins as a free agent.
He went 7-5 as a starter over the second half of the season and is the leading candidate to be the Twins starter on opening day in Baltimore. Phil Hughes's back must have been hurting from carrying the rotation in 2014, when he won 14 games.
A back injury last season put him in reverse and according to pitching coach Neil Allen, pushed him this offseason to have a banner year.
"Phil, he's a pro and he was very, very disappointed with what happened last year," Allen said. "And it's no big secret that he was very unhappy about it and we can talk about it until the cows come home. But at the same time he came in here with a whole, rejuvenated attitude."
Kyle Gibson's 11-11 record last year says it all. He knows he has to be more consistent to be that reliable guy in a rotation he says will be the key to winning more than 83 games this year.
"Go for the division. We feel really confident with the team we have. We know we're going to hit the ball really well, we know we're going to have pretty good defense. It's going to come down to how the starting five consistently go out there day in and day out, Gibson said.
The surprise of emergence of 25-year-old Tyler Duffey last year gives the Twins four experience starters. Duffey went 5-1 in his 10 starts in 2015. Throw in the anticipated debut of top pitching prospect Jose Berrios at some point this year, and it gives manager Paul Molitor an opportunity to be optimistic.
"You can argue if we have a No. 1 that matches up with some of the guys around the league, but I like the fact that we have guys that are experienced, they know how to win and they know how to go deep in games