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This offseason, Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan's modus operandi has been upgrading the team's starting rotation. Though he has already added Rich Harden, Mike Pelfrey, Alex Meyer, and Kevin Correia to the Twins' stock of arms, Ryan's search might not be over. The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo reports that Minnesota is eyeing free-agent right-hander Brett Myers.
The Twins had the worst starting rotation in the majors in 2012, posting a -19.9 VORP, trailing far behind the second-worst team, the San Diego Padres (-13.3 VORP). Myers would represent a versatile option for Minnesota, as he can work out of the rotation or the bullpen.
The northpaw worked in relief for both the Astros and White Sox in 2012, compiling 41 strikeouts in 65⅓ innings with a 4.31 FIP. The 32-year-old saw a marked improvement in his velocity out of the bullpen, averaging 92.4 mph on his heater, compared to the average of 89.4 mph he posted working out of the rotation for Houston in 2011. (Ironically, his strikeout rate was higher in 2011.)
Myers lives dangerously when he takes to the mound, as he averages about a hit per inning and walks more than two batters per nine innings pitched. However, Myers does have a strong ground-ball rate and could see some improvement with a strong defense behind him.
