Twins seeking relief pitching

Minnesota does not have a notable amount of bullpen depth, and as a result, the club is looking to upgrade. According to La Velle E Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Twins are looking to add relief pitching before Opening Day. While a trade may be ideal for the club, Neal adds General Manager Terry Ryan will watch the waiver wire to determine if any qualified arms become available in the coming days.

Although Neal writes that the club seeking depth "isn't surprising" and that adding relievers "has been a topic of conversation at headquarters," the Twins' interest is justifiable based on the unit's 2014 numbers. Minnesota's bullpen was 21st in ERA (3.73), 29th in FIP (4.18), and last in strikeouts per nine innings (6.66 K/9).

The Twins have a notably young bullpen, and could be seeking veteran arms to add to the back end of the bullpen. Despite the fact that the Twins may be seeking another left-handed arm, the group also lacks a power reliever. Closer Glen Perkins is a lock, and Caleb Thielbar and Brian Duensing are the Twins' primary left-handed relief options. Thielbar posted a 3.40 ERA and 3.55 FIP in 47.2 innings with the Twins last season, while Duensing posted a 3.31 ERA and 4.51 FIP in 54.1 innings pitched in 2014.

Lefty Aaron Thompson has performed notably well this spring and may be a candidate to win a bullpen spot, however he has just 15 major league innings to his name.

Mike Pelfrey, Tommy Milone, and Trevor May are all competing for the fifth starting spot in Minnesota's rotation, and according to MLB.com's Andrew Simon, any of those three could be slotted into the club's bullpen if necessary. While nothing is close, the organization could pursue a trade if for no other reason than to have left-handed depth.