Roles Changing for MN Twins Pitchers?
We are now just a week away from Minnesota Twins pitchers and catchers reporting to Fort Myers for MLB Spring Training. Despite Tom Pohlad suggesting that there’s time to add more salary, the free agent market is all but drying up.
On that front, Minnesota has hardly overhauled a bullpen that was gutted at the trade deadline. Derek Falvey signed Taylor Rogers, before leaving the organization. And then Jeremy Zoll grabbed Jackson Kowar off the scrap heap in his first move.
Derek Shelton still has plenty of unanswered questions in relief, and it appears we could be trending more towards role changes being necessary moves than anything.
Two Minnesota Twins starters project to the bullpen
Considering the landscape of the Minnesota Twins pitching staff, David Festa appears to be ticketed for the bullpen. It suits his three-pitch mix better, and the smaller workload could keep him more healthy. Dan Hayes (The Athletic) and Aaron Gleeman (The Athletic) dropped a new roster projection, and Festa isn’t the only former starter they placed in the bullpen. Zebby Matthews joins him on the projected bullpen staff.
Reuniting with the 35-year-old Rogers for $2 million is the Twins’ lone reliever move of note and the remaining free-agent market has been thoroughly picked over, suggesting they plan to rebuild the bullpen internally and cheaply. Which young-ish starters win the final two rotation spots, and which are shifted to the bullpen or the minors, could be the Twins’ biggest storyline of spring training.
Aaron Gleeman – The Athletic
Transitioning young arms to the bullpen is a massive challenge. It can be messy, and it takes time for pitchers to adapt, especially when they hit a physical wall. Yes, most of these guys have thrown a ton of innings in a season as a starter. But those totals were accomplished by throwing every fifth day and never pitching three days in a row in August when general soreness kicks in. We saw it with Varland last year and Griffin Jax in 2022.
Dan Hayes – The Athletic
Both Hayes and Gleeman note a level of concern regarding the bullpen as a whole. And with Zebby Matthews joining their projection of David Festa to be in the group, it’s two spots taken by guys who have not traditionally been tabbed as relievers.
Festa posted a 5.40 ERA (4.88 FIP) in 53 1/3 innings last year. His average velocity sits around 94 mph, and he did carry a stellar 8.9 K/9. Coming back from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, it may be best to limit his workload, and Festa could even turn into a two-pitch reliever.
Although Zebby Matthews had an ugly 5.56 ERA, his 3.79 FIP was strong last season. He strikes out a ton of batters, walks next to no one, and substantially dropped his home run susceptibility. The tougher thing to swallow with Matthews moving to the bullpen is what you potentially lose out on from his as a starter.
The Minnesota Twins have pushed Zebby’s velocity into the upper 90’s over the past couple of seasons. He sat at 96.3 mph last season, which would probably take another jump if he’s able to let it eat for just a few innings. He has a five-pitch mix though, and that truly profiles best for the rotation.
MN Twins rotation becomes clearer
If both Zebby Matthews and David Festa are headed to the bullpen, then the starting rotation becomes more clear. Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan, and Bailey Ober are all locks. Leaving two spots.
Simeon Woods Richardson posted a 4.04 ERA (4.52 FIP) last season. The stuff isn’t exciting, and the results are average, but as a back-end starter, that works. He’s earned another chance for the spot, too.
Simeon Woods-Richardson, Nasty Splitters. ✌️
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 16, 2025
5Ks thru 3 pic.twitter.com/vIL5uLLYG8
That means one remaining spot comes down to a fight between a couple of pitchers acquired at the deadline. Taj Bradley and Mick Abel both have minor league options, but Bradley has more time in the big leagues. The former Tampa Bay Rays pitcher gets the fifth spot in the rotation from Hayes and Gleeman.
Having Abel pitch alongside arms like Andrew Morris, Connor Prielipp, Kendry Rojas, and others at Triple-A generates a solid amount of depth as well. Hopefully the Minnesota Twins won’t be forced to dip into it as quickly and consistently as they needed to a year ago, however.
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