It also developed into a primary target of criticism for Ryan’s detractors, until the longtime Twins GM stepped down in September 2007. Thankfully, as the front office evolved under now president Derek Falvey, the Twins entire infrastructure and ways of thinking have been long overhauled.

And in the time Falvey has been in control, Minnesota’s pitching development has thrived, as has their velocity. The Twins current regime has produced flamethrowers like Jhoan Duran , Griffin Jax, Jorge Alcala and Louie Varland, among others.

Before any of those now household names were on most MN Twins fans’ radar, there was Brusdar Graterol, who they signed as a 16-year-old international prospect back in August, 2014. After working his way through the system, Graterol made his MLB debut in 2019, at just 20 years old.

That offseason, however, Falvey & Co traded the 6’1″ 265 lb power reliever to the Los Angeles Dodgers, in exchange for Kenta Maeda, who went on to pitch very well in Minnesota for three seasons between 2020 and 2023 (277.1 IP, 4.02 ERA, 3.81 FIP and 107 ERA+).

Dodgers don’t believe Brusdar Graterol is coming back

Graterol, a former top 100 prospect, pitched just 9 2/3 innings during his short big league stint with the Twins. Now in his sixth season with the Dodgers, Graterol has thrown just 181 innings (178 games) over his six seasons in Los Angeles.

Only once has he surpassed 50 innings in a season. Brusdar’s 2.69 career ERA (3.19 FIP) is impressive, but if availability is still the best ability, Graterol has disappointed for the Dodgers. And according to LA manager Dave Roberts, their bullpen flamethrower isn’t expected to pitch again in 2025.

#Dodgers MGR Dave Roberts indicated that the chances of RH Brusdar Graterol pitching this season are slim. Graterol is in AZ but isn’t throwing.

— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 13, 2025

Related: Traded Minnesota Twins Pitcher Going Back on IL

Back in November Brusdar Graterol announced that he underwent offseason shoulder surgery. The hope then was that he’d be ready to return at some point during the 2025 season. Unfortunately, that dream doesn’t look like it’ll be realized.

That’s too bad, being the Dodgers are World Series favorites again and Graterol did not get to play in last year’s championship series. The timing of surgery was chosen in order to maximize his availability last October, and still return sometime this season. Unfortunately, the approach hasn’t played out as planned.

Last year, Graterol pitched just 7.1 regular season innings for the Dodgers. This season, he never took the mound at all, rendering him a non-factor in LA for two-straight summers.

Brusdar Graterol, Casual 101mph Mechanics. 🥱 pic.twitter.com/aUgDVPsorp

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 29, 2024

This season, Graterol is making $2.8 million for his rehab. He’s arbitration eligible for the final season of his rookie deal, in 2026. From there, the Los Angeles Dodgers must decide if the now 26-year-old is part of their future bullpen plans.

Twins now dealing directly with Dodgers and that part of mega deal seems pretty set, with Maeda still going to Minnesota and Graterol presumably going to LA. Dodgers are now mostly working with Red Sox to rejigger package for Betts. There’s certainly increased hope. #Mookie

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 9, 2020

Deals coming together. #Dodgers in agreement with #MNTwins, pending medical review – Maeda and cash would go to MIN for Graterol and another prospect. Other elements perhaps. Meanwhile, per @JeffPassan, LAD and #RedSox in agreement on Betts and Price for Verdugo-Jeter Downs-plus.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 9, 2020

#Dodgers sending $10M with Maeda and receiving #MNTwins’ Comp B draft pick in 2020, source tells The Athletic.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 9, 2020

#MNTwins also getting low-level minor leaguer from #Dodgers in addition to Maeda and $10M, source says.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 9, 2020

To summarize: The #MNTwins are giving up Brusdar Graterol and the No. 67th pick in the 2020 draft and receive Kenta Maeda, $10m and a low-level prospect from the Dodgers per @Ken_Rosenthal and @JeffPassan.

— Dan Hayes (@DanHayesMLB) February 9, 2020

The Twins are finally done dealing with the Red Sox and their bullshit. It looks like they were be able to leave the dirty work details of this trade, involving Mookie Betts and David Price going to LA, to be worked out between the Dodgers and Red Sox.

The crux of this deal was first reported a couple of hours ago, by Jon Heyman but I’m guessing the money and additional Twins’ prospect had to be worked out.

Instead of sending Brusdar Graterol to Boston, he will go to LA (Plus comp-B 2020 draft pick – #67 overall + $1M in draft pool cash). Meanwhile, the Twins will receive the same player that they wanted when this thing was first reported, in (SP) Kenta Maeda ($10 Million) and a lower-level prospect to be named later.

Who knows what this means for Brusdar. It doesn’t seem like the Red Sox want him anymore. According to the insiders, it’s more likely he stays with the Dodgers when this is all said and done.

The Red Sox are the only team that sees further issues with Graterol’s medical records, according to Heyman, so the Dodgers are fine with making essentially the same flip that Boston backed out of.

In one proposed scenario Twins and Dodgers make their own deal involving Maeda and a Graterol with Graterol possibly sticking with LA. Non-Boston docs seem to have no big issue with Graterol meds.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 9, 2020

What does this mean for the Twins going forward? It means they have their starting rotation set, for Opening Day 2020. Maeda slides perfectly into the 3-spot of the starting rotation while we wait for Pineda and Hill to get back.

As we get closer to the trade deadline, come the middle of the season, the Twins will look for a starter to place at the front of their rotation. Even if Jose Berrios comes to Jesus and becomes a legitimate #1 starter in the MLB, he won’t be enough to matchup against the Yankees and Astros of the world, in a playoff series.

I said this right after the first time this trade was consummated, the Twins are all-in on winning the World Series this year. If they weren’t, then the Maeda and Donaldson deals don’t happen.

But, the Twins’ starting rotation isn’t one that is all-in for a playoff run. They also have prospects boiling over from their farm system, that don’t have positions available to play.

So, if 2+2+2 still equals 6, then the Twins still have some wheeling and dealing to do. But for now (maybe), it feels like we can take a breath and get ready for Spring Training… which starts on Wednesday.

via GIPHY

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Twins have floated names of top-20 prospects to try to sweeten the Graterol part of deal but so far Red Sox haven’t accepted any of the names. @LaVelleNeal suggested Twins are pulling out. No confirm on that but optimism for them and Red Sox part of deal has waned a bit.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 8, 2020

Latest word: While the #MNTwins haven’t backed out quite yet, they are setting a deadline of today to resolve their part of the deal with Boston.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 8, 2020

via GIPHY

It looks like the Minnesota Twins could be dropping out of the blockbuster deal that was reported last week, sending Brusdar Graterol to Boston, in exchange for the Dodgers’, Kenta Maeda.

The Red Sox decided to blow this entire thing up due to their own inner conflicts on the entire situation. More and more national insiders are pointing to this entire snafu being caused by Boston’s cold feet, mostly due to fan backlash after the deal.

Feels like Boston’s Winter of Waffling could be a factor in the delayed mega deal. Getting under the threshold seemed like a mandate at times, only a goal at other times. Feels like there’s been inner conflict all along, and trade blowback caused conflict to resurface. #Mookie

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 8, 2020

Real question is what #RedSox want. #MNTwins could send Graterol and lesser prospect to #Dodgers, then LAD could flip Graterol and a better prospect to BOS. But some in talks sense that negative media reaction to Verdugo-Graterol return for Betts-Price gave BOS ownership pause.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 8, 2020

More on #RedSox: They should not have been surprised Graterol might project as a reliever; that is how #MNTwins saw him. They also should not have been surprised that fans and media would react negatively to a trade of one of the game’s biggest stars, Mookie Betts.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 8, 2020

Where there is smoke, there is usually fire. The entire city of Boston erupted when this deal happened and now the Red Sox have cold feet.

They used the only option they had left to get more back…. or blow the trade up all together, and that was the medical review. Jon is reporting (in that tweet above) that the Twins have “floated Top-20 prospects” to go with Graterol, but Boston has still turned them down. Ken Rosenthal says (below) they want a top-10 prospect to pair with Graterol.

That’s because this whole thing has nothing to do with Graterol’s medical review. It has everything to do with Boston’s buyer’s remorse.

LaVelle E. Neal says the Star Tribune’s headline department went a little over the top, with this headline that said the Twins were already out on the deal (see below) a littler earlier this afternoon.

That headline is causing all of the MLB insiders to correct the Star Tribune… which is making for some good entertainment at least.

The Twins are over it but not…. totally over it. Heyman says there is a deadline set for the end of tonight… but others say the talks are ongoing… so grab your popcorn.

The #mntwins are pulling out of the megadeal and will keep Brusdar Graterol, reports @LaVelleNeal https://t.co/Nl8uH3X7t7 pic.twitter.com/hzu031LAwG

— Star Tribune Sports (@StribSports) February 8, 2020

Hey the headine was a little strong. Twins don’t expect a deal to be made. That is clear. But There’s no “pull out” yet.

— LaVelle E. Neal III (@LaVelleNeal) February 8, 2020

Not accurate to say #MNTwins are out of three-team blockbuster, but the impasse continues, sources tell me and @DanHayesMLB. #RedSox want second top 10 prospect added to Graterol. MIN will not give that much up for #Dodgers’ Maeda.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 8, 2020

Bottom line: #RedSox and #Dodgers should be motivated to complete deal. BOS could be left with Betts, Price and all their previous financial concerns, valid or not. LAD would be left with Maeda and Pederson unsettled – and once again they would be shut out on a star.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 8, 2020

The Twins have the least amount of bullshit to go back home to, if this deal falls apart. They don’t have to go back to a pissed off former MVP or a massive payroll they thought they got rid of.

There is no reason to bend over backward, in order to get this deal done. I like our team better with Maeda on it and I still believe everything I said about Brusdar Graterol.

However, I am not giving up anymore than Graterol, unless it’s pennies to add to his dollar. I’m also not bailing Boston out of their own stupidity. If LA wants to sweeten the deal, then let them.

They were the ones raping everyone else involved in this blockbuster anyway. Let them add more to the package. If the Red Sox aren’t ready to let the MLB move on tonight, by completing this deal, then they can go fuck themselves.

Well the Red Sox can go fuck themselves. #MNTwins https://t.co/fiyZxfZkap

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) February 7, 2020

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Here we are. It’s now been 58-ish hours since the Twins helped complete a trade (in theory) that sent Brusdar Graterol to the Boston Red Sox, in exchange for Kenta Maeda, a starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Those were just the minor details to those viewing the trade through a national lease. For Boston, they were mourning the exit of their championships past while the LA market was celebrating their newest middle-of-the-lineup flex.

Then, the Boston market started an investigation into the reparations received for sending away their MVP-caliber right fielder…. because just like the front office of their baseball team, they knew nothing about Brusdar Graterol. Quickly, the city started rioting on the internet to a degree in Boston, not seen since the last time tea was allowed within city limits.

The internet may not have existed back then but I’ve been told by sources that the level of consternation was very similar.

So, with Red Sox fans lining up with stone-age farm equipment/weapons like torches and pitchforks… the organization heads started back-pedaling and looking for possible escape routes…

And then….. bingo:

The Red Sox, after viewing the medical records of Twins right-hander Brusdar Graterol, projected him more as a reliever than as a starter, according to sources involved with the discussions. As a result of that valuation, the Sox might ask for an additional player and/or money to bridge the gap, though it is unclear whether the player would come from the Twins or Dodgers, sources said.

Ken Rosenthal – The Athletic

The Red Sox put an official hold on the deal nearly 36 hours ago.

Since then, we’ve had a couple of updates, the most recent of which came last night around 9 PM, 48 hours after the trade was first agreed to… but really there isn’t much of an update.

Sources are telling each outlet something a little bit different but we can read between the lines. The Red Sox want more OR want to give up less. Whether they get their way, or where the extra compensation comes from, is still up in the air.

Talks between #MNTwins and #RedSox to resolve differences over value of right-hander Brusdar Graterol going slowly, sources tell The Athletic. One alternative is for #Dodgers to acquire prospect from another club to help bridge gap. Story from earlier: https://t.co/ZtX8TdUGJ7

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 7, 2020

Night update: Multiple sources still expect deal’s completion w/Betts+Price going to LA and Verdugo to the Sox. Beyond that, deal described as having ‘moving parts.’ As .@Ken_Rosenthal reports, MN and BOS working through what to do with Boston’s concerns about Graterol medicals. https://t.co/KEw6JxOnJ3

— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) February 7, 2020

Source familiar with the three-way Boston/Los Angeles/Minnesota trade said the sides are “making progress,” and while a deal isn’t likely to be finalized any earlier than Friday, it’s still “more likely to happen than not.”

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 7, 2020

Red Sox are said to be trying to reconfigure the part of the Betts 3-team deal with the Twins (meaning more than Graterol). While there’s still hope the mega deal gets done in some form, some involved are now suggesting it’s not a certainty.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 7, 2020

So, most still believe the deal will get done but there are definitely still talks going on behind the scenes that could complete this deal, change this deal, or even kill this deal…. at any time.

There are questions about whether it will be finished before the weekend too. Remember, pitchers and catchers report for the Twins on Wednesday.

Brusdar Graterol is in Fort Myers right now, where he has been living all offseason because of the current unrest still engulfing his home country of Venezuela.

So, the clock is ticking. Everyone knew Brusdar Graterol was a fringe starter, possibly dominant bullpen pitcher, who has had injury concerns throughout his early career.

Nothing has changed in that regard. Let’s move along. This is getting stupid.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Red Sox, after viewing the medical records of Twins right-hander Brusdar Graterol, projected him more as a reliever than as a starter, according to sources involved with the discussions. As a result of that valuation, the Sox might ask for an additional player and/or money to bridge the gap, though it is unclear whether the player would come from the Twins or Dodgers, sources said.

Ken Rosenthal – The Athletic

I’ll start this blog off by saying… that I’m not really sure what is going on here. We know what Boston wants, and that’s additional compensation for unloading Mookie Betts to the Dodgers.

We know they are using Brusdar Graterol’s medical records, as a means of getting that additional compensation. The way it’s worded in Ken Rosenthal’s article that broke this news, is what throws shades of gray on everything though…

According to everyone involved, this deal will still get done. It doesn’t seem like Graterol has any injuries that he’s dealing with currently. Boston just seems pissed off about something past, in his medical records…

“The Red Sox, after viewing the medical records of Twins right-hander Brusdar Graterol, projected him more as a reliever than as a starter…”

via GIPHY

Ummm…………… duh

via GIPHY

Is it just me or do the Boston Red Sox just seem like the sore losers of a trade, who are now trying to come back to the playground with their mom (the MLB) in the hopes of recouping some of their losses?

If the Twins actually did anyone dirty on this deal, and they weren’t disclosing something pertinent in Brusdar Graterol’s medical records, then they should have to provide the additional compensation that gets this deal done.

But if the Red Sox didn’t do enough of their own due diligence, to find out that Brusdar Graterol has had an injury-plagued minor league career… then that’s on them. Graterol isn’t a starter (in-part due to health concerns).

That’s a big part of why he’s overrated, which I wrote about yesterday.

I have a hard time believing the Twins tried to send Sam Dyson an injured Graterol to Boston and it doesn’t seem like that’s what the Sox are alleging… It just seems like the they are butt-hurt on a trade that they now realize, they took the L in…

Clearly Boston fans are pissed off that they are losing Mookie Betts but supposedly that has nothing to do with what’s taken so long to finalize this deal…. Here is what Jeff Passan of ESPN wrote this morning:

The likelihood of the trade of Betts to the Dodgers blowing up altogether, sources said, is slim, as medical-related impasses are typically worked around. Although the negative reaction in Boston to trading Betts, a homegrown franchise player, was loud and abundant, it was not a driving force behind the holdup, sources said. Boston simply wants to ensure that it receives a commensurate return for the 27-year-old right fielder, who is entering his final season before free agency and is expected to seek a contract well in excess of $300 million and perhaps even $400 million.

Jeff Passan – ESPN

Well sorry Kyle, you traded me your holographic Charizard on the playground fair and square, Tuesday. I’m not giving it back and I’m not giving you anything else. I don’t care if you did bring your mom here with you.

via GIPHY

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

I think the Twins made a bad trade — but, because their intent is to take advantage of their window to get back to the World Series for the first time since 1991, I’m ultimately OK with it. There are times that GMs can’t be concerned about “winning a trade” long-term, and instead need to focus on winning a championship. The Twins traded their best pitching prospect, Graterol, for a veteran starter in Maeda. They traded a high-upside arm for a sure thing, realizing their World Series window is definitely the next few years.

Jim Bowden – The Athletic

Yikes. The #Twins trading Brusdar Graterol for Kenta Maeda does not look good on the surface, at all. It seems like there is always a team that gets fleeced in a 3-team deal, and this looks like it could be it.

— MLB Offseason News (@MLBDeadlineNews) February 5, 2020

#MNTwins giving up Graterol for Kenta Maeda is viewed as steep price throughout industry. But if it wasn’t clear before, it is now: They understand their window to win is now and they’re going all in on 2020.

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) February 5, 2020

Last night, the Minnesota Twins were part of a blockbuster trade that sent Mookie Betts and David Price to the Los Angeles Dodgers. As part of the deal, The Twins sent RP prospect Brusdar Graterol to Boston, in exchange for RH SP, Kenta Maeda, of the Dodgers.

Reaction around the internet is mixed regarding the Twins role in this deal. It’s pretty clear the Dodgers got to have their cake and eat it too. They were the winners in this 3-team swap.

But the Twins aren’t out here getting run over by a couple big market teams. In reality, I think this deal is going to end up looking REALLY bad for the Red Sox, when it’s all said and done.

Because Brusdar Graterol is…. kind of overrated.

Red Sox new flame thrower Brusdar Graterol: pic.twitter.com/Lwy4LO0T2L

— Boston Strong (@BostonStrong_34) February 5, 2020

Alright, so this is pretty much every single Brusdar Graterol out or strike in his MLB career. I’m grabbing this because I don’t have enough time to go cut up something that includes bad pitches.

I’m not saying that to be an asshole. I’m just busy and can prove my point with this video. Graterol throws hard. We get that. But, I always caught myself wondering why he was having so many issues getting MLB hitters to swing and miss, especially in an age where hitters whiff more than any other time in history.

You can see a glimpse of why in this video, though. His control is terrible… I like the slider that comes into the zone backdoor vs Ronny Rodriguez of the Detroit Tigers at the 00:29 mark.

Just an absolute hanger that Rodriguez somehow misses… but I guess that’s why he wears the #60.

How about the first two pitches in that highlight? Both miss spots and should be lit up. At this point of Brusdar Graterol’s career, all he is doing is gripping the ball and throwing it as fast as possible.

Throw on his additional injury issues (he threw 102 innings once, in 2018), and I just don’t think Falvine is confident Graterol will end up being a great player in the MLB.

At best, I personally see him as a journey setup man who is throwing about 95-97 once he settles down and realizes he still has to hit spots, to get major league hitters out.

Kenta Maeda is Everything Brusdar Graterol Isn’t

Ok, I’ve had enough of this Kenta Maeda slander. Dan Cole “The Common Man”, of KFAN has been comparing him to Kyle Gibson all day… are you kidding me? Kyle-fucking-Gibson….?

I checked, just to be sure I wasn’t goin crazy. I was right, like usual. Kyle Gibson had two seasons where he could hold Kenta Maeda’s jock strap. He posted a sub-3.75 ERA in 2015 and 2018. I don’t know where those seasons came from, but he was nothing near that for the rest of his career, where he sits much closer to 5.00.

Meanwhile, Maeda averages the same ERA for his career, that Gibson posted in his best seasons. Seriously, Kenta Maeda’s career ERA is 3.87 and he strikes out nearly 9.8 batters for every 9 innings. That’s better than Graterol’s 9.2 (including the minors) and shits all over Gibson’s 7.0 career K/9.

Seriously, the more you look into Kenta Maeda, the more excited you get. Maeda is only 31, which might as well be pre-pubescent in pitcher years. He slots in so perfectly as your #3 pitcher that he makes Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi look better, for some reason.

Kenta Maeda also has an amazingly cheap contract that stretches all the way through 2023. That means more flexibility for the still inevitable blockbuster trade that will come before we reach the deadline, during the season.

The Twins look to be jumping all in… finally. But, they aren’t there yet. They still need a bona fide #1 starter that I’m almost convinced they will move on before that deadline. You don’t start trading pieces like Brusdar Graterol if you aren’t pushing all of your chips into the middle of the table.

If you slide Trevor Bauer or Mike Clevinger into that #1 sport and slide Maeda down to the #4 guy…….. now that is a playoff rotation.

via GIPHY

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Building on this: He clearly has the stuff to impact the Major Leagues. But he’s also super young with a lot of time for development left and also has never thrown more than 102 innings in a season. So the balance is finding MLB innings without pushing it.

This tweet dropped a couple of days ago and I missed it until yesterday afternoon, just before streaming MSF Daily – LIVE. Then, things on this website went a little crazy last night and I was stuck just trying to keep us online instead of blogging. I had to upgrade servers and plans because we’ve outgrown ourselves again…. which is a good thing, but caused some SSL issues on the front-end and a few months of my life on the back-end…

It’s hard to see any issues on the front or back-end of the Minnesota Twins’ 2020 bullpen, right now though. Now that we know Brusdar Graterol will continue pitching in relief for 2020, it’s difficult to see any holes out beyond the left-center homerun fence at Target Field.

Before we dig deeper into the 2020 bullpen though, let’s first touch more on this decision to keep Graterol pitching out of relief… because it’s the smart thing to do.

Brusdar has had major issues staying healthy, throughout his professional career. Last year was no different. At just 21 years old, we don’t know how long he will shoot fire out of his right arm. He has plenty of time to develop his arm as a starter but when that happens, he probably won’t throw 103 MPH anymore.

Don’t waste that gas in the minors, where he would need more time to develop as a starter. Take advantage of that flamethrower, while you can. If he stays healthy for an entire season out of the bullpen, you can look at his future with a fresh perpective, knowing he’ll be just 22 years young, entering 2021.

Minnesota Twins Bullpen – 2020

The Twins entered 2019 with the bullpen as their weakest link. Now, they enter 2020 with a bullpen overshadowed only by their already historic, but also vastly improved, batting lineup.

Let’s look for ourselves (2019 Stats via baseball-reference.com):

• CP: Taylor Rogers – 2.61 ERA | 69 IP | 2.5 WAR | 11.7 SO/9
• SU: Sergio Romo – 3.43 ERA | 65 IP | 0.6 WAR | 9.0 SO/9
• SU: Trevor May – 2.94 ERA | 64.1 IP | 1.3 WAR | 11.1 SO/9
• RP: Tyler Duffey – 2.50 ERA | 57.2 IP | 1.0 WAR | 12.8 SO/9
• RP: Brusdar Graterol – 4.66 ERA | 9.2 IP | 0.0 WAR | 9.3 SO/9
• RP: Zack Littell – 2.68 ERA | 37 IP | 0.9 WAR | 7.8 SO/9
• RP: *Matt Wisler – 5.61 ERA | 51.1 IP | -0.4 | 11.0 SO/9
• RP: *Tyler Clippard – 2.90 ERA | 62 IP | 1.4 WAR | 9.3 SO/9

————

• EXTRA: Kyle Stashak
• EXTRA: Ryne Harper
• EXTRA: Lewis Thorpe

The only guys currently projected out of the 2020 bullpen, who had a 2019 ERA of under 3.00, are Sergio Romo (who none of us are worried about), Brusdar Graterol (who we just discussed above), and Matt Wisler (who the Twins signed to a guaranteed MLB deal this offseason).

The Wisler signing looks weird on its face but, according to TwinsDaily.com, he was specifically picked out by pitching coach, Gus Johnson, who really likes his slider and believes Wisler can be a really good relief pitcher for this team. He’ll be very interesting to watch but it’s nice to know he has so much proven talent around him, that the Twins won’t have to rely on his reclamation to be successful.

This is a veteran pen, too. I haven’t even touched on some of the young arms that could make a major impact, including guys that we saw good sample sizes from last season (listed above), but also the guys I’m sure we’ll see for the first time.

In sneaky fashion, Falvine might have created one of the best bullpen situations in all of baseball, for the Minnesota Twins entering 2020. Now, can they get that starter who will put them into World Series conversations league-wide?

I actually have faith, that they will…. what a world.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

#MNTwins roster moves:

-select contracts of Graterol & Miller
-recall Smeltzer, Littell & Stewart
-reinstate Astudillo & Wade from IL
-add AA pitching coach, Bello, to staff pic.twitter.com/5XA1FwOPKE

We had been hearing rumors about this happening over the last couple of days, once rosters expanded in September, and now it is official. Brusdar Graterol is on his way to the big club, among a handful of others (more on them in a second). Graterol’s first pitch of his MLB career will likely be the hardest pitch ever thrown by a Twins pitcher, as long as it’s a fastball of course. He’s been touching 103 in the minors all season and the hardest pitch the Twins have on record is 100.3 MPH, thrown by Juan Morillo in 2009 (I don’t know who that is either).

I wrote about this a few days ago but the Twins are going to need Graterol, and the Twins entire bullpen, to be on the top of its game when the playoffs get rolling. They proved again last night, with Martin Perez on the mound, that we have absolutely zero depth in our starting rotation. The Twins will also bring up pitching coach, Cibney Bello, who has been working closely with Graterol all season.

If the Minnesota Twins are going to make any noise in the 2019 MLB Playoffs, they will need their once-rotten bullpen to be the cleanest part of their team.

The Other Call Ups

I can’t imagine Martin Perez being a lock in the starting rotation anymore so that could be Devin Smeltzer’s new role until playoff time comes. He can be effective out of the bullpen though too. I don’t know how much Stewart will help the Twins at this point. He’s been given a lot of chances. Hopefully Littel is here to stay, so we don’t have to see anymore temper tantrums.

The biggest impacts (outside of Graterol, hopefully) will be Willians Astudillo and LaMonte Wade. We all know the diversity that The Turtle  brings to your lineup and Wade has been ready to play outfield in the big leagues for a year or two now. Both will be big time while we wait for Buxton’s return.

There seem to be a couple of names missing, for young pitchers who could help the Twins in this playoff race, but Jorge Alcala pitched last night and Jhoan Duran pitched the night before. There is still room for those guys, when they are rested.

Let the fun begin! I want to see Graterol tonight sooooooooooo badly now…

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Twins still need pitching help to be considered legitimate playoff contenders but they can really only get it off of the scrap pile or out of their minor league system.

Things that DON’T Suck:

Brusdar Graterol is in their minor league system.

Here's Brusdar Graterol's first inning of action tonight for Rochester, his Triple-A debut. He went back out for the eighth. Will also share that once I have it ready for you.#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/zvpfcPF6WZ

— Tom Froemming (@TFTwins) August 22, 2019

Here's his second inning. Obviously the triple-digit heat is impressive, but check out what his slider did to this poor guy at around the 0:35 mark.#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/woICoTGNXU

— Tom Froemming (@TFTwins) August 22, 2019

Thank you Tom Froemming for cutting up all of that video and giving it to us on the Twitter. What a gem Brusdar Graterol is, eh? Those 00’s that you see in the videos are there because the radar gun doesn’t have enough fucking digits to fit the velocity at which his thrown baseballs are traveling. He touched 103 last week… 103 Miles Per Hour…

After throwing 2 innings last night in his AAA debut, I wouldn’t expect to see Graterol called up in the next day or two but I don’t expect it to be that much longer. Rob Antony himself, said on “The Scoop” Podcast with Darren Wolfson just a few weeks ago that we could definitely see Brusdar in September, possibly even August.

The Twins know they need help on their pitching staff, especially a high-end difference-maker like him. As long as he stays healthy (which he has had issues with early in his career) and can throw strikes (which he had some issues with for a moment last night) I’d expect him to make a massive impact on the playoff race. At least he’s already had Tommy John (at 16 — he’s now 20).

In all reality…. the Twins need an impactful and healthy Graterol way more that I wish they did. Once playoff time comes, they’ll need the entire staff to overachieve, Brusdar included.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan