The Minnesota Twins bullpen was expected to be good, this season. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been, for quite some time. At the deadline, the front office wasn’t able to trade for an impact reliever. That has left them in a bad way, during the second half . To help keep their bullpen dam from breaking, the Twins are bringing a familiar name back.
Old friend Michael Tonkin rejoins the Minnesota Twins, again
The Minnesota Twins drafted Michael Tonkin in the 30th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft. He made his big league debut in 2013 and pitched with Minnesota until 2017.
After being out of the big leagues for a couple of seasons he worked his way back. Tonkin made stops in Atlanta and New York before finding his way back to Target Field this season. He was DFA’d after just one game, but now returns as a waiver claim again.
Tonkin spent the last 39 games pitching for the New York Yankees. He pitched 56 innings to the tune of a respectable 3.38 ERA. His 3.58 FIP is a solid number, and the 57 strikeouts are impressive as well. Given what the Twins have at their disposal, his addition to the bullpen could provide a big boost.
Minnesota sent Steven Okert packing a couple of days ago , and that leaves Caleb Thielbar as the only left-handed pitcher in Rocco Baldelli’s bullpen. Trevor Richards was acquired to get lefties out, but has struggled to get anyone out. Tonkin is not a southpaw, but he has fared well this season while dominating right-handed hitters.
Trevor Richards, the lone addition Minnesota made at the trade deadline, didn’t last a month with his new team. He walked 11 batters in 13 innings and leads baseball in wild pitches. His addition couldn’t have went worse. With Tonkin still en route for Minnesota, Caleb Boushely joins the bullpen for a night.
Related: Just How Bad is the Minnesota Twins Bullpen Right Now?
As the Twins grab an arm they already sent out earlier this year, it’s beyond clear the organization is grasping at straws.
Where does the Minnesota Twins bullpen sit now?
Rocco Baldelli’s bullpen group currently sits in flux. Brock Stewart had season-ending surgery . Losing his presence as a late-inning arm is a tough blow. Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran are the only high-leverage options, and a significant amount of emphasis trickles down to the middle-relief group.
Michael Tonkin joins that contingent. He fits in with the likes of Jorge Alcala, Cole Sands, and Thielbar. Scott Blewett and Ronny Henriquez have been shuttled between Triple-A and the big leagues. Alcala was the dominant middle-relief arm earlier this year, and it would be great to see him trend back to that status. Louie Varland also remains an option to join the group at some point.
Adding Tonkin now allows him to be eligible for the postseason. Minnesota has the reliever on the 40-man roster prior to the August 31 deadline, and if they choose, he could make the playoff roster. Those odds continue to fluctuate, but the Twins absolutely have Cleveland in their sights .
Related: How Much Has Recent Losing Stretch Hurt the Minnesota Twins?
Baldelli has a tough task the rest of the way. A young rotation must do plenty of the heavy lifting, and the relief group has to get their expected outs.
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