I have spoken with a few agents over the last couple of days, and they are wondering what the Twins plans are about upgrading their starting rotation.
If you look as the Twins rotation for next year, it looks like they have a lot of bodies but questionable depth.
Phil Hughes will be back after recovering from thoracic outlet surgery. Ervin Santana is the de facto staff ace. Hector Santiago looks to be the mid-rotation guy.
That leaves Kyle Gibson, Tyler Duffey and Jose Berrios for the final two spots. That doesn't count Trevor May, who is being asked to prepare as if he's a starter next year.
Down on the farm, Stephen Gonsalves finished the Class AA season strong and could put himself in range of a callup by midseason in 2017. Tyler Jay and Kohl Stewart are longer shots.
So agents want to know what the Twins are up to? Are they interested in a Jonathan Niese-type or someone else? Do they want to give development time to Duffey and Berrios.
All you need to know about the starting pitching market is Rich Hill's deal with the Dodgers.
Hill, who will be 37 on Opening Day, is getting $16 million in each of the next three seasons from the Dodgers - $48 million. In 2016, he pitched more than 100 innings for the first time since 2007. But he's getting $48 million. Wow.
``You want to find ways to creatively create depth," Twins CBO Derek Falvey said on Sunday,
They will have to be if the prices are going to be like that. It will be tough to sign a free agent pitcher when Jeremy Hellickson and Ivan Nova are considered the best starters on the market.
In other big deals, the Giants are going to pay closer Mark Melancon $62 million over four years, the most money ever committed to a free agent reliever. Now Aroldis Chapman wants a six-year deal. He's better than Melancon, so his deal could top $100 million. Geez.
Brian Dozier's flight was delayed, so he just landed at about 2:15 central time. He'll be on a tight schedule, as he has to take part in an Under Armor event as well as meet with Falvey and new GM Thad Levine.
In about a half hour, we will get be in the first press briefing of the winter meetings with Falvey. Stay turned for updates.
