Why I'm Not Worried About the Twins' Bullpen

The Twins just concluded a three-stop road trip in which they went 3-4. They took two of three from the Royals, split two games with the White Sox, and took two hard-luck losses in Detroit.

Of the four games the Twins lost, three of them can be pinned directly on the bullpen. The fourth was an offensive off-day, so there wasn't a lot anyone could have done.

A lot of people are sounding the alarm bells about the pen. I, however, am not one of them.

Yes, booting those three games was immensely frustrating, and not only because I have Pat Neshek on two of my fantasy teams.

When the offense scores enough runs to give the Twins a sizable lead and when the starter can go deep into a game and leave with the lead intact, they need to collect the win.

Given the age of this team, especially the rotation, there will be enough games where one or both of those things doesn't happen. Those will be hard-luck losses and they are unavoidable.

That makes the games where the Twins score 4+ runs and get a quality start, almost must-win games. 

Nevertheless, now is not the time to panic, not about the bullpen. Here's why:

1. Pat Neshek

Neshek has been the goat in two of those three losses, though Matt Guerrier bears more of the blame in my opinion.

In any case, he has given up a couple key home runs already, including Joe Crede's grand slam. I still have faith in Neshek, though.

He went through a dead-arm phase at the end of last season after having thrown the second-highest number of innings he's thrown since converting to the bullpen, but that doesn't seem to be the issue.

The league has started to figure out his crazy delivery thanks to the miracle of videography.

Neshek can no longer hope to fool hitters because of his movements alone, but that doesn't mean he is done as an elite setup man.

Neshek is a good pitcher. He knows how to work hitters and that guile will help him immensely.

He needs to pitch out of the zone a bit more, keep hitters unsure of where his pitches are heading.

He has been working to develop a better slider and changeup, both of which will help keep hitters honest at the plate.  He needs to use them more often, especially early in counts.

He has all the tools to remain a nearly unhittable pitcher, he just needs to mix his pitches a little better than he has so far this season.

2. Brian Bass

Bass made the team over Phillip Humber out of spring training and has been a pleasant surprise in long relief.

He hasn't been lights-out, but he's been good enough to earn more time than he's received. He won't emulate Matt Guerrier's 2007 season, but neither will Guerrier. They call them career years for a reason.

Bass is good enough to take over for two or three innings when a start melts down, but I'd like to see more of him in the one or two inning stints as well. Especially if Jesse Crain and Matt Guerrier continue to have trouble, Bass could prove invaluable. 

3. Phillip Humber

Humber is a former No. 3 overall pick whose injury history has set him back.

The Twins acquired him as a reclamation project in the Johan Santana deal, and he wowed fans and coaches in spring training. He could have made the team over Bass, but he had more options left, so the Twins sent him to AAA.

Humber is probably better suited to remain a starter, but if the Twins need a long relief man, Humber could certainly fit the bill.

If there is a major injury, such Humber could fill in at a starter or relief role, if not both. Look for the Twins to call him up.

Humber's ceiling isn't as high as it once was, but that doesn't mean he has lost all of his effectiveness.

Having Pitching Coach Rick Anderson close by to help him grow would also be a positive side effect of his call-up.

4. Bobby Korecky 

Korecky is 2-0 with two saves in his six outings in AAA this season.

He led the International League in saves last year with 35, carrying a WHIP of 1.34. Even if Nathan went down with an injury, I don't see Korecky as a major league closer. That said, he could be very effective in short relief in place of, say, Jesse Crain.

Korecky won't be called up just to see a new face, he'll come up if someone starts to struggle over the course of several outings, maybe even several weeks.

He won't be an impact call-up, but he might be a good stopgap if the bullpen keeps bleeding away games into May and June.

The Twins have a long history of calling up younger starters to be relievers.

Johan Santana, Francisco Liriano, Glen Perkins, and Nick Blackburn, among many others, all did stints as relievers before getting their chance to start games.

This means guys like Kevin Mulvey, Anthony Swarzak, and Brian Duensing could all find themselves in Minneapolis at some point during the season, though in all likelihood they would be further down the list than Korecky.

Long story short, I have faith in everyone except Jesse Crain to turn it around.

However, should the Twins find themselves sweating out late-inning games, there are plenty of arms in the system to shore up the pen once again.