Minnesota Twins: Profiling the 'Pen for '09

After a winter of puttering around, the Twins' bullpen is not appearing comparable to the bullpen of previous seasons, unfortunately.

While the rest of the team is very solid, the Twins have, in my opinion, failed miserably at addressing their bullpen this winter.

First, there is the constant, closer Joe Nathan. Nathan, who has closed games for the Twins since arriving in 2004, is looking to follow up a stellar 2008 season. He finished the year working in 67 innings, saving 39 games, striking out 74, walking 18, boasting a 1.33 ERA, and a .901 WHIP.

Nathan has a good supporting cast lying in the offense and starting staff, so as long as Gardenhire can find a bridge to Nathan in his bullpen, there is no reason to believe Nathan won't keep up the good work.

Then we have 27-year-old Jesse Crain, who is Nathan's projected set-up man. Crain was a decent pitcher in 2007, posting a 3.59 ERA in 62 innings. He had some control issues at times, walking 24 batters and getting tagged for six home runs. Also, in 2008 Crain really sputtered in the second half of the year.

In the first half, Crain posted a 2.16 ERA. In the second half, Crain's ERA sat at 5.22. To go with that, 17 of his 25 earned runs and all six of his home runs allowed came in the second half of the season.

Another familiar face down in the pen, Matt Guerrier, recently resigned on a one-year deal to avoid arbitration. Guerrier's career had been running smoothly from 2005 to 2007.

In fact, in '07, Guerrier posted a 2.35 ERA. However, he hit a roadblock in 2008, posting a 5.19 ERA. His WHIP sat at 1.58, he walked 37 batters, and allowed 12 home runs. With a depleted bullpen, the Twins need him to pitch like his former self.

In 2008, Craig Breslow emerged as a surprise man in the Twins' bullpen. The young lefty boasted a 1.63 ERA for the Twins, posting a .98 WHIP, and only earning seven runs in 38 innings pitched. Breslow emerged as a star of the Twins bullpen in 2008, but it is important for Gardenhire not to overwork him, which could be a temptation as well as a serious issue next season.

With Pat Neshek and his rubber arm out for the entire 2009 season, his role in the bullpen will be a great weakness for the Twins. Neshek, who boasts a 2.91 career ERA, and only 37 walked batters in his three-year career, will be greatly missed in a far weaker bullpen.

Also, as if the loss of Neshek isn't enough, the Twins do not appear to be in the market for resigning lefty reliever Dennys Reyes, who posted a 2.40 ERA in three seasons with Minnesota, with his highlight being in 2006, where he posted a .86 ERA.

The Twins have not done much to address these shortcomings. So far, they have only "addressed" this by adding a waste of a roster space in Luis Ayala. Yes, Ayala, the guy who pitched in 75 innings with a 5.71 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 50 strikeouts, 24 walks, and allowed nine home runs.

The Twins do have a great young kid waiting to be called up in Jose Mijares—who posted a minute ERA in a brief stint at the Major League level down the stretch in '08. Hopefully, they will make the right decision and add him into the bullpen, or it will be a long year ahead for the Twins.