The Twins have a rotation problem that isn’t going away on its own.
Once Connor Prielipp comes back from the injured list with a blister, Minnesota can line up Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley, Bailey Ober, Zebby Matthews and Prielipp as a five-man group. But that still leaves the club thin behind the front line.
Mike Paredes and Kendry Rojas can make spot starts, yet they typically can’t give the kind of length the Twins get from their regular starters. With injuries always looming, it makes sense for Minnesota to keep looking for another arm.
One name that fits the conversation is Aaron Civale, who was designated for assignment by the Athletics on Wednesday. The right-hander signed a one-year, $6 million deal with the Athletics in the offseason, but the results never followed. In 74 2/3 innings this year, Civale has a 5.42 ERA, a 1.62 WHIP and 58 strikeouts.
The rough season matters, but it shouldn’t end the discussion. Civale has shown he can be better than this.
Three years ago, he put together a 3.46 ERA in 122 1/3 innings for the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays. And last season, the Chicago Cubs claimed him off waivers from the Chicago White Sox in late August, then got strong production right away: a 2.08 ERA in 13 innings, followed by 4 1/3 scoreless innings in a postseason game.
That kind of versatility is what makes him interesting for Minnesota. Civale wouldn’t be a flashy pickup, but he could help in more than one spot.
The Twins could use him as rotation insurance until Prielipp returns. After that, they could shift into a six-man rotation and give Prielipp extra rest between starts.
That matters because Prielipp is on pace to blow past his previous innings high after dealing with multiple injuries over the course of his career.
There’s another path, too. Civale proved with the Cubs that he can handle bullpen work, and Minnesota’s relief corps could use the help. The Twins’ bullpen ranks 29th in ERA at 5.19, so if they didn’t want to keep six starters, Civale could move into a relief role once Prielipp is back.
However the Twins choose to use him, the appeal is obvious: one acquisition could address both rotation depth and bullpen support. That’s the kind of flexibility Minnesota should be chasing, especially with so many teams likely to be after pitching help.
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