Minnesota appears to be seriously chasing three of the top remaining starting pitchers in free agency, with MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reporting that the Twins are going after a trio of left-handers, Madison Bumgarner, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Dallas Keuchel.
#MNTwins are pursuing 3 starters: Ryu, Keuchel and Bumgarner
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 10, 2019
In addition to kicking the tires on Bumgarner, Ryu and Keuchel, the Twins are also showing interest in right-hander Rick Porcello, with KSTP’s Darren Wolfson reporting that Twins brass will seek out agent Scott Boras this week. Boras is the agent for Ryu and Keuchel.
The Star Tribune’s La Velle Neal III has reported that Ryu would prefer to stay on the West Coast, so it’s unclear if the Twins will be able to sway him to the Midwest. Other reports suggest Bumgarner is looking for a five-year deal and at least $100 million.
The Twins currently have Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi and Michael Pineda (suspended through May) in the starting rotation, with Neal adding that it’s likely that the fifth starter will be Devin Smeltzer, Randy Dobnak or Lewis Thorpe.
That leaves room for one major signing, be it Bumgarner, Ryu, Keuchel or someone else.
