The same night the Twins bullpen faltered in a rain-delayed loss in Cleveland, the top free-agent relief pitcher on the market, Craig Kimbrel, decided to sign in Chicago with the Cubs.
Rumors had been the Twins were 'in the mix' for Kimbrel along with several other teams. The deal with the Cubs is reportedly for 3 years and $43 million.
Thursday, WCCO's Dave Lee talked to Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey, who confirmed the Twins did pursue Kimbrel. "He's a tremendous pitcher. Always has been. Really on a Hall of Fame trajectory. We certainly felt like we were in the conversation. Had a lot of discussions with his agents, his reps, and even to Craig himself", said Falvey.
Kimbrel is a seven-time All-Star who has a career ERA of 1.91, the lowest among relievers in MLB history with 300 career innings pitched. He has 333 saves. Kimbrel went through a rough patch in the playoffs last year with Boston, and there were fears around a dip in fastball velocity in 2018. Kimbrel had been holding out for a longer contract before agreeing to the Cubs deal on Wednesday.
The Twins were still interested along with several other clubs. Falvey told WCCO, "We figured there would be competition for his services and clearly Chicago was the best fit, in terms of contract and fit for the player."
The Twins will still look to bolster the pitching staff according to Falvey. "Part of our conversations we've always had is that we need to seek ways to constantly be evaluating and improving our club. That (Kimbrel) was one potential way, but we'll move on to some eventual alternatives."
There's one more big-name free agent pitcher sitting out there linked to the Twins. Lefty starter Dallas Keuchel is still available. The 30-year-old Keuchel is coming off a 2018 season for Houston in which he registered a 3.74 ERA in 204 2/3 innings and won the fourth Gold Glove of his career. Keuchel would provide depth to the starting staff, and allow the team to move another quality arm to the bullpen. Keuchel had been seeking a five-year deal, but the latest rumors are he would accept a shorter, perhaps even one-year contract, if it comes with enough money.