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The Minnesota Twins will go into the 2013 season with a remodeled starting rotation, as offseason additions Vance Worley, Kevin Correia and Mike Pelfrey are in line to join 2012 staff ace Scott Diamond. There should be an open competition for the fifth spot, with Nick Blackburn and Samuel Deduno among the likely candidates, but adding another arm to the mix can’t be ruled out.
The Cleveland Indians signed Brett Myers, one of the Twins’ potential free agent targets, to a one-year deal this week and in what could be considered a corresponding move Jeanmar Gomez was designated for assignment on Wednesday. The Indians have 10 days from that point to trade, waive or release him and have reportedly already reached out to multiple teams, including the Twins.
Gomez went 5-8 with a 5.96 ERA in 20 appearances (17 starts) for the Indians last season, and he is 14-16 with a 5.18 ERA in 42 appearances (38 starts) over the last three seasons with Cleveland. His peripheral numbers have not been impressive (4.9 K/9, 3.1 BB/9), but he has yet to spend a full season at the major league level and will turn 25 years old between now and Opening Day. Gomez’s minor league track record is more extensive, with a 56-45 record and a 3.96 ERA in 144 games (142 starts) over seven seasons, and his peripheral numbers are perhaps a better indicator of his ability (6.7 K/9, 2.9 BB/9).
The Twins could simply wait for Gomez to be released or waived and give up nothing to get him, but at that point other teams would also have a shot at bringing him aboard. It should not take much to get Gomez in a trade, and requiring more than a mid-level prospect would be a severely inflated valuation on Cleveland’s part.
I don’t think Gomez will be that much of a difference maker in 2013 if the Twins do acquire him, but adding another young pitcher to the mix at the big league level or perhaps to the upper levels of their minor league system can’t hurt.
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