Twins May Have Another Stud Pitching Prospect Up Their Sleeve Still

The Minnesota Twins pretty much opted against bringing in help at the MLB trade deadline, a few weeks ago. They lost more talent than they brought in last offseason, too. But on the other side of those cost-cutting moves, have been a bunch of Big League promotions for the organization’s top prospects.

Many of those call-ups have been made in an effort to beef up a depleted version of what was one of the best starting rotations in baseball last season.

Andrew Morris may be next man up for Minnesota Twins

Top prospects David Festa and Zebby Matthews have made their big league debuts. Simeon Woods Richardson is a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate. Louie Varland has gone back and forth across the river, too.

But according to MLB.com, the Twins have yet another starting arm who could get his turn at in Minnesota’s September (maybe October?) rotation. Andrew Morris is a former 4th round pick out of MLB Pipeline tabs the former fourth round pick as a name to watch.

“It’s almost an art form the way the Twins find pitching talent in later rounds of the Draft, and they’ve already gotten help from David Festa (13th round) and Zebby Matthews (eighth round). Could Morris, a fourth-rounder in 2022, be next? He started the year at High-A and now he’s in Triple-A, leading the organization in ERA (2.16) to go along with a .214 BAA and 1.05 WHIP. The Twins’ staff is deep, but Morris looks ready to assist when called.“

MLB Pipeline on the possibility of an Andrew Morris promotion

Similar to Matthews, Morris would be ascending to the big league level in the same summer he started at High-A. With just two Triple-A starts (9 innings) under his belt, Morris owns a 4.00 ERA, and 1.00 WHIP.

He may need a few more turns to settle in, which seems like a nerves thing. He has already walked 5 batters, just two short of how many he walked earlier this season, at Cedar Rapids. His numbers, prior to landing in St. Paul, are undeniable.

Related: Minnesota Twins Could Still Luck into Pitching Help… if Pohlads Play Ball

Minnesota may not need another rotation arm the rest of the way, but Joe Ryan and Chris Paddack are both uncertain to return. His emergence has been invaluable.

Andrew Morris would unleash Louie Varland

If the Twins feel confident in Morris’ readiness to be the next man up, Louie Varland becomes a much more usable asset. He made a spot start, but then was sent back to Triple-A. Minnesota appears set on keeping Matthews in the rotation. That’s a fine stance, and Varland moving to the bullpen improves the roster as a whole.

Four strikeouts in two scoreless innings for Louie Varland, who is consistently working at 97-100 mph out of the #MNTwins bullpen. pic.twitter.com/wxziEvxf9y

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) September 16, 2023

Varland currently remains in the rotation as a depth piece. He worked out of the bullpen down the stretch last season, and can push triple-digits in that role. Varland has 87 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings at Triple-A this year. Rocco Baldelli’s bullpen has been awful in the second half, and he needs more good arms out there.

Minnesota pairing Varland with Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran as a high-quality reliever would be a huge boost. They aren’t getting Brock Stewart back like they did last year, and Varland has familiarity with this switch. It’s time to get the best talent on the roster, and Morris being next up in the rotation accomplishes that.

Related: Just How Bad is the Minnesota Twins Bullpen Right Now?

The Twins have just over a month left to chase down the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central.