Minnesota Twins add Homer Bailey, Rich Hill to fill out starting rotation

Homer Bailey

The Minnesota Twins needed two starting pitchers to fill out their 2020 rotation, but they failed to sign any of the high-profile names on the market.

On Tuesday, the Twins picked up two veterans to fill those gaps, signing right-hander Homer Bailey and left-hander Rich Hill to one-year contracts.

Bailey, 33, won a total of eight games in four seasons from 2015-18, but he bounced back to respectability in 2019. He went 13-9 with a 4.57 ERA in 31 starts and 163.1 innings pitched.

Eighteen of those starts came with the Kansas City Royals, 13 with the Oakland Athletics after a midseason trade.

Bailey's deal is for $7 million, and he will earn performance bonuses if he reaches 180 innings, something he has not done since the 2013 season.

Hill, 39, will be 40 years old by the time the season starts, and he's still good when he's healthy, but he's on the injured list a lot. He was limited to 13 starts in 2019 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but he did go 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 58.2 innings.

Over the past five seasons, Hill has made 86 starts, or about 17 per season. That's why his contract contains only $3 million in guarantees. The contract escalates to $9.5 million if he hits 15 starts or 75 innings. Hill had surgery on his elbow in October, and he won't return until at least June.

I wouldn't expect either of these two guys to provide a major impact for the Twins, but they had to do something. They still have their ace, Jose Berrios, and two middle-of-the-rotation pitchers in Jake Odorizzi and Michael Pineda.

However, the other members of their 2019 rotation signed elsewhere. Kyle Gibson is with the Texas Rangers. Martin Perez has moved on to the Boston Red Sox.

Of course, the Twins won 101 games and the AL Central title last summer on the strength of their excellent offense, not their pitching. They smashed a MLB record 307 home runs, and no matter what, they are going to have to hit their way back to the playoffs.

Rumor has it Minnesota "has room to go big" for third baseman Josh Donaldson. That would add to an already good lineup, and it also would improve the Twins' infield defense -- a must behind a starting staff that is likely to be considered suspect going into the season.