Options.

The Twins got nine hits, but only two runs.  One of the runs came on a home run by Eddie Rosario, which means that the other eight hits combined to score one run.  The White Sox weren't exactly clutch, either, but they got fifteen hits and six of them were doubles, so they could hardly help but score six runs.  Mike Pelfrey pitched okay--not great, but okay.  Then the bullpen came in and the game got away.

There's been a lot of speculation about what will happen when Ervin Santana and/or Ricky Nolasco come back.  It's generally assumed that they will both be handed rotation spots, which I don't agree with--I think rotation spots should be earned, not awarded based on contracts--but that is probably what the Twins will do.  It's also generally assumed that Tommy Milone and Trevor May are the pitchers most likely to be removed from the rotation.  There's also been speculation that one or two starting pitchers may be traded.  Whether a trade make sense depends, as it always does, on what you can get in return.  But there's one other option that I don't hear mentioned--send one or both of them to the bullpen.

There's no question that the bullpen needs help.  I know these are pitchers who are used to starting, and that there are difference between starting and relieving, but it's not like we'd be asking them to learn to play second base or something.  It's still pitching.  The Twins were strongly considering putting Milone or Mike Pelfrey in the bullpen to start the season, so it's not like this would be such an unreasonable idea.  It's not that long ago that the "swing man", the pitcher who could both start and relieve, was considered a valuable man on a pitching staff.  There appears to be no real reason, other than trendiness, that this position couldn't be brought back.  We hear all the time about how important positional flexibility is in bench players.  Why wouldn't flexibility be helpful on the pitching staff, too?  Besides, maybe this would help the Twins get back to twelve pitchers, which they constantly claim they want to do but never do anything about actually doing.  It certainly makes more sense to me than sending Milone and/or May back to Rochester to win the International League pennant.

Anyway, that's my two cents.  When Santana and/or Nolasco come back, drop one or two unproductive relievers and move one or two starting pitchers to the bullpen.  I don't see a flaw in the plan.  In fact, just the thought of it makes me believe that today we're going to start a ninety-game winning streak!  We'll just have to settle for 128-33!