Who should be the new Twins closer?

In case you live under a rock, Brandon Kintzler was traded to the Washington Nationals at the deadline. Without their All-Star, the Twins need a new closer, right? Fortunately they have several options in-house.

Here are the leading candidates.

Taylor Rogers

Two weeks ago Taylor Rogers was the heir apparent at closer. Between then and now, however, he has defecated upon his sleeping surface. Since July 24, he has given up eight of the 18 runs he surrendered all season. His ERA has ballooned to 3.79, and the normally reliable pitcher has not been. I still think he gets the first shot at the job.

Tyler Duffey

After a very successful debut as a starter, Tyler Duffey struggled in 2016. In 2017 he was converted to a reliever, which started off great, but he has seen some struggles lately as well. Over this year, he has a 4.50 ERA and a 3.53 FIP. It seems like he is either very good or very bad on the mound, no middle ground to be found.

Matt Belisle

The veteran option, Matt Belisle has been on the opposite trajectory as Rogers and Duffey. After an unreliable start to the season, he has been much more trustworthy as of late. He did not give up a single run in the month of July, but his season ERA is still 4.64, because he was that bad earlier in the season.

Trevor Hildenberger

If you want to see the future, look no further. Trevor Hildenberger dominated Triple-A this season, and since being called up on June 23, has already accrued 0.3 bWAR. He has only given up six runs in the MLB, while striking out 19 in 17.1 innings. His ERA is 3.12 overall.

John Curtiss

Curtiss earned a 0.72 ERA in 21 games at Double-A this season, and followed that with a 2.57 ERA at Triple-A in 12 games. Between the two levels, he has struck out 57 batters in 39 innings. He is probably the best uninjured reliever the Twins have left in the upper minor leagues. If you’re a fan of letting guys learn on the job, he’s your man.

Glen Perkins

Perkins has been pitching rehab games as he makes his way back from injury. According to reports he could be back mid-august. He is an All-Star closer, but that was several years and injuries ago. If he can find his mojo, he is a good option. That is a big “if,” however.

Chris Gimenez

Hey, why not? It would let Mitch Garver come up to the big club. Gimenez has pitched five innings in six games already this season, and only given up four runs. Sadly, the Twins actually could do worse. Not by much though.

You’ve met the candidates, its your turn to weigh in Twinkie Town. If I gave you the power, who would you make your closer?