NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Minnesota Twins made a splash last week when they traded center fielder Denard Span to the Washington Nationals for pitcher Alex Meyer, a 6-foot-9 former first-round draft pick with a 100 mph fastball. Meyer has the potential to be a front-of-the-rotation starter or, in an alternate scenario, a dominant closer. But he might not be ready to contribute to the big league club for a couple of years.
With that deal complete, the Twins now turn their attention to acquiring some immediate help for a rotation that went 39-75 with a 5.40 ERA in 2012. It's not a reach to say they're pitching-obsessed.
Free agents Zack Greinke, Anibal Sanchez, Ryan Dempster and (maybe) Edwin Jackson might be beyond Minnesota's price range. But when you talk to people at the Gaylord Opryland hotel, they'll tell you the Twins are in on just about every other free agent with a résumé and pulse.
Joe Blanton, a veteran innings-eater who spent last season with the Phillies and Dodgers, is a prime target for the Twins, sources said. Midrange starters Kevin Correia and Brett Myers are on general manager Terry Ryan's radar, and the Twins are taking a serious look at the group of non-tendered pitchers who recently became free agents. That list includes former Washington Nationals starter John Lannan and erstwhile New York Met Mike Pelfrey, who underwent Tommy John surgery in March.
The Twins are also kicking the tires on veteran Vicente Padilla. Although some people in the Minnesota organization have concerns about Padilla's makeup, the Twins are intrigued by his ability to both start and relieve.
Minnesota also has been more active than expected in trade talks. Other clubs with excess pitching have approached the Twins to talk about center fielder Ben Revere and left fielder Josh Willingham, who is a particularly attractive commodity because of his reasonable contract and excellent production.
Willingham hit 35 homers and ranked eighth in the American League with a .524 slugging percentage last season, and he's signed for two more years at a total of $14 million. But unless Ryan is blown away, it's tough to envision him moving an outfielder and putting a major crimp in his offense. In the Twins' quest to bolster their pitching, they would simply be weakening one facet of the team to strengthen another.