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With the expected addition of Danny Coulombe to an already deep unit, the Twins genuinely may have the best bullpen in baseball. At least one projection system already had them rated as such even before the addition of Coulombe, and now they are apparently adding a shutdown lefty to their bountiful stable of right-handers.

If you¡¯re looking for reasons for optimism regarding the ¡¯25 Twins, the relief pitching should rank near the top of the list. Jhoan Duran returns to anchor the back end, and setup men Griffin Jax and Cole Sands should form one of the AL¡¯s best pre-closer combos.

Add Coulombe, and it¡¯s clear there¡¯s a lot to like. The veteran has become one of the better lefties around since his last stint with the Twins, and he is expected to finalize a deal with the Twins by the end of the week.

On the 40-man roster: Jorge Alcala, Eiberson Castellano, Duran, Kody Funderburk, Brent Headrick, Ronny Henriquez, Jax, Sands, Brock Stewart, Michael Tonkin, Justin Topa, Louie Varland
New arrivals: Castellano, Coulombe (will be added to 40-man when deal becomes official)
Departures: Caleb Thielbar, Steven Okert
Top 30 prospects: None (note: true relief prospects are very rare; most relievers came up as starters)

The big question: Are they actually that good?
There was a lot of optimism about the 2024 Twins bullpen, as well. And they weren¡¯t bad. By the end of the year, Fangraphs had them tied with the Brewers as the No. 4 bullpen in baseball by WAR (5.9). But they were 19th in bullpen ERA (4.12) and had the eighth-most relief losses in MLB (31).

So ¡­ how good are these?

Some of that will depend on Coulombe. Part of the problem last year came from the left side. Thielbar, who had been a reliable option for years, saw his strikeout rate tumble and his walk rate balloon. Okert struggled with the long ball and Funderburk was too hittable. If Coulombe can be a lockdown option, the whole unit will look better.

Then there¡¯s Duran, who was excellent but not up to his dominant 2022 and ¡¯23. It seems safe to figure he¡¯ll be very good again, but his strikeout rate was down and he took nine losses last year. If he¡¯s the otherworldly pitcher from ¡¯22 and ¡¯23, that also makes things look different.

Finally, there¡¯s finding the right mix among the remaining right-handers. The Twins have more Major League relievers than roster spots for them. Figuring out who goes on the big league roster, and then determining the right buttons to push will present challenges for the front office and manager Rocco Baldelli, respectively.

The Twins have a variety of intriguing options, and at a minimum this should be a solid ¡¯pen. But if they can be dominant, that¡¯s a big step toward the kind of season fans are hoping to see.