Projecting Twins Starting Rotation After Kenta Maeda Trade

The Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers were both stuck in limbo after the Boston Red Sox held up the Mookie Betts mega-deal. The trade finally went through over the weekend without the Twins involved, but the Dodgers struck a separate deal with Minnesota.

Starting pitcher Kenta Maeda is heading to Minnesota in exchange for prospects Brusdar Graterol, who was the player holding up the Betts trade, and Luke Raley.

Now that Maeda is heading to Minnesota, here is how the Twins rotation projects to line up at the start of the season:

Twins Projected Starting Rotation With Kenta Maeda

1. Jose Berrios

2. Jake Odorizzi

3. Kenta Maeda

4. Homer Bailey

5. Randy Dobnak

Berrios, Odorizzi and Maeda are all locks to hold down spots in the rotation, though it is important to remember that Michael Pineda will return in May after serving a suspension, and Rich Hill expects to return early in the summer.

That would certainly push Dobnak, who started Game 2 of last year's ALDS, out of a spot. Bailey is getting paid $7 million in 2020, so the team would have to find some role for him on the major league roster.

Another name to keep in mind is Jhoulys Chacin, who signed a minor league deal with the Twins. So when counting Hill and Pineda, there are at least eight guys capable of starting, before counting those who have been dominating in the Twins' farm system.

The Twins have a surplus of pitching on the roster, and that will make Spring Training that much more exciting to follow.