Make Room For Alex Meyer

It feels like the Twins have been in this position before

Starting staff struggles. Budding minor-league prospect shines. Fans grumble that upper management is pettily saving nickels and dimes on said prospect's service time.

Last year, it was Kyle Gibson. This year, it's Alex Meyer.

Meyer, acquired in the 2012 offseason for starting center fielder Denard Span, appears ready to make the leap to the Major League squad. In fact, ready might be an understatement. Meyer, 24, is forcing the Twins' hand with an explosion of 22 strikeouts in his last two starts. No runs allowed either.

If the buzz behind Gibson last spring was justified – which his 2.92 Triple-A earned-run average was – then Meyer's impending debut should be even more avidly anticipated.

Meyer is considered the top pitching prospect in the Twins organization, and his upper 90s fastball would be a welcome tonic for the Twins' bloated pitching staff that has by far the fewest strikeouts in baseball – 135 – 28 behind second-to-last-place Baltimore as of Tuesday night.

However, this year's starting staff, thus far equally as ineffective as last year's, has pieces that are tougher to justify replacing. Phil Hughes, Mike Pelfrey and Ricky Nolasco all signed multi-year deals in the offseason and represent fairly significant investments. Kevin Correia is a usually-consistent veteran who kept last season's sinking ship from fully capsizing. Kyle Gibson, last summer's hype, is off to a 3-1 start.

So who should be replaced when Meyer makes his inevitable debut? Here is a ranking of least likely to most likely:

Absolutely not getting replaced: PHIL HUGHES

The former New York Yankee was signed to a 3-year, $24 million deal prior to the season and has performed well of late, winning his last two decisions. The right-hander leads the club in strikeouts with 26 and has demonstrated good control with only six walks.

And true to expectations, his tendency to allow fly balls is playing right into the hands of Target Field's cavernous dimensions. Hughes hasn't allowed a home run in his first three home starts.

Almost certainly not getting replaced: RICKY NOLASCO

Fans asked for it, and they got it. The Pohlads dipped into their pocket books and spent $49 million on Nolasco, making him the team's biggest free-agent signing of all time. So what do the Twins do now that their second-highest-paid player is getting plastered nearly every start? Probably stick with him. It's not a Vance Worley situation where the Twins can afford to cut ties early. Nolasco will be around for a while.

Probably not getting replaced: KYLE GIBSON

Had Gibson posted four pedestrian starts to begin his season, he may very well be a candidate to be shuffled back to the bullpen. As it is, the former first-round pick has dealt three solid starts with just one hiccup last Tuesday at Tampa Bay. Twins higher-ups will be hoping Gibson pans out so last season's help-is-on-the-way pitch to the fan base wasn’t in vain.

Possibly getting replaced: MIKE PELFREY

The Twins took a flier on Pelfrey last season in the hope that he could pitch at a high level just 11 months after Tommy John surgery. Though it didn't work out as planned, they signed Pelfrey to an $11 million deal over two years, hoping that the right-hander could regain his form. While Pelfrey occasionally shows flashes of his Mets days, he still lacks the ability to pitch deep into games, more often than not running out of gas; gas that Alex Meyer could be supplying with near-100 mph heat.

Probably getting replaced: KEVIN CORREIA

He is three years older than Pelfrey, his contract is expiring and he has a 7.33 ERA through five starts. At age 33, Correia is not looking at any kind of resurrection. Keep in mind, in 150 career decisions, Correia has just 69 wins. He's a .460 pitcher in his 12th season. Unless he borrows some PEDs from Bartolo Colon, he probably doesn't have too much left in the tank.