The loss of Joe Nathan, while damaging enough, seems to be having a strange ripple effect. Joe Christensen:

Francisco Liriano had the kind of start Thursday that reminds the Twins why his best role might be in relief.

Liriano needed 67 pitches to get through four innings, as he struggled to locate his fastball, but he continued to make hitters look silly with his revamped slider.

Liriano allowed three runs on seven hits, with one walk and six strikeouts, as Tampa Bay defeated the Twins 5-3.

"Frankie's a rotation guy; not going to be a bullpener," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I'm going to tell you that, right now. Then, in another week, I'll tell you if he's still a rotation guy."

The Twins are taking this strategy because they're exploring trades to replace closer Joe Nathan. They don't want to ask Liriano to be their closer one day, only to make a trade, which would leave them scrambling to turn Liriano back into a starter.

"He's the guy we're looking at as being our fifth starter," Gardenhire said. "The way Liriano's pitching, he's ahead of everybody."

Liriano has a 3.86 ERA in 14 innings this spring, with two walks and 22 strikeouts.

If Liriano becomes a relief pitcher, Brian Duensing takes over as the Twins' fifth starter.

Maybe it's just me, but when I see a starter with two walks and 22 strikeouts, I'm reminded of why his best role is as a starter.

I'm a little perplexed by this supposed plan. Instead of going with one of their many adequate relievers to finish the close games, they're trying to trade for some other team's adequate reliever. If they don't add another adequate reliever, they're going to ask their most dominant starting pitcher to become a reliever?

Hey, it could work. The Twins are famous for their scouting acumen, and choosing this season's closer is a pure scouting decision. If it's my team, though, I see if Liriano can maintain a brilliant strikeout-to-walk ratio over the course of 200 innings rather than 65. If I can't trade for an adequate reliever, I choose from among the many at hand -- including Duensing, who might throw 94 rather than 91 if he's asked to throw one inning rather than six.