Report: Twins Nearing Multi-Year Deal with Michael Pineda
Dec 05 2019 07:07 PM |
Seth Stohs
in Minnesota Twins
Image courtesy of David Berding, USA Today
For the second time, it appears that the Twins will be signing right-handed pitcher Michael Pineda to a two-year deal. This one, however, is worth twice as much as his last deal.Two years ago, the Twins signed Pineda to a two-year, $10 million. He spent most of 2018 rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. His rehab ended in September with a knee injury.
He started the 2019 season as the Twins #4 starter, but as the season went along, he became arguably their most reliable starter.
In 2019, he went 11-5 with a 4.01 ERA in 26 starts. In 146 innings, he walked just 28 and struck out 140 batters.
Unfortunately, his season ended early do to failing a PED test (the diuretic found in his system is said to be a masking agent, so he appealed and the suspension was reduced to 60 games.). He received a 60-game suspension. He will have to miss the first 39 games of the 2020 season.
But after serving the rest of the suspension, he will join a rotation that includes Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi. Should the Twins make the playoffs again in 2020, Pineda will be eligible.
The Twins are still reportedly in the bidding on veteran Madison Bumgarner as well.
Aaron Gleeman from The Athletic and Gleeman and the Geek tweeted out the top remaining free agent pitchers this morning.
According to his list, the Twins have now signed two of his top eight free agent starters already this offseason, Pineda (#8) and Jake Odorizzi (#6).
Dan Hayes, also of The Athletic, reports that the deal is pending a physical.
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146 Comments
Great news! I'm also really glad Odorizzi took the QO - he has to be regretting it at this point.
Now go make a real move for someone at or above Berrios’ level.
Big Mike will be the best #5 in the league after we sign Cole and Strasburg.
I'm glad the Twins took advantage of his depressed value due to the PEDs; this could end up being a real bargain, and at relatively low risk at just two years.
This is a tremendous deal. By several metrics Pineda was better than both Wheeler and Bumgarner in 2019, and they're all very close in age.
I think that the signings of Pineda and Odorizzi also suggest that the Twins provide an environment where players want to stay.
Sign Bumgarner. Trade for a stud pitcher. Sign a backup catcher. Two bullpen additions via trade or free agency. Maybe sign that Japanese first baseman, and call it a day.
B+/A- offseason.
He did not fail a PED test. He was dinked for the same substance that Vargas was dinked in the minors a few years ago:A diuretic.Meds that makes people pee to lose weight (hint hint) or to reduce their blood pressure. Steroid users are using them to induce frequent urination that would result to excretion of testable steroidmetabolites from their system.That's why it is banned. Nothing like E. Santana taking Stanozolol (synthetic Testosterone...)
So isn't this deal technically like 2 years $17.5M after you factor in that he still has to finish serving the rest of his suspension?
Decent signing to be the 4th starter in the rotation.
Can we be greedy and get Bumgarner and Keuchel? I'd take a rotation of Berríos, MadBum, Odorizzi, Keuchel and Pineda.
Or Polanco..... It drives me nuts when people say a diuretic is a PED. It's not. It doesn't make you faster or stronger. It's not a stimulant.It makes you pee, a lot.that's it.
I love this signing.Not only is it a good value for the Twins, especially in this free agency market, but also gives them protection next off-season when Odorizzi is a free agent again.
Have to say I am relieved that we added another solid pitcher to the rotation and at a very fair price point to boot.Given the prices the second tier was receiving I was getting worried we might get aced out on the third tier as well.I was hoping they could get a two year deal and they managed to get it done.Since it was only a two year deal I thought it would cost more but 10M per year for a guy who was our top pitcher at the end of the year seems like a good get to me.
This team should be a good fit for Pineda as well.Rocco will make sure he gets the rest he needs and the club house is good as well.I'd say he did well to stay in Minnesota.
Still plenty of money laying around to target an decent pitcher like Ryu, Bumgarner, Keuchel and a bat for the infield.
I don’t even mind that he can’t pitch right away. We saw how effective he could last year under a somewhat limited load.