Thread: MLB.com: Cole De Vries Thinks He Can Make This Rotation...

Originally Posted by SweetOne69

I guarantee he starts in Rochester because it is easier to have him start while limiting his innings in Rochester than in Minnesota. In MN if they take him out after 4-5 innings it taxes and puts a burden on the BP.

I have him only starting in MN as a replacement for Pelfrey as that would be a temporary appointment. He would get sent down once Pelfrey or Diamond is ready to go. And De Vries would probably get sent down once the other is ready.

Neither Hendricks nor De Vries has anything to prove in AAA. Hendricks needs the chance to show that he can be a MLB pitcher and De Vries needs the chance to show that 2012 wasn't a fluke.

I believe that right now that De Vries is the 6th man in the rotation. He is going to be the 1st man called up to fill in due to injury or ineptness.

Yeah, I agree with you that this is what likely should take place. Will it take place is another story.

There really isn't a lack of 5th starters up in here. Last time I will ever say it: but that fact of 5th starter depth (with Hendriks hopefully creeping up to 4th) makes the Correia signing over-the-top terrible.

I do think it is time for Hendriks to just be turned free in MLB and no more of this AAA stuff. He already demonstrated improvement near the end of the season last year and is going to be building off of that this year. He is worth more going forward for the Twins than Pelfrey, Deduno, and DeVries (and Correia . . . and Blackburn).

DeVries had an interesting year. He was a pretty extreme fly ball guy. Even with an average HR/FB rate he gave up a ton of HRs, but he was so stingy with walks that the damage wasn't too bad. He fared quite a bit better away from Target Field for some reason. Might be another guy who would benefit from a better 3rd pitch but at this point, I think I would make him my 2nd starter after only Diamond.

Ok, I can understand that route.

I'd just like us to start with the rotation that gives us the best chance to win games now. Like I said, if there are no injuries, AAA will have a real solid rotation. I just don't want to be giving games away early to fall back and have an excuse for trading off Morneau and Willingham mid season.

Worley
Corriea
Pelfry
Hendricks
DeVries

Originally Posted by PseudoSABR

Worley
Corriea
Pelfry
Hendricks
DeVries

And add Diamond when he is ready?

Originally Posted by PseudoSABR

Worley
Corriea
Pelfry
Hendricks
DeVries

I feel tingly with excitement.

Originally Posted by TheLeviathan

I feel tingly with excitement.

Now THAT is funny.

Originally Posted by TheLeviathan

I feel tingly with excitement.

That's nausea, not excitement.

Originally Posted by snepp

That's nausea, not excitement.

Ah....and here I thought it was a stroke from my brain intentionally cutting off its own blood supply to try and mercifully end my pain before enduring that group for the next 6 months.

Originally Posted by TheLeviathan

Ah....and here I thought it was a stroke from my brain intentionally cutting off its own blood supply to try and mercifully end my pain before enduring that group for the next 6 months.

If two or three of them can perform at a league average level and Diamond can come back and be at least 90% as good as last year, then I am hopeful that the Twins can win 70+ games this year.

Originally Posted by glunn

If two or three of them can perform at a league average level and Diamond can come back and be at least 90% as good as last year, then I am hopeful that the Twins can win 70+ games this year.

Still nauseous.

Originally Posted by TheLeviathan

I feel tingly with excitement.

Have faith my friend, if the Bad News Bears can find a way to win, surely the Twins can as well

Originally Posted by glunn

And add Diamond when he is ready?

Yup. That seems to be how things are breaking down.

Originally Posted by Shane Wahl

Diamond
Worley
Correia
Hendriks
DeVries/Pelfrey


would work for me out of the gate.

This assumes that Diamond will be ready in 3 weeks and a bit without throwing a single pitch in a game so far and having only 2 bullpens this Spring.

I doubt it. Pelfrey is a question mark also, since if he makes it, he will have one of the shortest TJ recovery times in history.

So I think that only 2 SPs are 100% sure (barring injuries) : Correia (your opening day starter) and Worley. The others are up in the air and DeVries has as a good chance as anyone else to grab a spot.

Add the facts that a. there is no way that Swarzak starts the season in the Twin Cities and b. DeVries was a lights out closer in New Britain (after Slama was promoted) before he returned to a starter the season after and c. he is on the 40-man roster, I think that DeVries has the upper hand in getting a job in the 25-man either as a starter or as a reliever to start the season. He just has to earn it and if he keeps pitching the way he has been, I don't see it otherwise...

Originally Posted by glunn

If two or three of them can perform at a league average level and Diamond can come back and be at least 90% as good as last year, then I am hopeful that the Twins can win 70+ games this year.

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts......

When that's your A group (minus Diamond, but even he is a wildcard to a degree) it is really discouraging.

Originally Posted by TheLeviathan

If ifs and buts were candy and nuts......

When that's your A group (minus Diamond, but even he is a wildcard to a degree) it is really discouraging.

Have you forgotten how god-awful the starting 5 was last year for the first 6 weeks? This is a significant improvement already.

And (to all): fair enough about Diamond. Then it seems pretty clear that Worley-Correia-Hendriks-Pelfrey-DeVries (with Deduno as the 6th) should be the way to go. Hopefully Correia is the 5th best out of that group.

Originally Posted by Shane Wahl

Have you forgotten how god-awful the starting 5 was last year for the first 6 weeks? This is a significant improvement already.

And (to all): fair enough about Diamond. Then it seems pretty clear that Worley-Correia-Hendriks-Pelfrey-DeVries (with Deduno as the 6th) should be the way to go. Hopefully Correia is the 5th best out of that group.

Considering Pelfrey's healthy is a major question mark too, I'm not so sure our pitching staff really looks that different. Worley is encouraging and I have a lot of confidence in Hendricks (more than some) but this is not a group to be excited about. If it's an improvement, it's probably a marginal one.

Also, from what I can see, the pitching was awful start to finish. All we did was rotate the characters.

Cole has been our best pitcher this spring, that's something you will have to look at.

Originally Posted by Top Gun

Cole has been our best pitcher this spring, that's something you will have to look at.

Not really. Maybe in comparison to someone like Deduno, but the Twins probably aren't going to pick their rotation based on the statistical output of spring training games; especially at this point.