Article: Has the clock run out on Jared Burton?

[Beezer07]

When was the last time a 30 something setup man was traded for anything that mattered?

 

Matt Capps is 30 now, and he was once traded for something that mattered, and he really wasn't much better than a setup man. Does that count?

 

(yeah yeah, revisionist history.)

[Dantes929]

Whoops. Got off topic. Crain and Guerrier went through similar periods of ineffectiveness. No reason to give up on these guys but no reason to keep him in the same 8th inning position either. Is he eligible for demotion? If a player agrees to it does it matter if the team ran out of options? I think Crain was sent down twice, rebounded and came back better than ever.

[jokin]

Just like you won't find a single post opposing signing Mauer to a long term contract back in 09 but now they all claim they knew it was a bad deal.

I remember saying it was a bad baseball decision but I wasn't opposed to it because of the PR. I also said there was no need to do it at the time because his value would never be higher than after an MVP season anyway. I still won't criticize the contract though. They kind of had to given the situation at the time and he is still a very good baseball player. People forget the really great streaks of hitting he had before 2011 and I still believe he has some of those streaks left in him.

 

That's simply not true about Mauer- there was a legion of fans and writers (but not Patrick Reusse) who pointed out:

-how the mega-signing might cripple the team from making further moves,

-and that it was highly unlikely that he could stay at the position for the bulk of the contract, making it difficult to realize value on the life of the deal.

 

And there were many of us that called for Burton to be moved at his peak and/or definitely not signed for more than a year at a time. For aging relief pitchers, in this case, already back from oblivion at least once in his career, a very questionable move. RPs have to be the easiest and cheapest commodity to accumulate- your own failed starting pitchers, guys you draft specifically to relieve, waiver wire claims and the huge, huge annual offseason recycling bin.

[Cris E]

After Crain and Gueereruier went through these flat spots they eventually faced long lasting injuries. And in his past Burton has had serious bouts with the injury bug, losing most of 2010-11. For him to blithely say "I'm fine, it's not physical" after stinking the joint up last summer, rallying for a few weeks and then falling flat ever since sort of raises a flag.

[Mike Sixel]

Just cut him. I don't get the obsession with not using the farm team RP.....their strategy is supposedly to build from within, yet Tonkin started the year in AAA, so they could keep all these "proven vets" around. I don't get their actual strategy, since they don't seem to follow it......

[Willihammer]

I don't think this a flukey batted ball or SSS thing. Burton's fastball velocity has tumbled almost 2 mph over the past two years. Not good.

[Shane Wahl]

Just cut him. I don't get the obsession with not using the farm team RP.....their strategy is supposedly to build from within, yet Tonkin started the year in AAA, so they could keep all these "proven vets" around. I don't get their actual strategy, since they don't seem to follow it......

 

Precisely. Achter, Guerra, and Oliveros are three good contenders for promotion right now.

[troyhobbs]

Well I must have missed the widespread demands to trade Burton over the past year. I can't recall a single one in fact.

 

Burton tanking is no big deal as long as the Twins don't let it become one. Demote him, cut him, whatever. They have backups.

 

Just don't continue to play him if he stinks.

 

I think there was plenty of skepticism surrounding Burton last year, maybe the trade demands weren't widespread because as other posters have noted he had little trade value anyway. I was calling for anyone w/ any trade value whatsoever to be dealt last year just to hold my interest in following the team...just like I will be this year. Ok, it's early and they're playing good within the division at least, but when the wheels do fall off...bring on the transactions!

[Thrylos]

When was the last time a 30 something setup man was traded for anything that mattered?

 

Capps?

[TheLeviathan]

The most frustrating thing to me is that the Twins have long been very good at filling out their bullpen in cheap, replaceable ways.....so why do they insist on holding on to guys past their peak value? Burton is another case of that.

[stringer bell]

He might come back and be effective, but Burton needs to stay away from high-leverage situations for a while. I think there are a lot of very good options in the minors, so if the Twins want to trade one or two of their veteran relievers, it might be a good idea.

[ScottyB]

How much rope does this guy get? Today 26 pitches; 14 strikes, 2BB's; 2 hits; 1 run. Please don't keep him over Tonkin.

[Mike Sixel]

How about Tonkin gets to pitch to more than 1 guy a game?

[snepp]

He's been really unlucky in the home run department (25% HR/FB). Once that normalizes his ERA will be at a respectable 6.50 in no time.

[twinscowboysbulls]

I love it when I get to tell everyone how right I was, but in my preseason predictions I said he'd be done. Looks I was right, don't mind that I also included Duensing in that sentence as well.... Do doo doo.

[Guest USAFChief]

He's been really unlucky in the home run department (25% HR/FB). Once that normalizes his ERA will be at a respectable 6.50 in no time.

On the plus side, all those HRs keep his BABIP down.

[ScottyB]

I love it when I get to tell everyone how right I was, but in my preseason predictions I said he'd be done. Looks I was right, don't mind that I also included Duensing in that sentence as well.... Do doo doo.

 

I agree on the Duensing deal. This would be a good time to sell high, with his ERA at 0.00 after 9 games, cause this sure isn't gonna last. Think about replacing him with Kris Johnson (and maybe give him a spot start).

[ScottyB]

Just a reminder - another bad outing by Burton. Dump this guy now, and you can add Pelfrey to my dump list. And oh yeah, it's time to send down Florimon as well. I give guys long ropes to hang themselves, but didn't Gardy say in ST its time to put up or shut up. Do your job or we'll move on. It's time to move on from these three. I'm done with them.