Article: What to do with Kurt Suzuki?

[Brandon]

The more I think about it he is hitting close to a typical Mauer at Catcher so far this season. If he is still hitting like that at the All Star break, I say extend him for 2 season around 2/10-12 with incentives.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Redmond never topped ~$1 mil in annual salary.

 

Unless by "Mike Redmond type deal" you meant make him the manager.

 

Inflation may pick that up a bit, but I'm thinking Suzuki is going to want a starting gig... But a Redmond type deal might also require naked batting practice.

[Eric R Pleiss]

a Redmond type deal might also require naked batting practice.

 

You've just won the internet.

[Kelly Vance]

What to do with Suzuki? At some point I would extend him a year. This is different than the Doumit situation.

 

About an hour after you published this, Suzuki made what I believe was the play of the season-- after hitting a ball over the fence in left field, the ball bounced back into left field, but he continued to run anyway, as if the ball was in play. Even after he knew it was a home run and was rounding third for home plate, he continued to run hard. He even drew the fielders back into the play and they threw the ball home, even though they knew it was a homer too. Suzuki slid into home plate and popped up from his slide laughing about how he just ran hard around the bases on a home run. I think that play showed people something. Hustle, love for playing the game, all that stuff, not to mention a clutch hit in the late innings. At the risk of sounding over serious about it, I think Suzuki is the guy we've been looking for for quite a while. Hitting, catching the veteran pitchers, and giving us that intangible presence we've been searching for since the playoff years.

 

 

That comment is right on. The Twins need difference makers and they got one in Kurt. Mauer's going to 1B did not detract from the catching position because of him and he serves as a real spark plug for this offense. Good veteran leadership never goes out of style

[Trevor0333]

While his hot start isnt going to last, he's still valuable. If you can strike now and ensure he returns next season to catch 60-80 games to get a little more team friendly extension that's more than worthwhile. He isnt going to fetch a prospect to contribute more than the value he will give. With the way catching every day wears down players & saps power. Having Pinto catch 80-100 games and DH another 20-40 would be ideal for the next year or 2 in my opinion.

[JB_Iowa]

Apparently Phil Hughes likes throwing to him:

 

http://blogs.twincities.com/twins/2014/05/22/postgame-twinsights-kurt-suzukis-role-in-this-phil-hughes-roll/

 

I don't think it is imperative that the Twins do anything with him right now. Unfortunately with the way he is playing, I think he is going to want to start and that impacts the whole Josmil Pinto question if Pinto really is the catcher of the future.

 

There are about 6 weeks or so to see how Pinto develops (if he gets additional PT) before making any decision on Suzuki. If the Twins are anywhere near smelling a playoff spot at the trade deadline, they won't deal him. If they want to bring him back for next year, they can afford to pay him -- but if Suzuki keeps playing the way he is, the question won't necessarily be money but his role on the team.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Apparently Phil Hughes likes throwing to him:

 

Well, yeah.

 

Suzuki: puts down one finger for fastball

Hughes: throws fastball

 

Repeat scenario 99 times.

[JB_Iowa]

Well, yeah.

 

Suzuki: puts down one finger for fastball

Hughes: throws fastball

 

Repeat scenario 99 times.

 

 

I thought he called for 3 cutters in a row sometime last night. (Now I can't remember where I read that).

 

 

But actually, it was Gardenhire's comments about Suzuki keeping Hughes calm that were the most striking.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I know, just making a joke at the expense of both Suzuki and Hughes loving the fastball.

[JB_Iowa]

I know, just making a joke at the expense of both Suzuki and Hughes loving the fastball.

 

 

At least Hughes has a fastball that's actually, you know, FAST.

[Brock Beauchamp]

At least Hughes has a fastball that's actually, you know, FAST.

 

Last offseason, I wanted to see the Twins sign Hughes more than any other pitcher on the market. I was convinced he would provide the best value per dollar and greatly exceed his contract's value.

 

That tells you all you need to know about how bullish I was on Hughes. I was ecstatic when the Twins signed him for 3/$24m.

[JB_Iowa]

Last offseason, I wanted to see the Twins sign Hughes more than any other pitcher on the market. I was convinced he would provide the best value per dollar and greatly exceed his contract's value.

 

That tells you all you need to know about how bullish I was on Hughes. I was ecstatic when the Twins signed him for 3/$24m.

 

I remember that, Brock. I'm just teasing you a bit. Thus far, Hughes is looking like the steal of the offseason. The trick, I think, is to keep him from overthinking and overtinkering.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I remember that, Brock. I'm just teasing you a bit. Thus far, Hughes is looking like the steal of the offseason. The trick, I think, is to keep him from overthinking and overtinkering.

 

Yeah. It seems to be bad news any time that guy is allowed to get into his own head for too long. I think the Minnesota clubhouse is a good place for him to be for a myriad of reasons. Lower intensity fanbase, lower intensity ownership, more relaxed press corps, and players seem to genuinely like Gardenhire (most of the time).

 

If there's a place where Phil Hughes can flourish over the long term, I think it's here.

[Shane Wahl]

Last offseason, I wanted to see the Twins sign Hughes more than any other pitcher on the market. I was convinced he would provide the best value per dollar and greatly exceed his contract's value.

 

That tells you all you need to know about how bullish I was on Hughes. I was ecstatic when the Twins signed him for 3/$24m.

 

Absolutely. That deal actually made me retroactively not hate the Nolasco deal nearly as much because they ended up with a total dollar amount for those two that was pretty good. I still don't understand the 4th year for Nolasco, and even Jimenez might prove better, but the Hughes signing was important. Nolasco might be forced into the 4th spot because of some combo of Meyer, May, and Gibson (so maybe even the fifth!) and that will still be fine given the cheapness of those three.

[Shane Wahl]

Regarding Hughes: I know I made note of it earlier, but there might be something to the Christian-ness of Hughes and Gibson (and now, we know, Dozier) that also might contribute to something here. Not in a weird way, but in a community way for these players to feel more comfortable in their surroundings. I do not want to get into a crazy discussion here and this comment feels ironic to me, but I just mean that being in such a situation might be impactful.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Absolutely. That deal actually made me retroactively not hate the Nolasco deal nearly as much because they ended up with a total dollar amount for those two that was pretty good. I still don't understand the 4th year for Nolasco, and even Jimenez might prove better, but the Hughes signing was important. Nolasco might be forced into the 4th spot because of some combo of Meyer, May, and Gibson (so maybe even the fifth!) and that will still be fine given the cheapness of those three.

 

I was happy to see the Twins spend money. I didn't think Nolasco was the best choice to give money but I wasn't upset about it, either (four years seemed a little excessive in a market with Garza and Santana). Really, it was a "meh, but at least they're addressing the rotation in a meaningful fashion" move. Slightly positive, not thrilled.

 

But I was genuinely excited about Hughes, which definitely cast Nolasco in a better light (and happened just 1-3 days after Nolasco).

[Shane Wahl]

Anyway, the Twins must trade Suzuki at or near the deadline. Extending seems ridiculous. Fryer is a player with fewer possibilities than Herrmann. Matt Koch is the next guy deserving of a chance. He should move to AAA. Pinto-Herrmann-Rohlfing-Koch provides the Twins with possibilities, especially if Suzuki being traded means some kind of good prospect.

[JB_Iowa]

I was happy to see the Twins spend money. I didn't think Nolasco was the best choice to give money but I wasn't upset about it, either (four years seemed a little excessive in a market with Garza and Santana).

 

I know we're trending a little off topic here but does anyone else feel like we just haven't gotten to know much, if anything, about Nolasco?

 

I just looked at his stats and saw that he has pitched 55.1 innings through Sunday (game 42) -- about on track with where he would be expected to be at this point in the season based on his history. His performance is not as good as the Twins might have hoped but not a complete disaster either.

 

But about the only thing I feel like I've learned about him is that he hates the cold and is, I think, into some kind of extreme fighting or maybe it is boxing - just something I remembers seeing on Twitter. He just feels like a bit of a non-entity to me at this point. There haven't been many (if any) main stream media stories about him. And not much on TD either.

 

In general I feel some emotional investment in the way most of the players on this team do -- even Mike Pelfrey. But I just haven't found/heard anything that gives me a clue about Nolasco.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I know we're trending a little off topic here but does anyone else feel like we just haven't gotten to know much, if anything, about Nolasco?

 

I just looked at his stats and saw that he has pitched 55.1 innings through Sunday (game 42) -- about on track with where he would be expected to be at this point in the season based on his history. His performance is not as good as the Twins might have hoped but not a complete disaster either.

 

But about the only thing I feel like I've learned about him is that he hates the cold and is, I think, into some kind of extreme fighting or maybe it is boxing - just something I remembers seeing on Twitter. He just feels like a bit of a non-entity to me at this point. There haven't been many (if any) main stream media stories about him. And not much on TD either.

 

In general I feel some emotional investment in the way most of the players on this team do -- even Mike Pelfrey. But I just haven't found/heard anything that gives me a clue about Nolasco.

 

I heard something about a Dodgers hat.

[JB_Iowa]

I heard something about a Dodgers hat.

 

Forgot that one! Should be in trade mode while they are on the West Coast. Of course, the Twins would probably just get Sweet Drew back.

[Mike Sixel]

Anyway, the Twins must trade Suzuki at or near the deadline. Extending seems ridiculous. Fryer is a player with fewer possibilities than Herrmann. Matt Koch is the next guy deserving of a chance. He should move to AAA. Pinto-Herrmann-Rohlfing-Koch provides the Twins with possibilities, especially if Suzuki being traded means some kind of good prospect.

 

Or they could try to win this year. That would be a nice change.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Absolutely. That deal actually made me retroactively not hate the Nolasco deal nearly as much because they ended up with a total dollar amount for those two that was pretty good. I still don't understand the 4th year for Nolasco, and even Jimenez might prove better, but the Hughes signing was important. Nolasco might be forced into the 4th spot because of some combo of Meyer, May, and Gibson (so maybe even the fifth!) and that will still be fine given the cheapness of those three.

 

The 4th year is pretty simple actually. The team needed pitching and if they waited for the market to play itself out, they might be without pitching. Both signings happened shortly after the FA period began. If you want to get a guy there, you have to get him at a value that he doesn't reasonably think he's going to get. In short, they probably overpaid for both... The flip side... they got the guys they wanted.

[JB_Iowa]

This doesn't add a lot but Berardino had a little story about the possibility of extending Suzuki:

http://blogs.twincities.com/twins/2014/05/28/twinsights-kurt-suzuki-is-open-to-discussing-an-extension-whenever-twins-are-ready/

 

 

Not much new info except a Twins official saying "It's too soon".