Article: Twins Select Nick Burdi in the 2nd round

[Seth Stohs]

With their 2nd round pick, 46th overall, the Twins selected someone they had drafted before. They drafted RHP Nick Burdi, a relief pitcher from Louisville that they selected in the 24th round in the 2011 draft out of high school. They couldn't convince him to sign then, but he should certainly sign this time around.

 

Burdi throws serious heat, occasionally touching 100 mph on a radar gun. He immediately takes over the spot as the top rated reliever in the Twins organization.

[Seth Stohs]

You can view the page at http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php/3070-Twins-Select-Nick-Burdi-in-the-2nd-round

[Trevor0333]

Don't follow the college ranks enough to have known him before this but after reading up on him a little like the pick. I guarantee they start him out as a starter and see if he sticks while giving him an opportunity to work on his breaking stuff.

[gunnarthor]

I like this pick. Gordon and Burdi both probably slot in the Twins top 10. Burdi sets up Perkins for a few years and then replaces him. Not a bad second round pick.

 

Also, I totally called it in the run up threads - constantly saying we'd take him if he were to fall to 46.

[Vervehound]

Don't follow the college ranks enough to have known him before this but after reading up on him a little like the pick. I guarantee they start him out as a starter and see if he sticks while giving him an opportunity to work on his breaking stuff.

 

no way he starts.

[HansGruber]

I really like this pick. While relievers do not have the same value as position players or starters, Burdi has a pretty decent chance to be an electric reliever with a 90's fastball and a slider in the high 80's. Could be a very valuable piece in the BP.

[Mike Sixel]

And other orgs would move him quickly before he gets hurt, when he is ready, he would be up.....I hope they keep him as a reliver, and put him right in Ft. Meyers.

[boney]

I was hoping they'd take him in the 2nd after watching him last weekend. His slider looked nasty.

[drock2190]

If the Twins try to convert him to SP it will be a mistake.

 

Hopefully he will be setting up Glen Perkins sometime next year

[Seth Stohs]

I really like the pick as well. I'm easy to keep happy though. If it makes any sense, I'm good with it because there is zero way to predict what will happen on any of the picks from 1 through 1,300 (or however many).

 

And, yeah, there's no way that Burdi will get starts.

[tobi0040]

I really like the pick as well. I'm easy to keep happy though. If it makes any sense, I'm good with it because there is zero way to predict what will happen on any of the picks from 1 through 1,300 (or however many).

 

And, yeah, there's no way that Burdi will get starts.

 

I read he has an 80 fastball. A 60 slider. I would absolutely have him focus on a change and try to start him. The upside here is very high as a starter. If the fastball drops velo and is a 70 pitch. 70 fb. 60 sl and an average change would be a coup here

[Brandon]

Seth's first comment in the mock 3.0 article

 

17 Comments

1. 
   Seth Stohs - Yesterday, 11:28 PM
    
   
   • Reply
     

 

 

I wonder if the Twins would be willing to draft Nick Burdi again if they fell to them at 46. Part of me thinks so, and part of me just wonders if they would go for a non-reliever.

 

 

 

[Brandon]

I read he has an 80 fastball. A 60 slider. I would absolutely have him focus on a change and try to start him. The upside here is very high as a starter. If the fastball drops velo and is a 70 pitch. 70 fb. 60 sl and an average change would be a coup here

 

So would having an overpowering RH and LH reliever tandem to set up and close out games when were competitive again with Fien, Zach Jones, Deunsing and Thielbar and Tonkin. Now that's a pen.

[Beezer07]

And other orgs would move him quickly before he gets hurt, when he is ready, he would be up.....I hope they keep him as a reliver, and put him right in Ft. Meyers.

 

What other orgs would do this?

[Beezer07]

I don't follow the draft closely at all...but I'm not wild about using a 2nd round pick on a guy whose ceiling is being really good for 50 innings per year. On second thought, though, how often to 2nd round guys even contribute meaningful innings at the ML level?

[MichiganTwins]

No tobi0040. He is going to be a reliever. After another night of Jared Burton, Twins fans should be happy about having a quality reliever not to mention more in AAA right now. Seth, this makes me think that Fien might be available if the Twins drop out of contention. What think you?

[jorgenswest]

Would you trade him for Stephen Drew? I prefer Escobar and his high 90s heat. Good pick.

[halfchest]

I'm not going to claim to know anything about anything. It just seems like the Twins have a recent history of drafting relievers to switch them to starters. So why is this guy not possible for that?

 

I do find it strange, if a guy is that good why didn't he start in college? But they've been trying it now for a couple of years. Either way, seems like a nice value pick when looking at the pre draft rankings.

[Tecmo]

It sounds like he wants to be a closer, not a starter. Hopefully they won't waste their time starting him. A bullpen of Perkins, Tonkin and Burdi could be fun.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/06/draft-prospect-qa-nick-burdi.html

[jokin]

What other orgs would do this?

Seattle, for one...

[kab21]

Would you trade him for Stephen Drew? I prefer Escobar and his high 90s heat. Good pick.

 

I would trade him for Ervin Santana since you asked.

[nicksaviking]

What other orgs would do this?

 

Seattle, for one...

 

Detroit for another. Chance Ruffin and Corey Knebel come to mind. No team was more tied to Burdi than Detroit was either.

[jokin]

There's a good chance we'll get to see Burdi in action starting tomorrow night on ESPNU:

 

 

LOUISVILLE SUPER REGIONAL

Jim Patterson Stadium

Friday, June 6

Game 1: No. 3 Kennesaw State (40-22) vs. No. 1 Louisville (48-15) (ESPNU, 6:30 p.m.)

Saturday, June 7

Game 2: ESPNU, 7 p.m.Sunday, June 8

Game 3: ESPN2, 6 p.m. (if necessary)

[nicksaviking]

I'd like this pick better if I actually thought the Twins would fast track him, but they are so damn reluctant to rid themselves of the most fungible kinds of baseball players: relief pitchers.

 

Seriously, Pino, Hoffman, Guerra, Ibarra, Achter, Pressly and Thompson can't get a look over Matt Guerrier, who did nothing to deserve a call up?And that's saying nothing about Burton, Swarzak and Tonkin's struggles.

[Sweetwater]

This is a damn fine pick. I'll take his odds of being a lights out RP anyday.

[jokin]

I'm not big on relief pitchers this high in the draft, but this one could be the exception to the rule. He's never pitched more than 35 innings at Louisville, so we don't have a power guy with a burned-out college arm. There's no reason with his electric stuff that he can't be up very fast to the big club- some time next year is not out of the realm of possibility. It sounds like a little fine tuning of his form to protect his arm health and strength for the long-term, and he's good to go.

 

This certainly opens up the possibility of being able to move Fien or Perkins at their peak value, as well.

[jorgenswest]

I would trade him for Ervin Santana since you asked.

 

Can we throw in Mike Pelfrey?

[Brandon]

I don't follow the draft closely at all...but I'm not wild about using a 2nd round pick on a guy whose ceiling is being really good for 50 innings per year. On second thought, though, how often to 2nd round guys even contribute meaningful innings at the ML level?

 

If we have 2 draft picks make the majors its a good draft so if Burdi and Gordon make it then we have a successful draft. Hopefully we can get 1 or 2 more major leaguers out of it.

[jokin]

I'd like this pick better if I actually thought the Twins would fast track him, but they are so damn reluctant to rid themselves of the most fungible kinds of baseball players: relief pitchers.

 

Seriously, Pino, Hoffman, Guerra, Ibarra, Achter, Pressly and Thompson can't get a look over Matt Guerrier, who did nothing to deserve a call up?And that's saying nothing about Burton, Swarzak and Tonkin's struggles.

 

I would strongly recommend that the Twins look to move Burton, Guerrier and Swarzak out as soon as possible. I'd probably do it by Sunday if I could get any kind of value at all, with Pino, May and Pressly replacing them. Correia to long relief with May starting in his place.

 

I'm not worried a bit yet about Tonkin, I think he'll be fine, pitchers go through adjustment periods and funks, he showed enough last year and early this year that he can still be very effective in time.

[The Wise One]

I'd like this pick better if I actually thought the Twins would fast track him, but they are so damn reluctant to rid themselves of the most fungible kinds of baseball players: relief pitchers.

 

Seriously, Pino, Hoffman, Guerra, Ibarra, Achter, Pressly and Thompson can't get a look over Matt Guerrier, who did nothing to deserve a call up?And that's saying nothing about Burton, Swarzak and Tonkin's struggles.

 

Achter probably should be up. Pressly last year was a below average pitcher used in low leverage situations. There would be a reason for that. Tonkin had a shot this year. What did he do that would say "I'm ready". Low strikeouts, high ERA are not what keeps you in the big leagues. You can't have both as Tonkin did.

Talent will rise up through the system. Keep your eyes open and you might see some of the promotions that happen.