2015 Bullpen

[Mike Sixel]

Sometimes you need to go worth the unproven. Also, a team that limits it's budget should spend money on fielders and starters, not the bullpen, imo.

[Monkeypaws]

Sometimes you need to go worth the unproven. Also, a team that limits it's budget should spend money on fielders and starters, not the bullpen, imo.

 

Agreed, especially with the arms the Twins may have ready as early as 2015.

[stringer bell]

Injuries, ineffectiveness and overuse all happen. Being able to call up another arm and option a tired, nicked or ineffective reliever, or maybe even a starter, could help keep only 12 on the pitching staff.

[Kirby_waved_at_me]

"Just 14?" -Gardy

 

Burton will more than likely not be getting his option picked up, though I don't know for sure that it will mean he signs with another team. $3.6MM might be too steep given his performance in 2014, but th Twins and Burton might try to stick together by signing a smaller deal with an extra year on it (would be a mistake in my opinion, but I get the sense that there is mutual interest in having Burton in the Twins' bullpen next season). 

 

Swarzak sounds like he's in TR's doghouse a bit, but maybe Ryan was just upset that he was making a bunch of spot starts. I think it might be the end of the line for Swarzak, though. 

 

Same for Pino, Thielbar, and Duensing. Pino ended the year with an injury, and the Twins seem to have more intriguing options for that AAA/MLB shuttle Starter for 2015. The two lefties couldn't reliably get lefties out, I would be surprised if both came back.

 

I hope that the Twins can find suitable options for the bullpen in 2015 without spending much (or anything) in free agency. 

[Siehbiscuit]

Sometimes you need to go worth the unproven. Also, a team that limits it's budget should spend money on fielders and starters, not the bullpen, imo.

Having a great bullpen is very much part of the game now. None of the front-line starters on the FA market are in the range the Twins will go after. If a number 3 guy like Nolaso costs $12m per year is largest acquisition ever, I don't see us in the running for: Scherzer or Lester. I don't seem them seriously bidding for Shields either. The guys we have now are Nolasco and Hughes combined $20m and then likely three guys that will be cheap and under team control for years.

 

WHen Meyer, Berrios, Stewart and Thorpe are ready they'll still be under team control, but by then my FA bullpen acquistion will be gone too. The money is available to resign others.

 

There is money to spend NOW and there aren't very good FA options out there at our specific positions of need that don't have a prospect very close.

 

Normally, I agree with you. Just not for this offseason, when our bullpen is not good as is and the internal options are not quite ready.

[Mike Sixel]

You can't have guys in the bullpen that can't be sent down and brought back up. Not for a team that has a need for lots of guys in the bullpen. It is a 162 game season, you need flexibility. Also, RP are very variable from year to year. They are a very bad investment of FA dollars.