Souhan: Meyer should be #5 starter

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I agree that that quote should be ignored. I'm less sure about ignoring, "Alex better realize he has to earn this thing." Makes me wonder if Meyer has somehow rubbed his bosses the wrong way, with an unearned sense of entitlement or whatever.

Meyer a sense of entitlement--haven't heard that one before. Not saying it's impossible, with his agent Boras being such a strong personality and such and Meyer being a 1st round pick.

 

Ryan gives dozens of interviews a week so maybe just a slip of the tongue. If not, I hate to break it to him, but Meyer holds all the cards in this game. Ryan doesn't really have the choice to leave him in the minors much longer.

[dxpavelka]

My credibility?  Yeah, like there's never been a playoff team needing to add another SP for the run up to the playoffs.....

Totally agree.  Just cite me the last example of that being a guy less than one year into a 4 year $54 million contract.

[jokin]

Meyer a sense of entitlement--haven't heard that one before. Not saying it's impossible, with his agent Boras being such a strong personality and such and Meyer being a 1st round pick.

 

Ryan gives dozens of interviews a week so maybe just a slip of the tongue. If not, I hate to break it to him, but Meyer holds all the cards in this game. Ryan doesn't really have the choice to leave him in the minors much longer.

 

You got that right.  I get the impression that Ryan will thread the needle and move Meyer up from AAA when the first SP slips on the proverbial banana peel.

[gunnarthor]

I agree that that quote should be ignored. I'm less sure about ignoring, "Alex better realize he has to earn this thing." Makes me wonder if Meyer has somehow rubbed his bosses the wrong way, with an unearned sense of entitlement or whatever.

I read that as nothing more than he needs to pitch well.  IIRC, the team gave him good marks on his injury rehab work in 2013.  I certainly don't remember anything suggesting character issues with him.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

]

Milone has similar stuff to Meyer? Someone said that out loud and didn't laugh?

"is Tommy Milone. He’s got a lot more experience than Alex Meyer. He’s got somewhat close to the same stuff." who needs a preposterous statement tournament? Winner winner chicken dinner! Preposterous statement of the year

[jorgenswest]

The team has plenty of 5th starter candidates. They spent millions on guys who will be fighters ng for the fifth spot in 2017.

 

They need to fill the top of the rotation. they need Meyer. It takes many starters 50 starts to adjust to the major leagues. If they want him to be a number 2 starter in 2017 he needs to start growing to that spot this year. We can't waste half a season on Pelfrey before bringing him up.

 

High walk rate? Several pitchers have had similar walk rates in the upper minors and that did not prevent their teams from bringing them up.

 

http://twinsdaily.com/blog/36/entry-6339-alex-meyer-and-aaa-walk-rates/

[Jham]

The team has plenty of 5th starter candidates. They spent millions on guys who will be fighters ng for the fifth spot in 2017.

 

They need to fill the top of the rotation. they need Meyer. It takes many starters 50 starts to adjust to the major leagues. If they want him to be a number 2 starter in 2017 he needs to start growing to that spot this year. We can't waste half a season on Pelfrey before bringing him up.

 

This does not seem like a ringing endorsement for bringing Meyer up early.  Perhaps those other pitchers would have been better served working on things in the minors.  I know this is an Alex Meyer thread, but apparently I'm the only one advocating caution.   Most of this site was excited for the Milone acquisition last year, and for Nolasco last spring.  Even Pelfrey had, (and somehow still has!) a number of supporters going into last spring.  A few struggles and now no one cares.

 

I believe that if Meyer is the next Justin Verlander he won't have any problem beating out Milone, Pelfrey, May, or any of the Twins starters for that matter.  If he's not noticeably better than these other candidates, well, he's probably not ready.  

[ashbury]

 I certainly don't remember anything suggesting character issues with him.

Me either, which is why I perked up at Ryan's wording. It's probably nothing.

[nicksaviking]

Me either, which is why I perked up at Ryan's wording. It's probably nothing.

 

Maybe Ryan's just one of those guys who loved to make the substitute teacher's life miserable.  Seems to me I usually had at least two of those kids in each class.

 

"Hey Mr. Meyer, our REAL teacher said we wouldn't have any homework today.  Also, she hardly ever throws sliders and can throw a pretty good changeup."

[HitInAPinch]

Totally agree.  Just cite me the last example of that being a guy less than one year into a 4 year $54 million contract.

You know darn well that this is something that is almost impossible to search for.  Impossible like a guy in year 3 of a 10yr. $252mil contract being traded. 

 

All of this is completely irrelevant.  In my original post, I put a smiley face after my comment

"Gibson [because Santana got traded :   ]"  indicating I was having fun with it.  YOU decided to attack me and question my "credibility".  Give it a rest.

[Squirrel]

I agree that that quote should be ignored. I'm less sure about ignoring, "Alex better realize he has to earn this thing." Makes me wonder if Meyer has somehow rubbed his bosses the wrong way, with an unearned sense of entitlement or whatever.

If you read that sentence on its own like you've put it, yeah, makes one wonder. But when you read in context of the entire quote, and the entire article, I think you are reading into it way too much. I read it more like he was telling Souhan that there are no 'shoulds' here and that Meyer needs to work for it like anyone else, that this is a competition, and it is. And to me that's not implying that Meyer isn't working for it less than anyone else, it's just not a forgone conclusion that Meyer should win the job like Souhan (and many) wants it to be.

[James]

You know darn well that this is something that is almost impossible to search for.  Impossible like a guy in year 3 of a 10yr. $252mil contract being traded. 

 

All of this is completely irrelevant.  In my original post, I put a smiley face after my comment

"Gibson [because Santana got traded :   ]"  indicating I was having fun with it.  YOU decided to attack me and question my "credibility".  Give it a rest.

To be fair, I read the original statement that trading a player less than half a year into a 4 year deal would damage the credibility of a team's front office.  I don't think he was attacking your credibility.  I could be wrong, but that is how I interpreted the original statement.  

 

I think there is a point there too.  What player would want to sign with a team that he knows will trade him immediately when the whole point of getting a multi-year deal is so that you have some security.

 

Also, I think there are a lot of people reading way too much into these statements.  Does anyone really think that TR is suddenly going to indicate who he thinks should be in the starting rotation before the third spring training game?  No.  He's not.  He may have guys that he hopes step up and take on the role, but he's not going to just tell everyone right away who he wants.  Players can read these interviews as well, and I'm sure he's trying to instill a spirit of competition behind the scenes as well so he can get the best out of all his players.  It would be very hard to give that message to the players and then tell the public he wants Meyer to have the job.  

[kab21]

I'm just hoping that May is the one that gets the 5th spot instead of Milone, Stauffer or Pelfrey.  This is kind of like Gibson did last year.  I'm not worried about when Meyer will be up.  It's going to happen at this point.

[gunnarthor]

I'm just hoping that May is the one that gets the 5th spot instead of Milone, Stauffer or Pelfrey.  This is kind of like Gibson did last year.  I'm not worried about when Meyer will be up.  It's going to happen at this point.

Yeah, I want Meyer but May has better stuff than the others and I'd rather he gets a shot before those three.

[TheLeviathan]

As long as it isn't Pelfrey...anyone but Pelfrey and I can find some justification for it.

[formerly33]

As much as I would like to see Meyer in the 5th spot, I actually think it's going to be Pelfrey. He seems like the kind of guy Molitor would choose. Trying to be a genius without having the stuff, ya know.

 

But who knows? Stranger things have certainly happened - and this wouldn't be the first time I was wrong about something

 

The guy we really need is Sidd Finch.

[dxpavelka]

I want to see the best guy get the spot.  I don't care who it is and I hope it's not pre-determined.  And, yes, I am OK if it's Sidd Finch.

[twinscowboysbulls]

Any belief that Nolasco's stuff could play up a little bit in the bullpen if we have no other choice but to get him out of the rotation?

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Any belief that Nolasco's stuff could play up a little bit in the bullpen if we have no other choice but to get him out of the rotation?

Ick. I don't see Nolasco having any real value unless he's starting. Unlike Pelfrey, he doesn't throw particularly hard and he relies on a mix of pitches to succeed; that doesn't seem like the makings of a good bullpen arm in my opinion.

 

Whereas Mike Pelfrey is basically a bullpen arm that starts games. He throws his fastball an overwhelming amount of the time (~85% if you include both versions) and he throws 92-93 as a starter. If he could turn that fastball into a 94-95 pitch out of the pen, there's a chance of success.

[gunnarthor]

 

Ick. I don't see Nolasco having any real value unless he's starting. Unlike Pelfrey, he doesn't throw particularly hard and he relies on a mix of pitches to succeed; that doesn't seem like the makings of a good bullpen arm in my opinion.

 

Whereas Mike Pelfrey is basically a bullpen arm that starts games. He throws his fastball an overwhelming amount of the time (~85% if you include both versions) and he throws 92-93 as a starter. If he could turn that fastball into a 94-95 pitch out of the pen, there's a chance of success.

Yep, I agree with both points.  Nolasco is either in the rotation or traded. 

[kab21]

It's not that simple.  Glen Perkins had 3 pitches and didn't throw particularly hard as a starter.  That being said Nolasco is a starter and a healthy Nolasco is a good starter.  Unfortunately I think the same fate as Darvish awaits this season.

[nicksaviking]

For what it's worrh, Pelfrey recently said he wants to start but would accept a bullpen assignment if it came to that. I'd like to think Molitor is as open minded.

[Paul Pleiss]

Mike Pelfrey is not actually a human, but a sasquatch. I have it on good authority of Anthony Swarzak, noted sasquatch enthusiast.

 

With that being said, I like Pelf for the #5 spot. I think Milone is the swing man/long man out of the pen and that Meyer and May both start the season back in AAA. I don't like that, but I think it's going to happen.

[Brock Beauchamp]

It's not that simple. Glen Perkins had 3 pitches and didn't throw particularly hard as a starter. That being said Nolasco is a starter and a healthy Nolasco is a good starter. Unfortunately I think the same fate as Darvish awaits this season.

Fair enough... But Perkins always threw his fastball a lot, much more often than Nolasco does.

[nicksaviking]

Mike Pelfrey is not actually a human, but a sasquatch. I have it on good authority of Anthony Swarzak, noted sasquatch enthusiast.

 

With that being said, I like Pelf for the #5 spot. I think Milone is the swing man/long man out of the pen and that Meyer and May both start the season back in AAA. I don't like that, but I think it's going to happen.

I actually think I dislike Milone in the pen more than Pelfrey in the rotation. I'm just not a fan of soft tossing fly ball pitchers coming into the game, especially with men on base. He'd probably have a fine ERA which would mask the realization that nearly all of his inherited runners score.