Tyler Robertsaon on His Way

[ScottyB]

Twin are promoting Tyler Robertson from Rochester in anticipation of placing Matt Capps on the DL. Robertson is LH and will supplement Perkins as a lefty in the pen with Duensing in the rotation for a while.

[Thrylos]

Great news! No better way for Big Tyler to start his MLB career vs. against the White Sox.

[IdahoPilgrim]

Hopefully he'll get to pitch tomorrow. I'll be at the game, and I always enjoy watching a player make his debut.

[jokin]

Great news! No better way for Big Tyler to start his MLB career vs. against the White Sox.

I definitely like his size. His stats this year, though, are a cause for concern. 0.00 ERA w/ bases empty, K/9=10.4, so far so good, but 6+ ERA with runners on, 9.5+ERA with RISP and 6+ERA/.288 BA against RHB. Looks like Gardy will carefully have to choose his spots or he's, at best, just a stop-gap LOOGY. Can you give me any cause for hope and better expectatons?

[IdahoPilgrim]

If they wanted a leftie, they didn't have any other choice. The only lefties Rochester has are French (a starter), Maloney ('nuff said), Thielbar (who just got promoted to AAA), and Robertson.

[jokin]

If they wanted a leftie, they didn't have any other choice. The only lefties Rochester has are French (a starter), Maloney ('nuff said), Thielbar (who just got promoted to AAA), and Robertson.

I like what the home-state guy, Thielbar has been doing at AA and AAA, pretty much lights out (although he got nicked for 1 today). I suppose it's a 40-man decision to go with Robertson, then. I still don't get why they keep going back to the wishing well with Duensing as a LHSP. I think he has found his proper role on the team and given what you said the lefty alternatives are at ROC and Duensing's predictable 4th inning meltdown, they need to look at other options at SP and keep the two proven lefties in the bullpen.

[Steve Fetch]

I like what the home-state guy, Thielbar has been doing at AA and AAA, pretty much lights out (although he got nicked for 1 today). I suppose it's a 40-man decision to go with Robertson, then. I still don't get why they keep going back to the wishing well with Duensing as a LHSP. I think he has found his proper role on the team and given what you said the lefty alternatives are at ROC and Duensing's predictable 4th inning meltdown, they need to look at other options at SP and keep the two proven lefties in the bullpen.

I had no idea Thielbar had been so good this year. Awesome to see.

[DaveW]

I really don't like this whole having Duensing as a starter experiment again, the guy most likely doesn't have a long term future as a starter in the majors as we have learned in the past and has actually been doing pretty damn well in his role this season... why change things suddenly? If we need an arm to throw out there to give us 5-6 IP and 4-5 ER a start why not just sign a Jamie Moyer to come in and pitch until he ends up being cut?

 

Perkins was never a LOOGY and color me a bit skeptical for Robertson to jump into that spot suddenly, Duensing should be in that spot moving forward.

[Brandon]

I agree lets start a sign Jamie Moyer Movement.

[spideyo]

This isn't nesc. a move to allow Duensing to start, as it is a move that allows Perkins to close. Even if Duensing stays in the bullpen, he's still going to be a candidate for long-relief duty, and may be unavailable for a couple days because of his long outing saturday. If you want Perkins to be available in the 9th inning, you still gotta have someone to come in against that tough lefty in the 7th or 8th.

[DaveW]

This isn't nesc. a move to allow Duensing to start, as it is a move that allows Perkins to close. Even if Duensing stays in the bullpen, he's still going to be a candidate for long-relief duty, and may be unavailable for a couple days because of his long outing saturday. If you want Perkins to be available in the 9th inning, you still gotta have someone to come in against that tough lefty in the 7th or 8th.

Why will he be a candidate for long-relief/mop up duty if he is in the pen? The Twins have plenty of guys available to handle that role.

[IdahoPilgrim]

I agree lets start a sign Jamie Moyer Movement.

Isn't he working his way through every team? Kind of a farewell tour?

[Seth Stohs]

1.) I'd be good with Jamie Moyer.

2.) I was about the last to say Duensing to the bullpen, and now I'm a full believer that his best role is as a bullpen guy. However, I have no problem with going with him at this point. There just aren't other internal options at this point. We know he's fine in the bullpen.

3.) I'm happy for Tyler Robertson. He is a great kid. HE is a baseball guy. His dad was a long-time scout in baseball, many years with the Twins. So, Robertson is just a baseball guy. Granted, that means little, but it's great to see him get the opportunity. My expectations aren't high, although they rarely are high for me when a guy comes up the first time.

[DaveW]

There just aren't other internal options at this point. We know he's fine in the bullpen.

 

I'm more of a proponent of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" I just don't see what good can/will happen by putting Duensing back into the bullpen both short and long term. Also, the recent struggles/injuries of Bard and Feliz have me a bit gun-shy of taking a good solid bullpen guy and throwing him into the rotation again. I wish Duensing could just focus on improving his ability to be a solid bullpen guy moving forward.

[jokin]

1.) I'd be good with Jamie Moyer.

2.) I was about the last to say Duensing to the bullpen, and now I'm a full believer that his best role is as a bullpen guy. However, I have no problem with going with him at this point. There just aren't other internal options at this point. We know he's fine in the bullpen.

3.) I'm happy for Tyler Robertson. He is a great kid. HE is a baseball guy. His dad was a long-time scout in baseball, many years with the Twins. So, Robertson is just a baseball guy. Granted, that means little, but it's great to see him get the opportunity. My expectations aren't high, although they rarely are high for me when a guy comes up the first time.

I don't doubt everything you say about Robertson. But unfortunately, it does highlight just another continuing problem within the organization. Blatant nepotism. Counting the days until Lombardozzi's acquired in another unfavorable swap with the Nats.

[jorgenswest]

I definitely like his size. His stats this year, though, are a cause for concern. 0.00 ERA w/ bases empty, K/9=10.4, so far so good, but 6+ ERA with runners on, 9.5+ERA with RISP and 6+ERA/.288 BA against RHB. Looks like Gardy will carefully have to choose his spots or he's, at best, just a stop-gap LOOGY. Can you give me any cause for hope and better expectatons?

I assume you are "jokin". Every pitcher at any level of baseball has splits that vary like this. How are guys going to score when no one is on? Solo HR is the only way. When are runners most likely to score? My guess is when they are already in scoring position. Over the last two years, righties have an OPS .677 and lefties an OPS of .657 so unsurprisingly he is more successful against lefties.

 

Some splits at http://minorleaguecentral.com/player.php?pid=502356&split=3000

[DaveW]

I don't doubt everything you say about Robertson. But unfortunately, it does highlight just another continuing problem within the organization. Blatant nepotism. Counting the days until Lombardozzi's acquired in another unfavorable swap with the Nats.

I'm not so sure it is nepotism as it is the Twins just needed another RP out of Rochester and guys like Oliveros and Slama were both unavailable via injury, plus for right or wrong they needed a LHP and Robertson had some decent number this year.

 

I have a hard time seeing where nepotism dictated bad transactions in the past, last I checked Toby never made the majors and Butera was acquired in a salary dump when Castillo was let go.

[jokin]

I assume you are "jokin". Every pitcher at any level of baseball has splits that vary like this. How are guys going to score when no one is on? Solo HR is the only way. When are runners most likely to score? My guess is when they are already in scoring position. Over the last two years, righties have an OPS .677 and lefties an OPS of .657 so unsurprisingly he is more successful against left

That would be my observations about how runs are scored, as well, and stop calling me Shirley. That is why I was asking for some words of encouragement. Thanks for the supplemental data, I'm glad to see that this season may be anomalous. But the move from NBR to ROC hasn't necessarily given me hope that he can put out the fire, NOW, at the MLB level, when he comes into the middle of an inning. I know it's just one season of data (but it is AAA), but are you seriously suggesting, or are you jokin, that these I-League numbers inspire you?

 

Robertson as a Red Wing:

v LHB: 167/262/204/466

v RHB: 288/348/475/823

 

A mythical RHB would be a top-20 I-League All Star with those numbers, while he is clearly one of the top 5 pitchers against lefties. Either he normalizes towards his New Britain numbers to smooth out this discrepancy or this one looks like a LOOGY to me.

[jokin]

I'm not so sure it is nepotism as it is the Twins just needed another RP out of Rochester and guys like Oliveros and Slama were both unavailable via injury, plus for right or wrong they needed a LHP and Robertson had some decent number this year.

 

I have a hard time seeing where nepotism dictated bad transactions in the past, last I checked Toby never made the majors and Butera was acquired in a salary dump when Castillo was let go.

1) Fine, but I think there were better alternative options to solving the LHP shortage that would not have made this move necessary.

 

2) I have nothing against guys like Toby following their dream, I just hope that all of his years in the system didn't delay someone else more deserving from developmental time or being signed in the first place. Regarding the Son of Sal, it could be suggested that the Twins found it rather easy to dump proven major league catchers which resulted in giving Butera more MLB service time. In both cases, not accusing anyone here, just appearances and such.