Article: Is Ervin Santana Really A Midseason Addition?

[Brock Beauchamp]

I know you aren't. I am though. IMO, he's been our best pitcher (or at least he and Gibson) and he has a future with this team. I've gone over plenty of reasons/validations for this move and none of them outweighs the fact he's arguably the best guy in our rotation right now and that doesn't warrant a demotion...which IS what this is.

In the long run, I completely agree but right now, the team is handing away far too many games in late innings. May could stop that bleeding immediately. I'm doubtful whether Pelfrey or Milone would have the same effect.

[TheLeviathan]

 

I agree it feels that way with Pelfrey but I don't see why the Twins would cater to Milone. They didn't hesitate to demote the guy earlier in the season.

 

Yeah, I'm referencing Pelfrey.  I think Milone has earned his spot.

[a-wan]

Completely expected, since it gives way to the older players. 

[jimmer]

'Trevor, since I built a bullpen void of anyone who can strike someone out, besides Perkins (who my manager keeps on the sideline in extra innings games against division leaders), we'd like to move the starter who strikes out the most batters into the bullpen.  That's you bubba.  Try not to think of your unique ability, in this rotation, to dominate as the reason you got demoted.  The very moment an inferior starter gets traded or hurt, you'll be back in there. Happy 4th of July.  Want a burger?'-Terry Ryan.

[jokin]

 

I'm not convinced it's that dumb. Yeah, in a perfect world you want May in the rotation and he's not the worst starter by any measure... But right now, the rotation is serviceable. The bullpen is not.

It's possible that this is the biggest net gain for the team because it gives Molitor three good to great strikeout pitchers to go 7-8-9 and shut down games. Kansas City has used the model "serviceable rotation, ferocious bullpen" for a few years and it has worked brilliantly for them.

 

Yep, I applaud the Twins.  This is the best move to stop the bleeding, and give the Twins a decent chance of winning a number of games over the next couple of weeks, not just a May start or two.

 

(And I do enjoy the irony of you using the KC comp... the Davis/Shields trade transformed the Royals)

[twinsnorth49]

Pelfrey has been effective this season, I still expect a trade. May is the best help the bullpen could get and where it's needed most.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Yep, I applaud the Twins. This is the best move to stop the bleeding, and give the Twins a decent chance of winning a number of games over the next couple of weeks, not just a May start or two.

 

(And I do enjoy the irony of you using the KC comp... the Davis/Shields trade transformed the Royals)

Well, I don't like the idea of building what is, in my opinion, a backwards pitching staff. I firmly believe that generally, the smartest route is to keep your best pitchers in the rotation... But the Twins have put themselves in quite a position with their current pen and this might be the only way to change that internally.

 

If I ran the team, I would have aggressively replaced relievers earlier in the season but that didn't happen so here we are today.

[jorgenswest]

We need a good start from Pelfrey tonight.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I would have preferred Pelfrey to the pen but process of elimination didn't leave many options. Like jorgenswest said, they probably counted it out and May made the most sense to them.

[LaBombo]

 

The article lost me when they said May was acting as the staff ace. That would be Gibson or milone.

 

Hughes, and it's not even close.

 

Using small samples of ERA just doesn't work very well when grading pitchers.    Career trends and peripherals tell a more complete story, and they both point toward Hughes and May being more effective.

 

Milone and Gibson are having nice seasons, but they could regress at the drop of a hat unless their 6-ish K rates hold up.  In the mean time they're relatively young and cheap, so the Twins might as well ride their hot streak while they can.

 

That leaves the older, more expensive, low-K Pelfrey as the odd man out.  It's great that he's a nice guy and all, but complaining about going to the pen when you're lucky to be in the majors at all somewhat nullifies that for me.

 

Take away the good guy stuff and you're left with a guy who's 31 and has an ERA that's very likely unsustainable given his very low K rate and his other mediocre peripherals.

 

May to the pen long term is a mistake.    May to the pen instead of Pelfrey just makes it a bigger one.    There is virtually no chance Pelfrey contributes much to a winning Twins team, especially in the long run beyond 2015.

 

If the Twins weed out the weak rotation link in July while May helps win a couple in the pen before returning, great.  Anything more than that and the franchise is likely the worse for it.

Edited July 5, 2015 by LaBombo

[jimmer]

If Hughes is our ace we have serious, serious issues.  Even worse if it's not even close.  His ability shouldn't be judged by one quality season this decade.  That's the outlier. 

[TheLeviathan]

Pelfrey sure justified my frustration tonight.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Pelfrey sure justified my frustration tonight.

Defnitely. Going this direction is a roll of the dice, that's for sure.

[AlwaysinModeration]

Pelfrey last five starts:

 

24.1IP, 8.50 ERA, 2.21WHIP, 4.1K/9.

 

And that's with an 8IP, 1 run effort included.

[Craig Arko]

I won't be surprised to see May and Pelfrey swap roles after the break. At least part of the deal will be keeping an innings count for both of them.

[Linus]

Sure looked like the old Pelfrey last night. Two possible silver linings he puts together a couple of good starts and is attractive at the deadline and maybe may boosts the pen

[drivlikejehu]

Bolstering the bullpen is fine and all, but the difference between May and Pelfrey in the rotation more than outweighs that. Plenty of excuses are being offered up for this, as expected. The Twins made the wrong move, as expected. I would be more irritated except I've been criticizing this move for weeks, because it was so obvious that it would happen regardless of how badly Pelfrey pitched.

 

Nor should Milone keep a spot over May. Milone's ERA is much better than he's really pitched, and he would be a better lefty out of the bullpen than Thompson or Duensing. May is better now and more a part of the Twins future plans. So that aspect of the decision is also just plain error on the Twins' part. Not that Milone doesn't 'deserve' a spot, but May deserves it more.

[HitInAPinch]

I've been waiting a long time to see Pelfrey pitch, especially after his recent outings.  He is exactly as he was with the Mets:  he teases for a few starts and them completely implodes.  It starts with overthrowing, then he gets frustrated and has something like a mental breakdown on the field.  Molitor looked like he could get him off the field soon enough. 

 

I think Molitor's statement that May's move to the bullpen made most sense for the short-term and sending May down "would be helpful in terms of keeping him ready to help us if something happens to one of our guys."

 

I'm thinking short-term = Mike Pelfrey's next start.  The "something happens" is Pelfrey imploding again.