Edwin Jackson/Ricky Nolasco

[nicksaviking]

The Cubs DFA'd Edwin Jackson.  He had already been kicked out of the rotation and actually had been pitching not horrible in the bullpen. 

 

There are a lot of similarities between Jackson and Ricky Nolasco; they both received large four-year deals that were second guessed from the begining.  Both had a track record of being inconsistant but more usefull than not. Both had pretty decent stuff, however for some reason it rarely manifested into strikeouts.

 

Nolasco moving to the pen next year doesn't seem hard to vision, but will the Twins have the guts to DFA him if push comes to shove eating the 12M for 2017, the 1M option year buyout and whatever is left on his 2016 contract when the time comes?

 

Also psych to anyone who thought this thread would suggest something as awful as picking up Edwin Jackson.

[diehardtwinsfan]

The Twins have done it before (though never on a contract this large).  I'd imagine that if next year is another loss that this is a very real possibility. 

[Linus]

No need.  Nolasco is not a great pitcher but would certainly be one of our 12 best pitchers, and that is the only bar he has to clear.  I don't care for the guy, but he has some stretches where he has pitched OK.  He certainly would be an improvement to our current bullpen.......

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

The Cubs DFA'd Edwin Jackson.  He had already been kicked out of the rotation and actually had been pitching not horrible in the bullpen.

Jackson's bullpen numbers haven't been bad this year, but he's been used almost exclusively in a mop-up role, so it's hard to judge if he's really improved.  His game-entering leverage index of 0.6 is equal to Stauffer's and May's so far in 2015, or Deduno's from 2014.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Like Nolasco, Jackson greatly under-performed his FIP in Chicago.  By FIP, he was basically a league-average starter there!

 

Jackson also hardly missed a start, so I would guess Nolasco will have a longer leash for that reason.

[Shane Wahl]

Absolutely not. And I am one who wanted the Twins to sign Jackson in 2012 or whenever it was. I don't understand how he became so bad.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Had we signed Jackson, his contract would at least be off the books a year ahead of Nolasco's.

 

And Jackson would have fit in perfectly on the 2015 Twins, given our love for relievers that no one trusts.

[drjim]

I could see the Twins cutting the cord on Nolasco at some point next season.

 

Sunk costs and all, but the Cubs do have a little bit more financial flexility (to put it mildly) relative to the Twins. They can afford to cut players earlier and not exhaust all opportunities.

[Mike Sixel]

Twins have plenty of money to just cut Nolasco if they want......he'd be replaced by a guy making the minimum. It is a sunk cost, and Nolasco should be 7th on the depth chart next year, assuming no injuries going into the year.

 

 

[drjim]

 

Twins have plenty of money to just cut Nolasco if they want......he'd be replaced by a guy making the minimum. It is a sunk cost, and Nolasco should be 7th on the depth chart next year, assuming no injuries going into the year.

 

I'm skeptical that Milone/Pelfrey are back and they are unlikely to start Berrios in the rotation on day 1. Nolasco will get his opening day spot in the rotation, but I agree they will have the money, the depth, and the inspiration to finally let him go if it doesn't work again.

 

I do wonder if the Twins might sign even another starter this offseason. Wouldn't put it past them.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I'm skeptical that Milone/Pelfrey are back

Why wouldn't Milone be back?  He's got 3 more years of team control, and I doubt his arbitration raise will be too steep this winter.  Heck, we were willing to guarantee him $2.8 mil for 2015 and still sent him to AAA for a month -- although I guess we won't be able to stash him in AAA next year.  Still, between Pelfrey leaving and Nolasco's health, and the wait on Berrios, there is almost certainly a spot for him on our MLB staff.

[SwainZag]

 

Twins have plenty of money to just cut Nolasco if they want......he'd be replaced by a guy making the minimum. It is a sunk cost, and Nolasco should be 7th on the depth chart next year, assuming no injuries going into the year.

 

What's the incentive to cut him?  Cutting him know means you pay him this year's salary and the $12M owed to him in 2016 AND 2017 with getting absolutely nothing in return.  

[Mike Sixel]

 

What's the incentive to cut him?  Cutting him know means you pay him this year's salary and the $12M owed to him in 2016 AND 2017 with getting absolutely nothing in return.  

 

If he's on the roster next year, is he better than the other options? If not, he should be cut. Otherwise you are just keeping him here because no reason other than you want to win less......

 

If you can trade him great.....good luck with that. But if he is playing, that means May, Berrios, Milone, et. al. (some combo of them and/or others) are not......

 

The advantage of cutting him is that a better player plays. Don't need to do that while he is out for the year, but that's not the scenario I was responding to with that quote.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

And Jackson would have fit in perfectly on the 2015 Twins, given our love for relievers that no one trusts.

*slow clap*