Kevin Jepsen traded to the Twins

[DaveW]

Yep, this. Although Jepsen has some upside. People are looking at his 2015 line and ignoring that he had a pretty rough start, nevermind he was actually very good in 2013/14.

He was overused in 2014 by the Angels, his arm is shot now (fastball is down)

 

In 2013 he had a 4.50 era, that's pretty good? Keep grasping at those straws bud.

[DaveW]

Absolutely, because it's a sound argument to use "Hu" and "Buxton" as comparables.

just as sound as your whole "well Hu isn't one of our best 5 pitching prospects so who cares LOL"

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

He was overused in 2014 by the Angels, his arm is shot now (fastball is down)

In 2013 he had a 4.50 era, that's pretty good? Keep grasping at those straws bud.

Using ERA to qualify a reliever's performance, Dave? Really?

[jokin]

 

Like I said, I don't like the trade but people are losing their minds over a whole lot of nothing right now.

 

It's better than nothing, 

 

Nitpicking, I know.. but just what changed in 6 minutes?

[DaveW]

Using ERA to qualify a reliever's performance, Dave? Really?

here is another great stat: 1.528 WHIP in 2013. 40% IR scored.

[Loosey]

 

For me it is also clearly Ryan fatigue.......

 

I also doubt Hu is ever a great MLB pitcher, or even good.........but I really am tired of this being what we get, and not a good player, or a great player.

 

Also, not sure why anyone is happy they have to pay this guy real money next year to be a replacement level guy that blocks Duffy and Rogers and Burdi and Meyer and every other young RP option.

What bother's me is that he even makes a deal if this is what he going to do.  Hu isn't great, but Jepsen level could be found in AA or AAA for free.  Terry Ryan needs to be more creative.

[USMCTwin]

 

He was overused in 2014 by the Angels, his arm is shot now (fastball is down)

In 2013 he had a 4.50 era, that's pretty good? Keep grasping at those straws bud.

 

Quoting his 2013 4.50 era, in comparison to his 3.38 FIP is about as bad as assuming his 2015 2.81 era is more in line than 4.13 FIP. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Nitpicking, I know.. but just what changed in 6 minutes?

I meant "whole lot of nothing" in regards to people apparently thinking Hu was the next Bob Gibson.

 

I'd give the trade maybe a 3-4/10. It's not a good trade. I'm also not going to lose my mind over it because it's likely that Hu never amounts to much of anything.

[SwainZag]

 

here is another great stat: 1.528 WHIP in 2013. 40% IR scored.

 

2013: BABIP .345, FIP 3.39 K/9 9.0

2014: BABIP .263, FIP 2.78, K/9 10.4

 

His fastball is down a little this year and his K/9 is down while his BB/9 is up, but don't cherry pick the past to make him look worse.  I am not huge on this deal, but here's to hoping that TR saw a chance at a setup man on a down year and he turns it around.  A year ago this would have been an elite deadline arm.  He's only 31.

 

[DaveW]

I meant "whole lot of nothing" in regards to people apparently thinking Hu was the next Bob Gibson.

 

I'd give the trade maybe a 3-4/10. It's not a good trade. I'm also not going to lose my mind over it because it's likely that Hu never amounts to much of anything.

What if people are thinking perhaps he was the next Scott baker? Which is a very reasonable comp.

[zchrz]

Meh I don't love it but they needed an arm for the pen and Hu was a pretty expendable piece.  A classic TR scrap heap deal.  Who gets the axe, hopefully Boyer.

[DaveW]

2013: BABIP .345, FIP 3.39 K/9 9.0

2014: BABIP .263, FIP 2.78, K/9 10.4

 

His fastball is down a little this year and his K/9 is down while his BB/9 is up, but don't cherry pick the past to make him look worse. I am not huge on this deal, but here's to hoping that TR saw a chance at a setup man on a down year and he turns it around. A year ago this would have been an elite deadline arm. He's only 31.

What's his FIP this year? Not fair to cherry pick his FIP in 2013/2014 and not include 2015!

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

What if people are thinking perhaps he was the next Scott baker? Which is a very reasonable comp.

I don't see that comp at all but if you honestly believe that is a good comp for Hu, I suppose that's reason to get upset.

 

As I said earlier, I'm just not very high on Hu. He was a nice piece to have in the system and I would have demanded more than Jepsen for him in trade but I'm not going to go into outrage mode over it, either.

[jimmer]

Watching MLB Network and they were talking about the trade deadline and that there still may be major deals coming with 40 something minutes left.  One of the hosts asked, 'Bigger than Jepsen to the Twins?' and they started chuckling.  Last night they were talking about how it just didn't seem possible that with being in a playoff race, they was like no chatter about the Twins for anyone.  Especially when you consider the team that are going big like Houston, KC and Toronto.  Not exactly big spenders and two not exactly big movers.

 

This is the rep we have. It's well earned.  

 

Earlier they were talking about teams over-valuing their prospects and how there is no W Series for best farm system.

[SwainZag]

 

What's his FIP this year? Not fair to cherry pick his FIP in 2013/2014 and not include 2015!

 

You were the one using ERA of all stats  from 2013, not me.  I stated his numbers are up this year, I didn't miss that part.

[Kwak]

OK, Jepsen isn't all that.  But he is an experienced ML RP opposed to the two lottery tickets exchanged.  Considering the success of the Twins in drafting/developing pitchers I am confident that neither Hu or Tapia would have amounted to much--though TB may correct that!

 

Face it the Twins needed some bullpen help (probably more than this) but people (me too!) can't complain about doing nothing and then watching a minot transaction happen--and complain that the baby Jesus was traded away!.  This is exactly the non-move I expected from Ryan--and the results will be tepid--but most will forget anyway.

[jimmer]

Watching MLB Network and they were talking about the trade deadline and that there still may be major deals coming with 40 something minutes left.  One of the hosts asked, 'Bigger than Jepsen to the Twins?' and they started chuckling.  Last night they were talking about how it just didn't seem possible that with being in a playoff race, they was like no chatter about the Twins for anyone.  Especially when you consider the team that are going big like Houston, KC and Toronto.  Not exactly big spenders and two not exactly big movers.

 

This is the rep we have. It's well earned.  

 

Earlier they were talking about teams over-valuing their prospects and how there is no W Series for best farm system.

 

Then, while continuing to marvel at the Twins doing practically nothing, they said there are these teams chasing the Twins who are apparently a juggernaut so they don't need to get anyone.

[howeda7]

My god, some people are so dramatic. This is a very minor trade. I'm no fan of Terry Ryan, but he can't win with some of you. We wanted him to get bullpen help, but not give up a top 10 or 15 guy. That's exactly what he did. Maybe Jespen is not the guy most of us would have picked, but he's hardly the last guy either, IMO. I'd rather have him than Benoit since his 2016 salary won't be outrageous.

 

I wish they'd done this a week ago. I wish it had been for Clippard. I wish they'd get a catcher. But this is hardly a disaster. Take a deep breath.

[DaveW]

I don't see that comp at all but if you honestly believe that is a good comp for Hu, I suppose that's reason to get upset.

 

As I said earlier, I'm just not very high on Hu. He was a nice piece to have in the system and I would have demanded more than Jepsen for him in trade but I'm not going to go into outrage mode over it, either.

Explain why you aren't high on Hu? Explain how his great numbers this far are just a mirage. I will hang up and listen.

[Willihammer]

I'm not outraged but it is getting harder to follow this FO's thinking.

 

The problem with the bullpen is the cheap declining vets in it are allowing too many runners to score. Therefore, acquire another cheap declining vet who allows too many runners to score?

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Explain why you aren't high on Hu? Explain how his great numbers this far are just a mirage. I will hang up and listen.

I don't have much faith in guys who rely on a trick pitch to succeed in the minors, especially the lower minors. What deceives hitters in MiLB is often grossly exposed at the MLB level.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I'm not outraged but it is getting harder to follow this FO's thinking.

Probably the most accurate post in this thread to describe my thoughts on the events of today and the past month, really.

[jokin]

 

 

 

Earlier they were talking about teams over-valuing their prospects and how there is no W Series for best farm system.

 

Which one said that?  I'd like to buy him a beer.  And here I thought that the Twins had finally moved past that stage of being the butt of all the MLB-franchise-ineptitude-champion jokes by the national media.  It's like Terry actually enjoys wearing a "Kick Me" sign on his back.

[DaveW]

I don't have much faith in guys who rely on a trick pitch to succeed in the minors, especially the lower minors. What deceives hitters in MiLB is often grossly exposed at the MLB level.

Pitched pretty well in his AAA start

[Loosey]

 

I'm not outraged but it is getting harder to follow this FO's thinking.

The problem is your believe they "think".

[jokin]

 

I don't have much faith in guys who rely on a trick pitch to succeed in the minors, especially the lower minors. What deceives hitters in MiLB is often grossly exposed at the MLB level.

 

Yep.  This is why I've had great doubts about him, too.  But the Twins also gave up another hard-throwing young arm, as well, for a veteran putting up replacement-level numbers.  Why strip your SP depth (remembering that Hu actually acquitted himself well in one AAA appearance) for someone, who by definition, could be replaced by any number of current AAA arms at 29 other systems, or all the other pitchers who are about to be DFAd after today's trading flurry?

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Yep.  This is why I've had great doubts about him, too.  But the Twins also gave up another hard-throwing young arm, as well, for a veteran putting up replacement-level numbers.  Why strip your SP depth (remembering that Hu actually acquitted himself well in one AAA appearance) for someone, who by definition, could be replaced by any number of current AAA arms at 29 other systems, or all the other pitchers who are about to be DFAd after today's trading flurry?

You won't get any rebuttal from me. That's exactly why I don't like the trade. Sure, I can see giving up that kind of value for a truly quality player but Kevin Jepsen isn't a truly quality player. He's a former quality player who is having a down season. Could he be a quality player again? Sure, but he isn't one this season (well, he kinda has been the past six weeks but you leverage the worst parts of a player during negotiations, not the best).

 

That's the kind of player you give up less for compared to his peers, not more. Jepsen's extra year of control should be leveraged against his value, not for it.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Pitched pretty well in his AAA start

And it's possible he continues to do that. I wouldn't rule it out, I'm just not terribly high on the guy.

[USAFChief]

A couple thoughts:

 

1.  Clearly the Twins needed (and still do) bullpen help. That's not news.  It's so bad, that Jepsen is a likely upgrade, probably like adding another Casey Fien.  Which says more about TR's bullpen construction than it does about Jepsen.

 

2.  That said, it isn't necessary to pay for a Jepsen with not one, but two clear low minors lottery tickets, including one with a history of success who has made many "best of" Twins prospect lists.  I'd have just as soon had Broxton, and St Louis found a way to get him virtually free.  Why couldn't TR do something like that.

 

3.  Realistically, adding another Casey Fien wasn't really what the bullpen needed, or at least not ALL they needed.

 

3.  I wonder which piece leaves the Twins bullpen.  Can you imagine the meltdown if it's May?

[drjim]

 

Watching MLB Network and they were talking about the trade deadline and that there still may be major deals coming with 40 something minutes left.  One of the hosts asked, 'Bigger than Jepsen to the Twins?' and they started chuckling.  Last night they were talking about how it just didn't seem possible that with being in a playoff race, they was like no chatter about the Twins for anyone.  Especially when you consider the team that are going big like Houston, KC and Toronto.  Not exactly big spenders and two not exactly big movers.

 

This is the rep we have. It's well earned.  

 

Earlier they were talking about teams over-valuing their prospects and how there is no W Series for best farm system.

 

This is all fair.