Trevor May Future Closer

[Twinfan & Dad]

Trevor May has the stuff to be the next great closer. After reading prior opinions for putting May back in the rotation I have to disagree. Perkins has had 2 years of great stuff pre All Star game and then tailed off suffering from fatigue and injuries. The Time to sell on Perkins and receive top talent in return is now and let May take over as the closer in 2016. If he can't close three days in a row then keep Jepson in the role as the 8th inning and sometimes closer.

[Comrade Bork]

But I'm emotionally attached to Perkins..

[TwinsCD]

I advocated for this idea in the 'Worst offseason nightmare' thread.  If the organization doesn't think he can start and be a consistent pitcher, then let's give him a shot to be the closer of the future.  We've seen what KC did last year with their 3-headed monster that shut games down once they got the lead into the 7th inning.  If Perkins can stay healthy, a May-Perk back end of the pen can be pretty formidable.

[Danchat]

This is a little out of left field, but right after the Ben Revere trade, I predicted that Trevor May would become a closer for the Twins at some point.

 

I'd rather have him be a starter. The difference between he and Perkins is that Perk was a bad starter but a good reliever - May can be a good starter and a good reliever - and I'd rather have a good starter. You can always try turning bad starters in relievers (albeit I'm not sure if any current Twins starters would be fit for the bullpen).

[Twinfan & Dad]

Berrios and Duffy in 2016 for starters along with Hughes, Gibson, Santana or Milone. Two tough contracts to get off the books with Santana and Hughes unless they produce and can raise their trade value. May could be a great 3 pitcher but a 1 closer. The batters don't have the luxury of facing him 3 or 4 times each game. He can dominate facing these guys only 1 time each game.

[sane]

Starter vs. Closer decisions are often settled by the NUMBER of effective pitches that pitcher commands. If he is a one-pitch-pitcher (Mariano Rivera) or two-pitch-pitcher (most other closers), he figures to have difficulties fooling hitters for multiple innings. If he has three or more effective pitches, he is starter material.

[Twins Fan From Afar]

I like the Trevor May 2016 #2 starter version better. But yea, I do think he could close.

[Rosterman]

Perkins may have value, but he may continue to have long-term value for the Twins, as long as he wants to pitch here. If nothing else, his contract is still reasonable and he can become the left-handed set-up guy as he reaches the twilight of his career. Will Perkins remian a lights-out closer. Youc an argue that point, and his trade value may be dwindling accordingly, especially if the Twins stay a competitive team.

 

As for bullpen, I would love to see Milone switched into that role, but he may have priced himself out of a bullpen experiment market with the Twins. If forced to sign for less than he is making now (which wouldn't be with the Twins) he will find his career lengthened and the demand for his services strong.

 

Tyler Duffy actually ahs the potential to be a fine swing man in the bullpen. He has some monster stuff and can pull off the strikeout, especially the first time thru an order. You still have to see how he handles quick warmups and working consecutive days, but his arm is one that is made for bulpen work and he can get the strikeout, which the Twins have been alcking of late.

 

Grooming May to be the closer of the future is something plausible. Especially if you do see a stock[pile of starters piling up in the future. With Nolasco, Santana and Hughes here for the rest of the decade and Gibson still controllable...how much stock do you put into Berrios (alot), Stewart, Gonsalves, Thorpe and (name some names) fighting for starter spots, that we can forget about May and Meyer as the next big things.

 

It will be interesting to see what becomes of Meyer, too. We may have put too much dream into Jones and Reed and Burdi and others...all of whom will bust or be with the team sometime in the next 1-3 seasons, more or less.

 

But if the potential arm is there, you can groom them for the closer spot. Now why aren't they trying May at closer instead of Jep. This is the chance to put him in a couple of such situations vs. a guy who will be arbitration costly next season and possibly doesn't work into the longterm plans of the Twins.

 

 

 

 

[jimbo92107]

Sure he could close, and he'd probably dominate. But Trevor May is a big, strong, young, talented pitcher that could develop into an excellent starter. Before you make him a reliever, you better exhaust all your other options, which is what the Twins did before they stuck May in the pen this season.

 

Trevor May has been an extremely good soldier by going to the bull pen when the team needed a reliever. He went there and proceeded to become the most reliable arm in the pen. He should be rewarded next spring with a legitimate shot to get back into the starting rotation. Besides, next spring the closer might be grabbed by Nick Burdi, J.T. Chargois or one of the other flame throwers.

[kab21]

I am not one to dismiss May's value in the bullpen but I prefer him as a starter next season.  It means that one or both of Duffey and Berrios start the season in the minors but I can live with that.

 

Gibson

Santana

Hughes

May

Milone/Berrios/Duffey/Nolasco(<1%)

 

That kind of rotation has pretty good depth and is solid although it definitely lacks the top end talent unless Berrios or May outperform expectations or Hughes reverts back to his 2014 self (a good #2).

 

Milone doesn't figure to be a great RP'er since I don't think his stuff plays like other converted starters but my preference would be stick him in the pen as a long man/swing starter and let one of the rookies in the #5 spot. 

 

I am not as optimistic that the bullpen will fix itself internally and fixing it externally is also a bad option.  There really isn't a good answer there but I am hesitant to lose such a potentially valuable starter with 5 more years of team control.

[Shaitan]

Anybody can close. It's not a position, relief pitcher is. That said, I don't think you trade Perkins now because he's one of the few reliable arms they have. Why trade from a weak position (relief pitcher)? 

 

[TheLeviathan]

 

 

Milone doesn't figure to be a great RP'er since I don't think his stuff plays like other converted starters but my preference would be stick him in the pen as a long man/swing starter and let one of the rookies in the #5 spot. 

 

 

Historically his splits aren't great, but this year he's been brutal on left-handed hitters.  If he can do that from the pen he'd be tremendously valuable.

[DaveW]

I think May at worst will be a solid 8th inning/closer type, but I think he should be given a shot in 2016 to be in the rotation to try to become a #2, if he can do that, awesome, if not and he looks more like a 4/5 you can always put him back in the pen to become an asset.

[nicksaviking]

I'd rather see May throw 180-200 innings instead of 55-70 innings.

 

Chris Sale and David Price would also make nice closers.

[kab21]

 

Historically his splits aren't great, but this year he's been brutal on left-handed hitters.  If he can do that from the pen he'd be tremendously valuable.

Loogy's have value but they aren't tremendously valuable.

[Oxtung]

I had this big long post typed up with all sorts of justifications for why May will start in the pen next season but ultimately it is pretty simple.  The Twins aren't going to replace 4 out of 7 relievers in one offseason.  May is going to get caught in a numbers game because the only people coming back next season will be Perkins, Jepsen and Pressly, assuming they are healthy.

 

Fien, Duensing and Theilbar are not viable pieces for next season and O'Rourke is a depth guy not a go to late reliever.  That forces Ryan to get 1 or 2 veteran lefties plus a righty.  I would not be surprised if Cotts and/or Boyer are resigned.  Tonkin is a possibility but the Twins haven't seemed inclined to hand him a spot up to this point so what will change next spring? That goes for all the other AAA relievers they haven't called up too.

 

All in all it comes down to numbers and the Twins have many starters that are guaranteed to stay in that role even if we don't like it.  On the other hand the bullpen needs help and that is going to be a big enough task for Ryan even with May staying in the pen.

[zchrz]

I think May could be a good bullpen ace, I like the mix of him and Perkins at the back end based on match ups.  However I would put him back in the rotation next year to see if he can become a 2 or 3, if he can't then he goes back to the pen.  Its been a rough year for the top end relievers in the system but they will get here eventually and its always easier to find a good reliever than a good starter. 

 

With May, Meyer, Melotakis, Chargois, Jones, Burdi, Jay, Cederoth, Reed, starters moving to the pen, and people I'm forgetting there are relievers on the way and May and Jay should be given every opportunity to start. 

[Oxtung]

 

I think May could be a good bullpen ace, I like the mix of him and Perkins at the back end based on match ups.  However I would put him back in the rotation next year to see if he can become a 2 or 3, if he can't then he goes back to the pen.  Its been a rough year for the top end relievers in the system but they will get here eventually and its always easier to find a good reliever than a good starter. 

 

With May, Meyer, Melotakis, Chargois, Jones, Burdi, Jay, Cederoth, Reed, starters moving to the pen, and people I'm forgetting there are relievers on the way and May and Jay should be given every opportunity to start. 

 

You are absolutely right there are intriguing arms in the minors.  The problem for next season, especially the beginning, is that none of them are close to ready.  Of those you listed only Chargois has had even a decent year at AA or above (Melotakis we'll have to wait and see how he recovers).  That means you can't count on any of them for next season.  If one or two puts things together GREAT, but you have to start the season with alternatives better than Boyer and Thompson.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Loogy's have value but they aren't tremendously valuable.

 

But that's just it, he wouldn't be a true loogy.  He'd be brutal on lefties but more than competent against righties as well.  

[Shane Wahl]

The Twins actually opened the starter door in spring training this year for . . . Tim Stauffer.

 

So, I think they will for Trevor May. And he will likely earn it in spring.

 

I don't mind thinking of this kind of possibility though, especially with the Burdi-Reed-Jones collapse this year.

 

Hughes-Santana-Nolasco-Gibson is some kind of lock for next year, with Milone and Pelfrey sent packing. I wish the Twins would be willing to eat half of that Nolasco remaining contract to see if any team would just take him for a PTBNL type.

[mudcat14]

I'm not sure about closing, but the Bullpen seems to be a great spot for him.  I don't think I'd move him back to the rotation next year, unless forced to.

 

 

-----------------ERA--------IP-----H-----BB-----SO------AVG------WHIP  
                    
Starter-------- 4.43------83.1---97-----18------73-----.290 -------1.38
Reliever-------1.80------20.0---17-------5------23-----.224-------1.10

 

I think the Royals have proven how valuable having hard-throwing back-end guys can be on a nearly daily basis.

[twinssouth]

Seeing him in Tampa, he sure seemed comfortable coming in on the 8th. He had a Mano vs Mano moment with 1 of the Rays hitters, got him out on that high 96 fb. Tuesday night he walked the 1st 2 batters, then struck out the side, unreal. Great late inning mound presence. Now, after saying all that, seems a little early to give up on him as a starter. Wasn't Perk a starter for 2/3 years, then moved to pen. I'd give him 1 more chance unless he likes that late inning adrenaline rush. Got to admit, Fein, Cotts, Jepsen, May, Perk is a nice combination.

[Shane Wahl]

You have this logjam of veteran expensive pitchers with declining value (Hughes, hopefully, is the exception?) on the one hand and then, on the other hand:

 

Gibson-May-Duffey-Berrios-Rogers

 

Looks like a solid rotation of the future. How soon?

[howieramone2]

It's early, but I could see a team approaching us for May as their future closer. Wouldn't mind packaging Nolasco and May for a major league ready catcher.

[nicksaviking]

The bullpen is the easiest and cheapest thing to fix. Look what the very minimal additions of Cotts and Jepsen have done. A GM who wanted to make truly meaningful changes could do even better in the offseason. No need to fix it by making one of your best starters, who has a four pitch mix, throw 75% fewer innings.

 

Runs scored in the second count just as much as runs scored in the eighth.

[Rosterman]

 

You have this logjam of veteran expensive pitchers with declining value (Hughes, hopefully, is the exception?) on the one hand and then, on the other hand:

 

Gibson-May-Duffey-Berrios-Rogers

 

Looks like a solid rotation of the future. How soon?

Gibson is an aveage starter. Time will tell. Rogers and Duffey may be best suited, in the long-haul, to the bullpen. The Twins have other prospects that will contribute once the logjam of expensive vets move on. And Hughes is definitely in the mix to stay.

[blairpaul715]

 

I'd rather see May throw 180-200 innings instead of 55-70 innings.

Chris Sale and David Price would also make nice closers.

Well.....May is NOT a Price or a Sale.......with that said, i think i prefer him too as a starter , as long as we have relievers to replace him, we have an abundance of starters now, which is good. I am not against keeping May as a reliever. IMO May is a #3, if he was a #1 or #2, i would say we have to leave him at starter.

[blairpaul715]

 

You have this logjam of veteran expensive pitchers with declining value (Hughes, hopefully, is the exception?) on the one hand and then, on the other hand:

 

Gibson-May-Duffey-Berrios-Rogers

 

Looks like a solid rotation of the future. How soon?

I dont think Rogers will ever be a Major league starter, he is a spot starter at best IMO.........but i get your drift on , how do we find spots in the next yr or 2 for these ready to be starter,  starters .

[jimmer]

The Twins rotation has the 28th best FIP (and ERA) in the 2nd half (and the worst in the AL). Quantity doesn't equal quality. Let's not fall into the same trap we did going into 2011 in regards to our thoughts on the rotation.

[Shane Wahl]

Most likely scenario in 2016 is one of these four?:

 

Hughes-Gibson-Santana-Nolasco-Berrios (May, Duffey in bullpen)

 

Hughes-Gibson-Santana-May-Berrios (Duffey in bullpen)

 

Hughes-Gibson-Santana-May-Duffey (Berrios in AAA)

 

Hughes-Gibson-Santana-Duffey-Berrios (May in bullpen)