Bullpen Hierarchy

[Brandon Warne]

Hey guys, I wrote an article about the hierarchy of this bullpen.

 

http://www.todaysknuckleball.com/minnesota-twins/adjusting-twins-bullpen-hierarchy/

 

I wrote about what I think it ought to be, and I did so just before Jepsen was removed from the closer's role.

 

Give it a read and lemme know what you think. 

[wsnydes]

I'm almost as baffled that Chargois isn't on this team yet as I am that it took this long to get Jepsen out of the closers role.

[High heat]

The next month and a half there should be some serious bullpen changes. Jensen traded for anything, Abad should get you a low level prospect. Tonkin can't hold runners and doesn't have dominate stuff, he will never make it in MLB. If you can get anything for him do it. Jason Wheeler, shaggy, Burdi should all get long looks in the bullpen.

[Brandon Warne]

 

Good article. I particularly agree that Chargois should be up with the team soon.  Also, Gibson should be coming back this week. Who goes down for those 2, assuming that Hughes and Jepsen stay to work things out at the MLB level? Pat Dean is one obvious choice but it's a little tough to see the other with Boshers, Abad, Rogers, Kintzler and now Pressly all pitching pretty well and Tonkin out of options. Also, you have to think Milone is coming back soon since he's dominating AAA  and he'll start to build up trade value. It seems likely that the starting group in a week or two is Santana, Gibson, Duffy, Nolasco and Milone with Dean back in AAA.  It also seems likely that Hughes and Jepsen aren't going anywhere. Where do you think the Twins go from here?

 

I originally thought Boshers or Rogers and leaned Buddy because he hadn't pitched much. But the longer we go here I'm not as sold. I still think Boshers but I'm like 60/40 between him and Rogers right now. 

[Brandon Warne]

 

The next month and a half there should be some serious bullpen changes. Jensen traded for anything, Abad should get you a low level prospect. Tonkin can't hold runners and doesn't have dominate stuff, he will never make it in MLB. If you can get anything for him do it. Jason Wheeler, shaggy, Burdi should all get long looks in the bullpen.

 

Tonkin's stuff is pretty good. He throws a four-seamer that PFX says its a two-seamer -- due to movement -- with a 9.8 percent whiff rate and his slider had a 13.3 percent whiff rate. 

 

Neither are absurd numbers, but as far as I know comfortably above average. The holding runners thing matters, but he's still useful. 

[Thrylos]

Hard to disagree with any of those given the current roster of the pen, other than the Perkins' situation:  I think that if Perkins cannot return to 95 mph FB / 85 mph slider he will not be effective.  His 90 mph fastball is a very flat pitch and the 80 mph slider does nothing against lefties.  If they bring him back before he can do that it will be a mistake, and if he cannot do that, stick a fork in him.  It will be better for the Twins to Blackburn him.

 

The Twins have an opportunity to use this season to see what people can do and they should take advantage of it instead of wasting it with Kinzler and Boshers

 

There is one missing name:  Phil Hughes.  I'd hand him the ball in the 9th before I hand it to Pressly.  He was a lights out reliever before and I think that his stuff will play great in the pen.   Who cares how much $ the Twins pay him.  He is paid bit less than an elite closer and he could be one.

[stringer bell]

I don't necessarily disagree with you, Thry, but how long ago was Hughes a "lights out reliever"? From what I can see it was 2009 and that's a long time ago in baseball years. Further, in those days a 94-95 mph was considered dominant and now it seems it is run of the mill. Hughes has lost a couple mph off his fastball when starting and the question would be whether he can add it back plus some more as a bullpen piece or closer.

 

The larger question that occurs to me is (and I'm not just directing this to the post above) because players have struggles for a while (Dozier, Plouffe, Hughes), should we not believe there is a comeback in a couple of them? The oldest of the three I just mentioned isn't 30 yet and Plouffe was pretty good for 2014 and half of 2015, as was Dozier. Hughes had a fine season two years ago, as well.

 

MVP candidate and possible Hall of Famer Robbie Cano had a worse April-June last year than Plouffe or Dozier are enduring this year. Sometimes teams need to be patient with players when they don't produce, even for months at a time. I guess the art of this is picking the right guys to stick with.

[Otto von Ballpark]

The larger question that occurs to me is (and I'm not just directing this to the post above) because players have struggles for a while (Dozier, Plouffe, Hughes), should we not believe there is a comeback in a couple of them? The oldest of the three I just mentioned isn't 30 yet and Plouffe was pretty good for 2014 and half of 2015, as was Dozier. Hughes had a fine season two years ago, as well.

 

MVP candidate and possible Hall of Famer Robbie Cano had a worse April-June last year than Plouffe or Dozier are enduring this year. Sometimes teams need to be patient with players when they don't produce, even for months at a time. I guess the art of this is picking the right guys to stick with.

Sure, there might be a comeback in some of these guys, but what does it mean for the Twins? Particularly short-timers like Plouffe or Jepsen. They could bounce back to their career norms and it will mean practically nothing to the Twins future.

 

As far as Dozier and Hughes, most observers have no problem with Hughes to the pen for a bit, and I wouldn't have a problem with Dozier to AAA if the team insists it can't unload Plouffe yet (although ideally he should already be a Met). Neither of those actions precludes a comeback benefitting the Twins, just gives us more data about potential replacements for those two in 2017 should a comeback not come to fruition.