The 2016/2017 rotation

[laloesch]

 

I agree with a general consensus here for next year:

Santana
Gibson
Duffey
Berrios
May

Though not in any specific order. Meyer and Wheeler are possibles, but on the outside looking in at this point. Hughes is a dark horse at this point. Maybe healthy, he rediscover himself in 2017. Maybe he needs to be a high priced reliever. Maybe he's toast. Just so hard to predict him at this point...so I'm not going to.

Gibson has had a rough year. But we've also seen what he can do when healthy. He's solid, occasionally excellent, and still has room to go before bumping in to his ceiling, IMO. Berrios is young and still working some kinks out. But I am in no way soured on him. I like Duffey and think there is room there. Like everyone else this year it seems, he's not having as good of a year. But he's shown ability and flashes and hasn't even hit a full season played yet.

May? Come on. We have many pen possibilities for next year. Take the hard throwing young man and put him back in the rotation. You're a team that has had an awful time developing young SP. Don't treat one you have right in your midst so poorly by relegating him to the pen.

If your rotation is going to be inconsistent, at least let it be inconsistent with some young arms with upside!

 

I am of the opinion that the Twins have broken this young man's (Trevor May) spirit by banishing him to the bullpen.  It's true that he's had his ups and down early in his career.  However, he was clearly on his way to becoming one of the club's most dependable starters last season before being thrown in the bullpen for no other reason than a terrible bullpen. 

 

What do the Twins do in the offseason to address the situation? NOTHING.  Abad was a dump pickup and they go lucky.  How can guys like Berrios, Meyer an May grow as professionals when the Twins freak out at them while asking them to take lumps for the team?  It makes no sense.  

 

Now that it's become apparent that Trevor is not moving back into the rotation the kid is demoralized and his performance has dropped off sharply.  How stupid is the front office?  Phil Hughes could be done for the season,  Santana has been horrible, Nolasco has been terrible for most of the season, Gibson has been awful when healthy, Duffey hasn't been much better lately and Dean is a soft tossing lefty that is barely serviceable. 

 

[Winston Smith]

Well on the bright side they can't really get much worse so odds are they will be better next yr.

[Jham]

 

Improving the defense will help every pitcher in the rotation. Bad defense leads to high leverage innings, larger pitch counts, shortened starts and stressed bullpens. The cumulative effect of bad defense takes a toll on the pitching staff as the season progresses.

They chose this defense. Sano in RF. Santana in CF. Nunez at SS. Suzuki at C. Should any of them have been expected to be anywhere but the bottom at their positions? Add the poorer than expected play of Rosario, Dozier and Escobar and you give a staff no chance. Pitchers that should have been mediocre are at the bottom instead.

As they rebuild this team, they need to build it on a foundation of defense. They need to choose gloves over bats. Poorer defense has a cumulative effect as it stresses the pitching staff. Poorer hitting doesn't have that same cumulative effect.

Great points.  Leads also lead to low leverage innings.  Scoring 2 runs a game adds a lot of undue strain as well...

[Jham]

Santana is a much better pitcher than he's shown.  One way or another he'll be in the rotation.  Berrios will be up next season for the full year.  If Gibson isn't traded he'll be here.  Duffey should stick.  May will likely find his way back to the rotation out of necessity.  

If we're not bringing in anyone else, we should probably tender a contract to Tommy Milone again.  Can't imagine his passing through waivers and getting demoted will help his Arb value very much this off season.  A cheap, serviceable, and disposable option is probably a good thing.  

We may well be stuck with what we've got.  For everyone who says we should expect this season again next season, I would ask what makes this season so much different than last season?  Milone?  Pelfrey?

[Mike Sixel]

I don't share everyone's confidence in Duffey .....

[KGB]

 

I don't share everyone's confidence in Duffey .....

Agree and add May to my list.   

[Mr. Brooks]

Yeah I think Duffey is probably getting exposed a bit.

 

A few weeks ago I would have put his ceiling at a nice cost controlled 4/5 starter, but now I'm thinking it's probably Matt Guerrier.