An Argument for the Twins to NOT do too much to fix their 2017 rotation

[TheLeviathan]

I'd like to see what Gibson, Berrios, Santiago, and some trade acquisitions can do if we prioritize defense going into next year.  I'll sacrifice that a bit at third base to see if Sano can improve with regular playing time, but everywhere else we have the potential to be playing a plus defender if Rosario-Buxton-Kepler are the outfielders, Polanco and Vargas/Mauer, are on the right side, and we address catcher and shortstop from outside the organization. 

 

Plus, it'd be nice to have the kids we call up given the best odds of succeeding possible.

[Mr. Brooks]

I'm not going to blow smoke regarding Gibson and say he's a great pitcher who is about to suddenly crank up his game. I will say, however, that I believe he's solid with the potential to still be better.

 

I tend to discount his "rookie" season as it was short and I think he ran out of gas a bit as well. Further, especially considering how shirt it was, it was of a get your feet wet opportunity. In 2014, his first full season, he missed rookie status by, I believe, only 1/3 of an IP. He was solid and showed flashes. He performed better in 2015 before the wheels sort of fell off this year. But there was an injury, the defense was poor, the bullpen often bad, and it was a bad season for the team as a whole. So I don't buy blanket statements that he's pitched 3 bad and 1 solid season.

 

Healthy, possibly with a different pitching coach that he works better with, I wouldn't be surprised to see a much more effective Gibson. Not saying a #2 or #3 SP, I'm saying a solid ML starter.

Fair enough. I don't agree, but I hope you are right. You can never have too many assets.

 

The reason I don't agree is that you can probably go through the career of any 29 year old mediocre player, and find a bunch of excuses- an injury here, lost development there, new pitching coaches here, poor defense there, etc.- that each, in a vacuum, seem like legit explanations.

 

I guess, theoretically, he could improve, just like any player theoretically could.

 

I'll take it as a bonus if he does though. I wouldn't make, or not make, any moves expecting improvement from him.