Twins DFA Melotakis

[gunnarthor]

I was a bit surprised by this move. 

 

Twins designate both Wimmers and Melotakis.

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/06/twins-designate-alex-wimmers-mason-melotakis.html

 

Melo had some pretty good minor league numbers. I wonder if he'll be taken by another team.

[nater79a]

<shakes head>  Yeah, this just doesn't make any sense to me. Thought Melo should have been up with the Twins already. 

[Han Joelo]

What???? I'm speechless.

[toosweet64]

Unreal. Falvey and Levine choose to keep a never has been/never will be 27 year old journeyman with 3 career MLB starts and an ERA over 16 and decide to DFA Melotakis, a solid LH reliever who should already have Breslow's spot.  No intelligence to this at all.  Melotakis will be claimed within the hour. Falvey and Levine seem clueless. 

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/06/twins-designate-alex-wimmers-mason-melotakis.html

In

[Brandon]

I would think Melotakis atleast earned a chance to come up and throw in a game or two first before the DFA. Such a let down with all this time vested in watching and waiting for him to get the callup

[Mike Sixel]

Not sure I understand keeping Belisle and Breslow, and cutting a 27 yo with those strike out rates. I'd guess 30% he's claimed. 

 

Wimmers? No surprise.

[MangLitch]

I have so much confusion at this moment with this club. The draft was outside the box (Which could be ok) and their management of the minors and the bullpen seems like they are just trying to show everyone how smart they think they are. 

 

We DFA a guy that has a chance to be at least an average LRP and keep 4-5 guys in the pen that we have clear proof of pure incompetence..... LOOK HOW SMART WE ARE

[bluechipper]

I'm in agreement with everyone here. What are they doing?

[Rosterman]

This truly doesn't make sense. In the scheme of things, WHY do you put someone on the 40-man if you DON'T think they have a chance of pitching in the majors. Melotakis goes, yet people like Murphy, Belisle, Breslow and Turley stay. I would've figured Turley would've been the rotating 40-man out.

 

We have to hope NO ONE claims Melotakis and that Hildenberger shines. Otherwise...I don't quite figure. I would even choose Melotakis over Haley at this point.

 

 

[Brandon]

Also i would think they probably could have traded melotakis, with Wimmers or Haley for Neshek.

[bird]

This makes absolutely no sense at all. There has to be more to the Melo story. If not, I've lost respect for this regime.

[clutterheart]

Melotakis is a bit surprising.  He got called up to AAA last week....

 

[Thrylos]

Surprised here as well.  The only way that this might make sense, is if they already have an agreement on a trade with some team.

[Don't Feed the Greed Guy]

I wrote in the "Adopt A Prospect" site that Melotakis might be nursing an undisclosed injury due to some of the long lapses between appearances out of the pen.

 

"One can speculate about the light workload:

 

1) Is this a post-injury precaution, either something tender after the long 5/17 outing? Or something about post-Tommy John leariness?

 

2) Is there an internal message from management to keep Melotakis and other relievers fresh for a later call-up, either to Rochester, or hopefully Minnesota?"

 

Sorry, typing this from a mobile phone with a sketchy signal. Hopefully it's coherent. If not, my apologies.

[Danchat]

Well... they must think they can slip Melotakis through waivers... or maybe he's about to get suspended or something? Ugh.

 

He may not have a ton of upside, but keeping Breslow and Turley over Melotakis is insanity. But let's hope there's something more to this story.

 

 

Also, aren't we at the point where Haley can be placed on the 60 day DL? Perhaps that could have opened up a spot. (It's clear the front office isn't ready to give up on him yet, unlike what most here think of him.)

[ahart10]

Falvine doesn't even think melo is good enough to be trash? Something is amiss.

[drjim]

Isn't the most obvious answer that the front office just doesn't think he's that good or that he's broken? Despite being on the 40 man he has been passed multiple times for a promotion to the bigs.

 

Does make the AAA promotion curious though.

[drjim]

And out of curiosity what do people think "more to the story" would possibly mean?

[Mike Sixel]

 

Isn't the most obvious answer that the front office just doesn't think he's that good or that he's broken? Despite being on the 40 man he has been passed multiple times for a promotion to the bigs.

Does make the AAA promotion curious though.

 

Yes, like I said, I don't get it with the K% and his age relative to Breslow and Belisle, who pretty much have a 0% chance of mattering in a Twins' playoff game, ever.

[jorgenswest]

Is it possible they think the other pitchers are more likely to be successful?

 

There is no way assess a relief pitcher from minor league statistics that are available. The samples even in a full season sample are too small. Go back to 2014 and you will only find 77 innings of AA and AAA data. They see the players every day. They have access to much better data.

 

I hope their assessment is correct.

[Brandon Warne]

I was told Melo's velo was 89-90 since coming up to Rochester. 

[jimbo92107]

There has to be more to this story. Melotakis was one of the better arms on the verge of getting a cup of coffee. Now they simply cut him? On the face of it, this make zero sense. 

 

On the other hand, if speculation above is any indication, it could be that Melotakis was having more arm trouble. Could be the organization finally just ran out of patience with a guy that was too often hurt. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Also i would think they probably could have traded melotakis, with Wimmers or Haley for Neshek.

No.  The Phillies aren't trading a reliever with a 0.63 ERA and a reasonable salary a month ahead of the trade deadline for assorted 40-man mediocrities.  Melotakis is the only one you list who might have positive value right now, and it's probably fairly slight.

[jorgenswest]

Falvine doesn't even think melo is good enough to be trash? Something is amiss.

All players giving their heart to this sport deserve better respect. I am absolutely certain that the Twins from the office does not think any of the players in their system are trash.

 

I would really appreciate if we could refrain from calling humans trash or portray those thoughts on other humans.

[Guest]

Possible reasons:

 

1. He has yet to pitch two days in a row;

2. Clearing out the Ryan drafting and hype legacy;

3. Somebody doesn't like him;

4. He's considered to be at his ceiling.

 

He seemed to pitch OK in AAA. Maybe it was seeking confirmation of something negative that was perceived in Chattanooga.

 

FYI - against AA players, Turley was way better, so arguing to DFA Turley but keep Melotakis has to square with that.

[Monkeypaws]

Perhaps they were confused and thought he was a Mason, rather than named Mason

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddM7kJ9xQfA

[Mike Sixel]

I have no issue clearing out the less good players that aren't part of the future, I've asked for that in the past. I have a hard time understanding how Breslow and Belisle are part of the future, and a 27 yo with these K% is not.

[adorduan]

Seriously, WTF??

[Brandon]

No. The Phillies aren't trading a reliever with a 0.63 ERA and a reasonable salary a month ahead of the trade deadline for assorted 40-man mediocrities. Melotakis is the only one you list who might have positive value right now, and it's probably fairly slight.

I think getting 2 pitchers who can pitch in the pen for the next several years for half season in a rebuilding year is not a bad haul. Granted these are prospects. But i doubt it takes more to get him. Mldtraderumors chat estimated a 30th ranked prospect for him. Melotakis is in that range and so was Haley. We'll see.