Twins DFA Melotakis

[nicksaviking]

Seriously though, putting aside all the DFA business and the consternation about losing him, I'd really like to find out more about his velocity decrease. As far as I can tell, it was Berardino that reported on the velocity dip, so that should be coming from the organization which should mean it's legit. But even assuming it is accurate, it could also have been a strategic leak to help retain him.

 

I've been hoping for Melotakis to be that hard throwing lefty in the bullpen. I just want to know if this is serious or due to a nagging injury, like his oblique issue.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Seriously though, putting aside all the DFA business and the consternation about losing him, I'd really like to find out more about his velocity decrease. As far as I can tell, it was Berardino that reported on the velocity dip, so that should be coming from the organization which should mean it's legit.

 

I've been hoping for Melotakis to be that hard throwing lefty in the bullpen. I just want to know if this is serious or due to a nagging injury, like his oblique issue.

 

Agreed, if this is a long term thing, not good. An injury? Not good. An aberration? Yay!

[Blackjack]

 

Of course management has more information than we do. That doesn't mean they are always right, and it doesn't mean they above reproach. If a fan forum can't post opinions to that fact, I guess I don't see the point. I guess don't understand the "angst" about the "angst".

You are 100% correct, thats what a fan forum is for, to discuss and speculate on moves. All I know is that I couldn't wait until this morning to see what was written in this post on Melatokis, to see what people that were appalled by the DFA would say.

 

I hope all works out for him, that eventually he fixes what ails him, and that we see him in a Twins uniform.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

 

Agreed, if this is a long term thing, not good. An injury? Not good. An aberration? Yay!

exactly, if he can get himself right, off the 40 man roster, and earn himself a September call up over the next couple of months, that would be fantastic

[Squirrel]

Moderator note: Please be respectful of fellow posters with whom you disagree, whose takes and comments you might not even like. Let's stop with the 'ready to tar and feather' or 'drinking the Kool-Aid' comments to describe posters both specifically or generally. We disagree and the spectrum is wide, so if you don't like a comment, disagree with it, but let's leave these disrespectful comments out of it. Passion is good, disrespect is not. Let's keep it directed away from one another and keep it to the subject matter.

 

Clueless, idiots, stupid, moronic, etc. Do you want to be called these things? No one poster here is right, and no one poster is wrong. Everyone has an opinion, let's just be respectful how we voice that.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

Agreed, if this is a long term thing, not good. An injury? Not good. An aberration? Yay!

I don't see them DFAing Melo if it's an aberration, unfortunately. If this is something that could disappear at any time, why run the risk of putting the guy through waivers? That's an asset you wait out for a month or two because there's some upside in his arm.

[Mike Sixel]

 

I don't see them DFAing Melo if it's an aberration, unfortunately. If this is something that could disappear at any time, why run the risk of putting the guy through waivers? That's an asset you wait out for a month or two because there's some upside in his arm.

 

game theory. Other teams would assume the same thing. Or at least that's how I'd play it if Melo was a decent, but not great, prospect.

 

And agreed, it's probably not good that he was DFAd, in terms of what they think of his long term odds.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

game theory. Other teams would assume the same thing. Or at least that's how I'd play it if Melo was a decent, but not great, prospect.

 

And agreed, it's probably not good that he was DFAd, in terms of what they think of his long term odds.

It's possible they gamed MLB with the DFA but it doesn't make much sense. The Twins need bullpen arms and if you think Melotakis might be a bullpen arm in six weeks, why run the risk of a DFA? Because, even if you succeed, then you just have to add Mason back to the 40-man in six weeks, largely negating any benefit you received from the DFA.

[Guest]

Of course we're supposed to discuss moves the Twins make, it'd just be nice if we could leave descriptors like "clueless" out of the discussion when discussing a brand new front office.

 

This is Twins Daily, not RubeChat. We should demand better of ourselves from both sides of the argument.

 

And most posters in this thread were better than that.

It's one thing to question a front office that DFAs a 26 year old who just hit 20 HRs in the majors while battling a wrist injury or gives up on young center fielders who have played a couple of years in the majors at an age when most players are in AA or AAA; it's another thing to impugn a group that DFAs a 26 year old reliever in his second year of AA.

[Vanimal46]

 

It's possible they gamed MLB with the DFA but it doesn't make much sense. The Twins need bullpen arms and if you think Melotakis might be a bullpen arm in six weeks, why run the risk of a DFA? Because, even if you succeed, then you just have to add Mason back to the 40-man in six weeks, largely negating any benefit you received from the DFA.

 

My assumption is they didn't think it was a risk to do so, and don't have plans of calling him up in 6 weeks. If he cleared waivers, great! You have another org warrior to fill out the roster. If he was claimed by a bad team, good luck to him. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

My assumption is they didn't think it was a risk to do so, and don't have plans of calling him up in 6 weeks. If he cleared waivers, great! You have another org warrior to fill out the roster. If he was claimed by a bad team, good luck to him. 

I'd be more inclined to agree if the Twins bullpen didn't so closely resemble a tire fire. If there was *any* hope Melotakis could be an asset this season, I don't see the front office putting him through the waiver process.

[Danchat]

I'm still a bit surprised that Melotakis made it through waivers, but it's now clear that the front office was confident that he'd slip through, so it's less of a "they're giving up on him" and more of a "sneak through waivers" (which explains the AAA promotion). Basically the same thing for Park, they knew he'd likely get through waivers. Although IMO they should have rather DFA'd Breslow or Belisle for the 40 man spot but at least they didn't lose Melotakis.

[Otto von Ballpark]

It's possible they gamed MLB with the DFA but it doesn't make much sense. The Twins need bullpen arms and if you think Melotakis might be a bullpen arm in six weeks, why run the risk of a DFA? Because, even if you succeed, then you just have to add Mason back to the 40-man in six weeks, largely negating any benefit you received from the DFA.

This is the same team that is clinging to Breslow, saying the extra rest from the all star break should help him. I could see them risking Melotakis just because they are being obstinate about other spots on the 40-man.

[yarnivek1972]

It's one thing to question a front office that DFAs a 26 year old who just hit 20 HRs in the majors while battling a wrist injury or gives up on young center fielders who have played a couple of years in the majors at an age when most players are in AA or AAA; it's another thing to impugn a group that DFAs a 26 year old reliever in his second year of AA.

Actually, his third.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

This is the same team that is clinging to Breslow, saying the extra rest from the all star break should help him. I could see them risking Melotakis just because they are being obstinate about other spots on the 40-man.

It's certainly possible but it makes me like the move a hell of a lot less if that's the case.

 

If there's a decent chance of Melotakis being a serviceable arm this season, you keep that guy.

 

Time will tell, I suppose.

[nicksaviking]

 

I don't see them DFAing Melo if it's an aberration, unfortunately. If this is something that could disappear at any time, why run the risk of putting the guy through waivers? That's an asset you wait out for a month or two because there's some upside in his arm.

 

I would have thought so to, but they already did this with Park, using the unknown regarding his injury as cover to shield him during his waiver period. His wrist is now fine as far as I know, speaking nothing of his ability to hit AAA pitching of course.

 

Leaking that his velocity was way down may have caused enough eyebrows to raise, even if it is simply lingering effects of his previous but recoverable oblique injury. Heck, for all I know his velocity was down because all he threw were sliders in his short AAA stint.

 

Also, no one seems to be going crazy on the waiver wire this year. After last season I would have guessed half the league would have claimed Aledmys Diaz, yet the Cardinals must have also known he'd get through waivers even on his modest 2.5M salary. Seriously, not even the Dodgers grabbed him. Geez, think about Cardinal forums during that waiver period.

 

Also, picking Melotakis for removal from the 40-man might have been as simple as the fact that the team is more comfortable with Rogers and Boshers as left handers than they are with the right handers as a whole.

[Guest]

Actually, his third.

Wow, yeah, although the first year was the back half of 2014, before his surgery cost him 2015, so fairness to Melotakis suggests counting just the last two for assessing his progress.

 

He was a reasonable cut from the 40-man; now, let's hope he does some good things in Rochester and becomes a 2018 candidate.

[ScottyB]

^{Melo clears waivers - outrighted to Rochester.}

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Man! 12 pages and several mod warnings over a 26 year old on his 3rd time in AA!

 

I don't even really care, but I keep checking in for all of the drama to unfold... and I was hoping the DFA would lead to a trade

[Otto von Ballpark]

Man! 12 pages and several mod warnings over a 26 year old on his 3rd time in AA!

 

He was 25 at the time.

 

And he was no longer in AA either.

[kab21]

 

Man! 12 pages and several mod warnings over a 26 year old on his 3rd time in AA!

This is accurate but not really a true description of his MiLB career. It is the result of TJ at 23 yrs old. He still only has 70 IP at AA/AAA and 260 IP overall.

 

And Melotakis sneaking through waivers probably returns to one of the first points made in this thread. There is more to this story. The no back-to-back games info was something substantial when combined with the velocity loss.

 

I at least have gotten my main complaint answered with the Boshers (awhile ago), Busentiz and Hildenberger taking roles in the bullpen right now. These are guys with MiLB success (both ERA and K rates) and/or velocity. A lot more interesting than several of the pitchers that have been brought up (and added to the 40 man) so far this season.