RH RP FA

[Mike Sixel]

heh....that title might be obtuse on purpose....there are 50 names here. I will endeavor to analyze them throughout the day and next week....

 

Right-Handed Relievers

Matt Albers (35)
Al Alburquerque (32)
John Axford (35)
Andrew Bailey (34)
Tony Barnette (34) — $4MM club option with a $250K buyout
Matt Belisle (38)
Joaquin Benoit (40)
Blaine Boyer (36)
Trevor Cahill (30)
Jesse Chavez (34)
Tyler Clippard (33)
Steve Cishek (32)
Wade Davis (32)
Neftali Feliz (30)
Dillon Gee (32)
Jeanmar Gomez (30)
Luke Gregerson (34)
Jason Grilli (41)
David Hernandez (33)
Greg Holland (32) — $15MM player option
Tommy Hunter (31)
Craig Kimbrel (30) — $13MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Brandon Kintzler (33)
Mark Lowe (35)
Chris Martin (32)
Dustin McGowan (36)
Brandon Morrow (33)
Jason Motte (36)
Peter Moylan (39)
Pat Neshek (37)
Juan Nicasio (31)
Bud Norris (33)
Seung-hwan Oh (35)
Chad Qualls (39)
Addison Reed (29)
Fernando Rodney (41)
Francisco Rodriguez (36)
Sergio Romo (35)
Fernando Salas (33)
Bryan Shaw (30)
Joe Smith (34)
Craig Stammen (34)
Drew Storen (30)
Huston Street (34) — $10MM club option with a $1MM buyout
Anthony Swarzak (32)
Koji Uehara (43)
Carlos Villanueva (34)
Jordan Walden (30)
Tom Wilhelmsen (34)
Chris Young (39)

[Doomtints]

Lots of short term options due to age, not generally what the Twins look for in pitching.

 

My hope is they get Kintzler back and 2-3 other guys.

[Bill Brown69]

There are only 5-7 that even move my needle at all. 

 

I think the BP could be fixed(maybe even great) with 100% health among the minor leaguers we have coming up but I know that is as risky as any of these lottery tickets. 

 

Pitching, pitching and even more pitching is the key, just so hard to do.

[drjim]

Should get one decent vet and a higher upside closer type - an older guy on a short term deal is even better.

[nicksaviking]

Perhaps it would be better to look at the free agent starters list to find relievers. Many of the best relievers were guys who were well thought of young starters who just couldn't make it work in the rotation. Wade Davis, Andrew Miller, Mike Minor, Archie Bradley, Raisel Iglesias, Brad Hand, Juan Nicasio, Alex Comome.

 

I vote to go get guys like Wily Peralta and Asher Wojciechowski who already had good velocity as starters and stick them in the pen to start the year.

[Vanimal46]

I wanted Greg Holland last year, so that interest remains the same. $15 MM is a lot of money to decline, but it's probably his last time to cash in on a long term deal. 

 

I'm very interested in Bryan Shaw too. He's been a workhorse for a long time, and it would take away talent from Cleveland. Win win. 

[Mike Sixel]

 

Perhaps it would be better to look at the free agent starters list to find relievers. Many of the best relievers were guys who were well thought of young starters who just couldn't make it work in the rotation. Wade Davis, Andrew Miller, Mike Minor, Archie Bradley, Raisel Iglesias, Brad Hand, Juan Nicasio, Alex Comome.

I vote to go get guys like Wily Peralta and Asher Wojciechowski who already had good velocity as starters and stick them in the pen to start the year.

 

as long as they don't expect to be paid like starters in FA, I could endorse that. Then again, I'd endorse the Twins not waiting until their own pitcher are 1000140 years old to make that decision.....they waited a year too long on Rogers, for example. Turley should not be a starter. It's not clear that some of their vaunted AA pitchers are really starters....

[nicksaviking]

Yes, the teams that can most quickly decide which pitchers are destined for the bullpen, pitcher reluctance be damned, have a great advantage.

[Doctor Wu]

A lot of greybeards on that list, but some interesting names, a few of which had very good years in 2017, including our old friend Anthony Swarzak. Just goes to show, you never know how some of these players might perform with a new team. That said, I'm also hoping for a change in pitching coach next year.

[GP830]

Greg Holland elects FA. He'd be a good get. 

[Shane Wahl]

Holland and Shaw. I like the potential bullpen that can come from the minors as well.

[Thrylos]

I'd sing 2 of these guys: 

Brandon Morrow to a 2 year plus an option,  who has the stuff to be a dominant closer (2.06 ERA, 1.55 FIP, 29.4% K%, 24.1% K-BB%, 0.92 WHIP/.282 BABIP, 97.7 mph FB average).

 

Drew Storen to a back loaded 3 year deal with the last  2 being team options, who finally took care of the issue that has been bothering him the last 2 seasons and will be ready likely by next August.

[twinsfanstreif]

I would love to get Kintzler back but realistically we need at least one or two other guys. I personally want to think the FO saw the potential in our offense and how horrible our bullpen was and will go hard in FA at improving that area. Kintzler seems like a solid choice to get back because he seemed to like it here and he was pretty good but I would like to see him as a set up man and we spend big on someone like Kimbrel. Is it crazy? Maybe but something's got to give and the only way this unit improves is through FA. Remember we don't even have a closer for next year and no way we re-sign Belisle to fill that roll again

[howieramone2]

 

I would love to get Kintzler back but realistically we need at least one or two other guys. I personally want to think the FO saw the potential in our offense and how horrible our bullpen was and will go hard in FA at improving that area. Kintzler seems like a solid choice to get back because he seemed to like it here and he was pretty good but I would like to see him as a set up man and we spend big on someone like Kimbrel. Is it crazy? Maybe but something's got to give and the only way this unit improves is through FA. Remember we don't even have a closer for next year and no way we re-sign Belisle to fill that roll again

I would sign Kintzler and also bring back Belisle. They will keep us in the hunt until our future closer surfaces and save us from overspending. I've said before, at some point in time, pitching becomes a numbers game. We have the numbers working for us. 

[twinsfanstreif]

I would sign Kintzler and also bring back Belisle. They will keep us in the hunt until our future closer surfaces and save us from overspending. I've said before, at some point in time, pitching becomes a numbers game. We have the numbers working for us.

 

Do you really want to go into next year with the same exact bullpen situation as last year? It has been a thorn in our side for years now and even spending high draft picks on RPs has not worked out. Jay, Chargois, Bard, and Burdi have all had chronic major health concerns and can't be relied on to ever make a major impact because of it. Of all of them Jay had less in the injury camp but has not really proven himself with ample time to do so. I just hope he can contribute at all at this point. Who else are we talking to step it up? Curtiss? He was terrible in his call up. Hildenburger? He's more of a solid Neshek type of guy, not a closer. Busenitz? He was pretty good but is also 27 and did absolutely nothing up until this year, can he be trusted to be our future? I just don't see another way other than crossing our fingers and wasting a few years hoping someone steps it up

[beckmt]

You need bodies.  I am hoping to get some relievers that get K's, not the pitch to contact type.  Hopefully some of the minor leaguers come through, as I do not see large expenditures here unless we want to sign a closer(those are expensive).

[70charger]

 

Do you really want to go into next year with the same exact bullpen situation as last year? It has been a thorn in our side for years now and even spending high draft picks on RPs has not worked out. Jay, Chargois, Bard, and Burdi have all had chronic major health concerns and can't be relied on to ever make a major impact because of it. Of all of them Jay had less in the injury camp but has not really proven himself with ample time to do so. I just hope he can contribute at all at this point. Who else are we talking to step it up? Curtiss? He was terrible in his call up. Hildenburger? He's more of a solid Neshek type of guy, not a closer. Busenitz? He was pretty good but is also 27 and did absolutely nothing up until this year, can he be trusted to be our future? I just don't see another way other than crossing our fingers and wasting a few years hoping someone steps it up

 

I agree that we should not be going into next season with the same situation. Go sign, say, two very solid shutdown types.

 

I just want to pedantically argue, because iit is an Internet forum, about your characterizations of some of the guys you mentioned.

 

"Curtiss? He was terrible in his call up." Eh, not really. Sure, his ERA was tragic, but His FIP was about half of what his ERA was, and he only had 10 appearances, so it's not like the numbers have stabilized. Also, his WHIP was 1.26 (which is almost identical to the career WHIP of the Twins' closer for most of the year, FWIW), and his strikeout rate was around 10K/9IP. I actually think he's a great candidate to take that step forward next year.

 

"Hildenburger? He's more of a solid Neshek type of guy, not a closer." I think you're underrating Neshek. Compare him to the guy who closed most of the year for the Twins, and he's better in basically every single category. The only reason Kintzler has more saves than Neshek is that the Twins didn't employ Neshek (or, by extension, anyone better suited to the role) last season. 

 

"Busenitz? He was pretty good but is also 27 and did absolutely nothing up until this year" He had a WHIP under 1.00 in half a season in the majors. 26 years old (he was 26 this season, by the way) for relievers doesn't mean anything to me. Going back to Neshek, take a look at when he debuted in the majors. Looks like he was 25, turning 26 that same September. Age doesn't seem to be nearly the same concern for relievers, especially ones under team control at serf salaries. Busenitz will probably regress a bit, along with his sub-2.00 ERA, but I don't see why he's not a candidate to be a solid bullpen member next year.

 

Am I off base here? 

 

I think the Twins have solid options, without even relying on the sick bay that is our minor leagues. The cupboard isn't bare. Just put a couple of top guys at the back end of this pen and I think we're good to go. 

[old nurse]

 

I'd sing 2 of these guys: 

Brandon Morrow to a 2 year plus an option,  who has the stuff to be a dominant closer (2.06 ERA, 1.55 FIP, 29.4% K%, 24.1% K-BB%, 0.92 WHIP/.282 BABIP, 97.7 mph FB average).

 

Drew Storen to a back loaded 3 year deal with the last  2 being team options, who finally took care of the issue that has been bothering him the last 2 seasons and will be ready likely by next August.

sibg or sign

 

[ashbury]

sibg or sign

Southern Illinois Baseball Group, or Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network?

[twinsfanstreif]

I agree that we should not be going into next season with the same situation. Go sign, say, two very solid shutdown types.

 

I just want to pedantically argue, because iit is an Internet forum, about your characterizations of some of the guys you mentioned.

 

"Curtiss? He was terrible in his call up." Eh, not really. Sure, his ERA was tragic, but His FIP was about half of what his ERA was, and he only had 10 appearances, so it's not like the numbers have stabilized. Also, his WHIP was 1.26 (which is almost identical to the career WHIP of the Twins' closer for most of the year, FWIW), and his strikeout rate was around 10K/9IP. I actually think he's a great candidate to take that step forward next year.

 

"Hildenburger? He's more of a solid Neshek type of guy, not a closer." I think you're underrating Neshek. Compare him to the guy who closed most of the year for the Twins, and he's better in basically every single category. The only reason Kintzler has more saves than Neshek is that the Twins didn't employ Neshek (or, by extension, anyone better suited to the role) last season. 

 

"Busenitz? He was pretty good but is also 27 and did absolutely nothing up until this year" He had a WHIP under 1.00 in half a season in the majors. 26 years old (he was 26 this season, by the way) for relievers doesn't mean anything to me. Going back to Neshek, take a look at when he debuted in the majors. Looks like he was 25, turning 26 that same September. Age doesn't seem to be nearly the same concern for relievers, especially ones under team control at serf salaries. Busenitz will probably regress a bit, along with his sub-2.00 ERA, but I don't see why he's not a candidate to be a solid bullpen member next year.

 

Am I off base here? 

 

I think the Twins have solid options, without even relying on the sick bay that is our minor leagues. The cupboard isn't bare. Just put a couple of top guys at the back end of this pen and I think we're good to go.

 

I wasn't saying those guys aren't solid bullpen members, they just aren't really closer or even set up candidates. To be fair I never really viewed Kintzler as a closer type either

[70charger]

I wasn't saying those guys aren't solid bullpen members, they just aren't really closer or even set up candidates. To be fair I never really viewed Kintzler as a closer type either

Well then we are probably more or less in agreement. Should we argue about something else, then? Uhh... red enchiladas or green?

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

I wasn't saying those guys aren't solid bullpen members, they just aren't really closer or even set up candidates. To be fair I never really viewed Kintzler as a closer type either

 

I'm not sure it's really fair to make that statement about a few guys who haven't even had a full season yet. There's ample reason to think they will all improve, and they have the peripheral stats to say they can do it.

 

Personally, I could care less about who is in the 9th inning. I'm far more concerned about the 3-5 guys who consistently come in during innings 6-8. That is where we need shut down guys. I'm fairly confident in Hildy at this point, and think that both Busenitz and Curtiss can get there, but I want at least one more (if not two) option that is reliable. If the guys in the minors get healthy and force it, then we have a nice problem. But I'm not sure how much I'd rely on guys like Jay, Burdi, Melotakis,,and Chargois at this point. I think you can safely expect one to emerge (none of whom should be expected to contribute out of ST), beyond that, it's a crap shoot.

[USAFChief]

Uhh... red enchiladas or green?

yes.

[ashbury]

yes.

Concur.

[twinsfanstreif]

Well then we are probably more or less in agreement. Should we argue about something else, then? Uhh... red enchiladas or green?

Depends on what you're using as a protein. Both are good, I also like a sour cream based sauce especially if we're talking seafood enchiladas. I'm from Texas, we take our enchiladas seriously

[jimmer]

It's all about the chimichanga.

[70charger]

 

Depends on what you're using as a protein. Both are good, I also like a sour cream based sauce especially if we're talking seafood enchiladas. I'm from Texas, we take our enchiladas seriously

 

 

My man.