FA's Arrieta or Lynn the only two choices

[nicksaviking]

With Mejia being the only lefty, and with his grip on a rotation spot likely hinging on that very fact, I'd like to see the Twins try to get Danny Duffy. 

 

Previously I thought that the ask for him would be painfully high, but he had the off field issue with booze and he does earn a healthy paycheck the next four years. After watching TB do everything they could to shed payroll, now that the Royals aren't going to keep any of Hosmer/Moustakis/Cain they might be interested in following suit and Duffy's paychecks going forward don't look nearly like the bargain they did prior to this off season.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

and Duffy's paychecks going forward don't look nearly like the bargain they did prior to this off season.

I suspect that would be the hold-up with bringing him to Minnesota, even if KC was willing to deal. We're definitely in "looking for a bargain" territory now, if we weren't before.

[zenser]

How long until one of these FAs settles for a one or two year deal?  When we are to that point, I would be interested (as would a lot of other teams).  None of the remaining FAs, interest me long term.  Such a weird off season.

[Doomtints]

Do the Twins need another lefty starter to compete in the AL Central? I'm honestly asking, I don't know. I feel like the Twins can smack around two or three teams in the division just with competent starters on either side, but maybe the AL Central is rampant with lefties and I just don't know about it. I haven't looked.

[gunnarthor]

I wonder if there's anyway for the Twins to get Patrick Corbin from Arizona. He's #5 on their rotation (it's pretty loaded) behind Grienke, Robbie Ray, Zack Godley, Taijuan Walker and even maybe Shelby Miller if/when he's off the DL. They just made a move for Steve Sousa but might need/want a bat or just a way to dump Yasmany Tomas and his salary. Not likely that the Twins can add salary but maybe there's some kind of conversation to be had.

[Mike Sixel]

Tampa dumped salary, but they are still projected to be around 500 or so. They are probably better in pitching, and a little worse than hitting, than last year. KC otoh, is shedding salary and likely worse. I don't care much about what hand a pitcher uses, just that he's good. Duffey is an interesting option.

[Doomtints]

Just looked. Cleveland has a lot of lefties, but I don't think anyone expects us to go toe-to-toe to them right now.

 

Detroit has none that matter.

 

The other two teams have a few, but there isn't anything there that should make a GM try to build a team to beat.

I could see other teams in the AL Central being concerned with left handed pitching since the Twins and Indians both have lefty hitters who can hurt you. The Twins are built well to compete in the division.

[cmoss84]

 

Do the Twins need another lefty starter to compete in the AL Central? I'm honestly asking, I don't know. I feel like the Twins can smack around two or three teams in the division just with competent starters on either side, but maybe the AL Central is rampant with lefties and I just don't know about it. I haven't looked.

Liriano and Brett Anderson are still out there...seems like a signing we would make. 

[ashbury]

 I don't care much about what hand a pitcher uses, just that he's good. Duffey is an interesting option.

I always like the saying, "I don't want left-handed pitching, I want pitching that can get left-handed batters out."

 

Obviously there is a great deal of overlap, but the difference in perspective is what I prefer.

[Teflon]

Assuming middle-of-the-road NL starters (Correia, Worley, Marquis, Pelfrey, Nolasco) would fare similarly in the AL was one of the big failings of the previous Twins brain trust. Not sure they fully realized the difference in what these guys' performance would look like if you took away two feeble pitcher at-bats per game and substituted two competent DH at-bats. The new Twins brain trust probably has a better model for projecting this so a pitcher like Lynn would be downgraded accordingly.

[Mike Sixel]

I didn't like the frugal approach to FA in the past.....but they literally had no one in AAA or AA to use. They had to sign someone to fill out the rotation (since they weren't brave enough to try a bullpen approach, no one is). I think they signed some of those middle of the road NL pitchers, not because they thought they'd be great, but because they needed a warm body that didn't cost much. I do think they thought Pelfrey would be good....

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Assuming middle-of-the-road NL starters (Correia, Worley, Marquis, Pelfrey, Nolasco) would fare similarly in the AL was one of the big failings of the previous Twins brain trust. Not sure they fully realized the difference in what these guys' performance would look like if you took away two feeble pitcher at-bats per game and substituted two competent DH at-bats. The new Twins brain trust probably has a better model for projecting this so a pitcher like Lynn would be downgraded accordingly.

I don't think the league switch had much to do with it. Correia's numbers here were pretty much identical to his NL numbers, for instance. This just wasn't a very good/healthy group of pitchers to begin with, and we caught virtually all of them on the wrong side of 30.

[TheLeviathan]

 

I wonder if there's anyway for the Twins to get Patrick Corbin from Arizona. He's #5 on their rotation (it's pretty loaded) behind Grienke, Robbie Ray, Zack Godley, Taijuan Walker and even maybe Shelby Miller if/when he's off the DL. They just made a move for Steve Sousa but might need/want a bat or just a way to dump Yasmany Tomas and his salary. Not likely that the Twins can add salary but maybe there's some kind of conversation to be had.

 

From my understanding down here, they view Corbin ahead of Godley, but I could be wrong about that.

[gunnarthor]

 

From my understanding down here, they view Corbin ahead of Godley, but I could be wrong about that.

I'm not greedy, I'd take Godley instead.

[nicksaviking]

 

I always like the saying, "I don't want left-handed pitching, I want pitching that can get left-handed batters out."

 

Obviously there is a great deal of overlap, but the difference in perspective is what I prefer.

 

I agree, but historically that hasn't been the mindset of the manager/GM. There always had to be a token lefty in the rotation.

 

It's not that I'm super low on Mejia, but it'd be nice if the lefty didn't have to fall into the #5 spot. Things may be different now with the new front office but Hector Santiago, Tommy Milone, Andrew Albers, Scott Diamond and Brian Duensing suggest this club historically has wedged lefties into the rotation even if they did not happen to be one of the best five starters. Low bar, I know.

[nicksaviking]

 

I'm not greedy, I'd take Godley instead.

 

I want Archie Bradley and would stick him back into the rotation. And I realize he'd not be cheap.

[bobs]

 

I prefer Cobb, he's actually demonstrated success in the AL and that matters a lot if I'm signing free agent pitchers.

I call it the Matt Capps Syndrome....

[Rosterman]

The big question is cost for 2-3 years. And the loss in the draft. Will any of the three actually be a game changer, not just for one season but for more seasons? All three are good solid pitchers, but spectuacular? For the cost? But, yes, if a rival signs them, it changes things. If you sign them, what do you do with the rickle down changes it brings within the organization.

[TheLeviathan]

 

I want Archie Bradley and would stick him back into the rotation. And I realize he'd not be cheap.

 

They won't deal Bradley, but I'd love it if they did.

 

But a bullpen arm for a starter might be a trade fit with that team.  

[alskntwnsfn]

Danny Duffy would be great.