REPORT: Twins Sign RHP Mike Morin

[ewen21]

If he bombs he's going to a nickname he doesn't want

[Mike Sixel]

Has anyone they signed to a minor league deal not made the team the next year? Seems like a lot have....

[Danchat]

 

Has anyone they signed to a minor league deal not made the team the next year? Seems like a lot have....

Minor league deals in 2018: (Player - Made team at some point?)

 

Willians Astudillo - Yes

Myles Jaye - No

Ryan LaMarre - Yes

Bobby Wilson - Yes

Gregorio Petit - Yes

Brock Stassi - No

Taylor Featherston - No

Nick Buss - No

Jordan Pacheco - No

Jermaine Curtis - No

Matt Magill - Yes

Andy Wilkins - No

Chris Heisey - No

Anibal Sanchez - No

Erick Aybar - No

 

[Mike Sixel]

Minor league deals in 2018: (Player - Made team at some point?)

 

Willians Astudillo - Yes

Myles Jaye - No

Ryan LaMarre - Yes

Bobby Wilson - Yes

Gregorio Petit - Yes

Brock Stassi - No

Taylor Featherston - No

Nick Buss - No

Jordan Pacheco - No

Jermaine Curtis - No

Matt Magill - Yes

Andy Wilkins - No

Chris Heisey - No

Anibal Sanchez - No

Erick Aybar - No

I should have been more specific, as in, if they were in AAA to start the year. But that was really interesting! Thank you.

[old nurse]

 

I should have been more specific, as in, if they were in AAA to start the year. But that was really interesting! Thank you.

It doesn't change a whole lot. Heisey and Aybar retired after being cut. Sanchez after many years found the motivation to pitch.

[USAFChief]

 

It doesn't change a whole lot. Heisey and Aybar retired after being cut. Sanchez after many years found the motivation to pitch.

It means a third of the minor league signees last year appeared for the Twins.

 

That seems like sort of a big deal, to me.

[Riverbrian]

 

It means a third of the minor league signees last year appeared for the Twins.

 

That seems like sort of a big deal, to me.

 

Those who live near the Morin will eventually end up in the Morin. 

 

 

[old nurse]

 

It means a third of the minor league signees last year appeared for the Twins.

 

That seems like sort of a big deal, to me.

The comment I responded to was about the lit and that he should have been more specific to the minor league signing that started in AAA.  That list does not change appreciably with the subtractions I listed, hence no big deal. Sorry I have to more wordy to let you understand the meaning of the post.

Last year the Red Sox used 4 players who were signed as minor league contracts. That the Twins used 5 is no big deal. Teams do use players signed to a minor league contract.

[DocBauer]

The comment I responded to was about the lit and that he should have been more specific to the minor league signing that started in AAA.  That list does not change appreciably with the subtractions I listed, hence no big deal. Sorry I have to more wordy to let you understand the meaning of the post.

Last year the Red Sox used 4 players who were signed as minor league contracts. That the Twins used 5 is no big deal. Teams do use players signed to a minor league contract.

The problem wasn't that they used 5 guys signed to milb contacts. As pointed out, the Red Sox used 4 themselves!

 

Magill, IIRC, began the season in Rochester along with everyone but LaMarre. Magill as actually a nice surprise, at least when used for his best role as a long/middle/mop-up man. Astudillo turned out to be a nice surprise and I think he's got a good shot at being a nice reserve piece for the team. Wilson, Featherston, Pettite were all injury fill-in, not guys who were to be counted on. Wilson probably never sees a day last season if Castro doesn't hurt his knee.

 

The problem wasn't milb FA invites making appearances. That's what they are supposed to do when someone gets dinged up. No, the problem was the quality of the guys they brought in. I still feel like they just dismissed the Rochester roster last season.

 

Note: Pettite actually played decently when given his time. Why they rolled through Featherston or Motter for even a day still baffles me.

[old nurse]

 

The problem wasn't that they used 5 guys signed to milb contacts. As pointed out, the Red Sox used 4 themselves!

Magill, IIRC, began the season in Rochester along with everyone but LaMarre. Magill as actually a nice surprise, at least when used for his best role as a long/middle/mop-up man. Astudillo turned out to be a nice surprise and I think he's got a good shot at being a nice reserve piece for the team. Wilson, Featherston, Pettite were all injury fill-in, not guys who were to be counted on. Wilson probably never sees a day last season if Castro doesn't hurt his knee.

The problem wasn't milb FA invites making appearances. That's what they are supposed to do when someone gets dinged up. No, the problem was the quality of the guys they brought in. I still feel like they just dismissed the Rochester roster last season.

Note: Pettite actually played decently when given his time. Why they rolled through Featherston or Motter for even a day still baffles me.

Max Muncy was a minor league signing... Never know what you get

[DocBauer]

Max Muncy was a minor league signing... Never know what you get

EXACTLY!!

 

The jury is still out on Austudillo. How could it not be? I state again his biggest issue has always been he doesn't fit in to "conventional thinking" in regard to what he should be, or what some would like him to be. (Something a lot of us have been talking a lot about). He is a squat catcher who, previously, never demonstrated a great deal of power. He never SO much, but didn't BB much. All he did was make contact and spray the ball all over the place. I have never read a bad word about his catching ability or game calling ability. I've also never read any of those reports we love to read that state things like, "Potential Gold Glove ability right now defensively". So he hits, makes contact, can fill in decently at multiple positions, but doesn't fit some archetype as to what he should be.

 

Even though the Twins were smart/got lucky to sign him, they almost blew it as well. Searching for catching options after Castro got hurt, they signed some re-treads after Wilson was promoted and shifted Austudillo do other spots at Rochester. When he was first promoted, he was brought up as a utility player who sat on the bench. Without even realizing it at the time, even though he wasn't used and miscast, they were already breaking the mold. When brought up again, this time as a catcher, what did he do? He was solid behind the plate, hit like he's always done, and even fill in here and there at other spots to further show his versatility and value.

 

When Magill was signed, someone, think it may have been me, lol, asked who and what a Magill is? Mr Unknown proceeded to perform so well in his limited role as a long and middle man that most of us were clamoring for an expanded role in a stressed, limited and beleaguered bullpen. Ugh! Be prepared for what you wish for. But still, despite BB and HR totals that were too high, he did his job pretty well for the 7th-8th man in the pen. There is value in that for any team. Despite statistics or data, I still believe in the eye test. And I saw some bad performances from Magill. But I also saw a guy who could consistently throw 93-96 with a slider that could bite brutally at times. I'm hoping, soon, we won't be fostering a guy like Magill with hope. But what if new pitching coach Johnson could find Magill more consistency with that FB and slider? Suddenly your "dumpster dive" found a nice nugget.

 

No matter the various short comings that could be debated about the Ryan ERA, he was a scout at heart. And over the years, he found some nice pieces for AAA and invites that turned out to be useful pieces for the ML roster.

 

I lamented the loss of Niko Goodrum last off season. And at the end of the day, he's not some potential Muncy. But how much value would he have brought in 2018 if kept on board?

 

Austudillo was a real find. Magill was solid, and actually has potential. There is nothing wrong with the Morin signing and invite. As long as the FO doesn't just stop there. But your AAA club should be a mix of prospects and AAA/AAAA guys and fliers. Despite Austudillo and Magill, I still feel they fell way short at Rochester last season. I am, of course, waiting for the next couple of ML moves. But I'm also anxious to see a few more smart/intriguing moves for additional depth as well.

[Dave The Dastardly]

 

That's primarily just modern reliever usage.

 

Morin did miss about a month in early 2017 with "neck tightness". (Has never been on the DL with an arm issue as a pro.)

 

He also "missed" September 2018 because the Mariners declined to add him back to their 40-man roster for a September call-up.

I take it that neck tightness wasn't bilateral then.