Kohl Stewart Outrighted, becomes Free Agent

[Seth Stohs]

The Twins have announced that former first-round pick Kohl Stewart has been outrighted. As he was signed in 2013, he becomes a free agent. 

[ashbury]

The Twins have announced that former first-round pick Kohl Stewart has been outrighted. As he was signed in 2013, he becomes a free agent. 

So then what's the practical difference between being outrighted and being released? Just a warmer and friendlier way of saying that the team wants to retain your services, on a non-roster basis?

[twins_89]

This move is far less surprising than Gonsalves. Stewart never lived up to his draft position and a number of guys have passed him on the depth chart.

[operation mindcrime]

Shocking!!!!!!!

[Dman]

They gave Stewart every possible opportunity to succeed and he just never quite made it.  I still think he could be a decent reliever in MLB but I guess the Twins don't think so.  This was coming two years ago it was time for both the player and the organization to move on.

[Vanimal46]

Garver is the last man standing from the 2013 draft!

[bighat]

A shame they never got much out of Stewart. He had a few flashes of solid pitching, but couldn't ever keep it together for more than a few innings. I'm guessing he'll find a job pretty quickly for a team looking to strike gold on a reclamation project. If he succeeds elsewhere, it'll certainly be a black eye for the Twins development department.

[insagt1]

Watching him in Rochester in 2019, no real loss honestly.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

So then what's the practical difference between being outrighted and being released? Just a warmer and friendlier way of saying that the team wants to retain your services, on a non-roster basis?

Stewart was outrighted to AAA and Stewart elected free agency

[Rosterman]

All those pitchers the Twins drafted and traded centerfielders for, and what do we have. Well, still have Trevor May!

 

[Rosterman]

Gonsalves also claimed by the Mets. Coming of an injury, doubt he would've been ready for much pitching next season anyways. 

 

Falvey and Levine continue to clean house of the previous regime.

 

Looking to see what kind of decision they make on Hildenberger, Ryan Harper, and perhaps Lamonte Wade,

 

Sad they couldn't have packaged Stewart in some sort of deal last summer. Hard to think he was a #1 draft pick.

[wabene]

Gotta clean those cupboards and upgrade the roster!!

[Thrylos]

 

Gonsalves also claimed by the Mets. Coming of an injury, doubt he would've been ready for much pitching next season anyways. 

 

Falvey and Levine continue to clean house of the previous regime.

 

Looking to see what kind of decision they make on Hildenberger, Ryan Harper, and perhaps Lamonte Wade,

 

Sad they couldn't have packaged Stewart in some sort of deal last summer. Hard to think he was a #1 draft pick.

 

Both Gonsalves and Stewart were exposed last summer.  Their prime time to be traded would have been 2-3 years ago.

 

I hope that this regime does not repeat these series of mistakes of the previous regime that kept on to prospects, until they become suspects, and then were lost for nothing.

 

Sell high.

 

 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

 

This move is far less surprising than Gonsalves. Stewart never lived up to his draft position and a number of guys have passed him on the depth chart.

Was Gonsalves released?

[Thrylos]

 

Was Gonsalves released?

 

Claimed by the Mets

[operation mindcrime]

A shame they never got much out of Stewart. He had a few flashes of solid pitching, but couldn't ever keep it together for more than a few innings. I'm guessing he'll find a job pretty quickly for a team looking to strike gold on a reclamation project. If he succeeds elsewhere, it'll certainly be a black eye for the Twins development department.

Watch him turn into the next Liam Hendriks!

[bighat]

 

Both Gonsalves and Stewart were exposed last summer.  Their prime time to be traded would have been 2-3 years ago.

 

I hope that this regime does not repeat these series of mistakes of the previous regime that kept on to prospects, until they become suspects, and then were lost for nothing.

 

Sell high.

 

A great example of how teams need to be willing to part with prospects. Fans should accept it as well. And a reminder that prospects are never a sure thing.

 

Two years ago both Stewart and especially Gonsalves were touted as mid-rotation guys who'd already have a 10+ win season under their belt by 2020. Nope. And almost every day on this site we hear people screaming to trade Eddie Rosario (he of the .280/32/109 slash line) because "we've got Kiriloff/Larnach and they can just slide right in". The reality is that we'll be lucky if either of those guys ever has one season where they come close to those numbers. This is how baseball works.

 

 

[rdehring]

 

A great example of how teams need to be willing to part with prospects. Fans should accept it as well. And a reminder that prospects are never a sure thing.

 

Two years ago both Stewart and especially Gonsalves were touted as mid-rotation guys who'd already have a 10+ win season under their belt by 2020. Nope. And almost every day on this site we hear people screaming to trade Eddie Rosario (he of the .280/32/109 slash line) because "we've got Kiriloff/Larnach and they can just slide right in". The reality is that we'll be lucky if either of those guys ever has one season where they come close to those numbers. This is how baseball works.

I 'liked' your comment bighat, although do believe that Kirilloff is special and is someone who should be retained.  I like Larnach a ton, but am not as certain that he will be as good as Kirilloff.

 

As for Stewart and Gonsalves moving on, not surprised at all.  Expect there is also a very good chance that Harper and Hildenberger will be waived when they sign or trade for two of those big starters the team must find.  With 9 open spots today, expect the first will be gone when Odorizzi accepts his QO.  I assume the Twins can sit down with Odorizzi after he accepts and work out a longer term contract, can't they?

[Yoke]

I do wonder if he would have been drafted into the Twins system under the new leadership if anything would have gone differently. The reason I wonder is that the first year or two in the system seem like they'd be the most important ones. Get in, get to work on the mechanics, and try to move up quickly. He would have spent 4 years getting instructions from the older style, which maybe didn't have the ability to tap into his potential.

 

Or, this just is who he is, everyone did their best to get him to a MLB level pitcher, and he just didn't have it.

[goulik]

 

I do wonder if he would have been drafted into the Twins system under the new leadership if anything would have gone differently. The reason I wonder is that the first year or two in the system seem like they'd be the most important ones. Get in, get to work on the mechanics, and try to move up quickly. He would have spent 4 years getting instructions from the older style, which maybe didn't have the ability to tap into his potential.

 

Or, this just is who he is, everyone did their best to get him to a MLB level pitcher, and he just didn't have it.

This is just it: It isn't that this Regime or any FO chose him or that he failed. It is the consistency of failures without successes. Fine, Berrios made it out of how many top signings, picks and trades? The condemnation on the previous leadership is the overall horrible percentage of pitchers that worked out. The hope is that the new leadership is reclaiming some of those pickups with better coaching and development while picking better prospects for a better overall rate of success in the future. Even the best FO's have plenty of swings and misses.