Twins Sign RHP Hansel Robles

[Seth Stohs]

The Minnesota Twins have announced that they have signed veteran right-handed pitcher Hansel Robles.Like many, 2020 is a season that Hansel Robles would love to forget. The veteran right-hander went 0-2 with a 10.26 ERA over 16 2/3 innings (18 games) for the Angels. Earlier this month, the team chose to non-tender him, making him a free agent.

 

However, if you look back to his 2019 season, he was 5-1 with a 2.48 ERA and a 1.02 WHIP over 72 2/3 innings in 71 games.

 

Robles debuted with the New York Mets in 2015 and tossed two scoreless innings for them in that season's World Series. He remained with the team until mid-2018 when he was claimed by the Angels.

 

Robles, now 30, throws a fastball that averaged 95.5 mph in 2019 after averaging 97.1 in 2019. He threw that a little over 50% of the time. He also starting throwing a split-finger pitch in 2020. He came in at about 88 mph and he used it nearly 36% of the time. It was essentially used as his changeup. He also throws an upper-90s slider, though he threw that just 12% of the time in 2020.

 

It has been announced by a variety of writers that the deal is a one-year, $2 million contract with incentives up to another $0.5 million.

 

The Twins 40-man roster is now at 36. It includes 19 pitchers, four catchers, six infielders and seven outfielders.

 

Darren Wolfson has the news on the incentives:

 

[Diesel]

99+ fastball and good slider. Seems like a Wes Johnson special to me..... Just needs more command of his pitches

[TheMatt]

Thought maybe this could have been a minor league deal due to his down year and 10+ era in 2020

[ashbury]

Thought maybe this could have been a minor league deal due to his down year and 10+ era in 2020

At $2M, you can still think of him almost like that. He is out of options but probably will pass through waivers, if he stinks and they need to send him down. If it's worse than that and they need to cut him entirely, the contract won't cause them excessive heartburn.

 

[Andrew Bryzgornia]

 

Thought maybe this could have been a minor league deal due to his down year and 10+ era in 2020

 

True, but $2 million is still really cheap. 

 

Robles definitely isn't as bad as his 2020 season, and he's not as good as his 2019. I don't think it's right to look at Robles as a Romo or Clippard replacement, I think he's more likely a Wisler replacement. Also, I bet Falvey/Levine will consider his signing a win if he maintains a 3.70 ERA or better next season. 

[Doctor Gast]

I imagine that they think that they get a little more from his fastball, improve his slider so he can pitch it more often. Not what I have been waiting for but they know what they're doing. Who knows he could bounce back better than ever

[bighat]

Certainly fits the definition of a Twins trash-pile special: a pitcher who's not too far removed from a great year, but coming off a rocky season. I certainly don't fault the Twins for giving him a shot, I hope they've uncovered a diamond in the rough.

[twinfan]

It's hard to tell whether this is a good signing but 2 mil is high for the past season. Let's hope he can contribute something positive and not be taking a spot from a youngster with better outcomes.

[jorgenswest]

Is he a more expensive Wisler replacement?

[notoriousgod71]

Wish we hadn't traded for Maeda.

 

A Hansel and Graterol bullpen that got eaten by the rest of the AL would have been fun.

[Rosterman]

Robles didn't get a better offer?

[rdehring]

Happy with this move and there is no reason to believe he can't be better than last year. Let's remember it was the weirdest year ever in MLB. 

 

But I want to see them land one more better reliever. Wouldn't it be nice to give Hand his wish and bring him home?

 

But heck, I'm just happy they have done something. Now let's see there next move.

[Danchat]

Hmmmm, didn't think he'd get a major league deal. Robles was a quality reliever for a couple seasons before tanking in 2020. I like that he throws around 95-96, and isn't a repeat of Romo and the other slow pitchers. With the volatility of relievers in baseball, I could see this move panning out. $2M isn't a big deal.

[GNess]

Re-building depth in the pen is a good thing. If Robles' 2020 season was an outlier, and he performs to his own career mean this will be a decent addition.

[twinsfanstreif]

[PseudoSABR]

I imagine we'll see a lot of moves like this, as the Twins, and all teams, are super cost-adverse.  I'm fine with it.  Through enough crap against the wall, something sticks.  Though that's unfair because his 2019 was stellar, and 2020 is well what it is.

[h2oface]

Another example if you are not on the Twins and your 2020 sucked, that you have all hope and rebound in your future. Compared to if you are on the team already and your 2020 sucked, you are toast (like many feel about Garver). Funny how that works. I don't buy it. I can't believe the 3 pitchers that have been signed to take up a roster spot so far...... Robles, Gibaut, and Waddell.

[Andrew Bryzgornia]

 

Another example if you are not on the Twins and your 2020 sucked, that you have all hope and rebound in your future. Compared to if you are on the team already and your 2020 sucked, you are toast (like many feel about Garver). Funny how that works. I don't buy it. I can't believe the 3 pitchers that have been signed to take up a roster spot so far...... Robles, Gibaut, and Waddell.

 

I'm not putting a lot of energy into caring about Gibaut and Waddell. They were added as waiver claims and could easily be removed from the 40-man without much worry. Gibaut might actually stick, but Waddell is redundant with Rogers and Thielbar already ticketed for the active roster and thus I assume they'll attempt to pass him through waivers when the time becomes necessary. 

[tony&rodney]

IF Robles is worth $2 million to the Twins, the payroll budget must be reasonable because a minor pickup for that much means a $135+ team. Liam Hendriks fits and belongs.

[mikelink45]

Wow is this a boring move.  The Angels are desperate for pitching and they did not want him.  Wes Johnson is not a wizard from Harry Potter as far as I know.  He needs some basic skill to start with.  Yawn.  I am still waiting for a real move. 

[DocBauer]

I'm OK with this moves and not exactly surprised. He's relatively young with velocity and seems a perfect candidate for Johnson to work with.

 

But I am surprised by the contract. I firmly believed Soria and Clippard would be targets...and may yet be...that would cost a minimum of $2M and would probably be in the $2.5 to $3M range based on age and the market saturation.

[TopGunn#22]

I think Robles is worth the gamble for $2 million.  

All of the incentives are for Games Finished.

Hello Taylor Rogers.

Are you paying attention ??

[adjacent]

I am OK with this (like if anybody cares). But definitely I think we need at least one more starter.

[specialiststeve]

 

Wish we hadn't traded for Maeda.

 

A Hansel and Graterol bullpen that got eaten by the rest of the AL would have been fun.

 

Yah... why would we want the cy young runner up when we could have had a reliever with ongoing arm issues... Maeda was the best trade we have made in a LONG time!

 

[specialiststeve]

 

Wow is this a boring move.  The Angels are desperate for pitching and they did not want him.  Wes Johnson is not a wizard from Harry Potter as far as I know.  He needs some basic skill to start with.  Yawn.  I am still waiting for a real move. 

 

Look at what Johnson has done with some retreds... was the 2nd best bullpen in the MLB.... Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore - Johnson.... I think that is his real name.....  

 

[darin617]

Robles for $2M and possibly released by June or $7-9M for Brad Hand?

[Original_JB]

https://twitter.com/DWolfsonKSTP/status/1344027870289682437  

With those specific "games finished" incentives in his contract, do you think that he has been signed to be or promised an opportunity to close, or more of a "well, if you end up using me as a closer, I'd like to be paid like one" clause, with no specific promises having been made by the Twins?

[RedBull34]

 

https://twitter.com/DWolfsonKSTP/status/1344027870289682437  

With those specific "games finished" incentives in his contract, do you think that he has been signed to be or promised an opportunity to close, or more of a "well, if you end up using me as a closer, I'd like to be paid like one" clause, with no specific promises having been made by the Twins?

IF he returns to form, I could easily see the Twins alternating him and Rogers @ closer, based on the handedness and order of the opposing lineup in the 8th and 9th innings.

[wabene]

Wow is this a boring move.  The Angels are desperate for pitching and they did not want him.  Wes Johnson is not a wizard from Harry Potter as far as I know.  He needs some basic skill to start with.  Yawn.  I am still waiting for a real move.

I'm going with a like for the Wes Johnson comment but I like this move. We need some of this type of moves and it makes sense that this type happens earlier but yes I'm waiting for the bigger BP piece.

[jmlease1]

Look, either you think the Twins are a smart, professional operation with a good coaching staff and a plan for their pitchers...or you don't.

 

If you're on board with the former, then this looks like a reasonable value play: talented reliever with some good peripherals but a bit of a control problem. If things go well for him then he's a fine late-inning option who will get plenty of Ks. His floor looks like Matt Magill from 2018-19 if things don't go as well.

 

If you think the twins don't know what they're doing, if you only think you can get reliable relief pitching by signing big names, if you think moves like this are a waste of time & roster spots...then you're not gonna be very happy with this. And probably aren't going to be very happy as a Twins fan.

 

strong bullpens have become more and more important in recent years with starters throwing fewer innings...but relievers remain the most fungible position in baseball. It's the easiest position to fill, rarely worth paying premium amounts for, and the small samples they have year over year make them the hardest to project.

 

Robles is a great example of this: in 2020, he was awful...but it was 16 2/3 innings. He was roughly as bad in 19 innings with the Mets in 2018 and then immediately turned it around for the rest of the season in roughly twice as many innings with the Angels as he pulled it back to the mean. Might he have done the exact same thing in 2020 if he'd had enough innings? Seems likely.

 

So why did the Angels move on from him? Probably the same reason a lot of people thought the Twins might move on from Taylor Rogers: not sure the arbitration number was going to match his performance. He was almost certainly going to get $4M+ in arbitration, even coming off a rotten year. Despite how strange it seems to us, everyone gets a raise in baseball arbitration, no matter how bad the year they had. Would they have kept him at $2M? They might have, but Robles also might have been ready to get the heck out of there after a) having a bad season, and maybe thinking that the Angels didn't really have that much respect for his talents after non-tendering him.