Notebook: Archie Bradley, Alex Wood Come Off the Board

[Nash Walker]

A pair of pitchers came off the free agent market Thursday, signing one-year deals. Could Corey Kluber be next?RHP ARCHIE BRADLEY JOINS PHILLIES ON ONE-YEAR, $6 MILLION PACT

 

Among 48 relievers with at least 200 innings pitched since 2017, Bradley ranks 10th in FIP (3.19), 17th in opponent OPS (.651) and was tied for ninth in ERA (2.95). His 18.3% strikeout-to-walk rate is tied for 21st with Sergio Romo.

 

The 28-year-old was drafted by the Diamondbacks with the seventh overall pick in 2011. He spent his first five and a half years in Arizona before being dealt to Cincinnati at the 2020 trade deadline. He allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings for the Reds.

 

Bradley figures to immediately assume an important role in Philadelphia. The Phillies’ bullpen produced negative-0.9 fWAR with a league-worst 7.06 ERA in 2020. The Twins are presumably in the market for another right-handed reliever but according to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson, they never had much interest in Bradley.

 

 

The top remaining relievers on the market include Brad Hand, Alex Colomé, Trevor Rosenthal, Shane Greene and Joakim Soria, among many others.

 

LHP ALEX WOOD AGREES TO ONE-YEAR, $3 MILLION DEAL WITH GIANTS

 

Twins Daily's Nick Nelson wrote last offseason that Wood was the most intriguing free agent on the market. Wood was coming off an injury-wrecked 2019 but sported a career 3.40 ERA and 3.49 FIP. He signed a one-year, $4 million contract to return to the Dodgers. He threw just 282 pitches during the regular season due to shoulder inflammation.

 

There's certainly upside here for the Giants. The crafty lefty was an All-Star for Los Angeles in 2017, pitching to a 2.72 ERA and 25% strikeout rate in 150+ innings. He took a step back in 2018 before multiple injuries limited him to only 48 1/3 innings combined between 2019 and 2020.

 

Wood's contract contains incentives that can push the total value to $10 million, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

 

OLNEY: COREY KLUBER COULD SIGN WITHIN DAYS

 

After impressing with 30 pitches for 25 teams Wednesday, Kluber’s market is hot and ready. Buster Olney of ESPN reported today that Kluber’s free agency “will likely reach a conclusion by this weekend.”

 

Kluber posted a sterling 2.85 ERA, 2.83 FIP and 28% strikeout rate in five consecutive 200+ inning, top-10 Cy Young campaigns from 2014 to 2018. His last two seasons have been derailed by a broken forearm, an oblique strain and most recently a muscle tear in his right shoulder. If Kluber returns to form in his age-35 season, one team is promised a ridiculously good value.

 

MLB LOOKS AHEAD TO FRIDAY’S ARBITRATION FIGURE DEADLINE

 

Predicting arbitration values has never been more difficult. Given the shortened season and limited counting stats, it’s expected that this process will not be smooth for most teams and their players.

 

 

The Twins can keep their attention on adding to the club, however. The team locked up José Berríos ($6.1M), Taylor Rogers ($6M), Byron Buxton ($5.125M), Tyler Duffey ($2.2M), Mitch Garver ($1.875M) and Caleb Thielbar ($700,000) over a month ago, allowing them to avoid arbitration altogether.

 

SEE ALSO

Twins Expected to Be Aggressive As 2020-21 International Signing Period Opens

Twins Hinting at a Huge Month

Free Agent Faceoff: Kiké Hernández vs. Tommy La Stella

Running Down the Hall (of Fame Ballot): 2021 Edition

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[mikelink45]

Both Bradley and Wood were in offseason speculation on TD this winter.  I know we are supposed to be patient.  The value players are getting fewer and fewer.  I am really curious who the Twins are thinking about.

[Heistyman]

Drat, I had high hopes we'd take a flyer on Wood.

[4twinsJA]

Getting fewer chairs in the game of musical chairs. Hope Twins make a move soon.

[DocBauer]

I thought Bradley would have been a nice addition. Had him on my hope list for $5M. Interesting the Twins didn't even check on him.

 

A Wood flier for that cheap would have been interesting as a second SP signing. I think there are others out there that will still be available in a couple weeks for a similar deal as a 5th rotation option candidate.

[jud6312]

Bradley was a name I definitely hoped they'd look at, especially given the apparent need.

 

I suspect this weekend we'll see the same article with the names changed to Hand and Kluber. Then Rosenthal, Colome and the rest. Then it will be followed up by "Twins Look for Diamonds in the Rough to Fill Bullpen."

 

When do we get the OK to stop waiting patiently to be wowed, or even "meh'd" by the front office?

[Rigby]

Strike Kluber from the list......

[specialiststeve]

 

Strike Kluber from the list......

 

Am fine with it... with his injury history.... 

[tony&rodney]

Kluber may or may not be returning to form but he was as good a gamble as there was out there this year. Plug in Dobnak, Thorpe, Balazovic, and Duran and keep Smeltzer loose too. If the Twins can't sign Kluber for $12 million then it is time to give the kids a shot and i guess I'm fine with that decision. Just no Homer Bailey, please. 

[jud6312]

 

Kluber may or may not be returning to form but he was as good a gamble as there was out there this year. Plug in Dobnak, Thorpe, Balazovic, and Duran and keep Smeltzer loose too. If the Twins can't sign Kluber for $12 million then it is time to give the kids a shot and i guess I'm fine with that decision. Just no Homer Bailey, please. 

You know what Thorpe and Smeltzer offer, which is basically nothing. Dobnak a little more than that. 

 

If they're too cheap to even take a flier on a veteran comeback, they might as well turn 4 and 5 over to Balazovic and Duran. At least they're unknown quantities. I've seen enough of the others to last me a while.

[tony&rodney]

 

You know what Thorpe and Smeltzer offer, which is basically nothing. Dobnak a little more than that. 

 

If they're too cheap to even take a flier on a veteran comeback, they might as well turn 4 and 5 over to Balazovic and Duran. At least they're unknown quantities. I've seen enough of the others to last me a while.

 

Exactly. Thorpe and Smeltzer do their work when all others are off and Dobnak has been a very pleasant surprise until suddenly he gets hit around; a good #5. That leaves Balazovic and Duran. I would like to see them, just as there was curiosity about Berrios a few years ago.

Are we waiting for Bauer?