Out of options: Swarzak, Plouffe, Wood and Roenicke

[John Bonnes]

Mike Berandino reveals that Anthony Swarzak, Trevor Plouffe, Tim Wood and Josh Roenicke are out of options. I think we knew that. But I do wonder if that makes it any more likely that one of those relievers is kept and Alex Burnett is sent down.

[stringer bell]

I think Burnett will have to win a spot this year. Given that some guys are out of options (or Rule 5), they might have an edge on Burnett.

[josecordoba]

The relievers are fairly expendable either way. Swarzak's the best of the bunch. Plouffe won't be sent down so it's a non-issue. Plouffe's Bill James and Oliver Projections point to a fairly average MLB 3rd Baseman. This seems right.

[Jim H]

I think you are right, Burnett is a bit more likely to be sent down. I would qualify my answer this way. I don't think the Twins are going to punt this year, but everything they do will have an eye toward the future. I would also add Pressly into this because they will likely lose him if he doesn't make the team. I don't think they bring in Roenicke and Wood if they were totally satisfied with Swarzak and Burnett. Even if they don't want to lose Swarzak, they could try to pass him thru waivers at cut down time if Roenicke or Wood really impresses. I expect the Twins to keep Pressly unless his control is terrible and they don't think he can help at all. So Burnett could easily be sent down. It is also seems unlikely that all of Swarzak, Wood and Roenicke make the opening roster.

[jorgenswest]

Wood, Roenicke and Swarzak would all likely clear waivers as the season opens. Most teams will be struggling to keep their own players out of options.

 

The start of the season is the easiest time to pass players through waivers. Once through, they can bring them up from AAA when needed.

 

It should not be a factor in their decision.

[Jeremy Nygaard]

Given what the Twins renewed their contracts at:

 

Tim Wood - 675K

Alex Burnett - 510K

Josh Roenicke - 505K

Anthony Swarzak - 502.5K

 

I think Wood is a given and Swarzak might feel the squeeze. I also wouldn't be surprised if Swarzak cleared waivers and was stretched out in Rochester as a starter.

[FrodaddyG]

I also wouldn't be surprised if Swarzak cleared waivers and was stretched out in Rochester as a starter.

It would surprise me. I think the "Swarzak as MLB starter" experiment has run its course.

[beckmt]

I think the Twins will start to show progress when Swarzak and Burnett are no longer with this club. I agree that Wood will probably have a spot to lose and Pressly will be kept if close. That leaves Roenicke and Burnett on the outside looking in. Swarzak will probably start on the DL and then be sent for rehab, so a decision will not have to be made on him until early May

[Mike Sixel]

Mind boggling that it matters, these are mediocre relievers. Who cares who has options, put the best players on the roster. Does it really matter if you lose a mediocre 29 year old middle reliever?

[Seth Stohs]

Just a quick reminder to the Twins Daily readers, be sure to remember the great resource that Jeremy Nygaard has provided and continually updates here, the Rosters and Payroll page (http://www.twinsdaily.com/content.php?r=901-roster-payroll). MLB Trade Rumors posted the Out of Options players a week or ten days ago, and Berardino did yesterday, but you can look into it all yourself here. It's really an incredible tool, full of all kinds of great information.

[Seth Stohs]

Mind boggling that it matters, these are mediocre relievers. Who cares who has options, put the best players on the roster. Does it really matter if you lose a mediocre 29 year old middle reliever?

 

We don't know that it matters. Like you said, if they're mediocre and replaceable, they probably will be removed. If they look like they can contribute, they'll make it. I think Mr. Ryan just wanted to provide a bunch of competition. But to say that it doesn't factor in... it absolutely should be a factor.

[nicksaviking]

We don't know that it matters. Like you said, if they're mediocre and replaceable, they probably will be removed. If they look like they can contribute, they'll make it. I think Mr. Ryan just wanted to provide a bunch of competition. But to say that it doesn't factor in... it absolutely should be a factor.

 

The problem is that the Twins have shown to be much to hesitant too cut bait with an out of option reliever. If I actually believed Roenicke would be cut in May after an awful performance in favor of a more qualified AAA arm, I'd woudn't complain, but especially after the Jeff Gray incident last year, this team has proven to be way too indecisive in roster decisions; reassignments and disabled list placements both. There's a good chance that a reliever who has proven to be ineffective in April will be given half a season to continue to do damage.

 

That's why it seems like there is some impetus to nab the best seven guys right out of the gate.

[Rosterman]

Shades of Matt and Jeff circa 2012. And the decision the Twins had to make on last year's Rule 5. If you are thinking future, send Burnett to the minors. He's still young. He still can learn. He could be an important part of the Twins bullpen for 2-3 years...stretch it out if you can. Swarzak will more than likely start on the DL, which means if the Twins do wish to designate him for assignment, it might be easier (but can he opt out of assignment and become a free agent?). Roeincke and Wood are pure place-setters...do they stay and play or wander back around the leagues. Maybe one or both become another Burton. And if they do, then you pull off a mid-season trade. Would the Twins have been better off trading Burton last July, or keping him as a fixture of the bullpen for a couple more seasons. Who knows. No matter what you do with Pressly, he could have to go thru waivers, could be claimed if he has a halfway decent spring. If he totally sucks, you may get to pull off a trade and send him to your minors. Lost in all of this is journeyman Casey Fein, who pitched well enough last year for a consideration. But like you say, relievers of this ilk are a dome a dozen, and the Twins have Slama and Guerra in their own system waiting for a chance.

[Shane Wahl]

I don't get adding Wood and Roenicke. I would suggest giving the long relief role to Ryan Pressly, who is the only one of the bunch who could actually get better (as a reliever--forget any of them starting). Let me put it this way: I could see Pressly *potentially* starting there as a long reliever and in a few years becoming the next Matt Guerrier. The other three? Forget about it.

[Seth Stohs]

Josh Roenicke threw more innings than any other reliever... that's valuable for a long reliever, and if there are question marks or youth in the starting rotation, that's valuable. Seems to me that he or Swarzak would be the guy for the long relief role. My guess is one stays and one goes, and I would guess that both would be claimed by another team.

[Mike Sixel]

Who cares if they are claimed? Neither is part of the long term future of the club, that's the point. It has no bearing on 14 or 15 if Wood or Roenecke or even Swarzak are on the roster. If you need arms, call up the AAAA guys from AAA. That's what AAA is for. As stated above, the Twins are way to hesitant to use their minors, and to cut bait on awful decisions.

[Seth Stohs]

Who cares if they are claimed? Neither is part of the long term future of the club, that's the point. It has no bearing on 14 or 15 if Wood or Roenecke or even Swarzak are on the roster. If you need arms, call up the AAAA guys from AAA. That's what AAA is for. As stated above, the Twins are way to hesitant to use their minors, and to cut bait on awful decisions.

 

Obviously I agree that you're probably right, but we can't say with 100% certainty that is the case. Maybe Roenicke makes the team and has an unbelievable year and finds a way to make himself really valuable. There are always diamonds in the rough, guys who figure something out later in their careers and have 3-4 really solid seasons. With bullpen arms, you just never know.

[nicksaviking]

Josh Roenicke threw more innings than any other reliever... that's valuable for a long reliever, and if there are question marks or youth in the starting rotation, that's valuable. Seems to me that he or Swarzak would be the guy for the long relief role. My guess is one stays and one goes, and I would guess that both would be claimed by another team.

 

Ryan Pressly threw 103 innings last year in the minors, much of it as a starter, but once he got to AA he was averaging 2 innings per relief apperance. If eating innings is more valuable than production why not keep the young guy? Josh Roenicke has a 4.6 BB/9 for his career, if walks are held against guys like Slama, why not Roenicke too?

[Boom Boom]

Ryan Pressly threw 103 innings last year in the minors, much of it as a starter, but once he got to AA he was averaging 2 innings per relief apperance. If eating innings is more valuable than production why not keep the young guy? Josh Roenicke has a 4.6 BB/9 for his career, if walks are held against guys like Slama, why not Roenicke too?

 

Roenicke hasn't yet messed with Gardy's cherry juice?

[bird]

Wood and Roenicke are here because we can't count on Guerra, Slama, or Robertson to emerge as reliable options, we have to have lots of options in case Fien decides to return to 2011 form, Oliveros isn't ready, nor are Hardin and Perez, Swarzak is behind schedule, and the list of reasons go on from there.

 

So yeah, while all these options create the appearance that they're "a dime a dozen", every organization tries to catch lightning in a bottle every spring, like we did with Burton last year. And every team knows they'll have to risk losing a guy or two when they try to slip a few relievers that almost made the club through the system.

 

I really doubt whether being out of options comes into play much at all when it comes time to decide between, say, Burnett, Wood, and Fien.

[ashbury]

Who cares if they are claimed?

 

Well, it's never good stewardship by the front office to just fritter away *any* resources - too many up and down moves just for the sake of motion and soon you find that all the somewhat-useful pieces are claimed and everything that remains really are the dregs of the dregs.

 

But, a part of me would welcome a DFA getting claimed - I am so tired of my team trying to scoop up a hidden gem in another team's discards, it would be nice to have some other team being the bottom-feeder on us for a change, and for there to be something actually worth scooping up that my team was too well-off to be able to conserve.

[Shane Wahl]

Blergh. Pressly threw plenty of innings last year and is suited for the role. If he sucks in April, they can probably trade off Bigley and Pimentel in a trade. If he manages to be decent enough in 2013, then that is a good chance to take for the future. Swarzak, Roenicke, and Wood are no future options. This is clear.

[Thrylos]

The other thing that needs to be considered is that a lot of last season's starters (Deduno, Vasquez, Perdomo, De Vries etc) will clearly be part of the bullpen competition as well.

[Nick Nelson]

The other thing that needs to be considered is that a lot of last season's starters (Deduno, Vasquez, Perdomo, De Vries etc) will clearly be part of the bullpen competition as well.

I doubt any of those guys will be tried out as relievers, except for Perdomo who was never a starter. They're rotation depth.

[Thrylos]

I doubt any of those guys will be tried out as relievers, except for Perdomo who was never a starter. They're rotation depth.

 

On today's game they pitched just one inning each, like all the relievers......

[glunn]

Would it also make sense to be ready to keep a spot open to claim some other team's promising player off waivers, if such player seems better than someone on the Twins' roster?

[Nick Nelson]

On today's game they pitched just one inning each, like all the relievers......

 

You've gotta be kidding. It's the first week of spring training. The "starter" threw a whopping two innings.

[darin617]

I am tired of this garbage stats that are more suitable for starting pitchers. K/9 and BB/9 are not right for guys who throw 1 inning. Why can't we just make them what they are so they make more sense. K/1 and BB/1.

 

Just my little insane take on the K/9 and BB/9 that just makes no sense for RP's...

[FrodaddyG]

I am tired of this garbage stats that are more suitable for starting pitchers. K/9 and BB/9 are not right for guys who throw 1 inning. Why can't we just make them what they are so they make more sense. K/1 and BB/1.

 

Just my little insane take on the K/9 and BB/9 that just makes no sense for RP's...

It's a ratio. If it bugs you that much, you can go through the arduous mental gymnastics of dividing it by 9.

[ashbury]

You've gotta be kidding. It's the first week of spring training. The "starter" threw a whopping two innings.

 

I assumed he was kidding. I didn't get whatever humor was intended, however.