Ranking the Top-5 Remaining Free Agent Starting Pitchers

[singlesoverwalks]

I have figured out the Twins' strategy on pitching. (Clears throat.) Never spend big money on pitching.

Small money on multi-year contracts is good. They'll do that (Maeda, Dobnak). They'll do medium-big one-year money (qualifying offer to Jake Odorizzi). But if you won't sign José Berríos at what he was willing to sign for, you simply will never sign any big-money pitcher to a multi-year deal.

So, from this list, I would predict the Twins sign Michael Pineda.

[DocBauer]

For a moment, forgetting my confusion and utter disappointment at what the FO has NOT DONE at this point, I see a semi-clear path as to their intentions.

I can easily see the Twins offering Rodon a 1yr deal, and very easily a 1+1, for around $18M. Why? Because the talent is there, the upside is there, and there is "no such thing as a bad 1yr deal". And if they do a +1, the buyout would probably be small.

Why wouldn't the Dirty Sox keep him? Don't they know him better than anyone? Yes. Great points! But as aggressive as they have been, they still have a payroll to consider as well. And they HAVE been VERY aggressive. Further, they may have some plans for promotion, etc.

I'm not crazy about Rodon, but he seemed to be OK in his brief late appearances after coming off the IL. The Twins have been seemingly good about nurturing the IP by their SP the last few years. Do they trust their scouts and med profiles to take a shot for a 1yr with an option? I have no idea. But the reward could be great, even if he's only available for 22-25 GS. It's a gamble they just might take. The risk/reward might be worth it for 1yr while getting the prospects in the system a little more time to rise up.

I, like most of us, feel Pineda is back. And I'm OK with that even though I don't expect 30 GS from him. It would be awesome if he could do so because he's experienced, solid, and proven when healthy. He's a great bridge to the prospects getting more time to come up.

I DESPISE the idea of the Twins making more than ONE trade for a quality SP, thinking Oakland as an obvious partner. I say this because unless you get a steal or two, why would you decimate the ML roster or lose 4-6 top 20 prospects unless you got CONTOLLABLE pitchers for more than 2yrs?

I've always thought the Twins would make at least one trade for a SP. Hopefully, it's a smart trade that won't hurt. But even then, they still need a Kikuchi or Pineda signing to just put a semi-decent rotation in place. 

 

 

 

[LewFordLives]

At this point, I don't see the Twins-Rodon as a good fit. If no one is willing to offer him a long term deal, he most likely will settle for a one year make-good deal so he can reenter free agency after the next season. From the Twins standpoint, a one year deal is pointless, since they won't be competitive this season. The Twins will want a team option for 2023.