Twins are moving Jax and Thorpe to the pen

[wabene]

https://www.startribune.com/twins-will-move-griffin-jax-lewis-thorpe-to-bullpen-this-season/600156321/

Nice to see some clarity here. No doubt Dobnak would've appreciated that last year. This would be Thorpe's only chance to make it and last chance. I had already given up on him but let's see what happens. I like his quotes especially if you read them with an Aussie accent. Jax could blossom in this role, I wanna see what his fastball looks like now.

[DJL44]

Thorpe is lefthanded and 26. He'll keep finding teams to give him chances.

[wabene]

5 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Thorpe is lefthanded and 26. He'll keep finding teams to give him chances.

Last chance with the Twins, he is out of options. Yes you are probably right unless his shoulder just doesn't hold up. I just noticed Keon Broxton was signed to another minor league deal. Hanging on.

[Dman]

I too am interested to see if Thorpe can rebound.  I can't say that I trust his stuff but as others have said he is a lefty and if can get some of that velocity back then I think he can make it. If not there are a ton of arms behind him that should be ready to step up later this year.

I like Jax better in the pen than as a starter. He also should be a guy that could go two innings or long relief if needed.  Hoping he does well because I have always like him and his stuff.

[DocBauer]

Makes sense. If Thorpe can make the move and stick, gives the Twins 3 LH in the pen which is pretty awesome. It pushes Moran to St Paul to begin the year and season up a bit. Nothing wrong with that.

If his FB can play up a bit more, I like Jax and his slider in a pen role. Interesting move at this point though, to move him without begining the season in the rotation. I know we have a ton of young arms and a couple AAA fillers, but still a little surprised the move was made so soon. 

Further convinces me the young arms are healthy, the Twins aren't going to hesitate to use them, and they are going to add another rotation piece soon.

[In My La Z boy]

Great decision, but probably means we aren't signing any relievers. Jax dominated the first time through the order most starts if I remember correctly, and we could use a 3rd lefty in the pen.

[roger]

This article may be only half of the story.  Remember those comments from Levine last fall?  That the Twins would be looking at some type of piggy-back (my term) plan with starters this year.  With so many young starters without a lot of innings the last few years, seems like a smart option.

Moving two starters to the pen with a comment that they could go one to three innings two or three times a week sure looks to me to be a step towards that piggy-back situation.  Getting them into that role from day one of spring training also makes a ton of sense.  Will both be successful in this role?  Will one be?

[DJL44]

I wouldn't be hurt if they were both cut to add better pitchers.

[wsnydes]

This is the right move.  They were given legitimate shots at a rotation spot.  Their respective arsenals look more that of a bullpen arm than a starter.

[4twinsJA]

If I am a pitcher and the choice in stay in minors as starter or have a shot at MLB as reliever, the choice would not be difficult. That said, I doubt opening day roster is set yet, no guarantees either are on opening day roster. Thorpe will have to be DFA'd if doesn't make opening day roster, Jax still has options. I am still hoping for at least one more RP addition, which would probably bump Thorpe off roster.

[Otto von Ballpark]

22 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

I wouldn't be hurt if they were both cut to add better pitchers.

Shouldn't be necessary yet -- the roster is only at 39, and Maeda and Enlow can both be placed on the 60-day IL to open two additional spots.

[TheLeviathan]

I think those are good fits.  I think they could be good players in those roles.

[TwinsDr2021]

18 minutes ago, Otto von Ballpark said:

Shouldn't be necessary yet -- the roster is only at 39, and Maeda and Enlow can both be placed on the 60-day IL to open two additional spots.

Correct me if I am wrong but they have to add somebody before then can move them? (meaning you have to get to 40 before moving to the 60 day)

[TwinsDr2021]

56 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

Further convinces me the young arms are healthy, the Twins aren't going to hesitate to use them, and they are going to add another rotation piece soon.

Don't they have to use them, I mean they can't continue to hoard old pitching prospects in the minors, can they?

[DJL44]

1 minute ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

Correct me if I am wrong but they have to add somebody before then can move them? (meaning you have to get to 40 before moving to the 60 day)

There would be no reason to put them on the 60 day IL until they needed a roster spot. Use the 10 day instead. However, they will need those roster spots if they want a full pitching staff.

[Otto von Ballpark]

3 minutes ago, TwinsDr2021 said:

Correct me if I am wrong but they have to add somebody before then can move them? (meaning you have to get to 40 before moving to the 60 day)

You are correct, but it's just a procedural thing. We just won't put them on the 60-day IL until we need to replace them on a full 40-man roster.

That could be today, if we traded for a package of 3 new 40-man players right now. Or it could be just before opening day, if we sign a free agent to get to 40 and then a non-roster player makes the club, etc.

Important thing is we have up to 3 spots to play with right now, before we have to cut anyone to free up more.

[Mike Sixel]

Makes sense. 

[Brock Beauchamp]

This makes all the sense in the world, particularly Jax, who has a near-zero chance of being a decent MLB starter.

[Otto von Ballpark]

FWIW, Thorpe is finally out of options, so he has to remain on the MLB 26-man roster (or IL) or get placed on waivers.

Per Fangraphs Roster Resource depth chart, Gordon, Cotton, and technically Urshela are the only other 40-man guys out of options. (There are some non-roster guys who are out of options too, which could impact their ability to make the club if they don't have the ability to ride the AAA shuttle.)

[Vanimal46]

Better late than never to have Thorpe pitching in the pen. Hopefully this is the year his shoulder holds up for a full season. I concur with several on the thread. 26 year old left handed, breathing pitchers will continue getting opportunities in the majors. 

[Rosterman]

Hey, let's go wild here. Let's help San Diego by taking money off their books - let's add Myers (one year) and Hosmer (one big year than three mroe at $13 mil). Myers takes over leftfield for the season. Hosmer becomes the DH.

 

Let's go really big, and also offer to take Blake Snell for our rotation ($16 mil). And they throw in their promising catching prospect Campusano, who we start at AAA.

 

But for all this salary relief, the Padres have to take a bunch of our sludge. We give them Sano to be their DH. They can afford him. We give them Rooker for possible DH/LF/1B assistance. We give them Jax and Thorpe, major league ready arms, and maybe they will be rotation arms. Or Strotman as a switch out. Let's take some of that Padre money and put it to use. Maybe San Diego will also throw back $10 million the Twins way to stay under the salary cap.

 

Would Hosmer be a bad choice as a DH go forwards, for $13 million a season? I believe Snell has an option year besides. 

 

And then we turn around and grab one of the Oakland A's arms, and also take Elvis Andrus salary. Maybe we can give them one of Strotman/Jax/Thorpe, Arraez, and perhaps someone like Wallner in the mix. The pain of Andru is that he gets expensive if you need him for the next season as his option kicks in with 550 or so at bats - do you play the game by releasing him mid-season if Lewis looks redy.  (if you have him just for 2022 the Rangers still pay half his salary).

[mac098]

I believe this is the right move for both pitchers. I believe that Jax will succeed in the pen. I think He'll end up similar to Trevor May. Similar number during their first season. 

As for Thorpe, I want him to succeed but this is a for sure final showing for him. If he struggles, I think he is going to be DFA'd again. IMO he just hasn't shown us anything that gives him the right to be in the starting rotation. Now he could certainly be one of those "bullpen" starters when its a bullpen day. He just needs to show that he can bounce back from the injury and maintain replacement level because as we all know, we have a plethora of young guns ready to come up and help out the team.

[Mike Sixel]

To expand on my earlier post.....I've always believed Jax has a good shot as a RP, and have wanted them to make this move for some time. I am happy for him, as I think this is a legit path to a good MLB career.

I have no idea if Thorpe can pull this off, given his injury history....but I wish him luck.

[Doctor Gast]

5 hours ago, roger said:

This article may be only half of the story.  Remember those comments from Levine last fall?  That the Twins would be looking at some type of piggy-back (my term) plan with starters this year.  With so many young starters without a lot of innings the last few years, seems like a smart option.

Moving two starters to the pen with a comment that they could go one to three innings two or three times a week sure looks to me to be a step towards that piggy-back situation.  Getting them into that role from day one of spring training also makes a ton of sense.  Will both be successful in this role?  Will one be?

Agree with you, Roger, I've heard rumors and suspected FO would establish this piggy-back system but this the 1st time I've heard that this FO has actually planning to incorporate it. For some time I've advocated for a strong long relief corp. I really hope this is done right and I expect good things. 

They practiced this with Perez/ Pineda and had excellent results until they graduated both full-time and the BP blew up which really over extended them especially Perez.

[Rosterman]

t be pretty for him, but he would be servicable for the teamThorpe is a left-handed arm. If you consider him a failed started on par with the likes of Mahomes, Hawkins, Nathan, Perkins, Hendriks et al, you might want to see if you can afford a couple of up-and-down seasons for him to establish himself in the bullpen. Do they have that end of the bullpen bench option.

 

Same could be said for Jax, although if the Twins fail in any more signings or trades, he is the current innings eater on the team. It won't be pretty for the team, but as long as the Twins aren't competitive, workable. It will be up tch o Jax to refine his stuff if he wishes to stay in the majors.

[dex8425]

I think Jax will succeed in a bullpen role. Thorpe's arm looked completely shot last year, something obviously happened...

[Richie the Rally Goat]

10 hours ago, roger said:

This article may be only half of the story.  Remember those comments from Levine last fall?  That the Twins would be looking at some type of piggy-back (my term) plan with starters this year.  With so many young starters without a lot of innings the last few years, seems like a smart option.

Moving two starters to the pen with a comment that they could go one to three innings two or three times a week sure looks to me to be a step towards that piggy-back situation.  Getting them into that role from day one of spring training also makes a ton of sense.  Will both be successful in this role?  Will one be?

In the current roster Jax pitched the second most innings (120ish including minors) in ‘21 behind Gray’s 135. They need innings desperately. I would be shocked if Jax wasn’t piggy backed on Ryan or Ober or whoever they slot in 5th.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

5 hours ago, dex8425 said:

I think Jax will succeed in a bullpen role. Thorpe's arm looked completely shot last year, something obviously happened...

He had a shoulder injury and was placed on the 60 day 8/18

[Charles Koller]

Thorpe should have been moved to the pen 3 years ago. May, Rogers, Duffey... I understand the value of controllable starting pitching, but wasting a guys team control while he loses games and gets hurt doesn't help either. Fine line for sure, but I am glad they are making this move. Hope it works for both of them! 

[Richmond Dude]

13 hours ago, wabene said:

No doubt Dobnak would've appreciated that last year. 

For all the smack talked about Dobnak, everyone seems to forget just how very badly mishandled he was at the start of last year.  Wrecked his whole season.  I'm glad to see someone else remembers.