Ober Optioned as Opening Day Roster Becomes More Clear

[stringer bell]

8 minutes ago, USNMCPO said:

So what's the plan if Gallo's season last year is the new norm for him? The Twins have a good supply of good hitting outfielders. Do they just sit him on the bench or put him on waivers or just keep trotting him out there to be a hole in the lineup?

Yes.

[stringer bell]

57 minutes ago, KirbyDome89 said:

"And we know that over the course of the season, Ober will make a lot of starts for the Twins as well."

We do?

Recent history certainly suggests that the sixth and seventh starters will see action early in the season. I think the Twins will have Ober making one start per series and probably limit him from throwing too many pitches or innings for the Saints. 

[KirbyDome89]

1 hour ago, stringer bell said:

Recent history certainly suggests that the sixth and seventh starters will see action early in the season. I think the Twins will have Ober making one start per series and probably limit him from throwing too many pitches or innings for the Saints. 

It also strongly suggests Ober himself won't be making "a lot of starts," for the Twins. 

[JD-TWINS]

On 3/26/2023 at 2:28 PM, LewFordLives said:

That just ain't right. Who gives the Twins a better chance of winning right now....Maeda or Ober?  Maeda has not pitched in a year and a half, and he is most likely gone after this year. He has been terrible so far this spring, whereas Ober has been solid. Let Maeda work out the rust from the bullpen.

I agreed on Maeda until last Friday…..saw him pitch innings 3, 4, & 5 of his 5 inning relief outing and he looked good! Gave up a 2run homer in first inning - walked 3 guys in 5 innings BUT He struck out Judge in inning 4 and his 60th pitch was 92 Mph. His sinker/change-up down & in to right handed hitters looked nasty. 2 runs over 5 innings & he finished strong!

I was Ober, Ober, Ober until then. I still think that he should be on 26 man. His innings are wasted in St Paul……..seems they could throw him in relief a couple times per week for 2 plus innings and let him keep throwing in the Pen if he needs to so he’s “stretched out”? Too talented to be in St. Paul when healthy.

[laloesch]

I don't understand the Twins sometimes.  Maeda is CLEARLY not ready and the same can be said of Mahle.  Ober deserves to start the year in the rotation.  Why not start the year off right and go with the best possible rotation possible.  

[laloesch]

On 3/26/2023 at 11:38 PM, stringer bell said:

Sands has not impressed IMHO, but he can throw perhaps 50-60 pitches, is on the 40-man roster and has an option remaining. I don't expect him to last through April, perhaps losing his 40-man spot. Sands has a pretty good slide, but he doesn't have good enough stuff and  control/command to often make it a chase pitch.

I've never been impressed with Sands stuff to be honest.  I think he was massively overhyped. 

[stringer bell]

10 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

I agreed on Maeda until last Friday…..saw him pitch innings 3, 4, & 5 of his 5 inning relief outing and he looked good! Gave up a 2run homer in first inning - walked 3 guys in 5 innings BUT He struck out Judge in inning 4 and his 60th pitch was 92 Mph. His sinker/change-up down & in to right handed hitters looked nasty. 2 runs over 5 innings & he finished strong!

Actually, it was a two-run single in his first inning and if a play had been made in the infield, he would have already gotten through that inning. The velocity is there for Maeda, it is the command that has been shaky and he just needs to get the rust off IMHO. He has thrown in excess of 70 pitches in both of his last outings, so he is as stretched out as any of the starters.

 

9 minutes ago, laloesch said:

I don't understand the Twins sometimes.  Maeda is CLEARLY not ready and the same can be said of Mahle.  Ober deserves to start the year in the rotation.  Why not start the year off right and go with the best possible rotation possible.  

I don't agree with you on this one. This is spring training and yes, Bailey Ober has been impressive, but Maeda and Mahle are established pitchers who are getting ready. Frankly, I'm more concerned about Mahle than Maeda, at least in proportion to their expectations. This isn't going to be JA Happ and Shoemaker or Archer and Bundy. 

[Major League Ready]

17 hours ago, KirbyDome89 said:

It also strongly suggests Ober himself won't be making "a lot of starts," for the Twins. 

That would mean a healthy rotation for most of the year.  I am OK with that scenario.  Ober can be brought back the last couple months of the season to strengthen the BP in the unlikely event all of our SPs remain healthy.

[KirbyDome89]

58 minutes ago, Major League Ready said:

That would mean a healthy rotation for most of the year.  I am OK with that scenario.  Ober can be brought back the last couple months of the season to strengthen the BP in the unlikely event all of our SPs remain healthy.

Not at all. 

[USNMCPO]

On 3/27/2023 at 1:45 PM, stringer bell said:

Yes.

I love solid clarification! Well done

[stringer bell]

Just now, USNMCPO said:

I love solid clarification! Well done

It was a tribute to @USAFChief  

[Mike Sixel]

5 hours ago, laloesch said:

I don't understand the Twins sometimes.  Maeda is CLEARLY not ready and the same can be said of Mahle.  Ober deserves to start the year in the rotation.  Why not start the year off right and go with the best possible rotation possible.  

Mahle is pitching 4-5 innings at his normal speed? How is he not ready? To answer your question....because they have to think about the future, not just day one. Maeda doesn't have options (though, I would put him in the pen and just rewrite his contract and use him as a 2 inning guy).

[Cris E]

You don't get to just rewrite Maeda's contract though.  He has to want to relieve, and he didn't when he was with LA and they put that contract together. Part of the reason LA was willing to trade him was that they didn't want him to start but we were willing to give him the chance. And when he pitched well it proved the Twins right, and when he broke down it proved the Dodgers right. I haven't heard from him lately, but I assume he still thinks he can be that guy from 2020 so he's probably not ready to go to the pen, meaning you'd have to give him some more incentive to change that contract which means you're extending a 35 year old coming off a serious injury before he proves his health? Color me skeptical.

Pitch him as a starter until he thrives (yea!) or loses the job, then let him live with that contract in another role knowing he had a chance to earn the incentives and failed, and then take up any extension talks after you know how this year went.