ROSTER MOVES: Twins Trade for Righty Michael Tonkin, Lose Max Kepler to Injury

[IndianaTwin]

2 hours ago, Schmoeman5 said:

Isn't Tonkin the reason the US got involved in Vietnam. He must be really old

I thought it was the toy truck we played with in the sandbox when we were kids. 

[Schmoeman5]

3 minutes ago, IndianaTwin said:

I thought it was the toy truck we played with in the sandbox when we were kids. 

Yeah that's it. 👍 I 

[DocBauer]

Honestly, I didn't even know Tonkin was still playing baseball.

This is not a bad move at all. If you look at his Baseball Reference page for 2023 with Atlanta...who had a great club BTW...he actually had a great season. 80 IP and only 64 hits and an excellent WHIP of 1.088. And while his 8.4K per 9 isn't great, it doesn't stink either. He was basically their version of Pagan in 2023.

If he can come close to those kinds of numbers, this is a cheap and smart move.

This isn't dumpster diving. This is grabbing an opportunity from someone who seemed to rebuild his career overseas and had a really nice 2023. He's needed because SOMEONE is needed to help a pen that's got SIX ARMS on the IL, not even including Moran, out for 2024, and Winder and Canterino ALSO on the IL. So if we add it all up, and even add Moran to the list, that's a TOTAL of NINE potential pen arms on the IL! And calling up Headrick and SWR after they just made starts at AAA accomplishes nothing. Where else were they supposed to find an arm that MIGHT help at this point?

The Twins convert SP in their system to the pen. They've largely done well in this area. And they take fliers that have brought in recent arms like Thielbar and Stewart. What mid market team is ever going to go out and spent BIG $ on a pen arm unless it's the last piece to their roster puzzle? Even IF the Twins 2024 payroll had stayed neutral from 2023, that $ would have been spent on the rotation or a bigger bat than Santana.

With NINE potential pen arms on the IL, they are taking a flier on someone who had a really good 2023. If he stinks, they can cut him loose. If he does well, he's one more bullet they have in a pen that's still been solid to begin the season and should be even better over the next week to 30 days as everyone gets healthy and gets back.

This is not a bad move at all.

[DJL44]

16 hours ago, mikelink45 said:

Where is Blewett, Bloushley, Blowman

World's worst personal injury law firm

[DJL44]

17 hours ago, Fire Dan Gladden said:

Tonkin's time on the roster will be counted in days.  Will probably only pitch in mop up duty.  Twins are not willing to lose a guy, even an emergency choice, for that short period of time

I am going to guess he is still here when Thielbar and Staumont return (Funderburk and Sands to AAA).

[Fire Dan Gladden]

1 minute ago, DJL44 said:

I am going to guess he is still here when Thielbar and Staumont return (Funderburk and Sands to AAA).

You could be right... If that is the case, then there really shouldn't be an argument of him vs any of the AAAA pitchers in the minors.