Official--Walters DFAd today

[greengoblinrulz]

to make room for Mike Pelfrey's start on SAT.

[IdahoPilgrim]

I have no problem with Walters being DFA'd -

 

But I wish it wasn't to make room for Pelfrey.

[greengoblinrulz]

one thing at a time!!!

[snepp]

http://bctgmlocal167g.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/vigil1.jpg

[Craig Arko]

This will open a spot on the 40-man as well, yes?

 

Albers time?

[jorgenswest]

We essentially swapped Joe Benson for 8 starts from Walters. Walters was 2-5 and the team 3-5.

 

Seems like a wash. Benson played 9 games before his most recent injury.

[Danchat]

That's a good point, we have an opening in the 40 man. At this point, I can see Albers is pitching very well in Rochester and might have earned a shot. I can't see Romero being added, he's batting .250 now.

 

Hey, anyone think he might get claimed?

[jorgenswest]

They should leave the 40 spot open.

 

It will get filled when they trade a veteran in July or August for multiple players or it will get filled in September by a guy like Sano.

 

They can also leave it open and claim a future DFA. There will be more as teams shuffle rosters at the trade deadline and players begin to come off the 60 day DL. In fact, Mastroianni will need a spot when he is ready.

 

It would be unwise to fill it with Albers temporarily and then later have to expose him or another player when they need that spot.

[greengoblinrulz]

Albers will only use that spot IF Diamond is sent down.

If Pelrey continues to suck, he would take Mike's spot.

Not a Deduno or Walters fan since they joined the organization, but Im coming around on Deduno as a stopgap as he's actually performed. Walters has been horrible for 2 seasons but kept getting chances.

[beckmt]

Agree they should leave the spot open until a player needs to be added. If starting pitching is an issue 2 weeks from now could be Albers, but lets not give up all our depth in pitching to other orgainizations looking for AAA filler at this time.

[stringer bell]

Wilken Ramirez will make another spot available if/when he recovers from concussion symptoms. It makes zero sense to add someone not on the 40-man until they have to. The Twins are 3-3 when they have designated someone--Robertson, Benson, Burnett. I really can't see anyone claiming Walters and then keeping him on the 25-man roster.

[Thrylos]

3-4 weeks too late

[Kwak]

It seems like there is a pattern: year 1, promote pitcher A to the Twins, then a bit later option him back to Rochester; year 2, same as year 1; year 3, same as years 1 and 2; year 4, promote A to Twins, later DFA pitcher A.

 

Something needs to change.

[Oxtung]

It seems like there is a pattern: year 1, promote pitcher A to the Twins, then a bit later option him back to Rochester; year 2, same as year 1; year 3, same as years 1 and 2; year 4, promote A to Twins, later DFA pitcher A.

 

Something needs to change.

What's your point? That is what happens when you have pitchers with little talent or with talent but pitch poorly.

[Kwak]

What's your point? That is what happens when you have pitchers with little talent or with talent but pitch poorly.

 

You sort of answered your own question. The pitcher selection, development, and promotion process has obvious flaws. Also, there is the belief that more minor league years will "fix" this pitcher. Again and again. Cut the "misses" sooner and clear the path for others to move through the system faster.

[John Bonnes]

You sort of answered your own question. The pitcher selection, development, and promotion process has obvious flaws. Also, there is the belief that more minor league years will "fix" this pitcher. Again and again. Cut the "misses" sooner and clear the path for others to move through the system faster.

 

Walters was a minor league free agent signee that the Twins picked up just before last year. And the Twins DFAed him before in the offseason and he re-signed, I think. If I was going to use this move to symbolize anything, it would be how bad teams have some built in advantages that the Twins properly utilized. They got more out of him than they probably should have and swapped him in and out a couple of times.

[John Bonnes]

Different question: if Walters pitches that sixth scoreless inning against the Yankees, do the Twins make this move? It seems silly that one inning could be the difference, but in this case, I really wonder if it wasn't.

[Craig Arko]

Different question: if Walters pitches that sixth scoreless inning against the Yankees, do the Twins make this move? It seems silly that one inning could be the difference, but in this case, I really wonder if it wasn't.

 

I'm inclined to think that the decision was already made before the first pitch was thrown, based on Diamond's outing. They were the only real candidates for replacement.

[drjim]

It seems like there is a pattern: year 1, promote pitcher A to the Twins, then a bit later option him back to Rochester; year 2, same as year 1; year 3, same as years 1 and 2; year 4, promote A to Twins, later DFA pitcher A.

 

Something needs to change.

 

Better pitchers throughout the organization? Otherwise I fail to see how the Twins can be criticized for how they handled this situation.

[jokin]

Better pitchers throughout the organization? Otherwise I fail to see how the Twins can be criticized for how they handled this situation.

 

Sounds like someone questioning the man in charge of President Lincoln's security detail at Ford's Theatre....who responded:

 

"That inadvertent and inconvenient shooting of the Prez was unfortunate, "otherwise", the Show was sure Boffo, excepting for when one of the performers inexplicably flubbed his line during the shooting... heh, we probably won't see him around the big stage much anymore...overall though, I give the Play itself 4 stars...what a production!!!"

[drjim]

Sounds like someone questioning the man in charge of President Lincoln's security detail at Ford's Theatre....who responded:

 

"That inadvertent and inconvenient shooting of the Prez was unfortunate, "otherwise", the Show was sure Boffo, excepting for when one of the performers inexplicably flubbed his line during the shooting... heh, we probably won't see him around the big stage much anymore...overall though, I give the Play itself 4 stars...what a production!!!"

 

I'm not sure I follow and I usually love historical analogies.

[Brandon]

Walters is like Hernandez, best suited for the 6th starter/ 8th or 9th man in the pen. He can provide a few starts or innings out of the pen but you don't want to gamble that he will work out for a full season. If the Twins had a need in the pen he probably would get a few games there to see if he could work out there. but with 8 relievers all under 4.00 era there are no spots available.

[Brock Beauchamp]

Better pitchers throughout the organization? Otherwise I fail to see how the Twins can be criticized for how they handled this situation.

 

Criticizing the front office for releasing Walters is ridiculous.

 

What should be criticized is how they went into the season with a chance of Deduno, Walters, and Journeyman Pitcher X all making starts at the same time. Yet again, the Twins are in a situation where half their rotation is populated with the type of pitcher that should be a #6 spot starter type of guy.

 

Guys like Walters are expendable and very renewable resources. Complaints should fall on the decision to field an MLB rotation with pitchers of his ilk, not that they used him as one uses AAAA guys (ie. make a few starts in a pinch then send to minors or DFA when no longer needed).

[Danchat]

To nobody's surprise, today P. J. Walters will go to AAA. Nobody claimed him and he decided to go to AAA over becoming a free agent.

[Mike Sixel]

No real shocks here. He is not a good MLB pitcher, Ryan dumpster dived for pitching, the staff is bad, again. If May or Meyer is nor ready, we can watch this unfold for another year next year.

[jokin]

I'm not sure I follow and I usually love historical analogies.

 

It's all about the question that you "asked" of Terry Ryan. Questioning him on how he handles Walters is a complete waste of time, the "big questions" about the decisions made leading up to this ongoing disastrous season need asking, repeatedly, until they are finally answered. (Since this discussion, Ryan did just sit down over the weekend with Doogie... and he did shoulder some of the blame, but he still didn't answer the essential questions of why he did what he did and didn't do what he should/could have done, additionally.)

[drjim]

It's all about the question that you "asked" of Terry Ryan. Questioning him on how he handles Walters is a complete waste of time, the "big questions" about the decisions made leading up to this ongoing disastrous season need asking, repeatedly, until they are finally answered. (Since this discussion, Ryan did just sit down over the weekend with Doogie... and he did shoulder some of the blame, but he still didn't answer the essential questions of why he did what he did and didn't do what he should/could have done, additionally.)

 

Fair enough. Doubtful he provides many answers on thise questions at this point in time.

[3up3down]

Danchat, while I agree with you that Walters has not been good, but to say nobody wanted him is far from the truth, 99% of pitchers that are DFAd do have other options , they may not get claimed but other teams do show interest if they choose to go free agent...there is one reason & one reason only that walters is still in the twins organization & thats because they have the worst rotation in baseball & the AAA options are no better, worley , hendriks or albers are not the answer..walters be it good or bad will get another chance with the twins...thats why guys would come back to the twins , not because they werent other options but because the twins still offer the best opportunity in the league..