Article: Naming Names: Three Starting Pitchers The Twins Should Target

[Jim H]

I didn't claim that strikeouts guarantee positive results but the previous poster discounted them completely. They are however one of the best indicators if only using basic stats. Did any strikeout heavy free agents have a poor year last season?

 

If you are referring to the free agents signed after the 2012 season, Jackson, Haren, and many others. If you are referring to the upcoming free agents, Hughes, Volques and others.

 

Strikeout rates are fine to look at. But if you are going to spend a lot of money on someone as free agent, I would think you would look at the total picture. ERA, innings pitched, innings per start, BB rate, and probably several other things as well.

[nicksaviking]

If you are referring to the free agents signed after the 2012 season, Jackson, Haren, and many others. If you are referring to the upcoming free agents, Hughes, Volques and others.

 

Strikeout rates are fine to look at. But if you are going to spend a lot of money on someone as free agent, I would think you would look at the total picture. ERA, innings pitched, innings per start, BB rate, and probably several other things as well.

 

By saying this you imply that I ask for pitchers who get strikeouts only and could care less about any other factors. I've got a pretty one track mind about the kinds of pitchers this team needs, but I'm not blind to other factors. I want quality pitchers, i just want them to also be able to strike batters out, and this year there are plenty of them.

 

Volquez was bad last year, he didn't cross my mind (or most people's). Looking at the other free agents with (reasonably) high strikeout rates, Haren was also uninspiring this past year but I was surprised that he actually finished with an 8.0 K/9, I wouldn't qualify his 7.2 rate from 2012 as a high K rate though. Hughes isn't exactly a strikeout pitcher. He had a 7.5 K/9 last year, that's about league average. Jackson cranked up the strikeouts in 2012 but that seemed to be a mirage as his career K/9 is 6.9. Nearly every other free agent pitcher who could throw it past batters last year was pretty darn good.