Rotation for 2014

[BigTrane]

So unless the Twins are going to make a run at Garza, Santana, or Tanaka, they should be all over that IMO. It would sure beat watching Pedro Hernandez pitch again.

 

PLEASE- no Tanaka! The posting system (still in limbo) gives me the willies. Don't think anybody will touch him with a 10-foot pole until it's sorted out, and even then, expect overpay. A 2-shoulder-capsules-later Santana? Nah. Garza.

[twinscowboysbulls]

I'll settle for no less than a 2014 rotation of:

 

1- Ricky Nolasco

2- Phil Hughes

3- Kevin Mulvey

4- Phillip Humber

5- Deolis Guerra

[Siehbiscuit]

I'm not completely against signing Pelfrey or another FA. Can you ever have too much pitching? Obviously, Nolasco/Hughes/Correia will make up 60% of the rotation, but I think people do forget that Worley has been successful in the ML and was coming off elbow surgery. Do NOT be surpised when he is named the 4th starter coming out of ST. Also, Deduno will be 31 in July and also wasn't 100% to end the season. Kyle Gibson will be given EVERY opportunity to win the 5th spot and Deduno will start in the bullpen. Thielbar will be sent back to AAA so Diamond doesn't have to be DFA'd. Twins carry 13 pitchers again.

 

1 - Nolasco

2 - Correia

3 - Hughes

4 - Worley

5 - Gibson

 

LRP - Swarzak

MRP - Deduno

MRP - Duensing (LH)

MRP - Thielbar (LH) - AAA?

MRP - Diamond (LH)

MRP - Tonkin

SU - Fien

SU - Burton

CL - Perkins

[Brock Beauchamp]

Kyle Gibson will be given EVERY opportunity to win the 5th spot and Deduno will start in the bullpen.

 

Guys like Deduno can't pitch from the pen. We need to put this idea to bed.

 

Deduno's issue is that he has no idea where his fastball is going. It's also the reason he's somewhat unhittable at times.

 

Which makes for an absolutely awful relief pitcher. He can't be brought into games with runners on base because there's a damned good chance he's just going to walk the first guy he faces.

[ScottyB]

First of all, we need to clear some room on the 40-man. If you look at our pitchers and realize that the new 40-man adds can't be removed, then take into consideration guys that are out of options, we are either going to lose some of these guys for nothing or have to trade some away.

 

By my estimation, these are the pitchers that either will be on the team, should be on the team, or guys out of options: Nolasco; Hughes; Correia; Hendricks; Swarzak; Perkins; Burton; Fien; Duensing; Diamond; Worley; Deduno; Tonkin; Theilbar; Gibson; Pressley.

That's 16 pitchers and unless we are going with no bench whatsoever, someone's got to go. Personally, I'm hoping with a stronger set of starters, that we can go with no larger than a 12-man pitching staff. That means four of these guys have to go and we might as well get something for them by trading them now rather than DFA'ing them during spring training and getting nothing.

[Steve Penz]

On this thread and in others there is much talk about Deduno being part of the mix. Is there credible news on how his shoulder is recovering?

[nicksaviking]

One or two of Duensing, Burton, Fien, Swarzak are traded.

 

Hendriks, Deduno, Worley, Diamond, Johnson fight for two rotation spots and at least one more slides into the bullpen.

 

 

I could see the a trade of some of the bullpen arms, but I'd expect a trade of the back of the rotation arms is more likely simply because so many of them are out of options. I don't think Deduno gets moved and I don't think Hendriks or Johnson have any value, but I think Worley and Diamond may still be able to bring back a minimal return, there is still some memory of past accomplishments with those two.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I could see the a trade of some of the bullpen arms, but I'd expect a trade of the back of the rotation arms is more likely simply because so many of them are out of options. I don't think Deduno gets moved and I don't think Hendriks or Johnson have any value, but I think Worley and Diamond may still be able to bring back a minimal return, there is still some memory of past accomplishments with those two.

 

I don't think the return on either would be worth noting. Given the Twins 2013 rotation, the opposing GM would be saying "Why are you getting rid of a starter? Why would I give up anything for a guy who has been pushed out of MLB's worst rotation?"

[nicksaviking]

Guys like Deduno can't pitch from the pen. We need to put this idea to bed.

 

Deduno's issue is that he has no idea where his fastball is going. It's also the reason he's somewhat unhittable at times.

 

Which makes for an absolutely awful relief pitcher. He can't be brought into games with runners on base because there's a damned good chance he's just going to walk the first guy he faces.

 

It seems to me the effectively wild guys generally end up in the pen. For the record though, I think Deduno gets a rotation spot or starts the season on the DL.

[Brock Beauchamp]

It seems to me the effectively wild guys generally end up in the pen. For the record though, I think Deduno gets a rotation spot or starts the season on the DL.

 

From what I've seen in the past, effectively wild pitchers usually have *some* ability to control their fastball. It's their secondary pitches that cause wildness... Secondary pitches that they're often able to jettison (or, at the very least, throw less often) in the bullpen.

[Ultima Ratio]

From what I've seen in the past, effectively wild pitchers usually have *some* ability to control their fastball. It's their secondary pitches that cause wildness... Secondary pitches that they're often able to jettison (or, at the very least, throw less often) in the bullpen.

 

This is correct IMO.

 

I'd rather have Deduno as the 5th man in the rotation and Worley be the long arm/spot starter until proven that both: Deduno is not MLB starting material and Worley is.

 

All this with the caveat that both do make the 25 man. I'm more sure that Deduno will and not so sure the Worley can/will.

[Otto von Ballpark]

He was basically Derek Lowe from 08 up to his TJ in early 2012.

 

Pre-surgery Pelfrey = Derek Lowe? Careful here. Lowe averaged a 112 ERA+ while never missing a start for 9 seasons. Pelfrey had a 93 ERA+ over his 4 full seasons. Lowe only once posted an ERA+ below 105 before age 36, and never posted an ERA+ below 88 until he was 38 years old and was basically finished as an MLB SP at that point. Pelfrey posted marks of 78 and 81 in full seasons pre-surgery, after he was already an established MLB starter.

 

Don't get me wrong -- Pelfrey may be on the comeback trail and may be a good acquisition for someone at the right price, but he has never been the equivalent of Derek Lowe. (Unless you mean Lowe today )

[ashbury]

Can you ever have too much pitching?

 

You can have too many pitchers who are out of minor league options. I think we're about at that point now.

[Otto von Ballpark]

That would be such a colossal mistake. Worley is one month older than Gibson and had success as recently as 2012.

 

I wouldn't dump Worley yet either, not with this roster. But the fact that Worley came over to the Twins so cheaply, followed up by his awful 2013 season (5.3 K/9 in AAA? Season ended early July?), does not bode well for his future prospects.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I wouldn't dump Worley yet either, not with this roster. But the fact that Worley came over to the Twins so cheaply, followed up by his awful 2013 season (5.3 K/9 in AAA? Season ended early July?), does not bode well for his future prospects.

 

No, it doesn't... But given this team's roster, he certainly deserves one more shot at the rotation.

[Otto von Ballpark]

No, it doesn't... But given this team's roster, he certainly deserves one more shot at the rotation.

Oh yes. The Twins should be all about guys like that (although glad TR got the message this offseason not to be *exclusively* about guys like that!).