Article: Twins Claim Brooks Raley from Cubs

[cmathewson]

Meh

[bird]

I think the Twins see something they like.

 

Working out of the bullpen in the majors for the first time last year, he faced 25 LHB. They hit .182/.280/.227 and struck out 32% of the time. Small sample, but perhaps his stuff plays up out of the pen.

 

He's 25 and has an option remaining. I don't see any downside.

 

Interesting take, JP, thanks.

[howieramone1406390264]

Meh

 

Couldn't have said it better. At some point in time last season, a Twins official said lack of lefties is an organizational weakness. Since that time we have picked up Sulbaran, Kris Johnson, Gilmartin, and Raley. Small, minute risk moves.

[Thrylos]

Here is why I don't like this move:

 

Assume that Worley, Diamond and Deduno (all without options) make the team out of ST, which means that one of them will be the 5th starter and the other 2 in the pen which will send 2 out of the relievers with options (Fien?, Thielbar?, Tonkin?) to Rochester.

 

Kyle Gibson, Alex Meyer, Kris Johnson, Logar Darnell, Pat Deat (the last 3 LHSP btw, just like Raley), Vasquez will be competing for 5 rotation spots in Rochester with one being sent to New Britain or in the pen. Add Raley, that is 2 in New Britain or in the pen. Gibson will not be one of them, but if this sends one of Alex Meyer (mostly), Pat Dean or Logan Darnell (all guys with higher upside and better performance than Raley,) to New Britain, it would be a shame...

[jokin]

Interesting take, JP, thanks.

 

Robertson and Raley, 6 months apart in age.

Similar major league experience.

Identical salary structure.

Both would take up a roster spot.

 

Robertson much better against lefties with higher velocity.

[jokin]

Here is why I don't like this move:

 

Assume that Worley, Diamond and Deduno (all without options) make the team out of ST, which means that one of them will be the 5th starter and the other 2 in the pen which will send 2 out of the relievers with options (Fien?, Thielbar?, Tonkin?) to Rochester.

 

Kyle Gibson, Alex Meyer, Kris Johnson, Logar Darnell, Pat Deat (the last 3 LHSP btw, just like Raley), Vasquez will be competing for 5 rotation spots in Rochester with one being sent to New Britain or in the pen. Add Raley, that is 2 in New Britain or in the pen. Gibson will not be one of them, but if this sends one of Alex Meyer (mostly), Pat Dean or Logan Darnell (all guys with higher upside and better performance than Raley,) to New Britain, it would be a shame...

 

And Gilmartin?

[Thrylos]

And Gilmartin?

 

Thank you. Forgot about him. That makes it 4 LHSP in the system with higher potential than Raley already. And 3 of the aforementioned would need to go to NB, which will push a whole bunch of others to the Fort Myers' rotation and others to Beloit's etc...

[JP3700]

 

Also, your sample size is extremely small, negative as well as positive results show up amongst those SSS numbers. His MLB career FIP against lefties is 5.40 and against righties is 6.92. His larger sample minor league numbers are about the same versus both left and right, not suggesting a strong LOOGY candidate

 

 

 

I had already mentioned that it's a small sample. Those MLB numbers include his five starts and the minor league numbers are of him as a starter. The numbers I posted are strictly as a reliever against LHB.

 

As I mentioned, perhaps his stuff plays up in the bullpen. Maybe between their scouts and their video of him, the Twins see something that could make him an effective reliever.

 

I don't know much of anything about the guy, but looking at the numbers I found that might be something the Twins might like. Either way, it's really nothing to go too worked up about.

[BSP]

You know it's a slow time of year for baseball and the team when a minor waiver claim gets two pages of responses in just a few hours!

 

Every team is making minor adjustments to their 40 man roster right now. Raley might not even be on the 40 man in a week.

 

I'm hoping this thread gets up to at least 5 pages. Get to work!

 

-Brett

[jokin]

Raley might not even be on the 40 man in a week.

I'm hoping this thread gets up to at least 5 pages. Get to work!

 

 

I'm counting on just such an event as being the capstone on this thread when Raley somehow manages to clear waivers.

[Heimer]

Here is why I don't like this move:

 

Assume that Worley, Diamond and Deduno (all without options) make the team out of ST.

 

The probability this happening is very small... The kid is still 25 years old and if i was the GM I would take any young pitcher that has potential to be on the next great Twins Team. Even if the liklyhood is 3 percent.

[jokin]

Couldn't have said it better.

 

At some point in time last season, a Twins official said lack of lefties is an organizational weakness.

 

Since that time we have picked up Sulbaran, Kris Johnson, Gilmartin, and Raley. Small, minute risk moves.

 

Based on your list, sans Sulbaran, lack of lefties is still an organizational weakness.

[Thrylos]

The kid is still 25 years old and if i was the GM I would take any young pitcher that has potential to be on the next great Twins Team. Even if the liklyhood is 3 percent.

 

Even if they have to send Alex Meyer and a couple of pitchers younger and better than him to New Britain?

[jokin]

 

Even if they have to send Alex Meyer and a couple of pitchers younger and better than him to New Britain?

 

The only thing that makes sense IMO is that the Twins expect Raley to pass through waivers and that they expect that multiple pitchers currently on the roster are not in the longer term plans. ie, Correia will be dealt before the deadline, Deduno in doubt on his health status, Diamond and Worley either dealt for PTBNL or DFAd. That's 5 spots that soon could be opened up right there.

[Mike Sixel]

If they expect one of the main pieces they acquired last year to be DFAd, that does not increase my confidence.....

[jokin]

If they expect one of the main pieces they acquired last year to be DFAd, that does not increase my confidence.....

 

Has anything happened in the offseason with Worley to upgrade his current Blackburn-like, limbo-status?

[Thrylos]

Has anything happened in the offseason with Worley to upgrade his current Blackburn-like, limbo-status?

 

Yes. He got healthy, got a workout regiment and showed up minus 25 lbs at Fort Myers.

[jokin]

Yes. He got healthy, got a workout regiment and showed up minus 25 lbs at Fort Myers.

 

That is really good to hear. A chance at getting his 2011 numbers (ERA+ 127) in the #5 spot in the rotation would be a huge shot in the arm to the rotation. And it gives the Twins more options going forward (like possibly moving Hughes to the bullpen, trading Correia sooner rather than later, trading Worley from a position of strength rather than weakness, trading one of the pitching prospects to fill one of the other holes, etc.).

[TheLeviathan]

I have to imagine this is Thielbar insurance. Caleb is about 100% likely to see a production decline. If that decline is precipitous than a guy like Raley may come in handy. My guess he gets moved permanant lay to the bullpen down there.

[Craig Arko]

permanant lay to the bullpen down there.

 

[golfboy1]

 

The only thing that makes sense IMO is that the Twins expect Raley to pass through waivers and that they expect that multiple pitchers currently on the roster are not in the longer term plans. ie, Correia will be dealt before the deadline, Deduno in doubt on his health status, Diamond and Worley either dealt for PTBNL or DFAd. That's 5 spots that soon could be opened up right there.

 

That makes as much sense as anything. His stats are underwhelming but maybe the Twins see something in him as a LOOGY. I'm not impressed by the move but it's much ado about nothing. He will certainly not get in the way of any real prospect & it will not stop the Twins from making any 40 man roster moves.

 

He's just another LH guy they are throwing into the mix. Odds are he won't pan out but there is always a chance. A year ago I never would have thought Thielbar would amount to anything & so far he has been an asset.

[twinsfanstl]

Hmmm. To me it signals the firing of Anderson. The promotion of Nieto and a player/coach contract to Johan to school this stable of mediocre lefties in the art of the changeup. (Doing my part to get this thread to 5 pages o comments)

[John Bonnes]

I'll eat my hat if this means May or Meyer is sent to AA. I don't see that at all.

 

To me this is similar to a Rule 5 pick, except that he even has an option. They can try him out in spring training, see if moving him to the bullpen creates a little magic. He did have 14K in 14IP out of the bullpen for the Cubs.

 

Plus, they can stash him in AAA (possible as a reliever so he doesn't impact the starting rotation) if they think they've got something. Otherwise, he's a candidate to let go when Kubel is added to the 40-man. There isn't much downside.

 

Plus, it gives the Cubs a little payback for that whole Liam Hendriks stunt. That's the sort of icing that can make a move like this that much more tasty.

[cmathewson]

Based on your list, sans Sulbaran, lack of lefties is still an organizational weakness.

 

It might still be an organizational weakness, but adding five viable lefties (two for the lower levels, three for the upper levels) in less than a year goes a long way to shoring that up. In the lower levels, I would add Gonsalves. I rank him two slots behind Sulbaran in the organization.

[cmathewson]

Hmmm. To me it signals the firing of Anderson. The promotion of Nieto and a player/coach contract to Johan to school this stable of mediocre lefties in the art of the changeup. (Doing my part to get this thread to 5 pages o comments)

 

We already have the guy who taught Johan to throw the change-up on the major league staff.

[jokin]

It might still be an organizational weakness, but adding five viable lefties (two for the lower levels, three for the upper levels) in less than a year goes a long way to shoring that up. In the lower levels, I would add Gonsalves. I rank him two slots behind Sulbaran in the organization.

 

Low threshold bar set for "viability" at the upper levels, methinks, "more shoring" up is in order for the Twins, hope they keep watching that waiver wire for something better and doing things more productive than merely getting "payback" on the Cubs.

 

I'll be surprised if we get positive WAR from any of the upper levelees.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Well played. And auto-correct can bite me.

[Otto von Ballpark]

You know it's a slow time of year for baseball and the team when a minor waiver claim gets two pages of responses in just a few hours!

 

Every team is making minor adjustments to their 40 man roster right now. Raley might not even be on the 40 man in a week.

 

I'm hoping this thread gets up to at least 5 pages. Get to work!

 

-Brett

 

I do not recall the Twins ever doing that before (grabbing a guy off waivers, then sending him back through right away).

[glunn]

More garbage. Always scraping the dumpster to try to find something useful--the need is quality, not utility.

 

Moderator note -- it is a violation of TD policy to label another person as "garbage." This is disrespectful. Furthermore, any of the players who have been called garbage on these forums are ten times better ballplayers than any of us, so if they are garbage then what are we? They may not be good MLB players, but insults like "garbage" are not acceptable.

 

What if the player were to read this thread? Let's show respect for our fellow human beings. There are thousands of ways to state an opinion that someone is not a good player without referring to him as "garbage."

[wagwan]

Yes. He got healthy, got a workout regiment and showed up minus 25 lbs at Fort Myers.

So worley is in "The Best Shape of His Life" ?