Falvey Has Seen The Value Of Patience

Since Derek Falvey has taken the reins in his new job as Minnesota Twins Chief Baseball Operator, he has been asked many questions from local media and fans. As you would expect coming off a 100+ loss season, he’s been asked about his pitching philosophy and on player development. He has been consistent in his responses, as he should be.

When asked about pitching, he talks about finding it in any way possible, through the draft, player development, free agency and other means. When talking about player development and players struggling early in their careers, he discusses the need for patience. He talked about how it’s not at all unusual for players to come up and struggle for a while before figuring it out.

Jose Berrios came up through the Twins minor league system and dominated in the lower levels and in the upper levels. Finally given an opportunity to pitch in the big leagues in 2016, he struggled mightily. Some fans chose to question if he really was a prospect. Some questioned if the Twins were capable of developing a front line starter. A few even chose to give up on the idea of Berrios as a big league starter.

Through his years with Cleveland, Derek Falvey was able to witness one of the best examples out there of why being patient, particularly with pitchers with great stuff, can be very important.

At the 2009 July trade deadline, Cleveland dealt veteran lefty Cliff Lee to the Phillies in exchange for four players including Carlos Carrasco.

Carrasco was originally signed by the Phillies in November of 2003 out of Venezuela. He gradually worked his way up. Before 2007, Baseball America ranked him the #41 prospect in baseball. Before 2008, he was ranked 54th. Before the 2009 season, he was ranked #52 by Baseball America. He was a consensus Top 100 pitching prospect. He was named to the Futures Game in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

In short, the pre-MLB prospect status of Carlos Carrasco was very similar to that of Berrios.

Like Berrios, Carrasco struggled in his first big league showing. He was called up by Cleveland in September and went 0-4 with an 8.87 ERA in five starts. In 22.1 innings he walked 11, struck out just 11 and gave up six home runs. He was 22 years old.

He spent most of the next season back in AAA. He did make seven starts for Cleveland and performed admirably, going 2-2 with a 3.83 ERA in seven starts. He made 21 starts in 2011 and went 8-9 with an ERA of 4.62. In late July, after giving up a home run, he gave up another home run. The next batter, Billy Butler, had a Carrasco pitch sail over his head. Carrasco was immediately ejected. While appealing his suspension, he made one more start, a quality start against Boston. He didn’t pitch the rest of the season. Not because of a suspension. That had to wait. In September, Carrasco had Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2012 season.

His 2013 season began with his suspension. In his first start back, he hit Kevin Youklis, earning another suspension. By July, he had given up 29 earned runs in 28.1 innings. Cleveland decided to DFA him, removing him from the 40-man roster and optioned him to AAA.

He began the 2014 season by making four starts for Cleveland. He was 0-3 with a 6.95 ERA. Out of options, he went to the bullpen where he began to pitching very well. Well enough, in fact, that he ended the season by making two starts. Overall on the season, his ERA was 2.55. That earned him a four year, $22 million deal with two options years. In 2015, he was 14-12 with a 3.53 ERA. In 2016, he was 11-8 with a 3.32 ERA before a liner up the middle broke a bone his in hand and he missed the World Series run.

Of course, we don’t want to wait four or five years for Berrios or other pitching prospects to take off in their careers. But it is a great reminder that pitching in the big leagues is not easy, and even some al-star caliber pitchers took a long time to reach that level.

Patience, they say, is a virtue.

Derek Falvey is going to need it. Thad Levine is going to need it. Twins fans will also need it.

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