Heat Check: What To Expect From Chargois

Between Burdi, Reed, Hildenberger and Melotakis you have to feel pretty optimistic about the future of the pen, along with Chargois. Burdi has a question mark next to his name at this point due to health. But if anyone is due a little favorable luck at this point, it's surely him.

Light, Baxendale and even Jones are others who could figure in. I'm still wondering about a veteran or make good comeback younger vet to help on the back end and help stabilize things initially rather than just thrusting Shaggy or someone in the closer role.

I also wonder about FA or low cost trade options looking for another Abad type to rebound, or convert from troubled starter to valuable RP.

He turned his control around this year. And you pointed out the very clear line between what Chargois did before September and then after September 1st. It was like night and day. Maybe he relaxed. Maybe something clicked. But it was great to see.

 

What's exciting for me is that there are more like him (hopefully) coming. If Burdi can ever get healthy, he's equally filthy. Jake Reed will be 95-98 with great movement on two pitches. Melotakis will be in 2017 where Chargois was in 2016. They aren't going to push him too fast. There'll be some things he'll have to do in AA/AAA before they call him up, but he can hit up to 97 and left-handed. Hildenberger doesn't throw as hard, but he's a sidewinder with three pitchers and impeccable control. Add those guys to Pressly, and maybe Trevor May... they don't have to go out and get too crazy. But when will those guys be ready the way we think Chargois is now? We shall see.

I'd add Duffey's for sure and maybe even Jay's names to the list.

This has the bones of a good bullpen for the considerable future.  Hopefully the likes of Kintzler and Boshers/Abad/Boyer/Thompson/insert-garbage-heap-pickup go away and never come back, allowing these players to develop.  

Back in the day (and several teams still do this successfully) the pen was a development assignment for pitchers who were deemed not yet just ready for an MLB rotation.  Pitchers like Jay or Romero or Jorge could contribute in the pen for a couple of years starting from 2017, for example.  This is what they should have done with Berrios last season.  Get them up, expose them to MLB hitters and MLB noise and MLB ballparks, but ease them in.  Let them have success and confidence before you throw them in to start and be responsible for the whole game outcome.

I don't know why a RP needs a TON of time in teh minors, especially with how all the rest of MLB is getting younger and younger......there was no reason for Rogers not to be up in 2015, when they NEEDED bullpen help, for example. I hope we see nearly all those young arms this coming year, they only have so many pitches in their arms......

Perkins should work out a buy out.....if he wants to be able to use that arm in 20 years, IMO.

The Twins should assume they get nothing from him, and if does, gravy!