In Win-Now Mode, Twins Keeping Graterol in Bullpen

Brusdar has to develop his change up if wants to be elite. Can he do this out of the bullpen? How was Santana's change up when he worked in the bullpen? 

I think Graterol will be a real weapon in a fluid multi-inning relief role. It may also help the development of his secondary pitches to be around MLB pitchers who he can learn from and being able to work more directly with Wes Johnson. 

This isn't really an "in my opinion" question - given his lack of extended work, he's far more likely to to have arm issues starting & racking up innings over the course of the year.

 

There have been actual studies to this end, and luckily the Twins don't need to rely on your apparently un-researched opinion. Two examples of recent studies:

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6350667/

 

and

 

http://harvardsportsanalysis.org/2016/01/predicting-pitcher-injuries/

Wow!   I mean thanks for pointing out the studies.   I have read studies before and the conclusions have always been non conclusive.  I  read as much as I could follow of these two but come on.    The first study is a study of 2 starters and 5 relievers for a college team and how spring and fall sessions differed..   I really hope the Twins don't rely on your researched? study.   The results of the study   as far as I can see the more a pitcher throws the more he has soreness?     Great study.

The 2nd study basically says that X number of pitchers are gong to get hurt in a season, as far as I could tell doesn't really relate to Graterol and says Chapman was more likely to have arm problems than Dickey.     Did you really come out of reading those thinking there was factual evidence as it relates to Graterol?    

I’ve always felt that Graterol ends up in the BP so this is fine with me. He’s still young so maybe he can be a good starter but how many pitchers have we said that about? A lot of them and the majority of the time it hasn’t happened. 
 

he needs to develop that changeup or some other third pitch if he’s going to be a successful starter in the future. He’s been working on the changeup for at least two years now..so far nothing good has come from it. 

I think that this is more a referendum on his change up than a 'win now' philosophy.

If his change up was MLB ready, there is no question in my mind that he would begin the season as a starter and then perhaps transition to the bullpen when Pineda and/or Hill were ready (to conserve innings at that point). 

The coaches clearly don't think the change up is MLB ready. Therefore providing value in the bullpen as one of the organizations 13 best pitchers is the way to go!

Hopefully our pitching whisperers will work their magic during practice throughout the season... because it is pitch development and not innings progression that will ultimately determine his fate.

I think that this is more a referendum on his change up than a 'win now' philosophy.

 

If his change up was MLB ready, there is no question in my mind that he would begin the season as a starter and then perhaps transition to the bullpen when Pineda and/or Hill were ready (to conserve innings at that point).

 

The coaches clearly don't think the change up is MLB ready. Therefore providing value in the bullpen as one of the organizations 13 best pitchers is the way to go!

 

Hopefully our pitching whisperers will work their magic during practice throughout the season... because it is pitch development and not innings progression that will ultimately determine his fate.

I don't think it's a good idea to put a 20 year old kid in the majors, then spend his bullpen sessions working on a pitch that he isn't even going to throw in games.

Pitching in MLB is hard enough.

If his third pitch isn't ready, he should be throwing it in minor league games.

All I hear is how we're a mid market team, we have to develop our own front of the rotation starters. What happened to that?

Wow!   I mean thanks for pointing out the studies.   I have read studies before and the conclusions have always been non conclusive.  I  read as much as I could follow of these two but come on.    The first study is a study of 2 starters and 5 relievers for a college team and how spring and fall sessions differed..   I really hope the Twins don't rely on your researched? study.   The results of the study   as far as I can see the more a pitcher throws the more he has soreness?     Great study.

The 2nd study basically says that X number of pitchers are gong to get hurt in a season, as far as I could tell doesn't really relate to Graterol and says Chapman was more likely to have arm problems than Dickey.     Did you really come out of reading those thinking there was factual evidence as it relates to Graterol?    

Yes I did. The second (in particular) indicates that usage/volume is a contributing factor to injuy in pitchers. Of course injuries can happen for other reasons, but it's both logical--and proveable--that more usage increases the likelihood of injury. And this would make particular sense for someone without a ton of usage in recent seasons.

I really like your example of Adam Wainwright. He pitched great out of the pen, especially since the Cards had need of it, then transitioned just fine to a starting role. It’s also pretty cool because Adam is an alumni of my sons high school and is still very involved in the program (and one of the finest human beings I have ever met).

But anyway, Brusdar will be fine. The Twins have a need that he can fill so let him fill it and then they will go from there.

Good article and some very good comments too. I for one was hoping they were going to give Brusdar a chance to be a starter this year, and at the start of the season, especially seeing as how Pineda and Hill can't pitch for the first two months. We need some good arms in that starting rotation. That said, I understand the reasoning for putting him in the bullpen and limiting the number of pitches. Not saying I'm thrilled with it, but I can see the logic in doing it this way. But darn it, I want to see this kid starting some games sooner than later.