The 4 Pitches We Will See From Kenta Maeda

Great Article!  I have one word for the trade: Shocked!

Now that I have done a little research past the ERA and K/9, the initial, “but I love Graterol” is starting to where off.  I’ll have to trust Falvine, which I am now happy to do since they have pulled off 2 maneuvers I never saw out of the old regime and it looks like the Twins are solid Favorites to win the division.

I really wanted a trade for a #1 starter, but if you look at Maeda vs Price’s numbers, the 3 mil/year vs 20 mil/year is a bargain.

Also, note the list excerpted from FanGraphs top 125 pitchers for 2020:

31. Berrios

34. Z Wheeler

35. Odorizzi

36. K Hendricks

37 Bumgarner

38 K. Maeda 

3 Twins pitchers in amongst the free agents we were coveting, so decent rotation

I would expect the four pitches to be:

 

"Fly Delta to Tokyo."

 

"When Miyumi and I celebrate another Twins win, we always dine at Sven And Ole's All-you-can-eat Lutefisk, Lefse, and Sushi Buffet!"

 

"Sheboygan Brats!"

 

and

 

"Like Joe Mauer-san, I drink Kemps!"

With a contact like his the man definitely needs a part-time job.

You won't get too much grousing from Japanese pitchers. When they pitch well, they are usually gracious to a fault. When they pitch poorly, they take too much of the blame.

He clearly has figured out how to use what he has.

So what do you make of Maeda's agent speaking publicly about his dissatisfaction with his Dodgers role?

 

http://www.startribune.com/kenta-maeda-will-want-to-start-often-for-twins-to-increase-his-salary/567608762/

 

“Kenta wants to make 30 starts, 32 starts during the season,” Maeda’s agent, Joel Wolfe, told The Athletic in November after meeting with Dodgers President Andrew Friedman to plead his client’s case. “He would prefer not to be constantly shuttled to the bullpen and back. He doesn’t like it.”

Can't blame him at all, because of all the incentives in his contract he was taking a big financial hit every time the Dodgers decided to float him into the bullpen. It's not like he didn't take the ball and pitch well anyway, but you can't blame a guy who sees himself as a starter, has had success as a starter, and has a contract that rewards him for starting pushing back on getting dumped into the bullpen every time the Dodgers wanted to run out another guy in the rotation or needed help in the 'pen.

It's hardly a character flaw. Twins certainly want him as a starter, and will happily pay him the incentives because if he hits them all the odds are very good that he's been very successful for the team.

So what do you make of Maeda's agent speaking publicly about his dissatisfaction with his Dodgers role?

 

http://www.startribune.com/kenta-maeda-will-want-to-start-often-for-twins-to-increase-his-salary/567608762/

 

“Kenta wants to make 30 starts, 32 starts during the season,” Maeda’s agent, Joel Wolfe, told The Athletic in November after meeting with Dodgers President Andrew Friedman to plead his client’s case. “He would prefer not to be constantly shuttled to the bullpen and back. He doesn’t like it.”

Notice it is the agent who is saying this and in that particular tone, not Maeda himself. Of course, he told the agent what he desired but he didn't grab the nearest mic and say these things. Such behavior would be considered rude beyond measure in the Japanese way of thinking because it would indicate that you feel you are the most important person on the team. When you hear him speak after a game (even in Japanese), he will show his support for the team first. I can almost guarantee it.

So who's going to end up in the bullpen when both Pineda and Hill are back? I realize that won't probably be until late July or early August with Hill, but I mean it's probably going to happen at some point in time this year?

So who's going to end up in the bullpen when both Pineda and Hill are back? I realize that won't probably be until late July or early August with Hill, but I mean it's probably going to happen at some point in time this year?

Could be Thorpe, whose stuff plays well there and his left-handedness might be seen as an asset. Maybe they go with 6 starters for a while. I suspect Maeda sticks in the rotation unless he's pitching poorly.

Maeda probably is less unhappy about a postseason shift to the bullpen than a midseason one; if Hill is crushing it  and the twins go to 4 starters for the postseason, Pineda or Maeda or even odorizzi could slide into the 'pen.

So who's going to end up in the bullpen when both Pineda and Hill are back? I realize that won't probably be until late July or early August with Hill, but I mean it's probably going to happen at some point in time this year?

I'll be very surprised, shocked almost, if Hill throws significant innings for the Twins this year.

I'll be very surprised, shocked almost, if Hill throws significant innings for the Twins this year.

Well he wont be throwing them next year for the Twins because the Twins have Hill only signed through this year.  So I am guessing that the Twins are banking on Hill throwing some innings for them this year?

Well he wont be throwing them next year for the Twins because the Twins have Hill only signed through this year. So I am guessing that the Twins are banking on Hill throwing some innings for them this year?

I think they view him as a lottery ticket, hence the structure of the contract.

I don't agree they expect him to pitch significant innings. Though they'll obviously be thrilled if he does, just like any lottery ticket.

If he throws more than 50 innings for the Twins this year, I'll be very surprised.