DanFordWasTheMan

I was going to note the bullpen, as well. But then my optimism held me back a bit. What if Duffey and May continue where they left off in the 2nd half? And Littell shows last year was legit? Romo does what Romo does and Clippard is our "RPloogy"? Not the names of the Yanks, but could still be shut down, too. Love the optimism, Nick! I'll ride it until the games tell me otherwise.

I've already professed my love of Balazovic. But let me do it some more by pointing out that Balazovic had only one weakness all last year. It was called June. In none of the four other months, April, May, July, and August, did Jordan let opponents bat more than .190 against him. In those four months, opponents were silenced in every way, averaging a measly .462 OPS against him. That's absolutely dominating. In June, he was mortal. They hit .275 against him and ran their OPS up to .825 But other than that, his stat line looks perfect. Really, I defy you to show me a meaningful way (beyond inexplicably not liking June) Balazovic wasn't excelling.

I haven't forgotten the Pressly deal. In fact, I think it's a great example of the difference between a "win later" move and a "win now" move. We were going nowhere in the summer of 2018. We lost a great RP (one who was likely better than we thought), but in return we received Celestino, a "no-doubt" CF who BP ranked as our #10 top prospect and a 99+ mph throwing RP, Jorge Alcala who may end up being a similar player to Graterol if he remains in the pen. This trade makes me wince a bit, too. I would have loved watching Graterol pitch for the Twins for years. But Maeda makes us better today, for sure. And I love that we truly are in a "win now" mode. It's been a long time coming.

Ha! Yes!

Also worth noting...if he ends up being a #2 or even ace, we will have the Liriano trade to thank. One of my favorite things to do is track the trades that keep on giving for years.

Let me just start by saying how damn refreshing it is to read (multiple!!) write-ups about Twins pitchers who can reach triple digits. As a long-time fan, I can't stop smiling. Like others, I'm quite intrigued by Duran. A 97+ mph fastball with sink could be deadly. And that seems to be backed up by a nearly 2/1 career GB/FB ratio and the fact that FIP and xFIP paint an even rosier picture of his future ability to generate outs. The one area that looks like it might be a concern is his numbers against LHs. Hardly rare to have that show up for a RHP, but wonder if anyone can speak to his ability to throw his slider in on lefties or if he has a developing changeup.

I will never claim to be a list/ranking guru, but I would have put Balazovic higher on the list, for three reasons. First, his numbers across two levels last year weren't just strong, they were simply without weak points--with the possible exception of him doing his work in more pitching-friendly leagues. Extremely low WHIP, strong so/w ratios, low hr/9 rates...he wasn't just good, he was good in nearly every statistical measure. Second, unlike Graterol and Duran, there's no talk or thoughts about needing him to move to the bullpen. Third, he's both young, (21 years-old through most of next season) and he has even more projection left. He hasn't fully grown into his frame. And being Canadian, you could even argue he hasn't had the development time of his peers. I predict he's in the top 30 by midseason.

Hi all, been a long-time reader and figured I should break the seal and post some, too. Apologies in advance for any bad formatting. I personally like the Graterol bullpen move, especially the clarity of it given the past Twins' tendency to waffle, which I never believe helps young players. Beyond the Santana comparisons, I think of Sale's transition. Yes, he was a reliever turned starter, but it's not unthinkable to believe the innings trajectory and path couldn't be similar. Age 21 season: 23 innings as a rp, 1.93 ERA Age 22 season: 71 innings as a rp, 2.79 ERA Age 23 season: 192 innings as a starter, 3.05 ERA, All-Star and 6th in CY voting We'd all be pretty happy--and patient--for that path, I'd imagine.