Tom Froemming

Last week, Matthew Taylor wrote about how Odorizzi needed to become a priority in the Twins’ offseason plans. That piece is still very much relevant, but yesterday we were presented another data point on how the market may turn out this winter.The Atlanta Braves signed Drew Smyly to a one-year, $11 million contract yesterday. While Smyly did post some eye-popping numbers for the Giants this season, which was accompanied by a nice uptick in velocity, he’s also struggled to stay healthy and productive over his career. Below is a discussion on the market, how Odorizzi stacks up against Smyly and how much Odorizzi may get in his next contract. So with Smyly's signing we have one less free agent on the market, and another pitcher with a less than impressive overall resume walking away with a nice paycheck. Odorizzi figures to do quite nicely for himself. Per ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Blue Jays, Giants, Mets and Twins have all shown interest in Odorizzi. All of this early activity has left the starting pitching market thin, which should help Odorizzi find even more suitors. Here are the top-10 free agent pitchers remaining with their current ages: 1. Trevor Bauer (29) 2. Masahiro Tanaka (32) 3. James Paxton (32) 4. Jake Odorizzi (30) 5. Charlie Morton (37) 6. Taijuan Walker (28) 7. José Quintana (31) 8. Garrett Richards (32) 9. Mike Minor (32) 10. Corey Kluber (34) This list is based on the rankings from FanGraphs and MLB Trade Rumors. I slotted in Morton at my own discretion, since he was not a free agent at the time the FanGraphs list was published. The top remaining names from there include Adam Wainwright, J.A. Happ, Rick Porcello, Matt Shoemaker, Jon Lester, Cole Hamels, Chris Archer and Anthony DeSclafani, among others. It’s not exactly an inspiring group of arms. Perhaps the Twins were always more likely to acquire a starter via trade anyway, as they did with Odorizzi and more recently Kenta Maeda. This lack of supply on the open market, however, could result in trade demands increasing. This front office has been pretty passive in the free agent market. Here’s a look back: Dec, 13, 2017: Michael Pineda two years, $10 million March 12, 2018: Lance Lynn one year $12 million Jan. 30, 2019: Martin Perez (ended up being one year, $4.4 million) Nov. 14, 2019: Jake Odorizzi one year, $17.8 million (qualifying offer) Dec. 10, 2019: Michael Pineda two years, $20 million Dec. 31, 2019: Homer Bailey one year, $7 million Dec. 31, 2019: Rich Hill one year, $3 million Since Derek Falvey took over the Twins in October of 2016, the largest deal they’ve signed a free agent starter to was Pineda’s two-year, $20 million deal last December. I decided to include Odorizzi on this list, but I suppose a player accepting a qualifying offer is different from a true free agent signing. The earliest this front office has signed a starting pitcher on the open market was, again, Pineda’s deal last December. SEE ALSO Re-Signing Jake Odorizzi Needs to be a Priority for the Minnesota Twins Gleeman & The Geek, Ep 501: Free Agent Starting Pitchers A Low-Tech Tool In A High-Tech Baseball World How Will the Twins Address the Bullpen This Offseason? Click here to view the article

I loved this for NES, had no idea they made a Super Nintendo version of it!!!

MVP 2005 was incredible. So cool that they included minor league teams. Here are some of my other personal favorites: 3rd Gen: Baseball Stars for NES 4th Gen: Tony La Russa Baseball for Sega Genesis 5th Gen: MLB ‘99 for Playstation 7th Gen: MLB Power Pros 2008 for Wii

The offseason is usually a time in which teams aim to address their weaknesses, but let’s take a moment to reflect on a current Twins strength. This amount of outfield talent in the org right now is insane, as illustrated by the fact that Alex Kirilloff and Trevor Larnach are still waiting in the wings.Alex Kirilloff became a part of history when he made his MLB debut in the postseason. That puts him much more at the forefront of our minds, but fellow former first-round pick Trevor Larnach is hot on his heels. These two started this year by putting on an absolute show in spring training before everything shut down. Kirilloff hit .429/.455/.810 (1.264 OPS) in 22 plate appearances in Fort Myers while Larnach hit .333/.467/.708 (1.175 OPS) in 30 PAs. As if it wasn’t already easy to be incredibly excited about the future of these two mashers, these spring training performances really added some fuel to that fire. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to enjoy following what these two did at the alternative site in St. Paul like we would have had there been a minor league season. Still, I could think of few better ways to spend my cold November Sunday than talking about these two budding sluggers. I ran through some of the numbers and scouting grades out there for Kirilloff and Larnach in the video below, which is just over seven minutes. Here are the spray charts I shared early in that video, via Prospects Live’s Minor Graphs. First up is Kirilloff: Download attachment: Kirilloff.png And here’s Larnach’s: Download attachment: Larnach.png The Twins turning to Kirilloff for a postseason boost against the Astros is a clear indication they think he’s ready for the first chance, but let’s not lose sight that Larnach is a prospect of very similar value who is also at or near ready for MLB action. SEE ALSO Twins Daily 2020 Top Prospects: #2 Alex Kirilloff Twins Daily 2020 Top Prospects: #3 Trevor Larnach Cruisin' With Kirilloff 3 Models for a Twins Blockbuster Trade This Winter Click here to view the article

La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune reported the Twins officially informed the Rochester Red Wings they will no longer be the team’s Triple-A affiliate, and that the St. Paul Saints could become their replacement. Do the Twins need the Saints more than the Saints need the Twins?The part of La Velle’s article (which I encourage you to read because it includes much more detail than what we’re going to go into here) that really struck me is that the Saints would have to pay to become a Twins affiliate. Perhaps as much as $20 million! La Velle did mention the Twins could ultimately pitch in to cover at least part of that cost. This payment would go to Minor League Baseball, and is standard for new franchises, but this is not a typical franchise. The Saints represent outlaw baseball. Behind owners Mike Veeck and Bill Murray, they established a quirky brand of minor league baseball and entertainment that has since been universally adopted across all levels of the minors. In addition to helping ballplayers continue their professional careers, they’ve even served as an opportunity for some amatures to stick it to Major League Baseball (most famously J.D. Drew in 1997). The Saints also represented an opportunity for fans to stick it to MLB. Established in 1993, the Saints were well-positioned to embrace baseball fans who turned bitter from the 1994 strike. It also didn’t hurt that the Twins were terrible in the mid-90s. It may be difficult to capture the original spirit surrounding the Saints these days, seeing as the team is such an established entity in the Minnesota baseball scene and plays in a gorgeous state-of-the-art ballpark in lowertown St. Paul. There’s nothing that really screams “outlaw” about that. Things have changed, and for the better. Midway Stadium (pictured above) definitely has its charms, but CHS Field is a gem. Their brand of baseball and entertainment has always made the Saints a strong draw, but the new ballpark has really created a boom. In 2019, the Saints' average attendance was 8,061. Can you guess how many of the 160 affiliated minor league baseball teams beat that mark? Just seven. Taking a look at the Twins’ top two affiliates, the Red Wings averaged 6,846 fans and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, despite a jaw-droppingly beautiful stadium, averaged 4,354. These numbers are all from the excellent resource Ballpark Digest (affiliated attendance here, independent attendance here). While the Saints are one of the most popular minor league baseball teams, most of their independent counterparts don’t have as much to boast about. Of the 40 indy league teams that operated in 2019, only five others attracted even half of the Saints’ average attendance, and four of those five play in a different league. There’s no question the St. Paul Saints can stand on their own, but what about the rest of their current league? Will enough teams survive COVID-19 to keep the American Association afloat? I believe this will be among the biggest determining factors in whether or not the Saints will be interested in becoming an affiliate of the Twins, or any other MLB team for that matter. At the same time, I’m not certain the American Association, which is based out of Moorhead, can survive without the Saints. Veeck has expressed an openness to work with MLB, but is also keen to the fact that it may not be popular with some of their current base. Here’s what he told the Pioneer Press’ John Shipley in July: “I think it would be fascinating to know, what do the fans think? Obviously, I would love to know the answer. What if you did a poll and said to the fans and said, ‘Would being a major league affiliate, aside from it being the Twins – with it just being a Double-A or Triple-A team – would it enhance the Saints or would it detract?’” Outside of the fan perspective, I can’t imagine indy teams are looking at what MLB is doing to its current affiliates and thinking “gosh, I’d really like to go into business with them.” It all comes down to money, of course, but watching MLB ruthlessly cut 40 minor league teams out of affiliated ball has to make indy teams uneasy about aligning with them. From the Twins’ perspective, this makes all the sense in the world. Having a minor league affiliate so close would be a great relief in terms of travel and transactions, and CHS Field has been lauded not only for the facility itself but also the playing surface. That may not sound like a big deal, but when you have guys on rehab assignments you don’t want to send them somewhere that has a sub-par field. Aligning with the Saints would also effectively eliminate them as competition. You may not think of it this way, but the Twins and Saints are competing for attention from a similar fanbase in the same market. This is another thing that may be difficult to comprehend today, but it was definitely a factor in the mid-90s. Personally, I’d love to have the opportunity to watch a Twins minor league affiliate without having to travel so far. I’m getting excited just thinking about it, to be honest. At the same time, I have to imagine things wouldn’t quite be the same with the Saints being an affiliated team. At the very least, they wouldn’t be able to do promotions like this one. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

In case you missed it, Nick Nelson, Matt Baun and myself had a fun discussion about some relievers available on the free agent market we feel could fit into the Twins’ plan for 2021. One of the main takeaways was that this is a significant area of concern at the moment.Trevor May, Tyler Clippard and Sergio Romo are all free agents. Those three also happened to be the team’s leaders in appearances this season. And it’s not as if this bullpen unit was exactly in need of a refresh. The Twins ranked sixth in bullpen ERA and were tied with the Rays for the best bullpen WAR, per FanGraphs. Top of the Relief Market This year’s free agent relief pitcher class may not be especially flashy as far as top-end talent goes, but another topic we discussed on the live stream was its depth. If we combine the free agent rankings at FanGraphs and MLB Trade Rumors, here’s what we come up with for the top-10 relievers on this year’s market: 1. Liam Hendriks 2a. Trevor May 2b. Brad Hand 4. Blake Treinen 5. Trevor Rosenthal 6. Alex Colome 7. Mark Melancon 8. Kirby Yates 9. Joakim Soria 10. Greg Holland Hendriks is definitely the No. 1 guy, but after that things aren’t so clear. In the second spot, FanGraphs preferred May (21 as opposed to Hand’s 23) while MLB TR had Hand higher (26 vs. May at 28). There are plenty of other rankings out there, but I wanted to stick with the ones that aren’t behind paywalls for the purpose of this discussion. It’s also worth pointing out there may be many more intriguing names that become available. The non-tender deadline, which is Dec. 2. It seems likely that more names of intrigue will be added to the free agent bullpen picture between now and then. The Twins’ front office already made a couple of moves to add to the bullpen when they claimed Ian Gibaut and Brandon Waddell off waivers, but those two seem to more fit the mold of guys you hope may be able to contribute rather than those you’re really counting on to produce. Falvey-Levine History Here’s a look at the deals the Twins have signed free agent relievers to since Derek Falvey and Thad Levine took over the front office: 2016-17 Offseason Feb. 3: Matt Belisle signed for one year, $2.05 million 2017-18 Offseason Dec. 15: Fernando Rodney signed for one year, $4.5 million plus an option Dec. 26: Zach Duke signed for one year, $2.15 million Jan. 15: Addison Reed signed for two years, $16.75 million 2018-19 Offseason Jan. 14: Blake Parker signed for one year, $1.8 million 2019-20 Offseason Dec. 20: Sergio Romo signed for one year, $5 million plus an option Dec. 20: Tyler Clippard signed for one year, $2.75 million That’s seven relievers they’ve signed to major league deals for a combined $35 million. By far the biggest commitment went to Reed, who pitched to a 4.50 ERA over 55 games in 2018 and released in 2019. Of those seven relievers signed, four were from mid to late December and the other three on into the new year. Reed was also the youngest of the bunch, as he was entering his age 29 season. The other six were all entering their ages 34 seasons or later. What Will They Do This Offseason? If the Twins end up non-tendering Taylor Rogers, that likely changes this conversation quite a bit, however, I am firmly of the belief Rogers will be back with the Twins in 2021. While his ERA jumped, Rogers actually had a (ever so) slightly better FIP this season than he did in 2019. He also served as the team’s MLBPA rep, which speaks to the respect Rogers commands in the clubhouse. The potential loss of May, Clippard and Romo is a definite blow, but with Rogers back in the fold, the Twins would still have a nice bullpen foundation. Tyler Duffey backed up a breakout with another strong season while Matt Wisler, Caleb Thielbar, Jorge Alcala and Cody Stashak will look to further establish themselves. How will the front office supplement that group? I’d expect more of the same. I’m willing to speculate the front office is going to wait for the market to come to them. It also seems like a good bet the Twins’ biggest bullpen addition via free agency will probably be on a one-year deal that tops out at $5 million. That may not sound very inspiring, but I do believe that will get you more in this offseason than it would in previous years. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

I'll go ahead and chip my two cents into that same pot as well.

The White Sox officially announced Tony La Russa as their new manager Thursday, and the Tigers made the hiring of new manager A.J. Hinch today. While there’s no denying the on-field resume of either man, there is an air of controversy surrounding both hirings.Tony La Russa is one of the greatest managers of all time, but seems like an odd fit for an organization that adopted the slogan “Change the Game” for the 2020 season. I guess they’ve already decided to change it back? La Russa is 76 years old, and appears to have several stances that clash with some of the White Sox’s biggest starts. There’s a lot to unpack, but Michael Baumann of The Ringer detailed the apparent mismatch of La Russa and the current White Sox roster. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

No, if a starting pitcher literally has a perfect game going through six innings I'm confident zero managers would remove that pitcher unless there was some kind of workload/injury concern, like the guy was pitching on super short rest or something like that.

Could be, but I think the lack of off days combated that a bit. I'm a bit surprised we didn't see starters go deeper given all these back-to-back-to-etc. games on the schedule this year.

This is the new normal. Postseason pitching staff management has changed, as starting pitchers going deep into games becomes more and more rare. Here’s a look into a typical postseason start leading up to the World Series this season.The information below is from all rounds of the 2020 postseason leading up to, but not including the World Series so far. That’s 47 games, or 94 total starts we’re looking at. As with any starting pitching stats in 2020, the fly in the ointment is the opener. Just something to keep in mind as we take a look at some postseason starter stats. Pitches Thrown Average: 75.1 Median: 79 High: 110 Jack Flaherty, STL Something odd to note is teams that had a starting pitcher eclipse 100 pitches had a losing record over these rounds, going 7-8. If we look at all games in which a starter threw 90 or more pitches, those teams went 17-15. Kenta Maeda’s Game 1 start in the Wild Card round was one of those games where a starting pitcher threw 90 pitches and his team lost. José Berríos logged 75 pitches for the Twins in Game 2. The most surprising thing to me is a starting pitcher threw 90 or more pitches at just a 34 percent clip in these rounds. So it’s not that 90 is the new 100, it’s more like 80. Here’s a chart that shows the number of starts made by pitches thrown. Download attachment: PitchesNew.png Outs Recorded Average: 13.2 Median: 14.0 Mode: 15 High: 24 Clayton Kershaw, LAD It’s not like starting pitchers are throwing fewer pitches because they’re efficient. The mode number of outs recorded over these rounds — the result that appeared most often — was 15, or five innings. That just happened to be exactly how long both Maeda and Berríos pitched in their postseason starts. Bullpens are doing a lot of heavy lifting, this is becoming especially true in the postseason. The chart below shows the number of starts by outs recorded in these rounds. Download attachment: OutsNew.png Batters Faced Average: 18.9 Median: 20 Mode: 19 High: 31 Max Fried, ATL At this point, you shouldn’t be surprised to see a lot of decisions regarding traditional starters are related to the “third time through the order penalty.” The vast majority of starting pitchers were given enough leash to start that third trip around, but very few finish it. Is this “penalty” the baseball equivalent to the boogeyman? Hitters actually had a lower OPS in their third plate appearance against a starting pitcher this year than the second time seeing them (a .765 OPS the second time, .754 the third). Then again, maybe that’s just the result of a weird season. Or maybe managers being more cognisant of the dangers of allowing pitchers to go through a lineup a third time is exactly why that number has gone down. After all, in 2019 hitters had a .777 OPS the second time they faced a starter and an .807 mark the third. The mode of this data set was 19 batters faced. This was the exact number of batters Berríos faced in his outing versus Houston, while Maeda faced 20 men. Anyway, here’s a chart with the number of starts broken up by batters faced. Download attachment: Batters Faced New.png One last item, this one breaks things up by the winning and losing team. This is a bit of an unsophisticated way to look at things, seeing as a team could pitch like trash and still win a game if their bats carry them, but there was a buy three nerdy baseball graphics get one free sale. So here you go: Download attachment: WinsLosses.png MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

Things didn’t end the way we would have liked, but the 2020 Minnesota Twins still provided plenty of excitement and, maybe most importantly, distractions. Speaking of which, here’s a highlight package that’ll provide 35 minutes of relief from … everything else.When the Twins return to Target Field in 2021 there will be a new banner flying. It was a crazy finish, but when all was said and done the club emerged as American League Central champions once again. The Twins went 36-24, playing at what would have been a 97-win pace over a 162-game season. That .600 regular season winning percentage ranks behind only the 1965 AL championship team (.630), the 2019 Bomba Squad (.623) and 1970 AL West champs (.605) among the best in Minnesota Twins history. The sting of being swept out of the postseason still lingers, but there’s still plenty to look back fondly upon. Here’s 35 minutes of highlights from this season, presented in chronological order. If you’d like to reminisce but don’t have much time to spare, below is a quick rundown of the 10 longest home runs the Twins hit this season. This one’s only 82 seconds long. Every season ends with the knowledge that this particular group of players will never be together again. The Twins will return most of their core players, sure, but there will be plenty of new faces next season. I can’t help but feel we didn’t get to see enough of this year’s team, but at the same time I am incredibly grateful we got as much baseball as we did. The 2020 MLB season will soon be over but that doesn’t stop Twins Daily. We’re going to continue providing coverage and analysis throughout the offseason, as always. So please keep us in your rotation. Go Twins. MORE FROM TWINS DAILY — Latest Twins coverage from our writers — Recent Twins discussion in our forums — Follow Twins Daily via Twitter, Facebook or email Click here to view the article

The Minnesota Twins have some big decisions facing them as we prepare to enter the 2020-21 MLB offseason. I ran through a few topics in a series of videos over on my YouTube channel. Keeping Eddie Rosario | MN Twins Offseason Primer Ep. 1 What To Do About Donaldson, Buxton? | MN Twins Offseason Primer Ep. 2 Finding Time For Kirilloff, Lewis And Others | MN Twins Offseason Primer Ep. 3 Have We Seen The Last Of Odorizzi And May? | MN Twins Offseason Primer Ep. 4 Free Agent Targets: Trevor Bauer And George Springer? Why Not? | MN Twins Offseason Primer Ep. 5 If you're interested in more Twins coverage over on YouTube, click this link to subscribe to my channel. While you're at it, check out Twins Daily's channel.

I would.