I am confused here: if a free agent signs an one year contract, he is not a free agent after the next season? I understand how arbitration works after trades and waiver picks but didn't Burton just sign an one year contract?

Most players sign 1 year contracts through their arbitration years. While Burton did sign a 1 year contract he doesn't have enough seniority to become a FA. Let's give another example. Alexi Casilla signed a 1 year contract for this year but he will not be a free agent at the end of the season (unless he is non-tendered) as he has 1 year of arbitration remaining.

I'm gonna guess actually that unless Manship starts, he'll get sent back down. No reason to DFA a guy when we have guys with options we can send down that aren't doing that much better

I've never understood the argument that you should keep a bad player on your roster, because his role is unimportant. I'd rather they cut bad players, than keep them around for low leverage roles, especialy relievers. Between Slama, Guerra and Oliveras, they are covered with fine options. Cut him, cut him now, and bring up whichever of those three you like.

spdieyo, the reason to DFA Gray is that he's bad at his job. Just because Masihp isn't good either (in some peoples' opinions) doesn't excuse keeping Gray on the roster.

I've never understood the argument that you should keep a bad player on your roster, because his role is unimportant. I'd rather they cut bad players, than keep them around for low leverage roles, especialy relievers. Between Slama, Guerra and Oliveras, they are covered with fine options. Cut him, cut him now, and bring up whichever of those three you like.

Slama is on the disabled list.

The Twins can offer him arbitration and thus have to sign him for an agreed upon amount. He is not a free agent, unless the Twins don't offer arbitration. They still have one more year of control. Gray, if waivered, would have to be claimed and kept on the 50-man roster of a team (and the 25 for now). Not sure if he can refuse a minor league assignment and become a free agent if not claimed. Doubtful. Would be like Maloney. Slama is on the DL. That could hurt any immediate chances with the Twins. Nothing like bringing a guy up from the kinors and then him being injured and getting paid major league money for sitting around. Oliveros is probably higher on the list than Guerra, still. Anyone worrying about the absolute need for Swarzak if you can have a choice between him, Manship, and say DeVries?

I am aware that slama is on the dl, for a few days. Not sure how that impacts if Gray is kept around or not, given they have at least two more options.

Edited June 11, 201214 yr by mike wants wins

slama is indeed on the DL, but once he comes off, it will be him and Guerra fighting for a spot up with the big club.

Given Manship is fine, I want Gray and Swarzak to be DFAed. They are both not good. Both have viable replacements (Manship becomes long man) when Slama is back and either Waldrop, Oliveros, or Guerra is promoted.

Swarzak has been good as a long man and okay as a mopup guy. He's been knocked around as a starter. Given the state of the Twins rotation, two long guys (Manship and Swarzak) makes sense, especially if they stay with a 12-man staff. I would say that Manship has done nothing to merit demotion, Swarzak has done more good than bad, while Gray hasn't done that much in the last month. More than his appearance against the Cubs, I think Gray's fate may have been decided by his outing against the Royals when he had a 5-run lead and couldn't finish the inning. While moving Gray would likely cost his spot, there are 3-5 guys at Rochester that can do what he does and perhaps more. It does sound like the move will be DFAing Gray and Hendriks being recalled to fill out the rotation.

Now that the blow up has occurred, time to DFA him and not care if some team is foolish enough to claim him. Time to go with guys who might be part of the future, namely Slama.

The Anthony Slama situation makes no sense to me. Sure, it's great to have a relief staff that all throws mid-90's heat, but the whole point is to get guys out, and Slama does that better than anybody else in the Twins minor league system. The whole bias against pitchers that succeed with craft and guile is an insult to a hundred years of great pitchers. It's why R.A. Dickey is pitching for the Mets with his 9 wins and one loss. It's why the Atlanta Braves gave up on Scott Diamond.

 

Knuckleballers can't win. Starters should all have mid-90's heat. Relievers should all touch 97mph, maybe 98.

 

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

How about this: Pitchers should keep their team in the game, however they do it.

The Anthony Slama situation makes no sense to me. Sure, it's great to have a relief staff that all throws mid-90's heat, but the whole point is to get guys out, and Slama does that better than anybody else in the Twins minor league system. The whole bias against pitchers that succeed with craft and guile is an insult to a hundred years of great pitchers. It's why R.A. Dickey is pitching for the Mets with his 9 wins and one loss. It's why the Atlanta Braves gave up on Scott Diamond.

 

Knuckleballers can't win. Starters should all have mid-90's heat. Relievers should all touch 97mph, maybe 98.

 

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

How about this: Pitchers should keep their team in the game, however they do it.

I believe the Twins' staff doesn't think his stuff will carry over to get major league hitters out, not whether Slama throws 91 or 96 or 86. The club's one obvious bias for pitchers is guys who throw strikes. In Slama's brief time with the Twins, he didn't do that very well IIRC. Slama is not getting overtly overlooked as much as he is a victim of circumstance. If he were putting up the kind of numbers he is this year in 2011, he would have been on the major league roster for a month. There is a full bullpen and with the possible exception of Gray, all of them have done very well and would likely do as well or better than Slama.

The club's one obvious bias for pitchers is guys who throw strikes.

Which is something else Jeff Gray doesn't do.

 

 

He's a lousy reliever, get rid of him.

Bump. Can we dump this guy yet?

Bump. Can we dump this guy yet?

Was this guy involved with your wife whe nyou were not looking or do you just have nothing better to do than complain about the 12-13 pitcher on the roster?

As long as everyone else does their job it doesn't matter how pathetic the end of the roster is.

 

 

That about sum it up?

Are we sure Jeff Gray IS the 12th or 13th pitcher on the roster?

What is the point of keeping Gray? Bring someone up who has a future, Slama, Guerra, Oliveros. What does Gray do for this team at this point?

Those garbage innings that Gray's been mopping up would be a perfect opportunity to get a look at one of their borderline guys at Triple-A. The Twins are wasting an opportunity to get a kid some low-leverage exposure to the big leagues by handing innings to a lousy pitcher who (we can only hope) will not be with the team past this year.

 

Pretty baffling.

Gray has some interesting splits this year:

 

23.0 innings, 8 BB, 16 K, 3.91 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, .244 BAA (HOME)

 

17.2 innings, 11 BB, 4 K, 7.13 ERA, 1.92 WHIP, .311 BAA (AWAY)

 

I understand it's small sample. Still - I thought it was interesting - especially the strikeouts. Regardless. The way this team is burning up arms, I'm confident they'll get a look at everyone they want to see by year end.

*cough*

Burton was declined a contract by his former team and thus became the equivalent of a minor-league free agent during the off-season. But the Twins can offer him arbitration if they wish for one more year. If they don't, he's a free agent again and can sign with anyone. The last team didn't feel he was worth the extra $$$ (similar to what the Twins did with Jose Mijares, who I believe has another arbitration year, but the Twins didn't want to pay him a million...but whatever team signed him could sign him for considerably less. The "current" team is always penalized, it seems. Like The Twins would have to offer Frankie $12.5 million. Now the Sox have to or lose him. The Twins could conceivably sign him for less. The Sox can't, unless they do a multi-year deal.

Jeff Gray Watch 2012:

 

On the Fangraphs leaderboard, of 146 relievers...

 

144th ERA 5.71

145th FIP 5.85

146th xFIP 5.44

145th K/9 4.5

 

Worst of all, there are 52 innings of this embarrassment now.

 

Is there anyone left out there willing to defend this?

Jeff Gray Watch 2012:

 

On the Fangraphs leaderboard, of 146 relievers...

 

144th ERA 5.71

145th FIP 5.85

146th xFIP 5.44

145th K/9 4.5

 

Worst of all, there are 52 innings of this embarrassment now.

 

Is there anyone left out there willing to defend this?

 

Maybe he gives killer massages. Come tomorrow if he is not DFA'd or released this will become my conclusion. A great massage must be way better than winning a stupid baseball game anytime of the week, year, decade or millennium. Oh well, how do I get myself in position to let Jeff Gray get his hands all over me? Whew... I'm tense.

Jeff Gray making a major league baseball salary is basically a gross human rights violation at this point. This of the many ways that money could be better spent.

Jeff Gray Watch 2012:

 

On the Fangraphs leaderboard, of 146 relievers...

 

144th ERA 5.71

145th FIP 5.85

146th xFIP 5.44

145th K/9 4.5

 

Worst of all, there are 52 innings of this embarrassment now.

 

Is there anyone left out there willing to defend this?

 

if you break it down by Jeff Gray's 52 IP.......Gray is 69th out of 70 qualified w/4.53 K/9...last is Alex Burnett w/3.53:cry:...Anthony Swarzak is also 60th w/6.03....one thing our righthanded relievers can do is NOT strike guys out.....no wonder they dont want Slama

Gray is last in ERA w/5.71 out of the 70 'qualified' relievers

[The Anthony Slama situation makes no sense to me. Sure, it's great to have a relief staff that all throws mid-90's heat, but the whole point is to get guys out, and Slama does that better than anybody else in the Twins minor league system. The whole bias against pitchers that succeed with craft and guile is an insult to a hundred years of great pitchers. It's why R.A. Dickey is pitching for the Mets with his 9 wins and one loss. It's why the Atlanta Braves gave up on Scott Diamond.

 

Knuckleballers can't win. Starters should all have mid-90's heat. Relievers should all touch 97mph, maybe 98.

 

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

How about this: Pitchers should keep their team in the game, however they do it.

 

 

Yeah I still don't get the Slama deal. Why was he taken off the 40-man? He was basically given no chance. His line last year 2 games, 2.1 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0 H, 2 BB, 3 K, 0.86 WHIP.

 

I'll take those numbers any day.

Jeff Gray should be isolated and studied so that future generations aren't affected by his suckiness.

Jeff Gray Watch 2012:

 

You should maintain this in the Adopt-a-Minor-Leaguer section and see if the mods dare delete it.

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