Article: Twins Acquire Tommy Milone

[Oxtung]

Hughes is above career average for k/9 while bb/9 is at a career low

The Twins really have not brought in that many established starting pitchers

When was the last time a pitchers K rate increased when coming to the twins? I think it far more likely that 4K/9 is here to stay then a return to 6K/9. That said good trade for all involved.

 

 

 

There have been many established pitchers the Twins have brought in.  You are right that Hughes' K/9 is up (7.7 vs 7.6) and so was Pelfrey's (5.7 vs. 5.2).  On the other hand these pitchers have all lowered their strikeouts rate:

 

Nolasco, Correia, Worley, Jason Marquis, Carl Pavano, Livan Hernandez and Ramon Ortiz.  

 

I stand by my comment.  

[JustcallupSANO]

Milone throws 88 on his fastball. sounds like a classic Minnesota Twins soft tosser

[nicksaviking]

Milone throws 88 on his fastball. sounds like a classic Minnesota Twins soft tosser

 

Which is why Fangraphs said the Twins were quite possibly the team that would covet him the most.

 

With a passion, I hate the acceptability this team has of soft-tossing contact inducing pitchers, still, I would have traded Fuld for 2012 Scott Diamond too.  While it's near impossible to find a soft tosser with front of the rotation upside, getting one who has gotten by with his junk ball three years running for a stopgap OF is pretty good even if he profiles as a number 5.

[stringer bell]

I think getting anything we can at the trade deadline is great but I think this question needs to be answered.  I can't see Hicks being on this team again this year.  Is it Santana full time out of position?  Is Parmalee the backup?  Is there a warm body that we can pick up like Mastroianni?  Will CF just be a cluster-bleep for 2014?  I hope TR and Gardy provide some clarity here in the next couple of days.

Santana has exclusively played center field since returning from the disabled list, and IIRC, he's started all but one game. For the next 31 days, someone like Parmelee will be the backup center fielder, but it really doesn't matter now that the team has declared they aren't a contender. I wonder if Nuñez might not be a better alternative as a backup than Parmelee, but really it doesn't matter much at all. The center fielders are in the minors and their development is probably best served there.

[Riverbrian]

Strictly a guess... But I think the A's and Twins were probably talking about Fuld for awhile. They were probably talking prospects and couldn't really settle on something. Fuld may not have a ton of value leaguewide but he had value to the Twins due to our CF hole. So the Twins probably required more to trade him.

 

The A's picked up Lester and moved Cespedes. Beane needed the OF help and had an extra arm. He probably called Terry and said how bout Milone and it was done.

 

With no inside info... I'm guessing it happened quickly and TR is probably shocked.

 

I think Beane is focused on this year and wasn't going to let the value of a player stand in his way right now.

[snepp]

I can't wait to see Vargas play CF!

 

Poppycock.

 

 

 

Vargas isn't a shortstop.

[stringer bell]

Poppycock.

 

 

 

Vargas isn't a shortstop.

Good one, Snepp! On the issue of Milone's service time, IIRC the major league season consists of 180 days. If Milone has been optioned for 26 days (since 7/5/14) my math tells me he is right on the cusp of losing free agency and if he were recalled on Sunday, that would put him below 2 years and 172 days, giving the Twins control of his services for another season.

[diehardtwinsfan]

Seems to me that regardless of when he's called up, Millone would be a super 2 guy, would he not?  2.168 or whatever it is would definitely be in the top 22% of guys with under 3 years. 

[kab21]

Milone >> Fuld

 

but at the end of the day Milone is pretty meh.  His stats look nice but so did Worley's.  This profile of pitcher has such a small margin for error.  If he's off just a little then he's going to be a pitching machine.

[iTwins]

Hughes, Gibson, May, Meyer and Milone in no particular order would be my rotation in 2015.   

 

Where's Ricky Nolasco in this scenario? I'm not necessarily disagreeing with your point, but I don't think the Twins will cut and run on Nolasco after one bad year and I certainly don't think they'll shift him to the 'pen with that contract.

 

I like Milone as a 5th starter option, it's nice depth in case May or Meyer underperform or if another starter gets hurt - I just don't know if I'd kick out Gibson, Hughes, Nolasco, May or Meyer to get him a spot. Now, if he was a lefty long reliever...

[Otto von Ballpark]

Seems to me that regardless of when he's called up, Millone would be a super 2 guy, would he not?  2.168 or whatever it is would definitely be in the top 22% of guys with under 3 years. 

Well, he's only at 2.110 right now, so in theory if they left him in AAA the rest of this season, he could miss super-2 status.  But I doubt they would do that, the savings would be minimal anyway.  The extra year of team control is what is important, and that deadline has already passed if my calculations are correct.

 

EDIT: I was slightly wrong, he's more like 2.115 for service time right now (I left out the 5 days he was in MLB at the beginning of July).  Which means we still have to wait a few days before promoting him if we want the extra year of control.  Monday, we should be safe to do so.

 

Might still miss Super-2 if he stayed at 2.115 for some reason (i.e. injured before his call-up), not sure what the cut-off will be.