Let's Make a Deal forNick Blackburn

[darin617]

It's time to make a deal after that great showing of 8 shutout innings for the Red Wings. So which playoff hopeful needs a SP?>

[greengoblinrulz]

Basically we'd have to find another $5M guy on another team that they dont want (ex Carlos Silva for Milton Bradley)

Anyone think of someone??

[DaveW]

It's time to make a deal after that great showing of 8 shutout innings for the Red Wings. So which playoff hopeful needs a SP?>

I know this is a sarcastic post, but if Blackburn can figure things out to be a decent #4/#5 like he has shown in the past it would be huge for this club moving forward. No team is going to trade for him anytime soon and we owe him a nice chunk of change in 2013, so ideally he can get back to his old form for us and be an innings eater in 2013 with a 4.00-4.50 ERA, rather have that then spend another $3-$5 million on the next Ramon Ortiz/Livan Hernandez/Jason Marquis to fill out the back of the rotation.

[greengoblinrulz]

he will surpisingly earn the 5th spot in the rotation next spring & Gardy/TRyan will claim his contract will have nothing to do with it.

After 2 months of ROC, Kyle Gibson will be called up for Blackburn & his 5.5 ERA. They will just keep him as the placeholder for Gibson.

[Top Gun]

Hopefully Gardy won't be back either.

[DaveW]

he will surpisingly earn the 5th spot in the rotation next spring & Gardy/TRyan will claim his contract will have nothing to do with it.

After 2 months of ROC, Kyle Gibson will be called up for Blackburn & his 5.5 ERA. They will just keep him as the placeholder for Gibson.

Feel free to name the other 4 pitchers in the rotation other than Blackburn that will block Gibson at the start of next year?

 

Though on 2nd thought, maybe delaying Gibsons entry into the majors to avoid super 2 status wouldn't be the worst thing in the world....

[DaveW]

Hopefully Gardy won't be back either.

Your delusional if you think Gardy is the reason this team has been crappy the past two seasons.

 

2011: An ungodly amount of Injuries- Not Gardy's fault.

2012: Awful, Awful rotation- Not Gardy's fault.

[Rosterman]

Yeah, Blackburn or Lyle French of Sam Deduno or P.J. Walters. Name your poison. I'm surprised the Twins didn't send Dozier down for a couple of weeks and bring up the hot hitting Toshi, just to get some payback.

[DaveW]

Yeah, Blackburn or Lyle French of Sam Deduno or P.J. Walters. Name your poison. I'm surprised the Twins didn't send Dozier down for a couple of weeks and bring up the hot hitting Toshi, just to get some payback.

Lyle French? Dozier down for Tosoni?

 

What on earth are you talking about?

[glunn]

I know this is a sarcastic post, but if Blackburn can figure things out to be a decent #4/#5 like he has shown in the past it would be huge for this club moving forward. No team is going to trade for him anytime soon and we owe him a nice chunk of change in 2013, so ideally he can get back to his old form for us and be an innings eater in 2013 with a 4.00-4.50 ERA, rather have that then spend another $3-$5 million on the next Ramon Ortiz/Livan Hernandez/Jason Marquis to fill out the back of the rotation.

You make total sense to me. I share the widespread nausea when Blackburn is pitching, but it would be illogical not to wait and see if he might be able to get back to being a decent #4 or #5, as opposed to the Ramon Ortiz/Livan Hernandez/Jason Marquis who will be even more nauseating.

[diehardtwinsfan]

1 good start doesn't right the wrongs... Blackburn won't fetch a bucket of warm spit right now, and as such he's going to be a Twin next year. My biggest fear is that they will count on him performing.

[a-wan]

Nick Blackburn for the batting cage that the Rangers use in Arlington?

[DPJ]

Leave his ass to rot in Rochester and be the teams 6th or 7th starter. You can't keep throwing the guy out there cause it's not an elbow or some other crazy injury, the guy just can't get out MLB hitters.

[kirbyelway]

Ummmm......we are pretty much stuck with him, so hopefully he can regain his form and give us a mid 4 ERA and be a 4 5 guy for us next year.

[darin617]

Your delusional if you think Gardy is the reason this team has been crappy the past two seasons.

 

2011: An ungodly amount of Injuries- Not Gardy's fault.

2012: Awful, Awful rotation- Not Gardy's fault.

Exactly! Don't people remember all those Division titles Gardy won... Oh yeah and then they got their clocks cleaned in the playoffs. So people want to say 2011 and 2012 are not his fault but would say he was a great manager when they won all those AL Central titles. You can't have it both ways, it is time for a change whether it is not his fault. I would be happy to see some new blood finally so the Twins can turn/burn these horrible years from our memories and start clean in 2013 and contend once again.

 

BYE BYE Gardy and take Nicky with you..

[James]

Exactly! Don't people remember all those Division titles Gardy won... Oh yeah and then they got their clocks cleaned in the playoffs. So people want to say 2011 and 2012 are not his fault but would say he was a great manager when they won all those AL Central titles. You can't have it both ways, it is time for a change whether it is not his fault. I would be happy to see some new blood finally so the Twins can turn/burn these horrible years from our memories and start clean in 2013 and contend once again.

 

BYE BYE Gardy and take Nicky with you..

Agreed. But I don't think Gardy is going to be gone next year. I wouldn't be surprised if after the 2013 season when Gardy's contract is up, he "decides to" retire. So, not officially fired and didn't officially quit. That's just how I see things playing out.

[greengoblinrulz]

Agreed. But I don't think Gardy is going to be gone next year. I wouldn't be surprised if after the 2013 season when Gardy's contract is up, he "decides to" retire. So, not officially fired and didn't officially quit. That's just how I see things playing out.

MLB managers dont go into their last yr of contract without any extension....either give one or let him go.

Can see them givin him an extension as it the 'good ole boys' network here, but if TRyan wants to 'nut up'...you just dont extend him & Gardy will step down.

Unfortunately, Blackburn had 82 pitches tonight in 7 IP 5h 3r 1er 3k 1bb.....be back soon AAAARRRRGHHHHHh

[greengoblinrulz]

Ummmm......we are pretty much stuck with him, so hopefully he can regain his form and give us a mid 4 ERA and be a 4 5 guy for us next year.

Since we moved in Target Field (notorious pitchers park)....2 1/2yrs so far....Blackburn has 65starts 5.51ERA in 372.2 IP 467hits 174k 118bb

Is there ANYTHING in those numbers that makes you think he can be even below average instead of horrible???

The guy will be 31 next year & the ONLY reason he's still in majors is Bill Smith contract he gave out.

With the theory about regaining his form, why not get Kevin Slowey back also??

[DaveW]

With the theory about regaining his form, why not get Kevin Slowey back also??

http://static.fjcdn.com/pictures/That_6934bd_864413.jpg

[Billy Bremner]

While most MLB teams look for ways to field competitive teams, the Twins - and many of the bloggers here - insist on picking through the dung pile for kernels of undigested corn. Keep up the comedy, gang.

[old nurse]

The Twins will never be a team without flaws. The last time they had three starters you could count on was 1991. That year was an aberration for Scott Erickson. That they have to pick over dung heaps does not make them any different than any other team. The flaws through most of the championship runs were that they really did not have super two's or super three pitchers. Number one pitcher? Santana had a 1-3 record in the playoffs Compared to Jack Morris with the Twins was 4-0. Gardy never had a decent pitching staff in his career as a manager. Yet he could win divisions with just enough pitching to beat the teams he was supposed to.

[Top Gun]

I'm sure the Padres would take Blackburn in a heartbeat, a few other teams would too. SP are hard to come by. As for Gardy he has to take some of the blame, he is the manager and his team hasn't played well in two years.

[glunn]

I'm sure the Padres would take Blackburn in a heartbeat, a few other teams would too. SP are hard to come by. As for Gardy he has to take some of the blame, he is the manager and his team hasn't played well in two years.

I recently blogged about a possible trade with the Padres, and identified two young starting pitchers who they might be willing to trade. But I am not sure why the Padres would want Blackburn, unless they are looking at him as a very poor man's Carl Pavano. Here is a link to my blog.

[notoriousgod71]

Why would anyone want Blackburn?

[kab21]

Why would anyone want Blackburn?

This is my question as well. At this point Blackburn is somewhere between a DFA and trading him for a C prospect while picking up the whole contract.

[Thrylos]

Gardy never had a decent pitching staff in his career as a manager. Yet he could win divisions with just enough pitching to beat the teams he was supposed to.

Really?

Look at 2006: Both SP and pen (total pitching ranks in the AL) : 2nd in ERA, 1st in K, 2nd in runs allowed, 1st in BB allowed, 2nd in wins. Much better than "decent"... And most of the Gardy era, other than the last 2 seasons, the SP has been on the top half of the league; the fact that Gardy likes his "proven veterans" so the GMs have been bottomfeeding for the likes of Marquis, Livan, Ponson, Ortiz etc and throwing out good $ to the likes of Pavano, which decreases the ranking on the pitching, notwithstanding. Add also the fact that the Twins have had top pitchers and they did not get them to perform like other teams did (RA Dickey for example)...

 

Enough about that suburban legend that Gardy and Andy had nothing to work with all those years...

[kirbyelway]

Since we moved in Target Field (notorious pitchers park)....2 1/2yrs so far....Blackburn has 65starts 5.51ERA in 372.2 IP 467hits 174k 118bb

Is there ANYTHING in those numbers that makes you think he can be even below average instead of horrible???

The guy will be 31 next year & the ONLY reason he's still in majors is Bill Smith contract he gave out.

With the theory about regaining his form, why not get Kevin Slowey back also??

That is why I said I hope he can regain his old form. We are stuck with the guy and we need pitching next year, so hopefully he can be out #5 starter and we don't have to waste another 3 mil on a Jason Marquis type.