If Duffey goes to AAA and Nolasco goes to the rotation, that would open another pen spot, no? I could see both Pressly and Kintzler in that scenario. Not that I endorse it, just that it is plausible.

 

Duffey also faced a AAA lineup and got lit up.

 

I am not sure what that has to do with Nolasco's performance, but yes, I think so.

The Twins would be smart to have the 33 year old Ricky Nolasco in the starting rotation to begin the year.  Nolasco is owed $12 mil this season and another $12 mil next season (2017).  The best thing that could happen is that he pitches well and the Twins could trade him and that bad salary.

I am fine with Tonkin going, but prefer he is picked up.  He has had enough time in AAA and has not had a real extended look.  If he can catch on elsewhere I wish him luck.  Nothing else is really exciting here.  We have some real potential in the minors and when they come up I will be really pleased. 

 

Seth, that is the whole point. If the manager is only sending a guy out to face scrubs, that tells us something about their evaluation of the player.

 

Then, according to this Phil Hughes who started in the back fields for 2 full games should be SOL...

They can begin with Duffey starting in AAA. He will be needed. It is worth seeing if Nolasco can approach the pitcher he was with the Dodgers. Their rotation depth is a strength if they have Duffey ready and Nolasco has something left.

 

The bullpen will sort itself out. The last spot is not going to shift the record. Giving it to Tonkin and having him pitch in a low leverage role might give him a chance to show he is a major leaguer before they expose him.

Bullpen depth is important, who goes north in 10 days isn't that important.

After their past couple of outings, it's looking like Nolasco could be in the rotation to begin the season with Duffey in AAA. (Which brings back the whole "why is May in the bullpen" issue/debate) But we don't know what we don't know. We don't know what Molitor and his staff are thinking, nor do we know if Duffey has been under some strict pitch selection regiment at this time.

 

But I am begining to think/believe more and more that the Twins may carry a pair of lefties out of the gate. Without looking back at every inning they appeared in and who was in the game at the time, Abad, O'Rourke and Runtzler have all shown pretty well. Darnell and Bosses have also flashed. (There is room to play with the 40 man spots)

Bullpen depth is important, who goes north in 10 days isn't that important.

I think it is. When guys like Fien, Abad, or Kintzler go north, like Boyer, Stauffer, Burton, Duensing, Gray, etc. before them, they tend to be locked into a roster spot all year, outside of the rare epically bad/injury case like Stauffer.

 

Depth is good but it's not so useful when you sacrifice the flexibility necessary to employ it.

But I am begining to think/believe more and more that the Twins may carry a pair of lefties out of the gate. Without looking back at every inning they appeared in and who was in the game at the time, Abad, O'Rourke and Runtzler have all shown pretty well. Darnell and Bosses have also flashed. (There is room to play with the 40 man spots)

Maybe, but I get the impression they really like Abad. They were all set to open with 1 lefty middle reliever last year too (Duensing) before the Santana suspension.

 

And the other lefty candidates you mention can all be shipped to Rochester, and none have any kind of veteran's claim to a MLB roster spot like Kintzler or Pressly.

 

Would be curious who is designated the long reliever (over 2 innings) in this pen, without Nolasco. Darnell is about the only guy left who could do it, but I don't see them adding him back to the 40-man so quickly after removing him. It might default to Trevor May, if they think the closer/setup situation has otherwise improved since the second half last year.

No way it is May. As much as people want to criticize the Twins, no way does he have that role.

Kinda off topic, but pullpen related: over on Twinkie Town there's an article up claiming that Tonkin has thrown 46 pitches in games so far this spring, 45 for strikes.

 

That can't possibly be correct, can it?

 

I'm going to assume that's the author not knowing that spring training "game day" pitch counts aren't accurate.

 

Kinda off topic, but pullpen related: over on Twinkie Town there's an article up claiming that Tonkin has thrown 46 pitches in games so far this spring, 45 for strikes.

That can't possibly be correct, can it?

I'm going to assume that's the author not knowing that spring training "game day" pitch counts aren't accurate.

The only ball thrown then was the HPB  he has recorded at Bref

I think it is. When guys like Fien, Abad, or Kintzler go north, like Boyer, Stauffer, Burton, Duensing, Gray, etc. before them, they tend to be locked into a roster spot all year, outside of the rare epically bad/injury case like Stauffer.

 

Depth is good but it's not so useful when you sacrifice the flexibility necessary to employ it.

It shouldn't be that important but given how the Twins are (too) often slow to adjust when a guy is underperforming, it becomes a big deal.

 

Kinda off topic, but pullpen related: over on Twinkie Town there's an article up claiming that Tonkin has thrown 46 pitches in games so far this spring, 45 for strikes.

That can't possibly be correct, can it?

I'm going to assume that's the author not knowing that spring training "game day" pitch counts aren't accurate.

Either that, or we can assume that Tonkin has been replaced with a pitching machine.  There are other stats that seem to back up that assumption too.

 

No way it is May. As much as people want to criticize the Twins, no way does he have that role.

Note I didn't say "mop up man" although long relief sometimes does come in those situations.

 

But the Twins used Francisco Liriano (#6 prospect in MLB) in that role to begin 2006, and Johan Santana (our most effective starter in 2002) in that role to begin 2003.  I don't see why they'd hesitate to use May in the role to begin 2016 assuming they like the rest of their pen.  Could simply be a response to the back issues May was having down the stretch last year, preventing him from appearing in back to back games anyway.

 

Kinda off topic, but pullpen related: over on Twinkie Town there's an article up claiming that Tonkin has thrown 46 pitches in games so far this spring, 45 for strikes.

That can't possibly be correct, can it?

I'm going to assume that's the author not knowing that spring training "game day" pitch counts aren't accurate.

 

That's not accurate

 

2 days ago: 14 pitches 9 strikes 5 balls (3 FBs 2 SLs)

 

Not sure that Abad is a lock.  O'Rourke and Runzler did as well as he has done this spring.

 

I'd like to see Duffey in the pen because he has higher upside than the others.  Otherwise the 2016 pen will be the same as the 2015 pen that was the worst or second worst in the league.

 

Pressly earned a spot as well.   

 

Just a matter with how many lefties they will go out the gate and whether Ryan has the guts to turn Duffey in a reliever to help the team.

I'd rather see Duffey start in AAA than go back to being a reliever. Seems like such a huge step backwards for him, the one time the Twins succeeded in making a college reliever into a MLB starter.