Article: Three-Bagger: Rocky Rotation, Replacements & Raw Power

[LimestoneBaggy]

 

I've been watching more than I should... I think it's partly the whole train wreck / can't look away factor.  But at some point for my health I need to stop, and that point might be when Buxton is called back up and Danny Santana continues to play

 

For the sake of my kids and marriage, I've cut back about 60%. I can't handle the rage/depression switching. It's brutal. I wish I had a better word.

[wsnydes]

 

I agree with this - give them a chance when they come up (although that might mean you have to fire the manager). My point is that only Polanco and Beresford are really playing at a level that shows they should get that chance and might be successful. Also, Buxton soon if he keeps it up. The late June OF - Grossman, Buxton and Santana. 

My only real change to that would be to call Kepler up.  I know he's hurt now, but I would have given him a chance anyway.  He was trending in the right direction and didn't get a real opportunity while he was with the big club.  If Vargas wasn't blocked by two guys, I'd add him to that list too but I don't know how to use him.

[dxpavelka]

 

Other than pitching to AAA batters, if Milone is not doing anything different than he did in the majors the results will be the same as before.

Or they could be the same as in 2012 when he was a fairly serviceable big league pitcher.  Guess that's why they play the games.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

I'd guess nobody wants to pay him $6 mil. 

Milone's salary this year is only $4.5 mil.  At the time he was waived, he had roughly ~$3.75 mil remaining.

 

If he was really a league-average starter, I have to think multiple teams would have claimed him at that price.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Right now the Twins need starters that can give them innings and salvage the beleaguered bullpen. Even with this terrible W/L record that is still a significant priority.

Milone averaged fewer IP/GS in 2016 MLB than Duffey, Santana, Nolasco, Hughes, and Gibson.  He trailed all of those pitchers in the same category for 2015 too, except the hobbled Nolasco.  His 2015 IP/GS mark was virtually the same as notably poor innings-eater Mike Pelfrey, and just a hair ahead of bullpen-bound Trevor May.

 

Milone's IP/GS has dropped each year of his career since his rookie season in Oakland.  His career mark is lower than even Nolasco's poor 2014 season.

 

I'd guess there are probably other directions the Twins could go in 2016 for similar "innings eating" performance that are more useful for a club in our position.  (And if they involve pitchers with options, like Dean, May, Rogers, Darnell, Wheeler, Berrios, Meyer, etc., that is even better, because those pitchers have the flexibility to be optioned out for an extra reliever as needed -- something we can't do with Milone.)

[nokomismod]

 

Best career ERA of any starter but Duffey.    2nd best ERA on the team last year.    SSS this year with ERA inflated due to Molitor not pulling him soon enough one game and reliever giving up all three runs in a bases loaded two out situation in another..     Milone should not have been sent down in the first place.     Nolasco on the other hand was ok in a very SSS and was kept instead.    I also would have preferred Milone to Hughes.     When Berrios or Meyer are performing well enough to push for promotion then Milone can be the guy that gets dumped.   I prefer to see a guy with limited stuff and great command to someone with limited stuff and very poor command.

I agree with you and I have enjoyed watching Milone when he has good games. He had quite a few last year and if he is pitching well again, let's get him on track here  and then possibly trade him or keep him.

[Dantes929]

 

This is extreme cherry-picking.  Yes, Milone had 3 inherited runners score in one game, but relievers also stranded 4 of his inherited runners in other starts.

 

Also, in the game where the 3 inherited runners scored, Milone actually had a runner at first with two outs, before he walked consecutive batters to reach 102 pitches and bring up the heart of the Brewers order, of which Braun was already 2-for-2 vs Milone that day, and Lucroy had a fly ball caught at the fence in dead center, and another caught at the opposite field warning track in right.  If you're past 100 pitches and not out of the 5th inning yet, it's hard to muster much sympathy for you.

 

And what game this year did Milone not get pulled soon enough?  Was it April 15th vs the Angels?  He was at 68 pitches through 6 innings, his only remotely efficient start of the year.  Letting him face 3 batters in the 7th inning was hardly keeping him in too long -- it wasn't Molitor's fault that Milone gave up a HR, a walk, and another HR to those 3 batters.  Every other start of the year, Milone failed to complete 5 innings due to his own poor and inefficient performance.

Yes, it was definitely cherry picking.    I believe I 2nd guess manager decisions less than most.    I just remember saying to my wife about the Angels game that 6 innings was enough.   Third time through the order.   He hadn't pitched past 5 yet.  Just his 2nd game.   Let him feel good about a 6 inning shutout and let the relievers start the inning.     Not hindsight because I said it all before it happened but I admit it was just a gut feeling that he should be pulled at that point.    The other game I just saw that he was pulled with 2 outs and bases loaded and that all three guys scored.      Cherry picking but the overriding principal is that he only got 4 starts.   I am guessing that he would have a better ERA than Nolasco at this point mainly because he has a better career ERA (AL vs NL to boot), a better ERA with the Twins and a better ERA last year.    I am all for any of the young guys replacing him because of earning promotion.    Not so much for Nolasco getting the pick based on 20 innings.

[jsteve96]

I love how everyone gets worked up about the K's.. Sano may be K'ing at a league high clip, but he has a .736 OPS even after a long slump. So he's an above League average hitter at what I think is the trough of his slump. 1 word for people worried about Sano. "R-E-L-A-X" so for Walker coming up, I agree 44% is too much, get it down to 36-38 I consider it because of all that power. Arica was K'ing at a 45% rate when he was hitting well earlier this year, lately he's dropped it down to 36% and has struggled hitting recently. No contact > soft contact. Just gotta ease them into it and hope they can learn to adjust and be more selective at the plate.