Article: What Was Your Favorite Kevin Jepsen Moment?

[mikelink45]

 

Rosario was called up in Jepsen's spot. The Twins are back to a 7 man bullpen.

Not for long.  That after the all star break there will be more pitcher news I would bet.

 

[EddieMatthews]

There's a lot of posts on Jepsen being washed up, pitching for the Saints, and having no value.  Remember Vance Worley and Mike Pelfrey?  They are still pitching for the Orioles and Tigers respectively.  Someone will pick him up, and maybe even give the Twins a "player to be named later" in exchange.  

 

That may bode well for the Twins regarding Nolasco.  The perfume companies are not selling good smells.  They are selling hope.  So put a little perfume on the pig and peddle Nolasco after the All-Star break.

 

I exoect that Milone will be gone after the break and Barrios will be back in the rotation.  We will see how far the rookies will carry us this year.

 

Hope is more enticing than skills.

[Seth Stohs]

 

So now you get to watch Chih-Wei Hu and Alexis Tapia for the next few years and see what they could have been doing for your own system, all to chase a Wildcard that wasn't there and to get 58.2 IP, giving up 60 hits, 8 hrs, 19 bb, 47 strikeout,  3.99 ERA 1.35 WHIP.  Could be something, could be nothing.  But trading for short term rental pieces at the deadline always bothered me as a Cubs fan.

 

Trading for Rich Aguilera and giving up Kyle Lohse.  Trading for Rich Harden and giving up Josh Donaldson, Eric Patterson, Sean Gallagher, and Matt Murton.  

 

That's what happens with July deadline trades though. You give up something to get something. The wins gave up Hu, who they knew had a chance to be good, to get a guy to try to help them get to the playoffs in 2015. Jepsen did WAY more than anyone could have expected. 2016 has been a mess, for sure though. It's the risk you trade when trading prospects, and its what the Twins will hopefully get when they trade some veterans this month. 

 

I hated the trade at the time, but it worked out well for the Twins in 2015.

[nicksaviking]

I better not criticize too much, the mods seems to think that's unacceptable. Although, if I showed up to work and was doing my job horribly for two decades, should that not be criticized by the powers at be and my customers who aren't getting what they pay for (also in this scenario, those customers payed for my office building).

******Moderator Note**********

 

I'm highlighting this post because there appears to be a disconnect between some posters and the posting policies. Being critical is fine and understandable, most of the mods are critical and frustrated. However, all posts are expected to be respectful. If a poster feels they are incapable of being critical and respectful at the same time, do not post.

 

This is an FYI only, any response to this FYI will likely be considered off topic.

[djvang]

Why is it that relievers seem to appear from nowhere to be great for awhile and then turn awful at the snap of a finger? Jepsen was great last year and awful this year.

[PopRiveter]

 

What aggravated me about the Jepsen acquisition was tha it was in pursuit of an illusion. The Twins were not a playoff team in 2015. And they weren't chasing one team, they were chasing two or three. It's a shame that the combined desperation from the previous 4 years, and the bizarre May, 2015, caused the FO to make so many short term decisions in a long term situation. Arrrggghhhh

I felt exactly the opposite. After years of losing, the Twins were finally close to striking position and had a legitimate chance of making the postseason.

 

Sure, they would be unlikely to make noise if they got there, but what a great experience that would be for the young players they hope will form the core of their future teams.

 

I had no strong feelings for or against Jepsen, He was just a name to me, but he was very reliable when the team was good. Sad it swung the opposite way this year. I'll probably forget who he was in a few years.

 

That said, I'd much rather watch the Twins trade a Chih Wei Hu while in contention than watch them protect Randy LeBlanc (this year's Low-A standout starter) while mired in an impossibly unsuccessful season.

 

This season is just plain sad. You won't hear me complain about 2015.

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I felt exactly the opposite. After years of losing, the Twins were finally close to striking position and had a legitimate chance of making the postseason.

 

Sure, they would be unlikely to make noise if they got there, but what a great experience that would be for the young players they hope will form the core of their future teams.

 

I had no strong feelings for or against Jepsen, He was just a name to me, but he was very reliable when the team was good. Sad it swung the opposite way this year. I'll probably forget who he was in a few years.

 

That said, I'd much rather watch the Twins trade a Chih Wei Hu while in contention than watch them protect Randy LeBlanc (this year's Low-A standout starter) while mired in an impossibly unsuccessful season.

 

This season is just plain sad. You won't hear me complain about 2015.

Outside of timing, I think Ryan handled last deadline somewhat appropriately. The Twins were not a great team, as I said multiple times last June and July.

 

But they were in the hunt. The way I saw it, any postseason appearance is something you pursue but given the weaknesses of the 2015 Twins, they weren't in a position to go all-out and trade significant pieces for a 2015 run (like, say, Kepler).

 

Jepsen and Cotts were fine additions. My problem is that they each happened a month later than they needed to happen.

 

The idea was fine; pick up enough pieces to stay in the race but don't overdo it. The execution was flawed because the bullpen needed help over a month before it received any (excluding the controversial move of shifting one of the team's better young starters to the bullpen).

[Mike Sixel]

I didn't like that Jepsen was the only real move (imo), that was always my issue.

 

Jepsen, for all his faults, was very helpful for this team last year, and that was great! 

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

I didn't like that Jepsen was the only real move (imo), that was always my issue.

I believe my comment was "too little, too late". 

 

The day Jespen was acquired, the Twins were in second place and eight games behind the Royals.

 

Two months prior, they were in first place and half a game up on the Royals.

 

During those two months, the Twins bullpen posted these numbers:

June: 4.38 ERA, 78.0 IP, 6.1 K/9

 

July: 4.15 ERA, 69.1 IP, 7.0 K/9

[Mike Sixel]

 

I believe my comment was "too little, too late". 

 

The day Jespen was acquired, the Twins were in second place and eight games behind the Royals.

 

Two months prior, they were in first place and half a game up on the Royals.

 

During those two months, the Twins bullpen posted these numbers:

June: 4.38 ERA, 78.0 IP, 6.1 K/9

 

July: 4.15 ERA, 69.1 IP, 7.0 K/9

 

That too.....but once they did Jepsen, I would have preferred another move of some kind. It all comes back to the previous off season, and not fixing the bullpen then......

[Brock Beauchamp]

 

That too.....but once they did Jepsen, I would have preferred another move of some kind. It all comes back to the previous off season, and not fixing the bullpen then......

Oh, sure. One could argue the problems started in the offseason - and I don't really disagree - but I understand how the Twins were hoping a young arm would rise through the minors and take the job. That was a risky plan but not an awful plan. The Twins were expected to be a bad team going into 2015.

 

Well, as it turned out, they weren't a bad team and when unexpected things happen, the plan needs to change. When the Twins turned into a contender and the young arms weren't coming through the system, moves should have been made no later than the middle of June to address glaring problems we all could see.

 

Instead, we got Jepsen on July 31st and Cotts at the end of August.

 

Hell, had they just called up Oliveros (instead of putting him in the ****ing Rochester rotation), maybe things turn out a bit differently.

 

Argh. I get mad just thinking about it.

[Vanimal46]

HA! Lester Oliveros.... Totally forgot about him and that dilemma of putting him in the rotation. Did we break him last season? Just looked him up and he doesn't have any stats this season. 

[ShouldaCouldaWoulda]

Favorite moment was looking up who he was once I heard we traded for him.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Berardino tweets that the Twins have released Jepsen.

 

https://twitter.com/MikeBerardino/status/752588868734509056

[Vanimal46]

We've reached the point where no one even wants to take on Jepsen's salary.... sad, really.

[Rosterman]

So I am now a confused owner. For a pro-rated major league minimum, I can either grab Jepsen or go after Joba Chamberlain. Someone will find a place for Jepsen now...with the Twins eating his salary.

 

Oliveros, a guy with a super arm. But got broke last season and was picked up by the Royals.

 

[Loosey]

I thought Jepsen was the right type of guy for the Twins to get last year at the deadline.  Deep down I knew the team would probably fizzle down the stretch, but making any move to get better was good.  That being said, Jepsen was not great in TB, but was an upgrade over what the Twins had.  What I didn't like at the time was what was give up to get him.  Hu was not, and still is not an elite prospect.  But he was one of a handful of A-AA pitchers the team had that were having really good success in the minors.  And since TINSTAAPP, keeping as many of those as possible is good. 

 

So basically what I am saying is, I think Jepson could have been had for less. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

And it sounds like the Rays will get Jepsen back anyway:

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/07/rays-in-talks-with-kevin-jepsen.html

[ashbury]

My two favorite Kevin Jepsen moments have to be when he joined Oswaldo Arcia's organization.

[Vanimal46]

Interesting. Good luck to Jepsen. 

[DaveW]

My favorite Jepsen moment is when we traded a pretty damn good prospect for him, then the Rays ended up getting him back for free about a year later (After we overpaid him by too much) for the minimum.

 

 

[spanman2]

 

Protecting that 12 run lead, ninth inning lead  yesterday. I had my doubts, but, damn if he didn't get the job done.

IALTO!!!