Jump to content
Twins Daily
  • Create Account

Article: Twins Sign Closer Rodney To One-Year Deal


Nick Nelson

Recommended Posts

The Twins headed into the Winter Meetings with almost zero closing experience on their roster. They will exit with a wealth of it.

 

On Thursday the team agreed to terms with veteran reliever Fernando Rodney, who ranks third among active major-league players with 300 career saves. Craig Mish reports that it’s a one-year, $6 million deal.Recently, Twins GM Thad Levine explained that he’s open-minded about his future closer already being on the roster, but made clear he wasn’t keen on throwing any of the internal options directly into that role.

 

Based on this mindset, Rodney is a very logical fit. He doesn’t require an extensive commitment, allowing Minnesota to retain plenty of flexibility going forward. He adds a healthy infusion of veteran experience to a bullpen that clearly lacked it. And there are plenty of signs to suggest he’s capable of being a force in the late innings.

 

One might look at Rodney’s 4.23 ERA from 2017 and presume he’s in decline. After all, he does turn 41 in March. But a closer look suggests that the right-hander significantly outperformed his inflated ERA. He posted a 3.03 FIP, registered his best strikeout rate since 2013 (10.6 K/9), and was dominant in the second half (17 out of 18 saves converted, 2.55 ERA, .189 BAA, 31-to-8 K/BB in 25 innings).

 

Over the past six seasons, Rodney has been tremendously durable, making 61 or more appearances in each. He has also mostly been very effective, landing on three All Star teams while posting a 3.11 ERA, 3.22 FIP, and 1.23 WHIP.

 

Known as much for his amusing style on the field as his performance (he wears his hat cocked to the side and shoots an imaginary arrow into the sky after every successful save), Rodney is sure to become a source of entertaining for fans, as well as anxiety. His clearest blemish is a lack of control (4.4 BB/9 career, 4.2 in 2017), so the Twins will need to hope he can continue keeping the contact in check.

 

We’ll have further analysis of the move soon, but feel free to share your initial thoughts in the comments section below.

 

Click here to view the article

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A solid signing. the money is fine, I like that's it's a 1 year deal considering how many power arms we have in the system in relief roles that could easily emerge.  The experience will probably help some of the younger relievers adjust, and it looks like he should still be effective...and if it turns out he's cooked it won't be hard to move on.

 

Good move to bolster the roster.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pretty hard to complain about this....low money one year deal with a chance to be a nice bullpen addition and a mentor to the younsters.  With Busentiz, Rogers, Hildenberger and Curtiss all in, it's not too bad but sure wouldn't mind a quality veteran signing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Twins really must believe in the young arms...especially if he is the only signing in the bullpen.  There were some good arms that were signed to reasonable deals.

We will certainly see some minor league signings with a high likelihood of making the roster after 60 day DL moves. The Twins have done fairly well with those and there will be some experienced, though initially unexciting, names there as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Blech. I don't know why people care about it being cheap. For another 2MM a year they could have had a good RP. Why do people care it was cheap?

 

They had a bad bullpen last year, and they are pretty much doubling down on last year's strategy. Cheap old veteran and rule V pick....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kanley, Duffy, Pressley, Busenitz, Rogers, Hildenberger, Rodney

 

This our bullpen when we head Minnesota in late March? Little underwhelming for what everyone was saying they thought they would do.

 

But if Kanley is OK, and guys like Curtis, Jay, Reed, Eades, Moya step up and just one can have the impact Hildy did it'll look a lot better. Also if Pineda joins the pen in September he could maybe be an impact arm.

 

I really hope we're all in on Darvish though...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just checking. But if my math is correct for this upcoming year's payroll we have spent $2 million on Pineda and $4.5 million on Rodney. So they should have some money to spend on one of Darvish, Arrietta, Lynn or Cobb. 

 

As far as bullpen, Addison Reed is out there. The roster is at 39, so if we sign one starter and one more reliever I would say that Dietrich Ens would probably be the one to go. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have any problems with this. He was reasonably successful last year and it is a short term deal for modest money.

Overall I am not a fan of spending big money in the bullpen or long contracts. Too much volatility but this should add a decent (but not great) arm into the 7th/8th/9th inning and I don't even care which role he takes. Who the actual closer is is overrated anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

two years for a good RP is somehow that much worse than 1 year of a mediocre, old, one?

 

According to the data out there, pretty much.

 

Elite relievers you are often OK, but going into lesser tiers with multi-year deals usually end in tears.

 

Like I said, acceptable second reliever. Not sure what they are doing for the first one though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This signing would (?will?) be more agreeable to me if he was (?is?) part of a back-of-the-rotation package that was (?is?) being brought in, like what the Rockies did with Shaw, McGee and perhaps Holland, the Phillies did with Neshek and Hunter or what the Cubs did with Cishek and Morrow.

 

I don't know that I like Rodney solo; without being part of a package of excellent veteran relief arms, I'm going to be concerned that he's going to get way too long of a leash when it comes to the highest of leverage situations. I would not trust Molitor to pull the plug early on a veteran closer in favor of an inexperienced one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
The Twins Daily Caretaker Fund
The Twins Daily Caretaker Fund

You all care about this site. The next step is caring for it. We’re asking you to caretake this site so it can remain the premier Twins community on the internet.

×
×
  • Create New...