Front Page: Trusting Internal Starting Pitching Options

[Vanimal46]

 

As 5th starters you go to your  depth to develop starters. Then you go to Smeltzer, Grateral, etc.... Spend the money on a high end pitcher that can help the front of the rotation and let the prospects take care of the 5th spot. How are we ever going to develop pitchers at the major league level if we don't give them a shot?

 

Contending teams generally don't develop pitchers at the MLB level... They call them up when they perform so well at AA/AAA that it can't be ignored anymore. 

[Tomj14]

 

Contending teams generally don't develop pitchers at the MLB level... They call them up when they perform so well at AA/AAA that it can't be ignored anymore. 

agreed and I would add they are generally not part of plan A, they are part of the back up and back up to the back up plans and if they want to stay they have to force the team to make the hard decision.

 

A good example would be the 2019 Twins, The plan was to have 5 established pitchers be the starting rotation. The back up plan was to fingers crossed on a bunch of rookies, that works for a team coming off a 78 win season.

The 2020 Twins aren't coming off a 78 win season they are coming off a 101 and currently the plan is 2 established starting pitchers and 1 for three fourths of the season, and fingers crossed on 3 rookies for a quarter of the season and 2 rookie's for other three fourths of a season, and the back up plan is more rookie pitchers.

[Brandon83]

The idea of moving Graterol to the pen & as an 8th or 9th inning guy is an intriguing one, as surely his heater would play in the pen. I'm even for it should they decide to go that way. Starters while still valuable have lost some relevance due to the emergence of managers using their bullpens more.

 

However, I think they have too see if Graterol can become a starter. He won't be fully ready to join the rotation until 2021 but any injury concerns about how hard he throws shouldn't scare them off. He is built like a tank despite him being shorter than what is considered ideal, he has the frame to withstand the wear & tear of pitching 200 innings a year.

 

We have not had a dominant starter since Johan & haven't had one with a heater like his maybe ever. We have to be willing to accept some risk to see if he can reach his potential.

 

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Don Walcott]

Considering how well Nelson Cruz did with Sano last year, I can't believe we haven't already signed up Bartolo Colon to work with Graterol. Mini Big Sexy, anyone?

[jorgenswest]

Small to mid market teams have to develop their own pitching. Cleveland contends and has developed pitchers at the major league level.

 

The Twins need one more starter but they also need to risk handing the ball 40-50 times to their younger near ready starters.

[Major League Ready]

 

agreed and I would add they are generally not part of plan A, they are part of the back up and back up to the back up plans and if they want to stay they have to force the team to make the hard decision.

 

A good example would be the 2019 Twins, The plan was to have 5 established pitchers be the starting rotation. The back up plan was to fingers crossed on a bunch of rookies, that works for a team coming off a 78 win season.

The 2020 Twins aren't coming off a 78 win season they are coming off a 101 and currently the plan is 2 established starting pitchers and 1 for three fourths of the season, and fingers crossed on 3 rookies for a quarter of the season and 2 rookie's for other three fourths of a season, and the back up plan is more rookie pitchers.

 

So you assumption is because they have not signed a 4th established starter by Dec 20th. that the current roster is their completed plan. Man you would be a tough guy to please as a sales manager.

[Mike Sixel]

Small to mid market teams have to develop their own pitching. Cleveland contends and has developed pitchers at the major league level.

 

The Twins need one more starter but they also need to risk handing the ball 40-50 times to their younger near ready starters.

Agreed, but the timing is off for this year and possibly next.

[DocBauer]

I am a huge believer in having your #5 SP be a rookie or young arm. Or a rotation of young arms until someone grabs that spot.

 

But with Pineda missing some time early and being a real playoff contender, I agree the time isn't right to bank on that this year.

 

Besides, there is the time Pineda will be out as well as injuries, etc, for these kids to get their shot this year.

[jorgenswest]

In the 13 games started by Smeltzer, Dobnak and Thorpe the Twins went 8-5. I think two of those were openers where they went 1-1. It is not as if every single game is dependent on the starter. The difference between Keuchel and whichever of the 4 is most effective may be negligible. In fact since the Twins can roll through 4 pitchers the odds might be that one of them is a match for Keuchel.

 

The Twins need one more playoff caliber pitcher but then I think the are better served giving the rest of the starts to the younger pitchers. The only free agent left that I would trust is Ryu. A long term deal to any other could be years of mediocrity blocking the opportunity to develop pitching in house.

 

Add 1 starter and go with two younger starters until Pineda. The better of the young starters gets the fifth spot or by then maybe Graterol takes over. They need to invest 40-50 starts into those young pitchers.

[Riverbrian]

Small to mid market teams have to develop their own pitching. Cleveland contends and has developed pitchers at the major league level.

The Twins need one more starter but they also need to risk handing the ball 40-50 times to their younger near ready starters.

Agreed... just not at the start of the year.

 

There will be plenty of injury and poor performance for the depth to rise past. Civale didn’t start the season but he pitched well enough to start the following season.

 

The Twins should go get two unless they are using the Tampa model and if they are using the Tampa model they will need more bullpen... and they should stop reading Twinsdaily for awhile. Because it will get loud in here.

[Tomj14]

 

So you assumption is because they have not signed a 4th established starter by Dec 20th. that the current roster is their completed plan. Man you would be a tough guy to please as a sales manager.

As of December 23rd, can you tell me there is a different plan?

As a sales manager and there is only so may available clients to buy whatever it is your selling, yes I would be disappointed that all the big client were gone, the lesser clients were gone and you are trying to tell me don't worry we have months before the deadline and that you may actually steal another client away from another company.