Notebook: Twins Shutout O’s; Odorizzi Says Farewell

[Tom Froemming]

Kenta Maeda led a masterful performance by the pitching staff this afternoon, which was also highlighted by a dazzling inning from Alex Colomé, as the Twins beat Baltimore 1-0. Highlights from that game and more in today’s notebook.Twins 1, Orioles 0 (7 innings)

Box Score | Baseball Savant

 

TWINS TAKEAWAYS

Stanoud pitcher: Kenta Maeda (3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K, 41 pitches, 31 strikes)

Standout hitter: Miguel Sanó (game-winning RBI double)

Fastest pitch: Alex Colomé 95.3 mph

Max exit velo: Josh Donaldson 105.9 mph

 

What a performance from the pitching staff. Kenta Maeda was the headliner with his three shutout innings, but Alex Colomé also impressed, as he struck out the only three batters he faced. Taylor Rogers and Tyler Duffey followed with clean innings of their own before Luke Farrell and Brandon Waddell combined to strike out the side in the seventh.

 

Altogether the staff racked up 12 strikeouts in just seven innings of work, surrendered three hits and didn’t issue a single walk. Here are some highlights:

 

 

Baltimore’s pitching was nearly just as effective, but Jorge Polanco hit a one-out single in the seventh inning and Miguel Sanó plated the game’s only run with a double. Because 2021 Spring Training games are weird, it wasn’t a walk-off. The teams played through the rest of the inning before calling it a day.

 

Tomorrow: at Rays 12:05 pm CT (José Berríos) available on FSN

 

OTHER NOTES

MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park reported that Andrelton Simmons is expected to make his first appearance sometime soon. Per Rocco Baldelli, the goal is Friday. J.A. Happ could appear in a game “sometime very soon.”

 

Park also passed along a message former Twin Jake Odorizzi had to the fans in Minnesota:

 

We now have the full details of Odorizzi’s new contract with the Astros, and I’m at a loss as to why he isn’t pitching for the Twins again in 2021. It’s a two-year deal with an option for a third that comes with $23.5 million guaranteed and maxes out at $39.25 million if Odorizzi reaches all the performance incentives included.

 

With the starting pitching market being so thin this offseason, I thought there would be more of a demand for Odorizzi than that. Both Marcus Stroman and Kevin Gausman accepting qualifying offers combined with Masahiro Tanaka going back to Japan seemed to create the perfect opportunity for Odo to cash in, but it just didn’t work out that way.

 

The Twins decided to add J.A. Happ and Matt Shoemaker to the rotation for a combined $10 million instead of pursuing Odorizzi. Let’s hope that works out ...

 

Statcast data isn’t available at all Spring Training ballparks, but Baseball Savant has searchable data for the info it has on file. Here are the fastest pitches thrown by Twins heading into today:

 

Download attachment: Screenshot 2021-03-09 at 9.53.03 AM.png

 

And the hardest-hit balls:

 

Download attachment: Screenshot 2021-03-09 at 9.56.28 AM.png

 

It was warm enough in Minneapolis for the grounds crew to remove the tarp from Target Field this afternoon.

 

SEE ALSO

The Twins Have (Already) Found Matt Wisler 2.0

Two Changes That Can Unlock Lewis Thorpe’s Full Potential

Twins Rotation Depth Could be Tested Early

 

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[DocBauer]

Maeda looking like how he finished last season. I have no problem with Colome. I like him. The Dirty Sox let him go because La Russa wants a traditional closer.

 

Still say Robles just being his normal self is a key to the pen.

 

In regards to Oddo, I wanted him back. I thought it was a given for so many reasons. I thought he and Pineda would give the team a tremendous 3-4 punch. But everything I have heard and read is he wanted a longer and greater $ value than the Twins were willing to offer. Good for him. And if he had been willing to go 1yr or 2yr we might have found a match.

 

But Happ for 1yr would seem to equalize things with some really nice options being ready or almost ready. And there is depth. There is imminent potential. I don't feel we are at a disadvantage simply because we didn't keep Oddo. There's just too much coming up really soon and on hand to stress the rotation for 2021.

 

I'd like to have Oddo. For 2021, I still like what we have.

[Dman]

I think Colome has been reading my critiques and wanted to shut me up, lol.  Let me say I was impressed with his inning of work today and he can feel free to make me look bad anytime.

 

The pitching looked good today not much more to say than that.  I was happy to see Colome look like the dominant pitcher I thought we were getting.  Maeda does what Maeda does and makes it look easy.

 

Farrell and Wadell got some work and were all K's today.  Farrell is still right there for the Sire of Fort Meyers.  He has 5 K's in 2.1 innings of work for a 70% K rate while keeping his WHIP at .43. I know that is a small sample size but dang that is some good pitching right from the start.  That is a good way to get noticed.

 

Speaking of Sire of Fort Meyers candidates Broxton actually took a walk today.  He also struck out once bringing that nasty K rate into the 30% range but if he continues to make good contact and have a decent eye at the plate he could really help this team.

 

Looks like guys are settling in and pitching is going to be tougher from here on out the regular season can't get here fast enough.

[Doctor Gast]

I was also very surprised that Odo wasn't signed sooner, wish him well. They shouldn't have put so much stock on freaky 2020.

I was expecting more hits, Orioles must have pitched a good game

[Trov]

I personally was not surprised by Odo deal and taking so long.  I agree with fact that market thinned out which should have helped.  However, with teams still wondering about COVID revenue and CBA for a guy like Odo is a risk.  Odo has put up decent numbers over his career and at stretches was a top guy.  

 

However, he also will never be a top guy in a rotation.  He throws too many pitches to go much more than 5 innings most games.  Meaning even if he makes 32 to 33 starts he will still only pitch about 165 innings.  He has been healthy most of his career, but he is turning 31 this year, and really that is the time that pitchers need to make changes in their game.  Will he stay healthy, and will he make the changes needed to adjust for change in velocity that will happen as he ages?  I hope he can pitch well, but combo of his lack of innings and age are a big reason in my mind he did not get to cash in.  

 

I think teams have decided spending top free agent money for non-top guys simply because market is thin is not good way to spend.  Next year will have a lot of top free agent guys next year, and many teams would not want to spend big on a middle rotation guy. 

[USNMCPO]

My thought on Odo is that he probably wanted more money/term than the Twins were willing to pay. With that, the Twins decided to go another route. The market dried up for ODO but the Twins were no longer looking his way, so he had to settle for the Houston offer.

[ToddlerHarmon]

A few nice things to see in that exit velocity top 10:

 

- 8 different players

- 6 of whom will be in the starting lineup

- that's without Sano - yet

[MN_ExPat]

I was impressed by Canterino.                   Not only did he show top of the charts velo, but his command, mound presence and pitch movement looked really good as well.

 

Also, his mechanics looked fundamentally sound.  The kid will be just fine if he continues doing what he is doing .

[Squirrel]

Very nice message from Odo. Was hoping we'd re-sign him, but, the market fell where it did.

[cHawk]

I’m a bit worried about the offense - I know that if it doesn’t improve from last year we are going nowhere.