Article: Liam Hendriks Has Run Out of Chances

[gil4]

He still has a minor league track record that says something could click and he could become a decent pitcher. The change of scenery could be at Target Field next year - I expect to see a lot of new faces, especially in the coaching ranks.

[Shane Wahl]

He can pass through waivers and be in Rochester. Or they can keep him on the 40-man. I didn't look at the 40-man again before making my claim that they should drop him from it. Now that I look at it, good god. There is actually no way that they shouldn't keep him in some capacity.

 

Look, I have to say: if you believe Rick Anderson is a pitching coach worthy of a job, I have a Brooklyn Bridge to sell you. He needs to go away before there are such decisions made. Hendriks is either in the bullpen or gets another chance with a pitching coach is actually capable.

 

What I mean is that if this PC is still in the org and not properly fired *today* then Hendriks is one of several who will need to go away. If this PC is gone, then find a way to give the younger guys another opportunity.

[108 Double Stitches]

If the Twins can move on from Justin Morneau, who did so much for this organization in the past, it can move on from Rick Anderson.

 

I would rather give Liam Hindriks a chance with a new Twins pitching coach than Rick Anderson a chance with another Twins minor leaguer. Either way, one of them is likely going to be with another organization next year. And they might do very well with that organziation. But they haven't done well together.

[Mike Sixel]

If the Twins can move on from Justin Morneau, who did so much for this organization in the past, it can move on from Rick Anderson.

 

I would rather give Liam Hindriks a chance with a new Twins pitching coach than Rick Anderson a chance with another Twins minor leaguer. Either way, one of them is likely going to be with another organization next year. And they might do very well with that organziation. But they haven't done well together.

 

 

Great post.

[DJL44]

Better comps for Liam Hendriks - Todd Ritchie and Mike Lincoln. He may give some team 300 decent innings but he's very unlikely to be someone they kick themselves over.

[Kwak]

I wonder if the Twins were using TD as a sounding board? Article on Liam Hendriks, then today I read in PRAVDA that DeVries will get the start against Oakland replacing Hendriks in the rotation. Hmmm.

[Mike Sixel]

Pravda

[Shane Wahl]

Pravda

 

John McCain and Liam Hendriks.

[LewFordLives]

I'm not willing to give up on Hendriks. There has been some flashes (albeit brief) where's he's shown he can get big league hitters out. When he's working quickly he seems to have a little extra zip and movement on his fastball. When men get on base he starts walking around the mound and overthinks things. The game just comes to a stop and things start to sprial out of control. But that said, he's only 24, and I think his problems can be fixed.

 

If he has to pass through waivers to stay with the organization next year, than so be it. But if it's possible to keep him around, I think it might be worth it.

 

By the way...still absolutely no love for Cole DeVries on these boards. I don't see why. I'm hoping he gets to make a couple starts before the season is over.

[Shane Wahl]

By the way, my above posts about Hendriks might be the most least-committal posts I have ever made at TD. His accent makes me laugh so that might sway me.

[Shane Wahl]

How many games are left now? How about a damn different starting pitcher for each of them? It's like when bars have those "drink X number of different beers and get a t-shirt" things. Can we get some t-shirts out of the deal?

[IdahoPilgrim]

I have great difficulty seeing this as a pitching coach problem. Given that Hendriks has been ineffective from day one, that would mean that our coaching staff managed to corrupt a budding young pitcher in almost record time. A case can perhaps be made that the coaching staff has failed to help Hendriks adjust to a higher level of competition, but that assumes he has the stuff to make it in the first place, which in my mind is by no means certain. This feels like another Slama situation - someone who has great stuff in the minor leagues but, for whatever reason, it just doesn't translate into major league success. This isn't that unusual a story, at this or any other club.

[IdahoPilgrim]

How many games are left now? How about a damn different starting pitcher for each of them? It's like when bars have those "drink X number of different beers and get a t-shirt" things. Can we get some t-shirts out of the deal?

 

Reminds me of a quip Reusse made last year during the revolving door rotation we had then - he noted that rookies often have initial success, based simply on the unfamiliarity factor. He jokingly said they should get 162 starting pitchers and have one start each game of the season.

[Shane Wahl]

I kind of like the idea of having two people in the bullpen who shift between long relief and LOOGY/ROOGY (ha) depending on the situation. Enter Andrew Albers and Liam Hendriks.

 

I am also willing to try just about anything out of the gates in 2014. Four outfielders? Perkins and Burton pitching the first inning back and forth? Starting the DSL team as the Twins team? Smoking crack?

[matthew0211]

Mr. Hendriks has one option left. He was called up (added to the 40-man roster) in Sept. 2011, and was optioned to AAA in both 2012 and 2013.

 

Not that it should have any bearing as to where (if) he fits into the team's plans in 2014.

[Shane Wahl]

Mr. Hendriks has one option left. He was called up (added to the 40-man roster) in Sept. 2011, and was optioned to AAA in both 2012 and 2013.

 

Not that it should have any bearing as to where (if) he fits into the team's plans in 2014.

 

That is correct, as Jeremy's page clearly indicates. Option him if need be and let him work out of the 'pen in Rochester. Seriously.

[jimbo92107]

He is young. Hendricks can still learn to pitch. He can learn to move the ball up and down, in and out while changing speeds with each pitch. If he learns to pitch, his Strikeout rate will improve, his groundball rate will improve, and his location will improve. This is what the minor leagues are for. We have Albers and Diamond, who are a couple years older, and they are learning to be pitchers. Hendricks can learn to do it as well.

 

Problem is, the headline here is correct. His chances to become a pitcher here in Minnesota probably have run out. He may indeed learn to be a pitcher and do quite well, but unless he clears waivers and signs a minor league deal for another year in Rochester, it won't happen.

 

Meanwhile, a team with an ambitious pitching coach that's looking for a promising young arm could snap up Hendriks and stash him in their MLB bullpen for a season to see what they can develop. It's a fairly low-risk move, and it might pan out. Frankly, it's in the best interest of the player to get some different pitching coaches to see if they can find a good pitcher in there somewhere. If it happens, I wouldn't be surprised.

[Shane Wahl]

Yeah, aside from just looking at Hendriks' performance, you have to have empathy for a guy who went through the system, was actually good-great throughout and then for whatever reason has faltered big time in the majors. Given other debacles on this staff, I am not willing to simply give Hendriks the blame here. And I do feel for the guy, as dumb as it sounds, for these big struggles. If you have listened to interviews with Seth, he knows the game well. And he WAS hitting 93-94 Monday night. I don't know. Clearly the Twins can shed some bullpen money (Burton) to then spend on starters, so Hendriks to the 'pen seems like a legit move.

[ltwedt]

Seriously - Who on the Twins long list of "starters" would be in the "bigs" if it weren't for the Twins? Yeah - that's what I think, too. Nobody! Put them all out there on waivers - they will all pass through - Maybe it's time to put "Andy" on waivers, too!

[Steve Johnson]

According to the article he's out of options next yr.

 

Well okay, that's different and I stand corrected. But still, we don't have to make any sort of issue of this until the end of March. If he has a good spring, I'm guessing the Twins do not pick up enough talent this offseason to warrant any reason to keep him off the ML roster. If he's a mess, he likely passes waivers anyway.

[cmathewson]

Franks Viola was given 56 starts in his first two seasons. His second season he had an ERA+ of 77. Brad Radke led the league in home runs given up his first two seasons.

 

They were both given a long sustained opportunity in the majors. They weren't pitching each start as if it was their last. I don't know if Hendriks was worth the same opportunity given his success in the minors. The Twins will never know. For his sake, I hope they release him and a team like the Pirates gives him a fresh start.

 

So now he's the next Brad Radke waiting for an opportunity? Wow. FWIW, Radke's first three seasons in the majors:

 

42-30 4.2 ERA 652 IP

 

Hendrik's first three seasons in the majors:

2-13 6.0 ERA 151.1 IP

 

Radke was a stud from Day 1 at a younger age than Hendriks' debut. There is simply no comparison between them.

[ThePuck]

So now he's the next Brad Radke waiting for an opportunity? Wow. FWIW, Radke's first three seasons in the majors:

 

42-30 4.2 ERA 652 IP

 

Hendrik's first three seasons in the majors:

2-13 6.0 ERA 151.1 IP

 

Radke was a stud from Day 1 at a younger age than Hendriks' debut. There is simply no comparison between them.

 

You sure that's a fair stat comparison? Radke's first season his ERA was over 5.32 in 180+ innings. After 15 starts, his ERA was over 6.00. After 28 starts, his ERA was 5.32, Hendriks after 28 starts is 5.95.

 

Radke was given a very long rope and people would have been calling for his head on this site if his rookie season was happening now.

[snepp]

You sure that's a fair stat comparison? Radke's first season his ERA was over 5.32 in 180+ innings. After 15 starts, his ERA was over 6.00. After 28 starts, his ERA was 5.32, Hendriks after 28 starts is 5.95.

 

Radke was given a very long rope and people would have been calling for his head on this site if his rookie season was happening now.

 

Context required.

 

The average team in the AL scored 5.1 runs per game in Radke's rookie year, 91 era+. It's been roughly 4.4 runs per game during Hendriks time, 69 era+.

 

The comparison is a pretty poor one.

[ThePuck]

Context required.

 

The average team in the AL scored 5.1 runs per game in Radke's rookie year, 91 era+. It's been roughly 4.4 runs per game during Hendriks time, 69 era+.

 

The comparison is a pretty poor one.

 

That is true...however, there is no way to know for sure how he would have pitched in this era either...and his rookie year sure didn't make him a stud. That's the real problem when these kind of comparison even get broken out. Your point is taken and it's a good one, though.

[Kwak]

Hendriks fits the mold of too many Twins-developed starting pitchers--no "finish-em-off" pitch. These guys are trained with a regimen of pitch-count management, "pound the strike-zone" mentality that often succeeds in the minor leagues. But every team is fully aware of "The Twins Way" of pitching and simply cherry-picks the pitches. In yesterday's game one of the A's stated that guys were jumping to the bat rack! We have been fed a lot of happy stories of young pitchers in the low minors and how well they have performed. How do we know they won't be the next wave of Slama/Hendriks or for that matter Blackburn, et al ?