How Soon Could Top Prospect Brusdar Graterol Debut?

If you throw 100, it doesn't much matter where the ball comes across the strike zone. Location is overrated for a 1-inning guy; just don't walk guys and any trouble you get in will be minimal.

I will grant that 100 mph will beat some guys no matter where in the zone it goes. However, there are also guys that can time a 100 mph heater and rifle it right back where it came from, or over the fence. Even a guy like Aroldis Chapman needs enough command to avoid the middle of the zone. Velocity by itself does not get it done. 

Two options are to either continue his development as a starter by building him back up in the minors....or, immediately (more or less) bringing him up to be a reliever or 'opener'.

I say bring him up, and see what happens. He can be converted back to a starter for a future season (not that I think that's likely).

Actually I do think it's a smart plan. Many, many people were howling for them to trade guys like Graterol for bullpen help. They took a lot of heat for refusing. I'm glad they held out. Graterol might contribute more to the bullpen THIS YEAR than a trade target like Dyson. But if we'd shown we were serious about winning now, we'd either lose that reliever next year, or pay him a market rate salary, completely offsetting the chance to hire a similar reliever for the same salary as a free agent. Instead, we have six years of cost-controlled pitching from a guy who already touches 100mph at age 20 and could be part of a playoff-quality rotation for years to come. I'll take that trade any day. Or in this case, that non-trade.  I'm hoping to see Graterol in the pen this year for the pennant run and playoffs, and in the rotation with Balazovic and Duran two or three years from now. In the meantime, rookie relievers often start really strong and can be difference makers in the playoffs. Not a sure thing obviously but neither is Dyson, or Greene, etc.

Also there's the whole thing with pitchers about the clock that quickly ticks down in terms of maintaining velocity and/or avoiding arm injuries and staying healthy.   Only so many bullets in the chamber.  I think with pitchers it's important to be more aggressive than less, especially if you can bring them up for the last month as a reliever...sheltering them a little bit...getting them good exposure in a way that can potentially help the team.  

It's actually smart baseball and it's been done by many good and successful playoff teams.

I will grant that 100 mph will beat some guys no matter where in the zone it goes. However, there are also guys that can time a 100 mph heater and rifle it right back where it came from, or over the fence. Even a guy like Aroldis Chapman needs enough command to avoid the middle of the zone. Velocity by itself does not get it done. 

Chapman is able to pair his fastball with a pretty good slider to keep hitters honest and prevent them from trying to time his fastball. Chapman also has a fairly high career walk rate, so it isn't like he is a guy that spots his pitches. Elite velocity plays well just about anywhere in the zone.

If Graterol can mix in his secondary stuff for strikes, he will be great. Should he get called up (fingers crossed!) I would rather see him get hit a little because he is throwing strikes than put guys on for free.

Kinda depends on who that 20 year old is, doesn't it?

The point is that if we are calling up unproven prospects fromAA as our go to plan then someone screwed up both last winter and at the trade deadline. I hope Graterol is the next Nolan Ryan but it wouldn’t be Plan A for me

I can see him coming handy as a long-man in the playoffs.

If a starter gets pounded early, he could come in for a few and bridge the gap the Duffey/May-Romo-Rogers. That Atlanta series was a great example. This team will score eventually. You’re not out of a game being down 4-5 runs. But, too often those game are punted and the starter is thrown to the wolves, guys get pulled, moves that should happen don’t (pinch hitting Arraez for Schoop with runners on 2nd and 3rd). Throw a guy like Graterol at them for 3-4 innings and you may just get back into the game.

Graterol isn't plan A though.

Romo and Dyson were plan A.

The plan isn’t working and they could have prevented all of this

The point is that if we are calling up unproven prospects fromAA as our go to plan then someone screwed up both last winter and at the trade deadline. I hope Graterol is the next Nolan Ryan but it wouldn’t be Plan A for me

Since the Twins are thrashing around looking for something positive, might as well invite Graterol to the party. Who knows, if they keep playing musical chairs with talented prospects, maybe one or two will shine. We already know Smeltzer looks real, and Thorpe looks promising. If Graterol is a high prospect, maybe he will bust out with great stuff. I'd also like to see Duran and Balasovic get a shot before the regular season is through. As others have observed, a big heater should not be wasted in the minor leagues. 

The answer to the OP is “not soon enough”.

3 k's in 1.2 innings last night.

Edit: I bet he gets 2-3 more outings to prove he's healthy and adjust to the role of coming out of the pen and he'll be up before the end of the month.

The point is that if we are calling up unproven prospects fromAA as our go to plan then someone screwed up both last winter and at the trade deadline. I hope Graterol is the next Nolan Ryan but it wouldn’t be Plan A for me

I have no problem relying on guys that have talent that have thrived at the lower levels.    Knoblach, Mauer, and countless other unproven prospects have been plan A and it worked out just fine.   White, Herr and countless other proven veterans have tanked.    Graterol being called up in September for relief was not my plan A.   My plan A was for him to be called up as a starter in July.

Graterol was injured this year. The Twins are more likely to shut him down than call him up.

Graterol with 101 innings last year, 53 innings do far this year. They'd like to get him to 120 this year is think.

I feel worse about the minor league disabled list. We could use a slugging outfielder (or maybe a temporary DH) but both Brent Rooker and Luke Raley are on the disabled list...too long. And even top prospect Nick Gordon is on the Il. Last year Zach Granite was on the DL and Jake Cave made the most of the opportunity, thus causing Granite to go elsewhere. With LaMonte Wade also ailing, the Twins have no excess 40-man guys ready for the majors, at least until Willians ends his rebah.

I also feel for Trevor Hildenger, who should be working his butt off at Rochester insteda of putting time in on the IL. He may be passed and his days numbered. Not to mention Stephen Gonsalves, once the NEXT in-line for the rotation, who has an all-but-forgot season.

Tyler Wells looked to be back after lost time, but is nowhere to be found on the diamond. Hector Lujan was a surprise but also injured, along with Cole Sands.

And Akil Baddoo is losing a second season.

Falvintony is pulling every rabbit out of every hat right now trying to find someone, anyone who can help. I find this refreshing. Old regime would never exhaust every arm between Mpls & Rochester like Falvintony. No reason to think he won't bring up Graterol. We have to add him to the 40 man this winter. Dobnak is a prime example of the new Falvintony way. I love it. A ball to the Twins in under a year. See what happens. Why not? Maybe just maybe we hit big on one of these kids. Smeltzer is exhibit A. Looking for an exhibit B. Falvintony's looking hard. Who's next.

Not to relive this but...

we said no. Astros said ok.

The player was Garret Cole.

In answer to your question, August 23 is the day I expect Graterol to arrive in the TC...or wherever they are playing on that date.

If true, awful. And not just in hindsight

http://twinsdaily.com/blog/877/entry-9214-on-acquiring-yu-darvish-or-gerrit-cole/

Not to relive this but...

we said no. Astros said ok.

The player was Garret Cole.

We get a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for those 3 today. Unfortunately in Dec '17 we weren't what we are today - we never heard of Arraez - Jay was a top pick we still had hope for, and Granite was an exciting up and coming contact/speedster guy. Prospects are just that, prospects. Go get a stud starter is an easy decision for an Astros team coming off a title, with alot of young controlled starters, and still plenty of prospects. When we win it all this year, I expect we'll feel more comfortable trading away some good prospects this winter for stud starters too.