Report: Twins Nearing Multi-Year Deal with Michael Pineda

So let me get this straight. So far, treading water, and have just dropped Gibson from the rotation. Have I missed anything?

 

It's like extending Pineda for two years with a 2 million/year raise. I wonder how most would have felt about this extension right after he was suspended ? (Which is essentially what has happened except for the time delay) Odo gets a one year extension with a raise of several million. So, so far, same rotation with the AAAA fillers at the rear except Gibson is gone. But money to spend, and room for starter(s). And $trasburg (and Rendon) and Bumgarner are available for $ and a draft pick (of which, what is it, 80% or something, is it, fail?), and Keuchel for $ only.

 

Watching the days go by....... same as it ever was, same as it ever was.

 

Nothing to really see here, yet. After changes upon changes we are more or less the same.

 

Time to improve the team, me thinks, instead of treading water.

You forget it’s giving top prospects the opportunity to perform. Graterol is ready for the rotation. I imagine Balazovic and Duran will be ready mid season. Then there are others who could prove worth an opportunity: Thorpe, Smeltzer, Dobnak, Colina, Sands, Barnes, and Sammons

You forget it’s giving top prospects the opportunity to perform. Graterol is ready for the rotation. I imagine Balazovic and Duran will be ready mid season. Then there are others who could prove worth an opportunity: Thorpe, Smeltzer, Dobnak, Colina, Sands, Barnes, and Sammons

That will be in the equation, regardless of signing two starters that already are fantastic pitchers at the MLB level. You can never have too much pitching. Especially good pitching. Injuries are going to happen. The opportunities for those with options will be there, and if they can perform, they can push their way into the rotation, and make others into tradable assets. That would be optimum. One will surely be in the rotation to start the season because of Pineda's suspension. I haven't forgotten, at all.

He had a nice run, but it's also worth noting his competition in those 14 starts -- Pineda faced only 2 top-10 offenses (by run scoring) in those 14 starts, vs 8 bottom-10 offenses.

 

You'd also want to factor in his conservative pitch counts and his time off (missed a start right before that run, 1 more for the all-star break, and 2 more in August), and the fact that his season got to end at 146 innings -- so he really didn't face the workload challenge of, say, Wheeler, etc.

 

Now, that and the suspension and his track record is why Pineda is getting 2/20 while others are looking at much more, and Pineda can absolutely be useful at that price -- but I'd caution against thinking too much that Pineda can help the top of the rotation rather than simply reinforce the bottom.

Literally not a single person has slotted him in above 4th on the staff. We don’t like this deal because he solidifies the top of out rotation we like this deal because as your 4th/5th starter he’s a good combination of experience and upside. And the contract is super palatable. The only way this signing can be viewed negatively is if you project the assumption that this is our biggest pitching signing.

beer, too. That's why they invented the 7th inning stretch.

With my advancing age, I propose a 3rd inning stretch.....

MLB Trade Rumors has Strasburg at 6/180 (30/year). How about the Twins offer 5/160 (32/year), maybe with a sixth year mutual option? That would bring payroll to $129. And the rotation would be...better.

Also, I’m fine with the Pineda signing. Affordable, short, decent.

And he will be throwing to Alex Avila - 1 year 4.25M Just up on mlbtraderumors!

So let me get this straight. So far, treading water, and have just dropped Gibson from the rotation. Have I missed anything?

Well, they also dropped Perez. I don't think anyone wanted to see those two back.

That said, you're right. As things stand, they have their best 3 starters from last year in the rotation, and they've ditched the dead weight. Nothing more nothing less.

This is being touted as a "big move" because, frankly, it's December 6th and nothing else is happening.

Sigh of relief. Of course two of Bumgarner, Gausman, Ryu and Keuchel (Stausberg) would take me from a sense of relief to truly impressed. I really want to see Pineda show up in top shape. No excuse not to. A lighter Pineda could be healthier than ever allowing him to get closer to his MASSIVE potential. An interesting possibility to make lemonade out of his suspension is how this could be perfect for Graterol's development. Let him work the early season as a starter then slide to the pen to ease his innings the rest of the way. Perfect. For sure he can't have a spring like Romero for this to work.

   Last decade we we had Radke, Lohse, Mays,Silva,  Liriano, Garza, Slowey, Blackburn and Baker.   That is more in line with what one would expect from the system over a decade and those stats have to shift at some point.   I am ok with putting a few chips in the pot that we've got two decent starters from the system that can help us this year.    I would rather not start out the year relying on 3 of them though.     Getting Pineda is a big get in my book but the first 39 games is an issue.  

Rookie Years:

Radke - 5.32 ERA and lead the lead in homers given up with a 1.337 WHIP
Lohse - 5.68 ERA with a WHIP of 1.450
Garza - 5.76 ERA with a WHIP of 1.7
Baker - 6.37 ERA with a WHIP of 1.560
Slowey -  was was good his rookie season - 3.99 ERA with a 1.154 WHIP
Blackburn - was OK as well 4.05 ERA with a 1.360 WHIP
Silva pitched in 130 games prior to coming to MN but his first year starting was 4.21 ERA with a 1.42 WHIP
Liriano was amazing but started his rookie season in the pen.

if we go with those results and Graterol ends up like Liriano and Dobnak ends up like Slowey or Blackburn that would be good, but if not they will look real stupid after winning 101 games and having a truck load of money available to spend.

Well... it IS the good three-fifths

Good one!  And the last 2/5th???

This solidifies my expectation that they will pick up 2 more starters, one of whom will be a buy low type.

Yeah I agree with you.  I think they need two veteran starters since Pineda has that suspension and we will want veteran depth anyway. They have the money to sign one of the better tier two starters and then take a risk on some bounce back pitcher for the rotation or pen or both. They have about 30M to spend tops in my mind and they might want to try and extend some guys so they will want some room to maneuver is my guess.  Also we have to remember they will be looking not just at what this years payroll is but how it will affect future years and with big FA money expenditures you want the years and price right because a mistake will hamstring payroll flexibility for the team in the future.

I don't love Bumgarner for some reason just a gut feeling I guess but it would be nice to have a left hander that can get decent results.  I just question how much he has left in the tank so would be nice to only have to go 4 years but that might not get it done. I don't like Ryu either but if he can be had for three years or less he seems worth the risk.  I don't see us getting Cole as this is not his preferred destination and he makes the budget tight for the forseeable future.  I think Strass Stays with the Nats and I think Nats let Rendon go to the Dodgers unless some other team steps up big time.  Keuchel would make us better but I don't see him as top of the rotation starter but more mid level.

I honestly don't know what they will do.  They have the money to get whoever they want.  I guess it just depends on if that player wants to come to Minnesota and if the Twins feel like the terms of the deal fit the needs for the team now and in the future.  Here's hoping we find a good match.

Big Mike will be the best #5 in the league after we sign Cole and Strasburg. 

I'll have some of what you're drinking

Do I remember correctly that Tampa Bay took Houston to 5 games last fall?  And didn't they do lots of interesting stuff with their pitching staff?  Could the Twins be thinking along those lines?

Could the Twins best starter next season be a combination of say Zach Littell and one of Dobnak, Smelzer, Thorpe or Graterol?  Littell could be a great opener.  Pitch 2 innings every fifth day and still be available for one short appearance over a couple days between starts.  Then bring on Dobnak, Graterol, Thorpe or Smeltzer for say 4+ innings. 

Is it possible that combination could be better than anyone out there on the free agent market...other than Cole and Strasburg?

With my advancing age, I propose a 3rd inning stretch.....

If Taft can make it to the 7th inning, you can too. (Chief will let you go buy him a beer during the 3rd inning if you really need to stretch.)

I am extremely glad they got this done. I felt this is a move that simply had to be made. Happy they didn't wait around for other teams to get heavily involved and brought him back. 

I, like almost everyone else here though feel that now we are back at last years level for the rotation.(I do think Berrios turns the corner this year though). Add 1 more guy that is high end and we are looking pretty good. At worst, add 2 guys you feel can give you a chance. 

Do I remember correctly that Tampa Bay took Houston to 5 games last fall?  And didn't they do lots of interesting stuff with their pitching staff?  Could the Twins be thinking along those lines?

 

Could the Twins best starter next season be a combination of say Zach Littell and one of Dobnak, Smelzer, Thorpe or Graterol?  Littell could be a great opener.  Pitch 2 innings every fifth day and still be available for one short appearance over a couple days between starts.  Then bring on Dobnak, Graterol, Thorpe or Smeltzer for say 4+ innings. 

 

Is it possible that combination could be better than anyone out there on the free agent market...other than Cole and Strasburg?

I am not sure if they have that in mind or not but I do agree that they most likely want to rely on the farm to supply pitching.  Falvey will follow the Cleveland blueprint of developing pitching as much as possible.  IMO for smaller market teams to be really successful they need to develop at least one top of the rotation starter from their farm system and likely another good mid tier starter.  Having top of the line low cost pitching allows the team to spend elsewhere or extend valuable young players to remain competitive.  The Twins did this and dominated the division when they had Santana.  KC did it when they had Yordano Ventura.  Oakland and Tampa do a good job of this as has Cleveland and they are pretty successful small market teams year in and year out.  I think the Twins will follow that trend.  

Granted that doesn't mean the Twins can't take a chance on a good FA starter especially with their window wide open but I can also see where they still might look for the farm to deliver if the money and years for a FA don't make sense to them.