Suspension Shouldn’t Factor into Potential Pineda Reunion

One thing that should be noted is that from the things I've read, Pineda took Hydrochlorothiazide, which you can't get OTC. It has to be prescribed.

So unless it's been erroneously reported, and I haven't seen an update to the story, he's lying about what he took. That, to me, is also a pretty big thing.

I would note that the need for a 5th starter at the beginning of the season is somewhat muted. Obviously, you have an issue b/c it's 40 games, but it's really not going to be much of an issue until May timeframe, so if they aren't going after a big name, I'm fine with something like this.

The effect of the suspension depends on the rest of the rotation depth. I'm not against signing Pineda, for the record. If the Twins make a bigger rotation upgrade, I'd be fine with it.

If Pineda is your 2 or 3 starter, then the suspension creates a bigger vaccuum. And regardless of the schedule, there will probably be a need for a 5th starter earlier than expected.

The article was well thought out. My feeling is that in todays world of testing and suspension, it was real bad form for him to get caught, just when Twins needed him the most. Trying to beat the Yanks or anyone else in postseason requires topnotch pitching and for the most part he was their best. Let his teammates down? You betcha. did he 'say' all the right things" He said what they pretty much all say after being caught.  If the Twins were 49-100 like Baltimore, big whoop. But they have a shot at it all and he just put a real wound in that shot.  I don't buy any excuse. None.

Should Twins re-sign him? Depends on how they feel about their rotation going forward. They didn't throw Polanco to the curb and look at the contributions he's made. But Pineda certainly did his teammates no favors. For that I believe he owes the team 'something'. The players have closed ranks...publicly...which is fine. But secretly I don't think they can or should be real happy.

And it matters not if the PED's help him or not. In 2019, there are rules and he broke them. THAT's what matters...whether we like the rules or not. (and many don't)

Frankly, i think the posters that are accusing him of using PED's are over the line.  He wasn't suspended for using a PED, he was suspended for using a banned substance that, among other uses is used to possibly mask a PED.There is a difference, a pretty big one, IMO. They wouldn't have reduced his suspension if there were any hints of him using a PED, say an elevated but not out of range T/E ratio.

It's interesting the different reactions to Polanco's suspension compared to Pineda's. But one is home grown draftee who people followed through the minors to the big leagues and the other is an "outsider" who was signed to a relatively low risk high reward flyer.

This is the big thing that I believe was missing in the article. That and what kind of numbers to offer Pineda for a contract.

You don't get your suspension reduced from 80 games to 60 games with an arbiter for the first time in the history of MLB's drug testing program because they actually thought he was using PEDs. He was just stupid for taking something without asking the Twins about it first. 

Given that he expressed contrition for the error and wants to come back to the Twins the FO would be foolish to not explore bringing him back. 2 year deal at TBD dollar amount with some kind of vesting or team option would be ideal.

Frankly, i think the posters that are accusing him of using PED's are over the line.  He wasn't suspended for using a PED, he was suspended for using a banned substance that, among other uses is used to possibly mask a PED.There is a difference, a pretty big one, IMO. They wouldn't have reduced his suspension if there were any hints of him using a PED, say an elevated but not out of range T/E ratio.

 

It's interesting the different reactions to Polanco's suspension compared to Pineda's. But one is home grown draftee who people followed through the minors to the big leagues and the other is an "outsider" who was signed to a relatively low risk high reward flyer.

Without PED's his injury problems will be even worse. Hard pass. 

Plus, there's the fact that we paid him for two years and got one half a year of help. 

Yes, but the only thing that mattered was the shot Polanco took on Cleveland to win a baseball game.

Yep, and it left Clevinger feeling like the movie he always seems to be auditioning for - "Dazed and Confused".

Twins Underground Marketing should have a bunch of inflatable "FAH Q" paddles ready to handout at his next TF start.  That would be awesome!

I would only sign Gibby if he is willing to take #5 starter money

I don't think we should take an Oh,no! approach because he was caught using PEDs. To begin, 2 of our cornerstone players right now, Cruz and Polanco, had PED-related suspensions. And nobody cares. Second, of course the suspension will be a factor on the negotiation of the contract. Third, even when many people is assuming that he took the diuretic to mask something, MLB specifically reduced the suspension because they found no evidence that he was trying to mask anything. So, an extension for Pineda could be a good move for next year.

Of course Michael Pineda was using steroids. Are we going to feign stupidity? Athletes cheat all the time these days. I'm not going to forgive it or forget it, because it's just a fact of life in a capitalist society. People that grow up desperate for financial security will lie, cheat and steal to get it. Even people that grow up rich will lie, cheat and steal to stay rich.

 

I am certain that no athlete from a communist or any other society would lie or cheat or steal.

 

Human nature maybe?

There might be an argument that Pineda is among the top 5 starters but I would put him somewhere like 7th or 8th.  The benefit is the potential discount that you could get for him but there is serious downside with him.  Even without the multiple cheating suspensions, he is about as injury prone as they come.

When healthy and not suspended, he is good.  Would you bet that he goes an entire season without injury? His 2011 rookie season and 2016 are the only IL free seasons he has had over the 9 seasons.

Ok, I thought you had a good argument going there until you made your comments about suggesting that people were bigoted for having a problem with Pineda controlling his weight. Good, rational, factual, conclusions fall silent when they are followed by a black-mailing straw-man argument.

People aren’t mad at Big Mike because he's overweight; they’re mad at him because he’s left a really good, really promising, team in a awful lurch. So, Pineda might be a good extension candidate due to his stats, but you need to allow some people to look past that because of their disappointment.

Sabir, you wrote a compelling article that made people think. You put yourself out there, so don’t apologize for an article “not measuring up”....ever. Next time just stick with the facts and stats and drop the arm-twisting bits at the end.

That last post does it for me. The biggest issue is Pineda let his team down at the worst possible time. Why he wasn't more careful with what he was using, I guess we'll never know. Sure seems like there are two camps here...one strongly suggests he was masking...the other strongly refutes that claim.

But bottom line is we are out a very good starting pitcher because either he was cheating, or he was pretty stupid in how he handled his meds. Everyone loses.