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  • Twins Promote Alex Meyer

    John Bonnes

    By John Bonnes

    The Minnesota Twins have announced that they will recall right-handed reliever Alex Meyer prior to Friday night's game vs. the Milwaukee Brewers. Meyer was Twins Daily's #5 Twins prospect before the 2015 season and this will be his first time with the big league club.

    Meyer was acquired in a trade with the Washington Nationals for Denard Span in November of 2012. Armed with a 95+ mph fastball, he was considered a top starting pitching prospect and was moved up to Triple-A Rochester last year where he posted a 3.52 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 130.2 innings.

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    However, his 6' 9" frame has always contributed to control problems and he seemingly took a step backward this year, walking 24 batters in 39.1 innings pitched (along with a 7.09 ERA) as a starting pitcher, before he was moved to the bullpen. That move has seemingly paid off. Since that move, Meyer has posted a 0.53 ERA with 20 strikeouts in 17 innings pitched. Most tellingly, he has only walked six batters, nearly halving his walk rate as a starter.

    Meyer's role in the Rochester Red Wing's bullpen was mostly as a long reliever; he pitched more than an inning in most of his appearances, including three appearances that were three innings or longer. His role in the Twins bullpen is less clear. He replaces Michael Tonkin, who served as more of a secondary right-handed setup man. It's possible that Meyer could take that role with the goal of moving towards a higher-leverage setup role in the future.

    Or he could continue to work long relief. The Twins have not said if they now view his future role as a starter or reliever, and longer appearances would allow allow an easier transition back to a starting role later this year. However, given the Twins continued struggles with consistent success at the back of their bullpen, if Meyer succeeds, he'll likely stay in that role with the Twins for the rest of this year.

    John cofounded Twins Daily and co-hosts the Gleeman and the Geek podcast. 
    Follow John Bonnes on Twitter: @TwinsGeek

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    Featured Comments

    d-mac

    d-mac 1,252

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    Someone will come out of the rotation - May might be the best candidate, maybe can get his fastball up to 96 or so regularly when only throwing an inning at a time.

     

    Other suggestions?

     

    May is our best chance to have a young, solid #2 starter. Move Pelfrey to the pen. He's been incredibly lucky this year stranding runners- He's going to turn into back into a pumpkin at some point. Moving him into the bullpen will hide the fact that he doesn't have a second pitch.  

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    spinowner

    spinowner 5,271

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

    To talk a little further about what I said about installing Meyer as a closer...I don't think the Twins should give up or have given up on finding out if he can succeed as a starter. If he can, he's probably more valuable doing that than relieving. That said, a shut-down closer is just as hard to find as a power starter and also very valuable. The best closers have power pitches, good control and nerves of steel. And throw right-handed. Perkins has the most important three of those four attributes. Meyer certainly has two, and if he can develop the control and cultivate the attitude he could be a ninth-inning (and occasionally eighth-inning) stud.

    It's way too early to know what will happen and it's not something that happens overnight--it took Aguilera a year to make the transition--but I'm sure there are people in the Twins organization who will be keeping that thought in mind as the next few years play out.

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    jtkoupal

    jtkoupal 519

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    I bet the Twins would rather see this kid become a starter again in the future. Sometimes kids have to get sent to the bullpen to work out their kinks, for example Fransisco Liriano. Also consider that players such as Johan Santana and Chris Sale broke into the Major Leagues out of the bullpen and eventually got worked into the rotation. It's hard to imagine that Meyer won't get a chance to start eventually, but that's up to Molitor and Ryan, not me.

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    diehardtwinsfan

    diehardtwinsfan 14,830

  • Community Moderator

    • Posted

    I will be sorely disappointed if May removed from the rotation.  He's really starting to shine and looking like he could be a #2 or maybe even a #1 guy.  His K rate and BB rates are excellent and he's bringing the hits down too, not to mention he has that velocity thing that people crave.  Milone should be the odd guy out, and I don't think it's close.  Other than a possible 'dead arm' DL of Hughes (and given his last couple starts I don't see it), I think Milone is likely moved next month before the deadline.

     

    As for Meyer, Mijares is a guy I think of who came up and dominated in the pen during a short run.  Meyer could do something like that, though I still think that the Twins start him in Rochester next year and try the starting thing over again (they should).   Not to mention that a number of very good starters have spent some time learning how to pitch in the pen.  Meyer could benefit from that.  As a matter of fact, I seem to remember reading that this was very common in the St. Louis organization to have their starters spend some time in the pen. 

     

    Anyways, that said, good luck to Meyer.  Even with his wildness, I have to think he's going to be better than a few of the guys getting trotted out there every couple days. 

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    ScrapTheNickname

    ScrapTheNickname 3,577

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

     

    Now bring up Taylor Rogers for Aaron Thompson or Brian Duensing.

    What is the interest in Rogers? His stats in the minor leagues have been flat, and not outstanding. What do you know that the stats don't tell me?

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    ScrapTheNickname

    ScrapTheNickname 3,577

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

     

    I bet the Twins would rather see this kid become a starter again in the future. Sometimes kids have to get sent to the bullpen to work out their kinks, for example Fransisco Liriano. Also consider that players such as Johan Santana and Chris Sale broke into the Major Leagues out of the bullpen and eventually got worked into the rotation. It's hard to imagine that Meyer won't get a chance to start eventually, but that's up to Molitor and Ryan, not me.

    David Price in 2008 is probably the best performance in late-season relief of a to-be starter the following year.

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    Thegrin

    Thegrin 848

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    I always liked the idea of Tomkin, however, I was not impressed with his performance.

     

    I love the idea of Meyer. the relief pitcher and I hope I will love his performance as well.   :)

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    Bark's Lounge

    Bark's Lounge 6,088

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    Who knows what will happen, but if Meyer pitches like a beast out of the bullpen, he definitely won't go back to starting this year - I really hope that happens and his addition makes our bullpen somewhat formidable because as of now, they are not.

     

    Maybe the Twins can stay in this thing into September... much more weird stuff has happened in this game than that outcome. If they indeed do that and Mr. Berrios continues to have a banner season in the upper minors, he might be a great addition to add into the back end of the bullpen in September. If you have a starting staff that can hold their own and 3 effective power pitchers to go 7-9 and can squeak into the playoffs - anything is possible.

     

    This of course is a everything breaking right scenario. I do not expect this to happen - but what the hell, I had to roll the dice!

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    Rosterman

    Rosterman 3,922

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    Audition time for the Twins continues.  What does it say about the rest of the relievers at AAA when Meyers got promoted before them? 

    The joys of being on the 40-man already. What, he leapfrogs Achter, Darnell and Wheeler for now. Otehr guys would have to be added by taking someone off (which can/should happen, yes) but once you add someone to the 40-man, you want to hope they will stay there and contribute as you want. Sure, they can waive Bernier, someone might claim him, actually, plus he is in limbo for 10 days or so. So these decisions are major. Meyer is staying on the 40-man for sure, so he may come up and go back down, but we aren't repalcing him with any name except someone coming back like Nolasco or Santana. 

     

    Reality, we are still one pitcher to the plus side, plus we have to find space for two returning starters. So three current pitchers are changing jobs for sure, and someone will eventually come up to bat from the minors.

     

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    DaveW

    DaveW 9,037

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    What is the interest in Rogers? His stats in the minor leagues have been flat, and not outstanding. What do you know that the stats don't tell me?

    he albsolutely dominates Lefties, he posted a link in the other thread to an article on it
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    Dantes929

    Dantes929 4,529

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    Someone will come out of the rotation - May might be the best candidate, maybe can get his fastball up to 96 or so regularly when only throwing an inning at a time.

     

    Other suggestions?

    Santana to the pen.   Every starter has an ERA lower than Santana's career ERA.   Why take anyone out until there is a real likelihood of Santana doing better than who he replaces.   It will happen.   It just shouldn't happen now.

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    Captain Hindsight

    Captain Hindsight 46

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

     

    Santana to the pen.   Every starter has an ERA lower than Santana's career ERA.   Why take anyone out until there is a real likelihood of Santana doing better than who he replaces.   It will happen.   It just shouldn't happen now.

     

    Every starter outside of Tommy Milone has a worse career ERA than Ervin Santana. It is incredibly flawed to use career stats to make conclusions about a player. Santana has out performed his career numbers 4 out of the past 5 years in regards to ERA. 

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    Danchat

    Danchat 11,131

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    Santana to the pen.   Every starter has an ERA lower than Santana's career ERA.   Why take anyone out until there is a real likelihood of Santana doing better than who he replaces.   It will happen.   It just shouldn't happen now.

    I understand what you're saying here. Personally, I don't think Ervin Santana is going to be an upgrade over our current starting rotation.

     

    However - with the looming possibility of injuries, potential slumps (looking at you, Pelfrey),Santana's solid track record, and Santana's hefty contract, the Twins have to put him in the rotation.

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    stringer bell

    stringer bell 12,723

  • Community Leader

    • Posted

    I think Meyer will get his feet wet in a mop-up role. Once he is past the nerves of throwing his first pitch, getting his first strikeout etc., the role is undetermined. It would be great if Meyer shows enough to join Fien, Boyer and Perkins at the back end of the bullpen. I doubt that will happen, but time will tell.

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