WARNE: Could The Twins Be Replacing Mike Pelfrey

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An enterprising team is going to put him in their bullpen, where he’ll turn into a very nice back-end option with a velocity uptick, grounders and what’ll likely be a strong jump in strikeouts. It just doesn’t appear that’ll be the Twins.

Why won't the Twins do this?!? They had sent him to the bullpen at the start of the year, until injuries caused him to end up back in the rotation.

 The Twins are fortunate enough to miss ace Johnny Cueto in the series with the Royals, but won’t be as lucky with the White Sox series that follows. As it currently stands, the Twins are slated to face Chris Sale and Jose Quintana — two of the finest lefties in the junior circuit.

Cueto has been awful of late & the Twins have figured out Chris Sale. I don't see any reason why the Twins wouldn't have loved the chance to jump all over the struggling Cueto. Also, why should they be upset about facing lefties? The Twins are 4 games over .500 on the season against LHP & exactly at .500 against RHP. They should be glad to face 2 lefties in the White Sox series.

 It’s truly odd that a pitcher with good velocity and a solid splitter still gets barreled up to that extent, but it’s just the truth.

 

Your comments reminded me of Jim Hoey (acquired from Baltimore in the J.J. Hardy trade).  98 mph fastball and a very good splitter.  Like Pelfrey, his problem was poor control.  Most MLB hitters can hit a good pitch if it is in their zone.  A splitter that starts above the knees and drops to the ankles is almost unhittable.  One that starts at the letters and drops to the waist, down the middle of the plate--well that can be hit along way.  At the beginning to the season, Pelfrey did a great job putting his splitter on the outside edge of the plate (to left handed batters) and this pitch would drop down and outside.  At that location, it was an almost unhittable pitch (If I remember correctly, there is a video breakdown of this pitch someplace on TD).  Also, being behind in a count would lessen a pitchers willingness to throw a splitter, and Pelfrey always seems to be behind in his counts.  It is almost painful to watch him.

Link to article on Hoey:  http://www.twincities.com/golf/ci_17417340

Your comments reminded me of Jim Hoey (acquired from Baltimore in the J.J. Hardy trade).  98 mph fastball and a very good splitter.  Like Pelfrey, his problem was poor control.  Most MLB hitters can hit a good pitch if it is in their zone.  A splitter that starts above the knees and drops to the ankles is almost unhittable.  One that starts at the letters and drops to the waist, down the middle of the plate--well that can be hit along way.  At the beginning to the season, Pelfrey did a great job putting his splitter on the outside edge of the plate (to left handed batters) and this pitch would drop down and outside.  At that location, it was an almost unhittable pitch (If I remember correctly, there is a video breakdown of this pitch someplace on TD).  Also, being behind in a count would lessen a pitchers willingness to throw a splitter, and Pelfrey always seems to be behind in his counts.  It is almost painful to watch him.

 

Link to article on Hoey:  http://www.twincities.com/golf/ci_17417340

With Hoey it was control, with Pelfrey I think it's command.

I'm sure Darnell is on the call if Pelfrey starts up short this round. I say get Logan up and throwing before the third inning, just in case. It would be an opportunity for Logan to cememnt a spot in the Twins organization. He needs a looksee as much as we need to see Pelfrey increase his own value for his pending free ageency. I say go with the guy you might want to keep rather than the one who will be walking away after the season.

Plus, Logan is a lefty. You like those, sometimes...if they get guys out. If nothing else, give Logan a chance to see if he should remain in the bullpen mix for 2016 (and where is Aaron Thompson...if you aren't going to recall him, them swap his 40-man spot out for another player...who you might want to look at...or reward (Beresford) for service to the organization. Stuff like that goes a long ways, sometimes.)

Pelfrey's problem has been command of his fork ball, which he lost after the first half. Before this season Pelfrey was basically a two-pitch guy that struggled after the second time through the order. His fastball is his bread and butter, bending left and right low in the zone. Unfortunately, after seeing it a couple times, hitters barrel it up and start driving it. Pelf's benders are at best average, and he doesn't throw them well enough to strike out a lot of guys.

Enter the fork ball, Pelfrey's third and most difficult pitch to hit and throw. When he had command of the fork, Pelf could dangle it belt to ankle, getting lots of whiffs. Now without it, he's back to being a two-pitch guy. Frankly, that's bull pen stuff.

This might be a very good time to give a starter tryout to Logan Darnell. Maybe he's better than we realized, like Tyler Duffey. Why not find out.

Pelf should end up being gone after the season to make room for....gulp....Nolasco.

I originally read the title could WARNE be replacing Pelfry, and thought I did not know he could pitch, but it is worth a try.  I am kind of disappointed this won't be happening.

I originally read the title could WARNE be replacing Pelfry, and thought I did not know he could pitch, but it is worth a try.  I am kind of disappointed this won't be happening.

I would like the paycheck, but somehow my shoulder is shredded. Not joking. I showed up to play baseball this spring and couldn't throw anymore. As a first baseman it isn't a huge deal....but how did it happen in the first place?!

Funny thing about Pelf: his ERa is still quite a bit less than Hughes, Santana, or Nolasco.

Granted, he has sucked of late, but he did contribute earlier in the season.

Another case of "what have you done for me lately"?

I do think he is a beloved teammate with a sense of humor, for what it's worth.

Don't know the advanced stat for that....

Pelfrey's problem has been command of his fork ball, which he lost after the first half. Before this season Pelfrey was basically a two-pitch guy that struggled after the second time through the order. His fastball is his bread and butter, bending left and right low in the zone. Unfortunately, after seeing it a couple times, hitters barrel it up and start driving it. Pelf's benders are at best average, and he doesn't throw them well enough to strike out a lot of guys.

 

Enter the fork ball, Pelfrey's third and most difficult pitch to hit and throw. When he had command of the fork, Pelf could dangle it belt to ankle, getting lots of whiffs. Now without it, he's back to being a two-pitch guy. Frankly, that's bull pen stuff.

 

This hits it right on the head. With Pelf in the pen, they wouldn't get the chance to that 2-3 times, and he cd have been a real weapon out there. Molly and TR just blew it, blew it badly.

Pelf should end up being gone after the season to make room for....gulp....Nolasco.

Ricky Nolasco has been a good pitcher in the past, and next spring he should be completely healthy for the first time in a few years. Who knows, maybe he'll look great. Twins have gotten stung both ways by injuries - guys getting hurt here, and guys getting healthy after they leave.

Ricky Nolasco has been a good pitcher in the past, and next spring he should be completely healthy for the first time in a few years. Who knows, maybe he'll look great. Twins have gotten stung both ways by injuries - guys getting hurt here, and guys getting healthy after they leave.

I hope another team believes he will return to form next year and takes him off our hands this off-season.  I don't care if we get a dozen balls in return.  May needs to be in the rotation.  If May gets the last spot in the rotation, Milone, Duffey, and Berrios contribute based on injury.   Nobody seems to care about Milone but he let the least amount of runs cross the plate per 9 and that is a pretty important stat.

One of Nolasco, Hughes, and Santana have to go.  In that order for my liking.

In general, control has come to mean the ability to throw enough strikes to avoid walks.

Command has come to mean the ability to throw quality strikes, locating within the strike zone.

I've kind of wondered about this too. So if you have command, you must have control. If you have control, you don't necessarily have command?

I always thought of command as being able to get the movement you need to make the pitch effective and control was being able to locate. If you can't "command" your breaking pitch, you can't get it to break. If you leave your curveball up, you couldn't "control" it. I agree that they are used sloppily.