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  • What Was Your Favorite Kevin Jepsen Moment?

    Parker Hageman

    By Parker Hageman

    In the middle of a roster shuffle which includes the recall of outfielder Eddie Rosario, the Minnesota Twins announced today that they have designated reliever Kevin Jepsen for assignment.

    Twins Video

    Jepsen played a vital bullpen role for the Twins in 2015 after being acquired at the trade deadline. After closer Glen Perkins struggled in the second-half of the season, Jepsen successfully converted 10 saves in 11 opportunities while posting a minuscule 1.61 ERA and limiting opponents to a .176 average against in 28 innings.

    2016, however, was an unmitigated disaster for the 31-year-old and one of the main reasons the Twins' bullpen has been such a disaster. When the Twins signed him to a one-year, $5.3 million deal, they figured they had a solid back-end arm to support Perkins. Given the closer's role once again following another injury to Perkins, Jepsen blew four saves in 11 opportunities and was demoted to a set-up spot. He allowed a career-high seven home runs as teams posted a 972 OPS.

    Jepsen.PNG

    For Jepsen, it was the loss of his secondary pitches that spoiled his season. He lost the feel for his changeup and seemed to lack the same precision with his curveball. Without these pitches, hitters homed in on his fastball, hitting .323 with six home runs on the pitch. The prior season hitters held a .173 average on the fastball with just one extra base hit.

    Trevor May, who has completed his rehab assignment and is at least a day or two away from being reinstated, has reportedly shortened his stride in order to alleviate pressure on his lower back.

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    Featured Comments

    Bob Sacamento

    Bob Sacamento 2,046

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    So now you get to watch Chih-Wei Hu and Alexis Tapia for the next few years and see what they could have been doing for your own system, all to chase a Wildcard that wasn't there and to get 58.2 IP, giving up 60 hits, 8 hrs, 19 bb, 47 strikeout,  3.99 ERA 1.35 WHIP.  Could be something, could be nothing.  But trading for short term rental pieces at the deadline always bothered me as a Cubs fan.

     

    Trading for Rich Aguilera and giving up Kyle Lohse.  Trading for Rich Harden and giving up Josh Donaldson, Eric Patterson, Sean Gallagher, and Matt Murton.  

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    Riverbrian

    Riverbrian 32,096

  • Old-Timey Member

    • Posted

    He wasn't going to be re-signed I suppose so the move makes sense. 

     

    Just another exclamation point on the bullpen that they built in the off season. 

     

    I'd forget about the pen for moment. Let it roll with what we have and look for chances to promote our youth to MLB when they are ready. Lets see if Ramirez can help us next year. 

     

    Trevor May... I'd leave him in Rochester for a bit and stretch him out to see if he can improve our rotation. 

     

    I was all for May staying in the pen when the season started because the bullpen was neglected and we needed him in that role but it doesn't matter now. 

     

    Stretch May out

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    Danchat

    Danchat 11,131

  • Verified Member

    • Posted (edited)

     

    Which pitcher comes up now?  We know that they will not be content to drop a pitcher and bring up a batter.  I vote for Berrios and send out Milone and for Jepsen bring back Chagois and give him a real chance.  For now - I consider this the first fireworks for the celebration.

    Rosario was called up in Jepsen's spot. The Twins are back to a 7 man bullpen.

    Edited by Danchat
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    nicksaviking

    nicksaviking 26,755

  • Community Moderator

    • Posted

    So now you get to watch Chih-Wei Hu and Alexis Tapia for the next few years and see what they could have been doing for your own system, all to chase a Wildcard that wasn't there and to get 58.2 IP, giving up 60 hits, 8 hrs, 19 bb, 47 strikeout,  3.99 ERA 1.35 WHIP.  Could be something, could be nothing.  But trading for short term rental pieces at the deadline always bothered me as a Cubs fan.

     

    I didn't like the trade because Jepsen alone wasn't going to get that team to the playoffs and I thought he looked bad in TB last year, but to be fair, Jepsen was shorter term than they expected.

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    Wizard11

    Wizard11 334

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    I understand the Jepson move in the context of last year. Ryan was mostly criticized at the time for not doing more. However, contracts offered to Fien, Milone, Jepson, and Plouffe last winter equaled somewhere in the neighborhood of $19MM. Seems like those dollars could have brought something much better. 3 of the 4 have already been DFA'd this year. Hughes, Nolasco, Perkins, Ervin, and Park have not worked out well (yet?) either, although in the context of the timing of those contracts, they were somewhat defensible. Jepson is just the latest indictment of the extremely poor allocation of team resources. GMs are routinely given seven figure salaries in part because of the perception that they will be "right" much more of the time, than a random individual selected from a phone book. Jim Pohlad is a lot more patient than I would be if that was my money

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    SarasotaBill

    SarasotaBill 319

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    It doesn't matter if Chih-Wei Hu is a good MLB pitcher or not.

     

    A good GM has to know to build up his assets when his team will have the best chance to make a run for the World Series. See Theo Epstein and the Cubs for example.

     

    Last year the Twins were not close to the Royals. The only reason they were as close to the playoffs (close doesn't count) was that Duffey exceeded everyone's expectations down the stretch.

     

     

     

     

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    tobi0040

    tobi0040 4,125

  • Provisional Member

    • Posted

    Wizard,

     

    That is just it. Terry has always took comfort in 1 year deals. He always has 20 million a year tied up in below average veterans in arbitration. The guys you listed. Duensing is a great example too. Or short FA contracts like Kevin C and Pelfrey.

     

    He has never understood these guys produce the same results as rookies and that money could be spent on actual good players.

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    notoriousgod71

    notoriousgod71 3,481

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    So now you get to watch Chih-Wei Hu and Alexis Tapia for the next few years and see what they could have been doing for your own system, all to chase a Wildcard that wasn't there and to get 58.2 IP, giving up 60 hits, 8 hrs, 19 bb, 47 strikeout,  3.99 ERA 1.35 WHIP.  Could be something, could be nothing.  But trading for short term rental pieces at the deadline always bothered me as a Cubs fan.

     

    Trading for Rich Aguilera and giving up Kyle Lohse.  Trading for Rich Harden and giving up Josh Donaldson, Eric Patterson, Sean Gallagher, and Matt Murton.  

     

     

    Trading Bobby Hill and Jose Hernandez for Kenny Lofton and Aramis Ramirez.

     

    That being said it is a lot easier to take if you actually acquire difference makers for prospects instead of mediocre stop gaps.

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    Rosterman

    Rosterman 3,922

  • Verified Member

    • Posted (edited)

    My favorite Jepsen moment? Today!

     

    Add in on decision on Mastro, and suddenly the Twins are getting some 40-man roster spot openings. Plus, Milone will have at most one more start to [prove himself.

    Edited by Rosterman
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    Jham

    Jham 2,495

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

     

    The guy pitched pretty damn well last year, no one enjoyed any of it?

     

    I remember a late comeback against the O's where Jepsen came in and struck out the side for the save in the 9th.  Probably his most memorable moment for me.

     

    I remember that.  O'Day hadn't given up multiple runs in an inning all season, and we put up 3 unlikely ones.  May came in and got a big K, and Jepsen lit em up in the 9th.  May to Jepsen looked like it could be something special, for a moment in time...

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    70charger

    70charger 5,604

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    I won't kick a man when he's down. Jepsen did a great job in the closer spot last year. It is a shame that didnt carry over to this season. I wish him the best.

    I agree with the move but I also agree with your post. A good business decision doesn't justify vitriol.

     

    Not that I've seen anything egregious on this thread, but it always bugs me when people refer to players as "garbage" or the like, which seems to be happening more recently.

     

    Just saying. You can agree or disagree with the front office's moves without being an *******.

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    Platoon

    Platoon 8,711

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    What aggravated me about the Jepsen acquisition was tha it was in pursuit of an illusion. The Twins were not a playoff team in 2015. And they weren't chasing one team, they were chasing two or three. It's a shame that the combined desperation from the previous 4 years, and the bizarre May, 2015, caused the FO to make so many short term decisions in a long term situation. Arrrggghhhh

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    Darius

    Darius 2,741

  • Verified Member

    • Posted

    Kind of hard to blame anything on Jepsen. It's not like the guy sandbagged it.

     

    Terry Ryan, on the other hand, for riding him into the ground, should be rightfully criticized. Molitor deserves some also for not moving him into a lower leverage role months ago.

     

    I better not criticize too much, the mods seems to think that's unacceptable. Although, if I showed up to work and was doing my job horribly for two decades, should that not be criticized by the powers at be and my customers who aren't getting what they pay for (also in this scenario, those customers payed for my office building).

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    Brock Beauchamp

    Brock Beauchamp 39,328

  • Administrator

    • Posted

     

    What aggravated me about the Jepsen acquisition was tha it was in pursuit of an illusion. The Twins were not a playoff team in 2015.

    I disagree. Did the 2015 team benefit from luck? Sure, of course they did... But they were in the thick of the race when many of us were clamoring for more bullpen pieces (its inevitable implosion was nearly assured).

     

    We argued over the details: I didn't want the Twins to go big on anyone, others felt differently... But most of us agreed that the bullpen was a huge problem long before the trade deadline (as in two months prior to the deadline).

     

    Then this happened between July 18th to August 17th.

     

    8.10 ERA, 10 IP, 18 H, 3 BB, 7 SO.

     

    That's Glen Perkins' stat line. He had two blown saves and two losses during that time.

     

    Four games. The Twins missed the postseason by three games.

     

    Had Ryan actually attempted to shore up the bullpen in June (or, as some of us were screaming, May), the Twins could easily have stopped at least two of their major losing streaks in 2015 and it's possible the season ends quite differently.

     

    Jepsen did a fine job in 2015 but he was too little, too late. The bullpen needed a shot in the arm no later than June 1st, not July 31st.

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