Deduno is a perfectly acceptable 3-4 starter too. Dude has a career GB/FB of 2.92 and a GB% of 59%. It's not sexy, but he's a power sinker kind of guy. If he can develop some sort of strike out pitch too to get his K/9 around 7.5 instead of 5.7 while maintaining those general rates, you are talking about a legitimate #2 starter.

Diamond is pretty good. Correia isnt that bad either. They dont have a true ace, but they have a nice rotation

"Isn't that bad" is a nice way of putting it.

"Isn't that bad" is a nice way of putting it.

 

He is a more than serviceable 4th starter.

He is a more than serviceable 4th starter.

Maybe I'm just remembering some time that we pounded him. I didn't realize his ERA was 4.18.

Edited December 2, 201312 yr by Jose Abreu

Maybe I'm just remembering some time that we pounded him. I didn't realize his ERA was 4.18.

 

He actually pitched pretty good against the Sox(who didnt?)

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/...t=p#oppon_extra

He actually pitched pretty good against the Sox(who didnt?)

 

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/...t=p#oppon_extra

Maybe I had him confused with Mike Pelfrey.

Maybe I'm just remembering some time that we pounded him. I didn't realize his ERA was 4.18.

 

Pitching half of your games in that stadium, that is probably pretty misleading.

Pitching half of your games in that stadium, that is probably pretty misleading.

Actually, Target Field only barely favored hitters. http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor/_/order/false

Given what I assume their payroll limitations to be, I think they'll probably regret having this much money tied up in these guys, especially Nolasco. With that said, they have to do something other than sit on their hands and feel bad about their payroll.

the Twins have roughly 30-40 million dollars waiting to be spent. Even with Mauer's big contract, money is not the issue, especially with the new national TV revenues coming in.

26. Minnesota Twins — The Twins won 66 games in 2013 but help is on the horizon. They have one of the best Minor League systems around and it’s only a matter of time before the Twins are fielding a lineup with Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton. But this off-season, the Twins signed Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes, and Mike Pelfrey to multi-year deals totaling $84 million. Years ago, the trio might have been deemed underrated, but each has been in the league long enough to establish a track record, and each has failed to live up to expectations. The Twins are essentially gambling $84 million for them to, at once, realize their potential. The Twins could have instead used this money to try to get Masahiro Tanaka and more cheaply gamble on players like Josh Johnson (now with the Padres).

 

 

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/12/...partner=ya5nbcs

Edited December 30, 201312 yr by caulfield12

26. Minnesota Twins — The Twins won 66 games in 2013 but help is on the horizon. They have one of the best Minor League systems around and it’s only a matter of time before the Twins are fielding a lineup with Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton. But this off-season, the Twins signed Ricky Nolasco, Phil Hughes, and Mike Pelfrey to multi-year deals totaling $84 million. Years ago, the trio might have been deemed underrated, but each has been in the league long enough to establish a track record, and each has failed to live up to expectations. The Twins are essentially gambling $84 million for them to, at once, realize their potential. The Twins could have instead used this money to try to get Masahiro Tanaka and more cheaply gamble on players like Josh Johnson (now with the Padres).

 

 

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/12/...partner=ya5nbcs

 

Wow, the Sox didnt make their top 5 best offseasons but the Tigers, Tampa Bay, and St Louis did? What?

Wow, the Sox didnt make their top 5 best offseasons but the Tigers, Tampa Bay, and St Louis did? What?

 

Unless you are talking about a serious, baseball-only organization like Baseball America or Baseball Prospectus, off-season moves are going to be judged by the impact on 2014 win totals and not long-term. Agreeing to pay guys $15M+ down the road when they are in their late 30s is a great move because they will win games in 2014. Trading for 22 year olds who won't peak for another 3-4 years is just a blip on the radar.

 

Wow, the Sox didnt make their top 5 best offseasons but the Tigers, Tampa Bay, and St Louis did? What?

 

This sentence also didn't make a whole ton of sense:

The Rangers also committed $130 million to Shin-Soo Choo, who may be a platoon outfielder at best.

 

Yes, he sucks against lefties, but guys who platoon are usually guys who struggle so much against one sort of pitcher that their entire statline would suffer if they hit against them. Shoo led-off last year (most PAs on team) and still had a .400+ OBP, despite 221 PAs against lefties. Not to mention he still got on at a .347 clip against them.

Edited December 30, 201312 yr by chw42

This sentence also didn't make a whole ton of sense:

 

Yes, he sucks against lefties, but guys who platoon are usually guys who struggle so much against one sort of pitcher that their entire statline would suffer if they hit against them. Shoo led-off last year (most PAs on team) and still had a .400+ OBP, despite 221 PAs against lefties. Not to mention he still got on at a .347 clip against them.

Against righties last year: .317/.457/.554/1.011

Against lefties: .215/.347/.265/.612

the Twins have roughly 30-40 million dollars waiting to be spent. Even with Mauer's big contract, money is not the issue, especially with the new national TV revenues coming in.

And I hope they use every cent of it on players like Pelphrey and Nolasco

Against righties last year: .317/.457/.554/1.011

Against lefties: .215/.347/.265/.612

 

I'm well aware of his splits.

 

That doesn't negate the fact that he hit .285/.423/.462 overall last year despite those crappy numbers against lefties. Those aren't the numbers of a platoon outfielder at best.

 

Platooning for Choo wouldn't make a ton of sense unless his platoon partner also hits leadoff and can get on base at a .350+ clip.

Edited December 31, 201312 yr by chw42

I'm well aware of his splits.

 

That doesn't negate the fact that he hit .285/.423/.462 overall last year despite those crappy numbers against lefties. Those aren't the numbers of a platoon outfielder at best.

 

Platooning for Choo wouldn't make a ton of sense unless his platoon partner also hits leadoff and can get on base at a .350+ clip.

There's a .400 point OPS between his LH and RH splits. We're keeping Konerko as a part time DH who may randomly steal playing time from our most important and valuable prospect for less extreme splits than that.

Twins would have been better off saving the cash and giving Worley, Diamond, Albers, and Deduno a chance.

Hey, maybe this will give me an excuse to do something in Target Field besides drink Premiums! Probably not.

 

Worley is garbage. Diamond was good two years ago, but not so hot last year (was sent down to AAA at one point, IIRC). Deduno has decent stuff. Gibson hasn't really done anything. DeVries was injured all of last year, he might make a decent 5th starter yet, but that's his ceiling.

There's a .400 point OPS between his LH and RH splits. We're keeping Konerko as a part time DH who may randomly steal playing time from our most important and valuable prospect for less extreme splits than that.

 

How do you know he will play well in a platoon? It's not like he isn't respectable against left handed pitching. He still gets on base.

How do you know he will play well in a platoon? It's not like he isn't respectable against left handed pitching. He still gets on base.

I'd say a .612 OPS isn't very respectable even if he's still taking walks.

I'd say a .612 OPS isn't very respectable even if he's still taking walks.

He's at .243/.340/.341/.680 for his career. Not good, but that provides at least some positive value.

He's at .243/.340/.341/.680 for his career. Not good, but that provides at least some positive value.

So was last year a random anomaly or a sign he's trending down and getting even more extreme as he ages?

PK's resigning has nothing to do with his platoon splits. The last thing our bench needed was a right handed bat