* Earlier this week the Twins claimed left-hander Dusty Hughes off waivers from the Royals, designating Rob Delaney for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.
This qualifies as an extremely minor move that will probably end up not mattering, but I still find it a little puzzling. Hughes is a 28-year-old who stuck in the majors for the first time last year, putting up mediocre numbers in the Kansas City bullpen. He adds another upper-20s borderline AAA/MLB arm to a mix that already included Eric Hacker, Jeff Manship, Glen Perkins, Anthony Swarzak, Phil Dumatrait, Chuck James and Jim Hoey.
Ostensibly, the value of Hughes is that he gives the Twins another left-handed option for the bullpen. It stands to reason, though, that the team will carry only two left-handed relievers; one will surely be Jose Mijares and the other might be Brian Duensing. So Hughes has been signed and given a 40-man roster spot to compete with Scott Diamond, Perkins, James and Dumatrait for a role that may or may not even be available?
By bringing in Hughes, the Twins risk losing Delaney on waivers. A 26-year-old right-hander with middling stuff and velocity, Delaney isn't the prospect his 2.96 career ERA in the minors makes him out to be. Most likely, he doesn't have enough arm to succeed in the majors. But he's younger than a lot of these pitchers the Twins keep adding and he's posted a 130-to-38 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 1.27 WHIP over 127 innings in Triple-A over the past two years. If nothing else, he seemed like a candidate to come up and throw strikes in the big-league bullpen this year, as many of the other relief options have exhibited serious command issues. Delaney is nothing special, but he just doesn't seem like a guy you risk losing for the sake of bringing in an aging non-prospect who was cut by the Royals.
Like I said, not a big deal one way or the other. Delaney might not even get claimed. I'm just continually having a hard time understanding the front office's line of thinking this offseason -- with moves big and small.
[UPDATE: Delaney was claimed on waivers Friday by the Rays.]
* TwinsFest will get underway this weekend, transplanted from its usual location in the Metrodome to the National Sports Center in Blaine. One person who won't be in attendance is Justin Morneau, who the Twins have asked to remain in Arizona and concentrate on his recovery.
I wrote a lengthy story on the subject of Morneau and concussions for this year's Maple Street Press Twins Annual (which you can pre-order now, by the way), but I haven't touched on it directly too much here on the blog. There's a reason for that.
We can try and read between the lines on quotes from him and the team, we can look at past examples of serious concussion cases in sport, and we can conjecture a whole host of possibilities. Ultimately, we need to acknowledge that with Morneau, and with Joe Nathan, we're not going to have any idea what to truly expect this year until we see them on the field in spring training.
Fortunately, that's now only a month away, so we won't have to deal with this lingering uncertainty hovering over our heads for too much longer.
* Like Morneau, I won't be attending TwinsFest this weekend. I went once -- seven or eight years ago -- and while it was a fairly enjoyable time, I'm not a big collector so there's only so much value I can get out of the event.
This isn't the kind of news that's going to bring me back.
Friday, January 28, 2011
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21 comments:
Nick the reason you cannot understand the team's thinking might be that the FO personnel guys are professional major league execs and you are a.... blogger.
Have you ever coached any team in your life? I mean above little league?
@ Kelly: Yes, I agree that they are front office members for a reason, but they still make transactions that can baffle anyone. The addition of Eric Hacker to the 40-man roster, for instance.
Bryz,
Well they are privy to scouting reports that none of us see, including Nick. There are many can't miss guys that never pan out and other unsung guys that improve. I think they take a few calculated risks and some of them pan out. I never understood why some writers diss young players.
Remember that Nolan Ryan came up with the Mets they thought he was too wild and had Jerry Koosman ahead of him in the rotation. Ryan got better. He is generally considered one of the greatest pitchers ever, but in the 1960s people wondered why the Mets even had him on the team. I'm just saying
I'm with Nick. It's fine to bring on Hughes, but why risk losing another possible bullpen answer? Why not drop a non-prospect who has been buried on the depth chart, like Anthony Swarzak? Can anyone envision him appearing for the Twins in 2011?
Delaney or Hughes. That's the real question.
If you think Delaney was better than Hughes, fine, but if you don't, then you need to stop complaining about it.
Am I in the dark here...or is Deunsing not a given to be in the starting rotation? I can't think of any reason why he would be in the bullpen next season. He may be our best starter.
@ Kelly: I've coached multiple high school teams. Does that mean that I can have an opinion that counts? If that does, I actually agree with most of what Nick has written this off-season, so does that validate him? Also, how many of the Twins scouts and GM's have coached a team above little league? Damn, by that logic we're seriously screwed.
I have been a part of 2 different Major League front offices, 3 AAA offices and an APL office as well.
I have also coached my sons team to back-to-back-to-back AAU National Championships.
With that said I can formulate the opinion that Bill Smith is out of his god damned mind, if he had any brains left he would have packaged Delaney along with Wimmers to trade for Mark DeRosa who would solve our SS and back up 1st base options.
Nick the reason you cannot understand the team's thinking might be that the FO personnel guys are professional major league execs and you are a.... blogger.
You're right, why question the all-knowing front office? I should just shut this blog down right now!
Me disagreeing with (or in this case not even disagreeing, but rather just being puzzled by) moves from the front office does not indicate that they're incompetent or that I think I'm smarter than them. It means just what it says -- I don't get it.
I'm sure the Twins have scouting reports we aren't privy to, that doesn't mean they're right. There's a flip side: The Royals, who are among the worst teams in the league, have seen a lot more of Hughes than the Twins and they decided he wasn't one of their 40 players worth protecting.
Remember that Nolan Ryan came up with the Mets they thought he was too wild and had Jerry Koosman ahead of him in the rotation.
Where are you going with this? How does it relate to anything being discussed? Ryan was 21 when he came up to the majors, it's not hard to understand that the coaching staff would take a conservative approach with him. Maybe your point would make more sense if I'd coached above little league.
If you think Delaney was better than Hughes, fine, but if you don't, then you need to stop complaining about it.
Delaney seems like a better fit for this organization. But like I said, it probably won't end up mattering one way or another. Just a talking point for a slow news week.
Am I in the dark here...or is Deunsing not a given to be in the starting rotation? I can't think of any reason why he would be in the bullpen next season. He may be our best starter.
We'll discuss this next week, but Duensing would add needed experience to a bullpen that is sorely lacking it, and in my opinion he's maybe their fifth-best starter.
"We'll discuss this next week, but Duensing would add needed experience to a bullpen that is sorely lacking it, and in my opinion he's maybe their fifth-best starter."
I should probably wait to comment on this until you discuss it next week, but I can't help but simply observe this is remarkably similar to what an awful lot of people were saying about Francisco Liriano exactly 1 year ago.
I like the idea of having Duensing in the rotation if for no other reason than he gives the Twins a lefty rather than four RHPs who have roughly the same velocity and pitching styles. So, all he has to do, in my mind, to earn a rotation spot is be roughly equivalent to one or more of the righties.
And if he IS productive enough to do either job, start or provide lefty relief, I'd much rather get 190 innings of that kind of production than the 60 or so he'd be likely to throw out of the bullpen (much of it in low leverage situations).
As for the Hughes/Delaney thing, the best I can do is shrug about it. Every team makes a bunch of judgement calls every season. When they make one like this... between two guys, neither of which has a significant chance of playing a real role... I just can't get too worked up about it either way.
I like the idea of having Duensing in the rotation if for no other reason than he gives the Twins a lefty rather than four RHPs who have roughly the same velocity and pitching styles. So, all he has to do, in my mind, to earn a rotation spot is be roughly equivalent to one or more of the righties.
And if he IS productive enough to do either job, start or provide lefty relief, I'd much rather get 190 innings of that kind of production than the 60 or so he'd be likely to throw out of the bullpen (much of it in low leverage situations).
Certainly a fair argument. I don't feel real strongly about it either way, and it's possible that thoughtful takes such as yours will prompt me to change my mind by the time spring training rolls around.
I tend to agree this looks like kind of a nothing move. I'm not sure Hughes will stick, but maybe they figure a lefty will have greater value as part of a potential trade? Delaney is pretty replaceable and I think it's pretty likely that he'll get through waivers.
I have to reluctantly agree on Morneau. Until he hits the field, swings the bat, and shows he can get back in the lineup then he's a scary question mark. I'm choosing to be optimistic that he's going to be ok this season, but it's more than fair to keep worrying that he won't.
Also, the idea that the front office isn't fair game for criticism unless you have access to their scouting reports or have coached at a high level or some other random qualification is absurd. Part of being a fan is the right to critique your club. Moreover, there's enough info, data, footage, analysis, etc. out there that you can make informed judgments on a ballclub's moves. Nick does it in a reasoned fashion. Kelly, clearly you're not digging the negativity, but it doesn't invalidate the analysis.
Vodka Dave, I doubt it.
You seem to be impersonating. Being the guy that answers phones or makes photocopies doen't make you "part of the front office."
And your use of profanity exposes you for a jerk.
Drunk sam. Your name possibly explains why you are no longer coaching. Get help man.
Nick, My point about Nolan Ryan is exactly that you need to give young arms time to find themselves.
Delaney? Hughes? Who knows, maybe neither pans out. Sometimes peopel get blooded and their lightbulb goes off.Sometimes something another pitcher (even on a different team) mentions by way of passing causes a pitcher to rething something. Take Crain. He started trying to get thet slider down, finally, instead of pitching straight (and I mean really straight) fastballs and he pitched a lot better.
Twins seem to be looking at a lot of options. I bet they get a couple good guys out of the group
"but I can't help but simply observe this is remarkably similar to what an awful lot of people were saying about Francisco Liriano exactly 1 year ago."
The twins are going to have a 5th starter every year, none are likely to come close to liriano. A liriano duensing comp is gross. People are overvaluing duensing because they are hypnotized by his shiny but deceiving ERA and ignoring his shaky peripherals. Hes a good candidate for heavy regression.
I'm not a professional major league exec, but I did play one on a TV series I made up in my mind, so I feel qualified to ask Nick why he thinks there's no possibility of more than 2 lefties in the pen in 2011?
Also:
Vodka Dave...your use of profanity exposes you for a jerk.
The reason is wrong, Kelly, but the eventual conclusion is spot on.
(sorry Dave, couldn't resist)
VodkaDave....lay off the Vodka....that is the dumbest trade proposal I've ever heard. You want to trade a 1st round pick that the organization is very high on for the 35 yr old Mark DeRosa who played all of 26 games in 2010 and hit .194 with 1 home run? DeRosa is also set to make another 6 mil in 2011 and he looks pretty much done. Plus, he hasn't played a game at SS since 2007...how does he solve anything at SS?
Just because you were part of a front office does not qualify you as a personnel expert. You certainly didn't specify the position you held in these front offices...very unlikely that a former major league GM is commenting on Nick's Blog (no offense Nick). Anyway, all of your supposed qualifications seem to be set in the past...have been this, have been that....if you were such a front office hot shot then wouldn't you still be in a front office?
Trading for Mark DeRosa? Ridiculous. You want DeRosa, wait a few months into the season when the Giants dump him on the waiver wire and you can pick him up without giving anything up.
Let's not get our feathers all ruffled over Delaney. His numbers were not even very good in AAA last year...4.72 era with a 1.31 whip and 2009 wasn't much better in AAA with a 4.53 era and a 1.21 whip. He wasn't even a guy they were talking about when searching for arms late in 2010..they brought up Slama and Manship with buzz around Waldrop but no real talk about bringing up Delaney. Could it be that the Twins left Delaney unprotected because they thought he wasn't good enough to contribute at the mlb level?
Hughes did pitch competently in his first real year in the big leagues with the Royals last year posting a 3.83 era in 56 innings. So if I were picking between Hughes and Delaney, I'd feel comfortable going with Hughes who has a shot to solidify the pen as another lefty.
The Twins do have a way of piecing together productive bullpens...so until I see otherwise I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.
lvl 5
Stop trying to sound smart by attempting to use big words...it just doesn't work for you.
Peripheral is an adjective it needs a noun...such as shaky peripheral vision, etc. Peripherals is not a word. Maybe you meant that Duensing's control is shaky or his velocity is sub-par, instead you have presented an argument based on nonsense since the word you hung your argument on is not an actual word.
Plus a comparison is not gross. I think the word you were searching for is silly or idiotic.
And heavy regression? Pathetic.
I'm not a professional major league exec, but I did play one on a TV series I made up in my mind, so I feel qualified to ask Nick why he thinks there's no possibility of more than 2 lefties in the pen in 2011?
Just an assumption, I guess. When have they carried more than two left-handed relievers before?
Peripherals is not a word.
You don't really follow baseball, do you?
VodkaDave....lay off the Vodka....that is the dumbest trade proposal I've ever heard.
You're wasting your breath, man. I know Dave. He's not actually a former MLB exec and there's no rationalizing his Mark DeRosa fixation.
Well, Delaney got claimed on waivers by Tampa. That raises the stakes a little on Hughes.
Liriano and Pavano are certain starters and I would put money on the next starter being Deunsing. That leaves Baker, Slowey and Blackie, two will be starters and one will go to the bullpen. Any one of those three will give added value to the bullpen. If Mija comes back a little more fit and ready to play, and if Nesek has a little more control, two big if's to be sure, then add Capps and Nathan and the bullpen looks ok.
I'm still worried about Morneau's head and Mauer's knee. I hope for the best for both of those guys. Every fifth game we will still have to wince through Butera's at bats. He is good defensively but I hope he has been working on his swing this off season since he will be catching for Pavano again to give Mauer a night off.
I am not worried about Castilla and Nishi. I think they will be good at SS/2B.
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