Odds. Ends. (12.11)

 

• UPDATE #1 12/12.  Jones v. Morlan: After asking a Twins official what the logic was in selected Jones over Morlan, who was still on the board when the Twins drafted, I was told that the Twins scouting staff is still very high on Morlan however the impression is that Jones has the opportunity to make the club out of spring training whereas Morlan may need a few more innings in the minor leagues.  Le Valle reaffirmed this by saying Terry Ryan gave Jones a high recommendation.  Knowing that Ryan was the person that gave the recommendation validates the decision in my mind.  "He's got a lot of pitchability and strikeability,'' said Mike Radcliff, the Twins' vice president of player personnel. "He's always been in a starting role. The key will be if he's able to apply his pitches and tools to being a reliever.''
• UPDATE #2 12/12. Kouz.  It sounds as if the Twins are not even considering a trade for Kouzmanoff and he is off their targeting list.  The decision stems from Ron Gardenhire's displeasure in Kouzmanoff's defense.   Managerial and scouting wisdom notwithstanding, Kouzmanoff is coming off a season in which he has made some progress in the fielding department.  In over 200 additional innings in 2008 versus 2007, Kouzmanoff committed 11 fewer errors plus started 22 more doubleplays.  Furthermore, John Dewan's Fielding Bible reaffirms his improvement, grading his bunt-fielding capabilities a "B" in 2007 and an "A-" in 2008 and highlighting that his ability to make plays ranging to his right - towards the line - has improved from a -3 plays in 2007 to a +8 in 2008.  To write him off as a non-entity seems absurd. 
• A Punto Offer?  It sounds like the Twins are ready to offer Nick Punto a contract worth 2-years, $8-million to keep him as the starting shortstop forgoing any need to fill the role through a trade opportunity.  "We would like to re-sign him,'' Bill Smith said. "He has been a good player for us. Gardy loves the energy and enthusiasm he brings to the lineup and clubhouse on a daily basis.''  Punto's retention is contingent on what the Phillies may be offering. 
• The shortstop market quickly dried up for the Twins as free agent Edgar Renteria signed with the Giants for a two-year, $18.5 million dollar deal and Rafael Furcal priced himself out of the Twins' market by turning down a four-year, $37 million dollar deal with Oakland.  ESPN's Keith Law viewed the Renteria signing as a solid one, noting Renteria's .299/.340/.493 batting line the last two months of the season.   
•  Trades for shortstops J.J. Hardy, Miguel Tejada, Yunel Escobar never finalized which indicates that the Twins greatly value their starting pitchers (Slowey, Blackburn, Baker) whose names have been associated to most rumors.  
• Interestingly enough, the Padres accepted a AAA reliever, Mark Worrell, who has a funky delivery but 90-mph stuff and an attitude to boot, for shortstop Khalil Greene.  Greene had a terrible year in which he hit .213/.260/.339 in 2008.  Naturally, people will reference this trade wondering why the Twins didn't offer a similar package.  Most telling is that Greene is simply an out-machine.  His career on-base total is .304 - yes, he does have power for a shortstop but his glovework has declined since 2006.  Last year Greene was a -4 according to the Fielding Bible. by comparison, Nick Punto was a +4.  
• The 30 year old Punto hit .284/.344/.382 in 338 at bats in 2008, which was better than your league average shortstop who hit .266/.319/.375, however the last time Punto was given a starting job he slugged .271 in 2007, the lowest among any starter.   
• Kubel the Kub? Though the Twins (finally) realize what they have, it sounds like the Cubs have been trying to formulate a deal that would land them Jason Kubel, requesting him in a package for Mark DeRosa, to gain a left-handed power bat. 
• Rule 5 Results.  The Twins selected Jason Jones from the Yankees.  Jones, who spent last season split between AA and AAA, was drafted by the Yankees in the 4th round of the 2004 draft.  After a solid first season in professional baseball, Jones repeated high-A and the AA.  Last season he threw 159.3 innings with a 102/50 K/BB ratio and a 3.78 Runs Allowed Average.  But the fact is that at 25 years old, Jones was old for the AA level.  He appears to be a four-pitch pitcher that throws his fastball in the high-80s.  Jones joins an organizations that is full of like-styped pitchers and will most likely be returned to the Yankees at the end of the spring.  Surprisingly avoiding Eduardo Morlan a one-time Twins prospect but was involved in the Young-for-Garza trade.  Now traded by the Twins and unsecured by the Rays, there must be something about Morlan's makeup that does not merit keeping him. 

 

 

Odds. Ends (12.09.09)

Minnesota Twins

 

• Tejada the Twin?  An insider source told me that the Twins and Astros have the preliminary deal in place that would bring Miguel Tejada back to the American League.  It is unclear as to what the Astros have coming to them for the former MVP.  Phil Rogers reported earlier that the two teams were in talks for Tejada and Ty Wigginton. Obviously Tejada stands a pretty good chance of reaching the Type A free agent status post-2009 and this would secure the Twins two additional draft picks.  Assuming that both teams are well aware of this, it would stand to reason that there could be three players moving from the Twins.

 

• If it is just the shortstop it appears that the Twins will owe Tejada $13 million for the 2009 season.  This isn't an issue like it had been in the past.  Going into 2008, the Twins reduced their payroll by 20%.  Twins president Dave St. Peter announced that "We have finalized the budget for 2009, and we believe that the budget allows us some flexibility to improve our baseball team."  Yes, the Twins balked at the decision to sign 35 year old Casey Blake to a contract that exceeds two seasons which makes a trade for Tejada that much more appealing simply that he is only available for one season.  The Twins were rumored to have offered Blake a two-year, $14 million dollar deal that he turned down.  Deciding to forgo signing Blake to a three-year was the right thing to do. 

 

• There are some problems with Tejada, however:
• Tejada is coming off his first year with the Astros, disappointing to many.  Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice reports that towards the end of the season Tejada looked "old and tired both at the plate and in the field".  From August 1st on, the 34 year old Tejada hit .284/.303/.395 in 222 plate appearances.  A strong sign of regression is wearing down at the end of the year.
• If you consider OPS+ as a gauge for the player-curve, you will notice that Tejada's peaked at 30 years old (138) then took a downward turn after that season: 128 at 31, 126 at 32, 109 at 33 and 92 at 34. 
• Not known to strike out that much, Tejada witnessed his walk rate move south with him.  While with the Orioles in 2007 Tejada walked 7.2% of his plate appearances.  In Houston Tejada walked just 3.6% of the time.  What gives?  According to Fangraphs.com, Tejada had a huge spike in the number of out-of-zone pitches he was swinging at.  Between the two seasons he increased his chase rate 6%.  Judging from his pitch type analysis, Tejada was receiving nearly 5% more fastballs in 2008 than he had in 2007.  The amount of curves thrown to him dropped as well.  This is a possible indication that the league's scouts no longer feel that Tejada can catch up to a fastball.  What's more is that he is no longer pulling the ball with as much enthusiasm as he did several years ago.  In his 2002 MVP year, he turned on the pitch nearly 50% of the time.  When he did so his average was .380.  This past season he pulled the ball only 35% of the time resulting in a .350 average on the balls in play. 

 

• No Washburn.  Hopefully the Twins are satisfied with their starting rotation moving into 2009.  According to Jim Street, an MLB.com reporter, the Mariners are actively shopping Wisconsin native Jarrod Washburn fortunately "The Twins have not been mentioned as one of the teams that have inquired about Washburn -- Minnesota is more focused on third baseman Adrian Beltre -- but the Brewers are believed to have some interest."

 

• Sayonara.  One internal left-handed option the Twins could have had to replace Dennys Reyes is moving east.  Far east.    The Tokyo Yakult Swallows have acquired 27 year old Ricky Barrett.  Barrett put together a solid 2008, working 70 innings and striking out 81 while walking 38.  The Twins drafted Barrett in 2002 with there seventh round selection and rose through the system but stalled out in AAA since 2006. In total, Barrett had a very good 441 strikeouts in 413 innings pitched.  

  

• Erickson wants a comeback.  No, not Roger.  Scott.  Seriously.  Apparently Erickson, 40, has contacted the Twins front office seeking the possibility of partaking in spring training.  "He wants to come back," Twins GM Bill Smith reportedly commented, "I told him to go get a job in winter ball and let's see what you can do."  Erickson is not currently on any winter league roster so it appears that the Twins won't have to awkwardly tell him that he is not invited.  In 2006 the Yankees gave Erickson 11.1 innings and he responded with 7 walks and two strikeouts.  The last time Erickson resurfaced was during a Twins broadcast in 2008 which he and his lovely wife, Lisa Guerrero, toured the country in efforts to promote a movie the duo financed called 'A Plumm Summer'.  For the most part, the movie fell flat.  

 

• Another Former Pitcher Note.  The Blue Jays have hired former Twins pitcher Roy Smith and made him apart of their scouting department.  Smith had a brief stint with the World Champion 1987 Twins and went 10-6 with a 3.92 ERA in 173.2 innings in 1989. 
   

Chicago White Sox

 

• Sox Rumors.  A few days after the Reds denied the Dye-for-Bailey rumors, the Sun-Times Joe Crowley announced through a Twitter update that the Rays and the Braves are interested in Jermaine Dye.  ESPN's Jason Stark reported that the Rays have been "interested" in reacquiring Delmon Young but Dye might be a better corner outfield candidate considering Tampa Tribune's Marc Lancaster noted that a Rays official denied interested in Young.  The Rays are possibly shopping pitchers Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine, two pitchers that the White Sox would demand at least one be involved in any potential deal.
• To Dye For?  White Sox General Manager Kenny Williams was quoted as saying ''No, we have not traded Jermaine Dye to the Cincinnati Reds or anywhere else,'' but when pressed if there was something on the horizon, Williams added ''Well, we'll just have to wait and see what the meetings -- and this is in regard to everyone on our current roster -- we'll just have to wait and see what the week brings us."  Though very consistent since coming to Chicago, Dye will be 35 next year and is due $11.5 million.

 

Cleveland Indians

 

• Indians Signing Wood? Now that the Mets and Francisco Rodriguez have made it official, it stands to reason that the second tier free agent closers will begin to sign accordingly.  The Indians supposedly have the constructs of a deal for free agent closer Kerry Wood.  The Indians GM, Mark Shapiro, told the Plain Dealer early in the morning Tuesday that "We are meeting with the agents of all of the closers. Each alternative has different positives and different risks.  Every situation is unique to the guy. We don't set length of contracts by position. It's based on the guy, his history.  It's situational."   The Indians who finished at .500 after a brutal start to the season, were tanked by Joe Borowski's early season failed closings.  After the Indians finished the year 38-20 from August 1st on, it was the implementation of Jensen Lewis in the closer's role who pitched 25 innings with a 22/8 K/BB ratio and saving 13 games.   Wood, who was throwing at 94-mph, would be an upgrade depending on the length and terms of the contract but is still an injury liability. 

 

Kansas City Royals

 

• Contenders or Pretenders?  The Royals are talking a close look at both Rafael Furcal and Orlando Hudson on the free agent market.  In efforts to clear more payroll room the Royals are said to be shopping Jose Guillen who is due to make $24 million the next two years. 

Dennys Reyes: A Bargain Value.

 

 

Unsurprising, the Twins announced that Dennys Reyes has opted to become a free agent after he declined to accept arbitration from the team.  The 31 year old Reyes will now test a very unstable market.  Early rumors indicate that Reyes is in talks with the Cincinnati Reds seeking a three-year, $12 million dollar deal. 

 

 

When Terry Ryan signed Dennys Reyes to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training, he did so along side other left-handed compatriots Darrell May and Gabe White.  The intention was to replace the recently traded J.C. Romero with an equally effective but inexpensive arm for the 2006 season.  Of the three Reyes had the longest major league track record, coming up as a starter with the Dodgers in 1997. 

 

This method of acquiring several players and having them compete for a position that is historically overpaid is nothing new.  Perhaps the best analytical team when it comes to roster building was the 2003 Red Sox.  In 2002 the Red Sox had the tough decision whether or not to resign first base incumbent 30 year old Brian Daubach.   Daubach had just hit .266/.348/.464 with 20 home runs and had a $2.325 million dollar contract that had just expired.  Instead of sinking the $3-million plus to retain Daubach, the front office had a better idea.  The Sox signed David Ortiz and Kevin Millar for a nominal fee and shipped a minor league pitcher to the Phillies for Jeremy Giambi.  This process gained the Red Sox Ortiz who helped power the team into a perennial contender in a brilliant maneuver. 

So on a smaller scale, the Twins decided to do the same thing with the predicament in the bullpen in 2006.  With the often hot-headed J.C. Romero headed to California in a trade for minor league infielder Alexi Casilla, the Twins were without any viable left-handed options.  The team tapped Reyes, May and White and brought them to Ft Myers for a tryout.  Of the three, only Reyes remained with the organization and accepted his placement at Rochester to open the 2006 season. 

 

"This guy's got great stuff," Commented pitching coach Rick Anderson during that spring. "It's just a matter of commanding it. We've always thought he's nasty. I watch him in the pen, and I say, 'Wow!' At 28, a lot of guys hit their prime."

 

Injuries provided Reyes with a roster spot at the end of April.  Used in less than an inning an appearance, Reyes thrived against same-sided opponents, limiting them to a .148 batting average in 96 match-ups.  Reyes would finish the season 5-0 with a 0.89 ERA and a 49/15 K/BB ratio in his 50.2 innings pitched.  His contributions helped stabilize the bullpen in the playoff-bound team.  During the season, General Manager Terry Ryan rewarded Reyes with a two-year, $2 million dollar contract good through 2008.  

 

The first year of the new contract was disappointing.  Right-handed batters crushed him in 52 plate appearances (.364 average) and Reyes was sidelined for a substantial portion of the year with injuries.  In May Reyes would complain of shoulder pain that would require an MRI.  "I've been pitching a long time (15 years professionally), and I've had a lot of different pain before," said Reyes. "But this feels different. This feels really deep.  I am really concerned, because I haven't had this kind of feeling before."  In 29.1 innings, Reyes went 2-1 with a 3.99 ERA and a pedestrian 21/21 K/BB.     

 

With concerns over the well-being of his shoulder, the Twins shortened Reyes's outings.  In 2006 Reyes was averaging 0.76 innings per appearance.  In 2008 Reyes was throwing 0.61 innings per outing.  The shorter outings meant lower pitch counts too.  This past season Reyes was his most efficient year of his career, needing just 3.49 pitches per plate appearance.  "Before I came to Spring Training, one thing I put on my mind was that I was going to try and throw less pitches, so I can be fresh for the next day," Reyes said. "I thought that would help me a lot. So every time I go out, I try to throw strikes and get it over as quick as I can."

In his walk year of his contract, the 31 year old Reyes threw 46.3 innings and posted a 2.33 ERA with a 39/15 K/BB ratio.  This combined with his 2007 performance earned Reyes a Type B free agent rating from Elias, ensuring the Twins that they would get a compensatory draft pick if Reyes is signed by another team.  In three seasons, the Twins paid Reyes $2.55 million dollars.  In return Reyes tossed 126.3 innings, possessed a 109/51 K/BB ratio and a 2.14 ERA while providing 10 win shares above bench in that duration PLUS a draft pick to supplement the farm system in the 2009 draft. 

The Rule V Retrospective: A Look at the Twins (Other) Draft Picks

In a little over a week, Major League Baseball will conduct their 49th Rule 5 Draft dating back to 1959.  Though the likelihood of the Twins partaking in the draft seems improbable, presently the Twins are carrying only 38 players on the 40-man roster leaving the team qualified to participate in the draft (Eduardo Morlan's name has been thrown out a lot lately).  When the personnel requires it, the Twins are known to exercise their select of a player that their scouting staff deemed useful.  Obviously the story of Johan Santana comes to mind when associating the Rule 5 and the Twins, as does outfielder Shane Mack.  Those players are certainly exceptions rather than rules but it shows that a budgeted team needs to check all available avenues for talent.  For example, on the current roster Brian Buscher, Armando Gabino, and Jason Pridie were acquired through past Rule 5 drafts (or as the case with Pridie, drafted and returned to his previous club before being reacquired the following year). 

 

Outside of the well-documented cases of Santana and Mack, the Twins have discovered a source of cost-efficient talent, as was the case with closer Doug Corbett and catcher Mark Salas.  But the team found other ways to implement their draft picks.  Utility man George Banks was packaged and traded for a pitcher that helped the team reach the World Series for the first time.  Likewise Corbett would be flipped for a young right fielder that would power the franchise to their first World Series title.  As good as their farm system as been at developing players, other teams have not plucked many useful components away from the Twins, only Joe Foy was selected and went on to supply his new team with good output. 

 

1961	Drafted	Lost
	George Banks (NYY)	None
	Johnny Goryl (LAD)
	Georges Maranda (SFG)

After completing their first season in Bloomington 70-90, a mere 38 games behind the New York Yankees, the Minnesota Twins took the opportunity to plunder their system by grabbing utility man George Banks from under their nose.  The selection of Banks was followed by infielder Johnny Goryl from the Dodgers and pitcher Georges Maranda from the Giants. 

 

Goryl had seen limited action with the Chicago Cubs from 1957 to 1959 as a third baseman.  In 1960, the Cubs packaged Goryl, Ron Perranoski, Lee Handley and $25,000 to the Dodgers in exchange for Don Zimmer.  Zimmer would have two mediocre seasons for the Cubs before being cherry picked by the New York Mets in the expansion draft prior to the 1962 season.  The Dodgers obtained one of the better relief pitchers in the game in Perranoski.  Before the era of the one-inning closers, Perranoski would save 101 games for the Dodgers before being traded to the Twins in 1967 along with Johnny Roseboro and Bob Miller for Mudcat Grant and Zolio Versalles.  Goryl would not see one inning of playing time with the Dodgers. The Twins plucked him from the Dodgers in 1961's Rule V draft.  With the Twins for three seasons, Goryl would hit .221/.291/.393 in 290 at-bats before being run out of baseball at the age of 30.  The organization, however, took a shine to Goryl and had a coaching spot for him.  After coaching in 1968 and 1969, Bill Rigney would be appointed manager in 1970 and disintegrated outgoing manager Billy Martin's coaching staff.  In 1979 manager Gene Mauch would bring Goryl back and in 1980 following a 54-71 start Mauch was fired and Goryl would be anointed manager and finish the season 23-13.  In the ensuing season, Goryl would start 11-25 and find himself replaced by Billy Gardner on May 21st, 1981.  Today, Goryl is a player development advisor for the Cleveland Indians, a team that he coached for from 1982 to 1988 and again from 1997 to 1998. 

 

Georges Henri Maranda, from Levis, Quebec, would be drafted by the Boston Braves in 1951 but would not see an inning in the Majors until the ripe age of 28 in 1960.  After 50.2 innings of work with the San Francisco Giants, Maranda displayed little control.  A 30-to-28 BB-to-K ratio showed no evidence that Maranda was anything but a has-been (or a never-was).  In 1962, the Twins gave the 30-year-old righty 72 innings where he possessed a 92 ERA+ and a weak 35-to-36 BB-to-K ratio.  At the conclusion of the season, the Twins would ship him along with Jackie Cullom to Cleveland for Ruben Gomez.

 

Of the three it would be Banks that would contribute the most.  Working mostly as a pinch hitter in 1962, Banks would tally a .252/.372/.408 batting line in 103 at-bats with four home runs.  The following year would not be nearly as fruitful as Banks' statistics - along with his playing time - plummeted.  In June 1964, the Twins would concoct one of the franchises' best trades on record.  Banks would be bundled with pitcher Lee Stange to the Cleveland Indians for Jim 'Mudcat' Grant.  Though it will go down as a pox on the Indian organization, it should be noted that at first blush the deal actually looked to favor the Erie Warriors.  In 1963 Stange had completed his 26-year-old season in which he compiled a 12-4 record with an ERA+ of 140 and a solid 100/63 K/BB ratio.  What's more is that Stange had lit up the California League, leading in every major category a pitcher could.  The 27-year-old Grant, meanwhile, had finished the year an All-Star pitcher with an ERA+ of 98 but a 13-14 record, thanks to a lousy Indians team.  Grant had set a personal high in strikeouts (157) but had also issued his share of walks (87) and home runs (30).  When he started of the 1964 season with the Indians with a 5.95 ERA, the team was glad to part with him.  Little did they know that the Twins would be able harness his control.  In 1965, Grant allowed just 61 walks in 270 innings and ended with another All-Star appearance and a 21-7 record.  Admittedly Grant faded quickly after his 1965 campaign and in 1967 he would be a part of the aforementioned Perranoski/Roseboro/Miller trade with the Dodgers. 

1962	Drafted	Lost
	None	Joe Foy (BOS)

The Twins signed Joe Foy as an amateur free agent before the 1962 season and would remain in the organization until that following November when the Boston Red Sox nabbed Foy with their Rule V minor league pick. 

 

In 1965 Foy was the Minor League Player of the Year while playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the International League.  At age 23 in 1966, Foy emerged as the Red Sox's starting third baseman and put up very good power numbers (15 home runs, .413 slugging %) but also displayed zen-like patience (91 walks).  The Twins relied on the defensively inept Harmon Killebrew to cover the hot corner as Don Mincher manned first base.  Foy's freshman year bat would supply one less batting win than the Killer's (1.6 to 2.6) but slightly more than one additional win over Mincher's.   His sophomore season, according to Baseball-Reference's Similarity Scores, resembles that of Royals third base phenom Alex Gordon.  That year, Foy hit 16 home runs and hit .251/.325/.426.  In his third season, Foy would begin to show his basepath prowess jumping from 14 total stolen base attempts in 1967 to 34 in 1968.  Still, the Red Sox may have sensed decline and left him exposed to the expansion draft where the Kansas City Royals scooped him up out of Fenway.  The Royals later used him as a bargaining chip to obtain Amos Otis from the Mets, who would become a mainstay on some very good Kansas City ballclubs.  In 1970 Foy would once again be selected in the Rule V draft - this time by the Washington Senators.  While working under Ted Williams' tutelage, Foy would hone his batting eye (27/14 BB/K) but at the young age of 28 his power was zapped and his career would soon be over. 

 

 

1979	Drafted	Lost
	Doug Corbett (CIN)	None
	Guy Sularz (SFG)

 

The Twins finished the 1979 season smack-dab in the middle of the AL West at 82-80.  That season, the offense scored 4.71 runs per game led by shortstop Roy Smalley would provided 5.6 batting wins.  The pitching staff relied on the aging Jerry Koosman (20-13), Dave Goltz (14-13) and Geoff Zahn (13-7)

The Twins took Guy Sularz, a utility infielder, from the Giants organization most likely because being from Minneapolis (but attended North Hollywood High School), Sularz was probably already familiar with the town.  By the end of spring training the Twins returned him to the West Coast team from whence he came. 

 

Corbett, on the other hand, was intriguing.  He had a heavy sinker and at 27 years old, Major League ready.  The Twins grabbed him from the Reds and tossed him into the bullpen.  Making 73 appearances in his belated rookie season, Corbett averaged 1.8 innings per outing.  Though the season was a disappointment for a team that had regressed from an 82-80 season in 1979 to 77-84, Corbett contributed 23 saves, 4.8 pitching wins and posted an ERA+ of 220.  His 23 saves was a rookie record that stood until Baltimore's Gregg Olson topped that in 1989 as a 22-year-old rookie with 27 saves. His introductory performance garnderd Corbett enough votes for third place in the AL Rookie of the Year award (Super Joe Carboneau for the Indians would go home with the hardware).  In 1981, Corbett would come back down to earth.  That year, the Twins took a turn for the worse.  The offense supplied the second-fewest runs per game (3.44) leading only the anemic Toronto Blue Jays.  The 28-year-old closer was used far less, deployed only 54 times in 1981.  Still, Corbett was elected to the AL All-Star team but did not play.  By 1982, the franchise had crash-landed in their new home - and so did Corbett.  In just ten games from April 7th to May 8th, opponents smashed him all over the field, hitting .300/.370/.467 in that time.  Looking to employ the young, inexpensive talent, the Twins sent Corbett along with Rob Wilfong (28) to the California Angels for Tom Brunansky, Mike Walters and $100,000.  There, Corbett's fortitude would be questioned when he would be known for yelling "Look out!" after releasing high-and-tight fastballs.  For the cost of the Rule V draft, the Twins were able to secure two-plus seasons of a reliever who provided 6.2 pitching wins to the team and exchange him for another inexpensive player that would contribute another 2.6 batting wins the rest of the 1982 season in Brunansky. 

 

1981	Drafted	Lost
	Paul Boris (NYY)	None

In 1978 the New York Yankees signed Boris out of Rutgers University as an amateur free agent.  The Twins took a shine to the right-handed pitcher and acquired him via the Rule V draft after the 1981 season.  The pitching staff for the Twins had a rough go in the strike-shortened season.  Lacking any offensive support, no starter - with the exception of Pete Redfern (9-8) - possessed a winning record.  In the bullpen only Doug Corbett had provided any sort of noteworthy relief, ending up the Twins All-Star representative that season.  After a spring training audition, the Twins returned him to the Yankees on April 2nd, 1982.  Eight days later the Twins would trade Roy Smalley to the Yankees for Ron Davis (who would replace the traded Corbett as the team's closer), minor league shortstop Greg Gagne aaaannnnnnd....Paul Boris.  The trade appeared to be the last straw for fans who largely ignored the new stadium downtown as the Twins were deadlast in the American League for attendance.  Former players and fans accused Calvin Griffith of conducting a 'clearance sale', jettisoning the large contracts of Smalley and Wynager to the Yankees for inexpensive player.  Former Twin Dan Ford, then with the Orioles, told the Associated Press that, "They come up with minor league guys and as soon as they do well, they trade them off.  They notice people making money and they let them go like (Rod) Carew, (Larry) Hisle, Smalley, (Lyman) Bostock and myself.  All they know is the value of a dollar.  They'll take a guy with a $40,000 salary over a guy with a $100,000 salary."   Griffith responded by saying, "The names aren't producing.  We'll get some kids in here and give them an opportunity to play."

 

It would be the recently acquired Davis that would be the most vocal opponent of the trades, suggesting openly that it should be the owner that should be traded.  Griffith shot back by calling Davis a "New York counterfeit" and adding "I hope he is not getting nervous now that Corbett is gone."

 

Desperate for warm bodies during the 1982 season, Boris was given the opportunity to prove that he was one.  After starting the season in AAA Toledo, Boris made 23 appearances coming out of a terrible bullpen and would only pitch in just one game that the Twins claimed victory (and he was credited with the win).  Boris's historical importance is basically his involvement in the acquisition of Gagne who would anchor shortstop for the two World Series teams and Ron Davis, the closer that probably cost the team a post-season appearance in 1984.  
 

1984	Drafted	Lost
	Mark Salas (STL)	None

Lacking confidence in catcher Tim Laudner and Dave Engle's in ability to hit, the Twins took Mark Salas from the Cardinals organization.  In 120 games with the Twins in his rookie season, Salas hit .300/.332/.458 while contributing 1.5 batting wins.  His performance earned him Rookie of the Year considerations (8th place).  The follow season, Salas's numbers dropped significantly and in 1987 he was traded to the Yankees for Joe Niekro at the trade deadline in efforts to bolster a depleted pitching staff.  Niekro, of course, wouldn't do any good for the Championship team, yet he would supply one of the most memorable moments in Twins lore as he attempted to thwart an umpire's on-field cavity search. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Odds, Ends (11.25.08)

 

• I Love the '80s.  In efforts to - I don't know - honor the Metrodome the Twins have announced that all Saturday home games in 2009 the Twins will don retro jersey commemorating the initial season indoors.  For those that cannot recall the 1982 Dome break-in season, don't worry, you aren't missing much.  It was Billy Gardner's first season as the team's manager and his young squad (averaging just 25 years old) finished the 60-102 - a distant 33 games out of the American League West - and the .370 winning percentage easily the worst since the move from the Nation's capital.  Even with a new stadium centrally located in Downtown Minneapolis, impervious to the outdoor whether conditions, the team struggled to draw 1 million visitors and finished dead last in attendance in the AL.  The roster was constructed with promising yet unproven talent with the likes of Kent Hrbek (22), Tom Brunansky (21), Tim Laudner (24), Gary Geatti (23), Brad Havens (22) and Frank Viola (22).  Fans expected and received very little out of them.  Still, Hrbek and Geatti displayed power of much older men, slugging .485 and .443 respectively with a combined 48 home runs.  Hrbek would experience the first of two voter-inflicted injustices (the later coming in 1984 when he finished second for the AL MVP) being tagged as runner up for the Rookie of the Year while hitting .301/.363/.485 in 532 at-bats while playing for a 100+ loss team.  Instead, ballots would be casted for Cal Ripken Jr who would hit .264/.317/.475 in 598 at-bats though playing for a team with 94-wins.  The franchise would make several significant personnel moves as well.  In April, the Twins packaged 29-year-old Roy Smalley to the Yankees for closer Ron Davis, Paul Boris and future shortstop Greg Gagne.  A month later catcher Butch Wynegar was flipped to the Yankees along with Roger Erickson for John Pacella, Larry Milbourne, Pete Filson and cash.  Though none of the players gained from the Wynegar transaction amount to anything, moving the opening day catcher made room for minor league slugger Laudner.  On the same day, owner Calvin Griffith would ship pitcher Doug Corbett and second baseman Rob Wilfong to California for Brunansky and Mike Walters (along with $400K).  In three moves, the Twins had acquired three integral components of the 1987 World Champion team.  Maybe that is worth commemorating. 

 

• More '82.  It should be noted that what burned the Twins the most during this era was their inability to draft successfully in the first round.  According to Kevin Kerrane's book, Dollar Sign on the Muscle, the Twins were one of the frugal organizations that had trimmed their scouting budget in order to partake in the socialized experiment, the Major League Scouting Bureau.  This resulted in uninspired first round draft picks:  Paul Croft (1977 - 15th overall), Lenny Faedo (1978 - 16th), Kevin Brandt (1979 - 11th), Jeff Reed (1980 - 12th), and Mike Sodders (1981 - 11th).  Among the first rounders from '77 to '81, only Faedo and Reed would see the Majors.  In 1982, the team continued this trend.  On the board was the highly touted Tampa high school phenom Dwight Gooden.  All reports indicated that Gooden was going to demand a high bonus so it was evident the Twins were going to passed too. The Twins selected Bryan Oelkers, a left-handed pitcher whose claim to fame is being the first player born in Spain break into the Major Leagues, only threw 34 innings for the team.  With a Gooden/Viola tandem the Twins would have had the potential of being a dynasty from 1984 through 1991. 

 

• Twins Aren't Type A Personalities.  Joe Christensen at the Strib reports that the Twins will most likely take a pass on the Type A free agents as to not jeopardize a first-round draft pick in 2009.  This is a fairly evident critic of the organization.  In obtaining a Type A free agent, you are not only committing a large sum of money but you are also losing a draft pick on the opposite end of the pipeline.  Christensen says the Twins have looked at a few Type A relievers, notably Juan Cruz, a hard-throwing relief pitcher for the Diamondbacks, and have stated they have a "Never say never" mentality about it.  The rub is that in the past several offseasons, it has been the Type A reliever that has been the biggest free agent landmine.  For instance:

 

• Type A Relief Free Agents in 2006:
  • Denys Baez's A designation came from 112 innings with the Devils Rays, Dodgers and Braves where he accumulated a 90/47 K/BB and a 4.98 RA.  Signed by the Orioles for 3-years and $19 M, Baez did not throw a pitch in 2008 and has contributed only 50.3 innings with a 29/29 K/BB and a 6.44 RA since signing the massive contract.  
  • Roberto Hernandez parleyed a 2005/2006 seasons in which he threw 133.4 innings with a 109/60 K/BB ratio and a good 3.50 RA.  The Indians, desperate for bullpen help, extended him a 1-year, $3.5 M contract that Hernandez threw just 26 innings with a 7.26 RA before the Tribe released him in June. 
  • The 32-year-old Justin Speier had compiled two back-to-back seasons in Toronto where he averaged a 2.89 RA in his 118 innings.  The Angels signed Speier to a four-year, $18 M deal that offseason.  Though his 2007 performance was consistent with his previous seasons, his 34-year-old season swung the opposite way.  Speier surrendered 41 runs in 68 innings of work inflating his Runs Allowed to 4.42 - almost double than was the Angels were paying for.   
• Type A Relief Free Agents in 2007:
  • Brewers closer Francisco Cordero had two impressive seasons in 2006 and 2007 throwing 138.3 innings with a 170/40 K/BB ratio and a suppressed 3.57 RA.  Cincinnati, in dire need of everything, inked Cordero to a four-year, $46 M contract.  His first season with the Reds was a dominate as ever - almost emulating his previous to with a 3.58 RA in 70.3 innings.  However, at 34 in 2009, Cordero is owed $36 million between now and 2011 as his performance is sure to decline as well
  • At age 29 and 30 Scott Linebrink was dominate left-hander for the Padres and then the Brewers.  He was averaging 3.88 RA and posted a 118/47 K/BB ratio in 146 innings between 2006 and 2007.  In need of bullpen help, the White Sox gave Linebrink $19 M over four-years.  Linebrink's arm broke down and he spent time on the DL, throwing only 46.3 innings in 2008 with his standard 3.88 RA. 
• Not only does the signing of these player come at the substantial investment to the overall budget and the added shot of losing a high draft pick, but most of the time they are quick to decline.  Though Juan Cruz's power numbers are impressive (33% K% versus 477 batters), he will be seeking a multi-year contract presumed to be worth $4 million a season and is just entering his 30s in 2009.  All this combine indicates that Cruz will command a healthy raise.  On one hand, the Twins have some room to maneuver after decreasing their budget in 2008 but on the other, they are an organization that does not like to be shackled to large contracts.  His previous two seasons merit his Type A status: In 112.7 innings, Cruz had a 158/63 K/BB ratio and a 3.59 RA.  More consistent with the Twins' philosophy is the Diamondbacks closer, free agent Brandon Lyon. In the past two seasons, the 28 year old Lyon has thrown 133.3 innings and possesses a 84/35 K/BB ratio.  Like Cruz, Lyon also has a Run Allowed Average below 4.00 (3.98).  Lyon suffered from an inordinate amount of balls finding gaps (a .355 BABIP) making his numbers slightly worse than they.  After making less than $4 million in 2008, Lyon would be more prone to signing a short-term deal (3 years or less) for a better price.

 

• Indian Pirates.  According to the Associated Press, the Pittsburgh Pirates have signed the pair of Indian pitchers I wrote about last week. The Pirates have had troubles in recent years, not having won 70-games since 2004 and have not had a winning season since 1992.  What's more is that the team has had troubles building a solid pitching staff internally - anyone who showed the slightest bit of promise was accelerated to the majors.  When Zach Duke, Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny didn't respond to the rapid development, the Pirates were relegated to trade fixtures Jason Bay and Xavier Nady for more pitching prospects since the minors was void of anyone.  It is obvious that Patel and Singh won't contribute for years to come so the signing represents a shift in front office philosophy - one that does not make a ton of sense.  Here is an organization that cannot properly prepare pitchers that have had years of teaching a various levels from high school and college for the Majors and now they expect to groom two that have zero?  How can you expect to invest in attempting to development two raw players?  As noted, these two are 20 years old that have not yet pitched an inning of organized baseball (some JuCo scrimmages though).  This late start puts them well behind the development curve.  Nevertheless, Pirates GM, Neal Huntington, remains optimistic.  "The Pirates are committed to creatively adding talent to our organization," Huntington said. "By adding these two young men, the Pirates are pleased to not only add two prospects to our system but also hope to open a pathway to an untapped market. We are intrigued by Patel's arm strength and Singh's frame and potential."

 

• San Francisco Geriatrics.  The best thing that might happen to the Detroit Tigers this offseason is that the San Francisco Giants do indeed sign Edgar Renteria away from Motown.  Rumored by WFAN-AM to have a deal in place with the Bay Area team, the Tigers would get two compensatory draft picks as Renteria received Type A status.  In a season in which he hit .270/.317/.382, Renteria did nothing to persuade analysts that he is unable to hit in the American League.  After a brutal offensive season with the Red Sox in 2005, Renteria slinked back to the National League where he began hitting again.  Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski shipped pitcher Jair Jurrjens and Gorky Hernandez to the Atlanta Braves for the 33 year old shortstop with a shakey track record in the AL.  As the Tigers pitching staff disintergrated during the 2008 season, the Braves extracted 188 innings with a 139/70 K/BB and a 13-10 record.  The Giants, meanwhile, are looking to replace their 41-year-old shortstop Omar Vizquel.  Since the Tigers declined Renteria's 2009 option (at $12 million), the estimated signing price is around $9 million for his services.  Even if Renteria contributes enough to reach 8 win share above bench (as he did in 2007), the Giants would be paying $1.125 million per added victory.  At 34-years-old Renteria would be a free agent landmine - even if he is able to resurrect his 2007 output.  To replace Renteria, the Tigers are attempting to strike a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates for defensive extraordinaire, Jack Wilson. 

 

• Tom Kelly, Horse Enthusiast.  Former Twins manager owns several race horses. Apparently, they are pretty good. 

 

• Non-Baseball.  A man tries to use a drawing of a spider as legal tender. Hilarity ensues.