A bunch of the guys the Twins cast off leading up to the trade deadline have started showing up in box scores. How they made their first impressions:
Brian Dozier homered, doubled and singled Wednesday in his Dodger debut. Three-for-4 with seven total bases is a pretty good way to boot up.
Zach Duke didn't allow a homer in 37.1 innings with the Twins. He made his first appearance with Seattle on Tuesday and gave up a homer to Josh Reddick. A LOOGY throwing a gopher ball to a left-handed hitter ... ouch.
Lance Lynn was almost unrecognizable in his Yankees debut; the Yankees don't allow beards, and Lynn has had one throughout his major league career. New look, good results: 4.1 scoreless innings of relief on Thursday against Baltimore. Sonny Gray had already put the Yankees well behind, and Lynn did allow an inherited runner to score, but the overall impression was strong enough that there is speculation in Yankeeland that Lynn will move into the starting rotation.
Ryan Pressly, like Duke, gave up a homer in his first outing with his new team -- in this case, Houston. I had the glimmer of a notion that the Astros might try him as closer, but the controversial trade for Roberto Osuna, who faces domestic violence charges in Toronto, probably closes that door.
Eduardo Escobar is doing Eduardo Escobar stuff for the Diamondbacks. He doubled (of course) in his debut against the Padres and had two hits in each of his first two games with Arizona. It sounds, by the way, like Jake Lamb, nominally Arizona's regular third baseman, might be done for the season with the injury that helped prompt the Snakes to deal for Escobar.
Showing posts with label Zach Duke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zach Duke. Show all posts
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Two more trades
The Twins on Monday moved out a pair of pitchers on one-year deals, Zach Duke and Lance Lynn.
Neither brought much of a return, which is to be expected of a 35-year-old LOOGY (Duke) and a started with a 5.10 ERA (Lynn).
The trades:
He appears to be high floor, low ceiling, and that doesn't do much for me. I don't see a use for him on the current roster -- unless Logan Morrison is leaving soon -- and in the future Brant Rooker, also a right-right 1B-OF, is a better bet to contribute.
Rijo is the very definition of a lottery ticket. He's a 19-year-old right handed pitcher out of Venezuela who has split his 2018 on three levels and put up decent numbers in limited exposure. He is said to have good control and secondary pitches but limited velocity. He might be something, and we might never hear of him again.
Neither brought much of a return, which is to be expected of a 35-year-old LOOGY (Duke) and a started with a 5.10 ERA (Lynn).
The trades:
#MNTwins Roster Moves: Twins acquire Chase De Jong and Ryan Costello in exchange for Zach Duke. pic.twitter.com/llJfdi4s14— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 30, 2018
#MNTwins Roster Moves: Twins acquire Luis Rijo and Tyler Austin in Exchange for Lance Lynn. pic.twitter.com/IqCNwh66Gg— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 30, 2018
Costello is the more interesting of the gets in the Mariners deal. MLBpipeline.com has him as No. 28 in the Mariners system, but Seattle has a notably depleted system. Costello leads the Midwest League (low A) in homers and RBIs, but ...
- he's old for the level and
- in two minor league seasons he's played his way off third base and is apparently a poor defensive first baseman.
He's gonna have to mash to make it to the majors. If I were making the call, he would move up to Fort Myers and a more age-appropriate environment.
De Jong is going on his fourth organization. He got 28 innings in the majors last year, allowing five homers and a 6.25 ERA. He's been in Double-A this year. He's on the 40-man roster, but there's not much here to interest me.
Austin got most of the attention from Dick-n-Torii during the TV broadcast in the Lynn deal, probably because he hit a homer off Lynn earlier this year. He'll turn 27 before the season ends. Right-handed hitter, genuine power, lots of strikeouts. The Yankees gave him 269 major league plate appearances and spun him off; he'll be out of options next year and my guess is they weren't going to keep him on the 40 this winter.
He appears to be high floor, low ceiling, and that doesn't do much for me. I don't see a use for him on the current roster -- unless Logan Morrison is leaving soon -- and in the future Brant Rooker, also a right-right 1B-OF, is a better bet to contribute.
Rijo is the very definition of a lottery ticket. He's a 19-year-old right handed pitcher out of Venezuela who has split his 2018 on three levels and put up decent numbers in limited exposure. He is said to have good control and secondary pitches but limited velocity. He might be something, and we might never hear of him again.
Monday, May 14, 2018
Second-guessing the use of Zach Duke
The Twins lost Sunday 2-1. They didn't necessarily have to -- Ehire Adrianza did a sloppy job of running the bases and got thown out at the plate with the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth, after which Paul Molitor made the truly curious decision to have Zach Duke pitch against a series of right-handed hitters.
Chris Young (HBP on an 0-2 count), Martin Maldonado (sac bunt), Zack Cozart (RBI single). Game over. And had the game been alive after Cozart's hit, Mike Trout and Justin Upton were the next two hitters.
Duke has now pitched 13.1 innings this season, in which he's walked 10 and hit three. That's a lot of free baserunners. More to the point of second-guessing Paul Molitor's choice of Duke to pitch in a high-leverage situation against a string of right-handed bats, his OPS allowed is more than twice as high against righties as lefties.
Yeah, it's an extremely small sample size, but it is backed up with career numbers. Duke has always been better against lefties and since his move to the bullpen, his managers -- and there have been a lot of them for the veteran-- have treated him as a specialist. But Molitor has the notion that Duke has the stuff to thrive against righties, and he's gotten burned a couple of times that way.
To be sure, Molitor's preferred right-handed options -- Trevor Hildenberger and Addison Reed -- were probably unavailable. Hildenberger had pitched the previous three days, and Reed pitched two innings on Saturday.
And I don't blame Molitor for deciding to stay away from Phil Hughes. I don't know if Hughes is the bullpen is going to work, but we've seen nothing so far to make a manager eager to put a game in his hands.
But why not try Matt Magill? Magill has pitched nine innings since his call up and allowed one run. He's right-handed, and he has avoided so far the major failing of his previous major league experiences, walks. I would much rather pit Magill's stuff against the Cozart-Trout-Upton string of All-Star right-handed bats than Duke's.
The closest game Magill has pitched in was Friday's; he worked the eighth with the Twins down a pair and got the win when they scored three in the top of the ninth. Other than that, he's pitched with leads of more than four runs and deficits of three or more. He never even warmed up in Saturday's extra-inning affair; Hughes would have pitched the 12th had the Twins not taken the lead.
As with Hildenberger last year, it's understandable for Molitor to be cautious with him. But the "Greg McMichael Rule" -- if you get outs, they'll find a role for you -- suggests that Magill should soon get some more meaningful innings.
Had Adrianza scored on Robbie Grossman's double -- and he should have -- Molitor would have gone with Fernando Rodney in the bottom of the inning instead of Duke, and this rant never gets written. So Adrianza deserves the criticism he's getting elsewhere. But I firmly believe Duke shouldn't have been near the mound that inning.
Chris Young (HBP on an 0-2 count), Martin Maldonado (sac bunt), Zack Cozart (RBI single). Game over. And had the game been alive after Cozart's hit, Mike Trout and Justin Upton were the next two hitters.
Duke has now pitched 13.1 innings this season, in which he's walked 10 and hit three. That's a lot of free baserunners. More to the point of second-guessing Paul Molitor's choice of Duke to pitch in a high-leverage situation against a string of right-handed bats, his OPS allowed is more than twice as high against righties as lefties.
Yeah, it's an extremely small sample size, but it is backed up with career numbers. Duke has always been better against lefties and since his move to the bullpen, his managers -- and there have been a lot of them for the veteran-- have treated him as a specialist. But Molitor has the notion that Duke has the stuff to thrive against righties, and he's gotten burned a couple of times that way.
To be sure, Molitor's preferred right-handed options -- Trevor Hildenberger and Addison Reed -- were probably unavailable. Hildenberger had pitched the previous three days, and Reed pitched two innings on Saturday.
And I don't blame Molitor for deciding to stay away from Phil Hughes. I don't know if Hughes is the bullpen is going to work, but we've seen nothing so far to make a manager eager to put a game in his hands.
But why not try Matt Magill? Magill has pitched nine innings since his call up and allowed one run. He's right-handed, and he has avoided so far the major failing of his previous major league experiences, walks. I would much rather pit Magill's stuff against the Cozart-Trout-Upton string of All-Star right-handed bats than Duke's.
The closest game Magill has pitched in was Friday's; he worked the eighth with the Twins down a pair and got the win when they scored three in the top of the ninth. Other than that, he's pitched with leads of more than four runs and deficits of three or more. He never even warmed up in Saturday's extra-inning affair; Hughes would have pitched the 12th had the Twins not taken the lead.
As with Hildenberger last year, it's understandable for Molitor to be cautious with him. But the "Greg McMichael Rule" -- if you get outs, they'll find a role for you -- suggests that Magill should soon get some more meaningful innings.
Had Adrianza scored on Robbie Grossman's double -- and he should have -- Molitor would have gone with Fernando Rodney in the bottom of the inning instead of Duke, and this rant never gets written. So Adrianza deserves the criticism he's getting elsewhere. But I firmly believe Duke shouldn't have been near the mound that inning.
Friday, March 30, 2018
Random thoughts on the Twins opener
I understand and even agreed with Paul Molitor's decision to pinch-hit for Byron Buxton in the ninth inning, and the move obviously worked. But if the Twins are to get where they want to go, Buxton has to be the kind of hitter you don't even consider pinch-hitting for with the game on the line.
---
Welcome to the Fernando Rodney Experience. The veteran did a nice job getting out of an inherited jam in the 10th, only to serve up a first-pitch gopher ball to open the next inning.
The rebuilt back of the bullpen was a mixed bag. Addison Reed dominated in two innings of work; Zach Duke struck out four men in his one inning but also allowed two runs; and Trevor Hildenberger had trouble throwing strikes.
Duke, a lefty specialist throughout his bullpen career, faced a string of right-handed hitters, culminating with the two-run triple by the light-hitting Caleb Joseph. I suspect that by the time the season is over, Molitor will be more wary of that kind of useage of Duke.
---
The Baltimore Orioles had Chris Davis leading off. This is a far cry from tradition; Davis is a slow slugger. The closest thing in Buck Showalter's starting nine to an old-school flyboy, Craig Gentry, hit eighth. Which is pretty much where Gentry should hit.
The Birds just stack one power hitter after another. The Twins kept them in the park for 10 innings. They just didn't score enough themselves in that time frame.
---
Welcome to the Fernando Rodney Experience. The veteran did a nice job getting out of an inherited jam in the 10th, only to serve up a first-pitch gopher ball to open the next inning.
The rebuilt back of the bullpen was a mixed bag. Addison Reed dominated in two innings of work; Zach Duke struck out four men in his one inning but also allowed two runs; and Trevor Hildenberger had trouble throwing strikes.
Duke, a lefty specialist throughout his bullpen career, faced a string of right-handed hitters, culminating with the two-run triple by the light-hitting Caleb Joseph. I suspect that by the time the season is over, Molitor will be more wary of that kind of useage of Duke.
---
The Baltimore Orioles had Chris Davis leading off. This is a far cry from tradition; Davis is a slow slugger. The closest thing in Buck Showalter's starting nine to an old-school flyboy, Craig Gentry, hit eighth. Which is pretty much where Gentry should hit.
The Birds just stack one power hitter after another. The Twins kept them in the park for 10 innings. They just didn't score enough themselves in that time frame.
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
The Twiins put up their Duke
The signing of Zach Duke became official Tuesday evening, and as I implied in that morning's post, I'm not impressed.
I understand the logic. He's a high-floor, low-ceiling veteran reliever. Gabriel Moya, the prospect who tore up Double A last year and got a cup of coffee in September, has a higher ceiling but a lower floor. Bringing in Duke to be the second lefty in the bullpen is an exercise in risk avoidance.
That said, I doubt the Twins' postseason chances hinge on the bullpen's second lefty. If Buddy Boshers and Craig Breslow couldn't cripple them last year, Moya isn't likely to either. And I strongly dislike seeing a kid with an 0.77 ERA in the Southern League get logjammed by a journeyman.
The Twins clearly like Duke a lot more than I do. I see him as a non-roster invitee candidate; they gave him a 40-man roster spot and a $2 million contract.
Presumably Moya is now ticketed for Rochester. If he puts up a 0.77 ERA there too, he won't stay there long. Heck, if he triples the ERA, he'll move up.
Supposedly the Twins think Duke can get both lefties and righties out. He certainly hasn't been used that way. Since he became a bullpen guy, he's never had a season with more innings than appearances, and the ratio is seldom close. Paul Molitor has not been very inclined to one-out relievers so far.
The numbers are of limited use at best here. Duke had a better OPS against righties than lefties in 2017, although that's a slender reed to lean on. He only faced 31 righties all season. For his career, his platoon splits are rather lopsided -- .809 OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) vs. righties, .705 vs. lefties -- but even there, we're mixing his early career as a starter in with his relief work.
Plus there's the injury factor to cloud things. Duke pitched last year in a rapid return from ligament surgery, and I've seen some reports that his stuff improved as the season progressed. I am sure the Twins have a better grasp on what Duke is now as a pitcher than I do.
Bottom line: I'm not thrilled, but even if the signing is a failure, it won't cripple this team.
I understand the logic. He's a high-floor, low-ceiling veteran reliever. Gabriel Moya, the prospect who tore up Double A last year and got a cup of coffee in September, has a higher ceiling but a lower floor. Bringing in Duke to be the second lefty in the bullpen is an exercise in risk avoidance.
That said, I doubt the Twins' postseason chances hinge on the bullpen's second lefty. If Buddy Boshers and Craig Breslow couldn't cripple them last year, Moya isn't likely to either. And I strongly dislike seeing a kid with an 0.77 ERA in the Southern League get logjammed by a journeyman.
The Twins clearly like Duke a lot more than I do. I see him as a non-roster invitee candidate; they gave him a 40-man roster spot and a $2 million contract.
Presumably Moya is now ticketed for Rochester. If he puts up a 0.77 ERA there too, he won't stay there long. Heck, if he triples the ERA, he'll move up.
Supposedly the Twins think Duke can get both lefties and righties out. He certainly hasn't been used that way. Since he became a bullpen guy, he's never had a season with more innings than appearances, and the ratio is seldom close. Paul Molitor has not been very inclined to one-out relievers so far.
The numbers are of limited use at best here. Duke had a better OPS against righties than lefties in 2017, although that's a slender reed to lean on. He only faced 31 righties all season. For his career, his platoon splits are rather lopsided -- .809 OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) vs. righties, .705 vs. lefties -- but even there, we're mixing his early career as a starter in with his relief work.
Plus there's the injury factor to cloud things. Duke pitched last year in a rapid return from ligament surgery, and I've seen some reports that his stuff improved as the season progressed. I am sure the Twins have a better grasp on what Duke is now as a pitcher than I do.
Bottom line: I'm not thrilled, but even if the signing is a failure, it won't cripple this team.
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
Duke of Zach
Various Twitter reports Monday had veteran lefty reliever Zach Duke in contract agreement with the Twins, pending a physical.
As Christmas gifts go, this one seems to me destined for the returns counter. Duke,who turns 35 in April, had an impressively quick return from Tommy John surgery last year. The results were not as impressive. His strikeout rate in particular plummeted.
To be fair, Duke has a solid resume as a LOOGY, a Left-handed One Out GuY. Once the Pirates abandoned the notion of making him a starter, he found a productive niche, or at least as productive as a lefty specialist gets. But I'm not so hot on guys who throw 58.2 innings in 74 appearances, as Duke did for Milwaukee in 2014.
As I contemplate the Twins depth chart among lefty relievers, Duke looks like Number Three at best. Certainly he's behind Taylor Rogers. In my mind -- but not necessarily the Twins' estimation -- he should be behind Gabriel Moya as well. Duke and Buddy Boshers? I'll give Duke the nod there, at least tentatively.
The more I think about it, the more I wonder if Duke is getting a major league contract or a minor league deal with spring training invite. Either way, it does not figure to be a significant addition for the Twins.
As Christmas gifts go, this one seems to me destined for the returns counter. Duke,who turns 35 in April, had an impressively quick return from Tommy John surgery last year. The results were not as impressive. His strikeout rate in particular plummeted.
To be fair, Duke has a solid resume as a LOOGY, a Left-handed One Out GuY. Once the Pirates abandoned the notion of making him a starter, he found a productive niche, or at least as productive as a lefty specialist gets. But I'm not so hot on guys who throw 58.2 innings in 74 appearances, as Duke did for Milwaukee in 2014.
As I contemplate the Twins depth chart among lefty relievers, Duke looks like Number Three at best. Certainly he's behind Taylor Rogers. In my mind -- but not necessarily the Twins' estimation -- he should be behind Gabriel Moya as well. Duke and Buddy Boshers? I'll give Duke the nod there, at least tentatively.
The more I think about it, the more I wonder if Duke is getting a major league contract or a minor league deal with spring training invite. Either way, it does not figure to be a significant addition for the Twins.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)