Byung Ho Park cleared waivers and was outrighted Thursday to Rochester. He'll be in training camp as a non-roster invite.
I had thought that somebody (Tampa Bay came to mind) might see a chance to pick up some right-handed power on a long-term but reasonable contract. It didn't happen, and Chris Carter illustrates why I was wrong.
Carter led the National League in homers last year, but the Brewers cut him loose anyway, and it took months before he found a new team: the Yankees, at $3.5 million for one year. (I'm not really sure why the Yankees wanted him, but they apparently figured the price was right.)
I suspect that, assuming Park is recovered from his hand/wrist issues, that he's at least as good a hitter as Carter, and I'm confident that Park is a better defensive first baseman. But Carter has established that he's a genuine major league power hitter -- flawed but genuine -- and Park has not. And Carter isn't going to get paid much more than Park in 2017.
There has been no market for right-handed first base-DH types.
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Right handed reliever Pat Light, who like Park had been designated for assignment by the Twins, was sold to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Light was awful in his 14 innings with the Twins last year (15 walks), and there are probably a dozen arms in the minor league system I'd rather see in the majors this year than Light.
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Bad news on the Glen Perkins front: He felt something in his shoulder and has pushed back his first scheduled bullpen session. I never really expected his return to be glitch-free. Patience. If he's going to make it back, it won't be immediate.
Showing posts with label Pat Light. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pat Light. Show all posts
Friday, February 10, 2017
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Notes, quotes and comment
Eddie Robinson, the subject of Tuesday's post, was at Game Six that night; Fox showed him during its telecast.
As far as I know, Robinson wasn't involved in the pregame activities (Dennis Martinez, another member of the 1990s Indians, threw out the ceremonial first pitch). But he is, obviously, not persona non grata with the organization.
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Baseball America's J.J. Cooper compiled an extensive list of minor league pitchers who hit 100 mph in the past season. Two Twins are on that list: Pat Light, who was acquired from Boston for Fernando Abad and finished the season pitching (poorly) on the big league club; and Fernando Romero, a 21-year-old starting pitcher who split 2016 between low A Cedar Rapids and high A Fort Myers. It was his first season back from Tommy John surgery, and one would have to say it was a success: 90.1 innings, 1.89 ERA combined.
I wasn't impressed at all in September by Light. Romero is a genuine prospect, but years away from the majors.
There are 62 names on Cooper's list. and he expects more names to be added as people around the game see the list and say, hey, so-and-so hit 100.
There are other high velocity arms in the Twins system. Nick Burdi is one, but he barely pitched after spring training (three innings for Double A Chattanooga). There are several others who I'm a little surprised didn't hit triple digits at least once.
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One game left to the 2016 season. May it be a good one tonight.
As far as I know, Robinson wasn't involved in the pregame activities (Dennis Martinez, another member of the 1990s Indians, threw out the ceremonial first pitch). But he is, obviously, not persona non grata with the organization.
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Baseball America's J.J. Cooper compiled an extensive list of minor league pitchers who hit 100 mph in the past season. Two Twins are on that list: Pat Light, who was acquired from Boston for Fernando Abad and finished the season pitching (poorly) on the big league club; and Fernando Romero, a 21-year-old starting pitcher who split 2016 between low A Cedar Rapids and high A Fort Myers. It was his first season back from Tommy John surgery, and one would have to say it was a success: 90.1 innings, 1.89 ERA combined.
I wasn't impressed at all in September by Light. Romero is a genuine prospect, but years away from the majors.
There are 62 names on Cooper's list. and he expects more names to be added as people around the game see the list and say, hey, so-and-so hit 100.
There are other high velocity arms in the Twins system. Nick Burdi is one, but he barely pitched after spring training (three innings for Double A Chattanooga). There are several others who I'm a little surprised didn't hit triple digits at least once.
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One game left to the 2016 season. May it be a good one tonight.
Friday, September 23, 2016
Wild pitching an intentional walk
A team that loses 100 games is bound to embarrass itself with some frequency. Heck, a team that wins 100 games loses 62 games. Baseball is a humbling game.
But it's difficult to look worse than Pat Light did in bungling an intentional walk in the first game of Thursday's double header.
It's not the first time it's happened this year -- a quick Google search uncovered one less than a month ago by Washington's A.J. Cole -- but it was particularly embarrassing because Light had uncorked a wild pitch with his previous offering. That put runners on second and third and was the third ball, so Paul Molitor elected to put the batter on.
And Light lobbed it so high it left the view of the FSN center field camera. Juan Centeno is notably short, but Manute Bol wouldn't have reached that throw.
Molitor then removed Light, and Michael Tonkin entered and promptly served up a three-run homer.
I have some thoughts on Tonkin, but I'll save them for later. I'll just say of Pat Light, who has pitched now 12.1 innings for the Twins with 15 walks and five wild pitches: There is no way in Hades he's going to be back in 2017.
But it's difficult to look worse than Pat Light did in bungling an intentional walk in the first game of Thursday's double header.
It's not the first time it's happened this year -- a quick Google search uncovered one less than a month ago by Washington's A.J. Cole -- but it was particularly embarrassing because Light had uncorked a wild pitch with his previous offering. That put runners on second and third and was the third ball, so Paul Molitor elected to put the batter on.
And Light lobbed it so high it left the view of the FSN center field camera. Juan Centeno is notably short, but Manute Bol wouldn't have reached that throw.
Molitor then removed Light, and Michael Tonkin entered and promptly served up a three-run homer.
I have some thoughts on Tonkin, but I'll save them for later. I'll just say of Pat Light, who has pitched now 12.1 innings for the Twins with 15 walks and five wild pitches: There is no way in Hades he's going to be back in 2017.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
Deadline doings
It was, at the very least, a notable trade deadline day for the Twins.
On the field, they pummeled Cleveland, with Max Kepler hitting three homers, Jorge Polanco a pair of triples, Joe Mauer getting four hits and scoring four runs and Jose Berrios, after a rocky first inning, getting a quality start. Heck, Eddie Rosario even drew a walk.
And before the team took the field in Cleveland, interim general manager Rob Antony made a pair of trades.
Trade One: Fernando Abad to Boston for minor league pitcher Pat Light.
The stuff I said in Monday's post about Brandon Kintzler essentially applies to Abad, except that
They're both 30, were signed to minor league deals, and have better ERAs this year than their underlying stats would suggest. Kintzler remains, but the Twins cashed in Abad for a power-arm prospect in Light, who they drafted out of high school in 2009 but didn't sign.
Light, 25, is said to reach 100 mph at times, but his control is indifferent at best -- 17 walks in 31 innings at Triple A Pawtucket this year, which is better than last year's 26 walks in 33 innings at the same level. He's strictly a relief arm.
The Twins don't have a good track record developing this type of pitcher, not that anybody has a magic touch with them. Light might turn into a late-inning guy, or he might wash out. At least he has two option years left, so there's time.
Trade Two: Ricky Nolasco, Alex Meyer and money to Anaheim for lefty Hector Santiago and minor league pitcher Alan Busenitz.
Give Antony credit: he found a way to unload Nolasco's contract and add a viable major league starter in Santiago.
It did cost the Twins Meyer, but at this point that doesn't look like a terrible loss. Meyer has missed most of the season with arm issues, and even before his shoulder started barking at him, the Twins didn't seem to know if he was still a starting candidate or destined for the bullpen. A power arm with indifferent control -- see Pat Light, above.
The LA Times story on this trade says Meyer, despite his issues, becomes the Angels' top prospect -- which is quite the indictment of that farm system. Meyer's been highly ranked in the past, but I doubt anybody would have had him among the Twins's top 10 prospects any more.
Which is why Busenitz is just a name to be aware of. Yes, he's reached Triple A for the Angels; yes, he too throws hard; yes, the Twins exchanged a minor league pitcher who as burned at least two options for one not yet on the 40-man roster. These are all pluses. The Twins have plenty of these guys around, and we'll see if he emerges.
Santiago is a 28-year-old lefty who made the All-Star team last year (seriously) and has a 3.68 career ERA in 105 major league starts. Last year he led the league in homers allowed (29) and this year he leads in walks allowed (57), neither of which is a positive. He also strikes out eight men per nine innings, a rate that's been pretty consistent over four years in major league rotations, and he's got another year of team control.
No question: You'd rather have Santiago than Nolasco. The Angels made the deal with the hopes that they can find the major league pitcher in Meyer that the Twins could not.
On the field, they pummeled Cleveland, with Max Kepler hitting three homers, Jorge Polanco a pair of triples, Joe Mauer getting four hits and scoring four runs and Jose Berrios, after a rocky first inning, getting a quality start. Heck, Eddie Rosario even drew a walk.
And before the team took the field in Cleveland, interim general manager Rob Antony made a pair of trades.
Trade One: Fernando Abad to Boston for minor league pitcher Pat Light.
The stuff I said in Monday's post about Brandon Kintzler essentially applies to Abad, except that
- Abad doesn't have the saves
- Abad is left-handed
They're both 30, were signed to minor league deals, and have better ERAs this year than their underlying stats would suggest. Kintzler remains, but the Twins cashed in Abad for a power-arm prospect in Light, who they drafted out of high school in 2009 but didn't sign.
Light, 25, is said to reach 100 mph at times, but his control is indifferent at best -- 17 walks in 31 innings at Triple A Pawtucket this year, which is better than last year's 26 walks in 33 innings at the same level. He's strictly a relief arm.
The Twins don't have a good track record developing this type of pitcher, not that anybody has a magic touch with them. Light might turn into a late-inning guy, or he might wash out. At least he has two option years left, so there's time.
Trade Two: Ricky Nolasco, Alex Meyer and money to Anaheim for lefty Hector Santiago and minor league pitcher Alan Busenitz.
Give Antony credit: he found a way to unload Nolasco's contract and add a viable major league starter in Santiago.
It did cost the Twins Meyer, but at this point that doesn't look like a terrible loss. Meyer has missed most of the season with arm issues, and even before his shoulder started barking at him, the Twins didn't seem to know if he was still a starting candidate or destined for the bullpen. A power arm with indifferent control -- see Pat Light, above.
The LA Times story on this trade says Meyer, despite his issues, becomes the Angels' top prospect -- which is quite the indictment of that farm system. Meyer's been highly ranked in the past, but I doubt anybody would have had him among the Twins's top 10 prospects any more.
Which is why Busenitz is just a name to be aware of. Yes, he's reached Triple A for the Angels; yes, he too throws hard; yes, the Twins exchanged a minor league pitcher who as burned at least two options for one not yet on the 40-man roster. These are all pluses. The Twins have plenty of these guys around, and we'll see if he emerges.
Santiago is a 28-year-old lefty who made the All-Star team last year (seriously) and has a 3.68 career ERA in 105 major league starts. Last year he led the league in homers allowed (29) and this year he leads in walks allowed (57), neither of which is a positive. He also strikes out eight men per nine innings, a rate that's been pretty consistent over four years in major league rotations, and he's got another year of team control.
No question: You'd rather have Santiago than Nolasco. The Angels made the deal with the hopes that they can find the major league pitcher in Meyer that the Twins could not.
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