The Twins have announced a two-year deal with righty Michael Pineda. The former Yankees righty is still working back from Tommy John surgery. He receives a $10MM guarantee, split into consecutive $2MM and $8MM salaries.
Pineda can also add up to $3MM via incentives, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press, on Twitter. He’ll land half a million upon reaching 150 innings and for every ten frames thereafter, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag tweets, maxing out upon hitting 200 frames.
Pineda, who turns 29 in January, went under the knife in mid-July of 2017, so he’s certain to miss the bulk of the coming season. But it’s possible he could return late in the year. Clearly, though, the deal is aimed primarily at achieving value in the ensuing campaign.
Much like Drew Smyly, who went to the Cubs yesterday (also on a $10MM deal), Pineda seems to offer ample upside. Though he carried only a 4.56 ERA over the past three seasons, Pineda has tantalized with his power arsenal and maintained 9.5 K/9 against 2.0 BB/9 in that span.
Despite sparkling grades from fielding-independent pitching measures, home runs have to this point been a problem that Pineda has not solved. His rate of long balls permitted has steadily risen in each of his four years in the Bronx, topping out in 2017 at 1.87 per nine with a 22.5% HR/FB rate.
There are also health questions that go beyond the TJ recovery process. Pineda has dealt with significant shoulder problems in the past, though he had recovered to the point that he took the ball 59 times over the 2015-16 campaigns.
Regardless, it’s an intriguing move for a Minnesota organization that has a few unsettled spots in the current and future rotation. If the club can sustain contention as it did in 2017, it’s also imaginable that Pineda could return somewhat sooner and function as a possible impact reliever down the stretch.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Minnesota fans will love him. He’s super competitive and at times flashes front of the rotation type stuff. Sad to see him leave the Bronx, but wish him nothing but the best.
And he loves that sticky icky he won’t hat to worry about the Sox calling him out all the time
Now he can wider his grpup of people to fight
Idk man, I’m not really all to sad to see him go. For one there’s no room for him and two, he was so frustrating! Flashed amazing stuff in one start, then laid an egg the next two. I’d love to see him be consistent for a season, maybe Minnesota is the place for that.
Phil Hughes 2.0?
Where are the Orioles on stuff like this? Seems right up our alley less traveled…
Couldn’t pass the physical lol
lol
Perhaps some truth to that.
Agreed
I certainly don’t wish him ill but I think this is a pretty risky move. It’s only money and as of this moment I don’t know what he signed for but still. This is Pineda’s second major arm injury and I have concerns how his stuff will hold up. Add in the fact he doesn’t seem like a workout warrior and I wouldn’t be surprised if he is done as a real factor on a MLB pitching staff.
Low risk ($10) high reward. Pineda has potential to be a top of the rotation guy, and maybe between a smaller market, a change of scenery, and his surgery, he can be that guy. Solid move, I think,
He’s essentially getting 10m to pitch the 2019 season. I wouldn’t consider that necessarily a bargain. In a way it reminds me of Greg Holland.
That’s what starters get in this market. 10 mil is a solid price for what he can bring when healthy
No doubt. I’m just not sure why they spent it on this season. I suppose the aim is he comes back about the stretch run and maybe the Twins are in the thick of it and they basically add an in house reliever.
Now that his tenure with The Yankees is officially over, lets look back at the trade that brought him to NY. Yankees acquire Pineda and Vincente Campos from The Mariners for Jesus Montero, and Hector Noesi.
I remember Jesus Montero. He was supposed to be a stud
Two teams that found a way they both could lose in a trade.
Jesus Montero was a head case who never lived up to the hype
Michael Pineda brought shame on the organization and himself using stick em twice…….even stupid enough to do it again after they had photos and were looking for it lol.
one of those trades both teams lost.
NY got little for nothing. I thought Montero would become a very good hitter.
Seemed like a change of scenery deal for Montero at the time…his star was already waning. A real negative effort kind of player.
I guess the Yankees won’t he trade, but not by much. Mainly just cause Pineda produced some days
Won***
He frustrated me so much in the Bronx. He just refuses to use his chabgeup more. Despite having a great k/BB ratio he gets harmed on throwing so many sliders. Two pitch starters can’t succeed in the majors
If he worked on his changeup like severino did he would have been a beast
I just don’t think his changeup’s any good, which is why he doesn’t use it much. It’s only 5 MPH slower than his fastball, tough to fool hitters if it’s that fast
He never wanted to take more off his changeup which was a huge problem. He never seemed to show the work ethic to work on it. He would have one great game and think “see I only need two pitches !” And then struggle again. He is the one pitcher whose advanced stats don’t tell the whole story
Saying you want to take 10-12 off the changeup and effectively doing it are two separate deals. Ditch the change….go with a cutter and make him a short reliever.
I’m good with this signing. Didn’t think it was something the Twins would do.
Pineda is a classic “change of scenery” guy. Never really hit his stride in NY, but he has nasty stuff when he doesn’t out-think himself. New/diff pitching coach will help. Good job Twins!!
good ballpark change for him, less Pinata, and more Pineda.
Seems like a decent move, but definitely more for next season than this one. The Twins are going to have trouble with the league as a whole, but that division is going to be fairly easy to try to get the second wild card spot with three teams essentially punting on 2018. Now is the time for Minnesota to try to go for it.
Aside from the usual suspects who in the AL taking the 25-30 win jump like Minny did last season? I know the angels were there until the end but who else qualifies?
Depends on what borderline teams like Texas do this off season
Maybe the Blue Jays? Mariners?
25-30 wins your talking doormat in 2017 and breakout in 2018. I don’t see any teams currently in the AL positioned for that. In the NL I could see Philadelphia pulling off a nice run. Really, in the AL at this time maybe the Angels improve….but it’s by a few games.
He would’ve had a great seasons if Girardi used the kid gloves on him that he uses on Monty and CC. 4 innings, maybe 5, and pull him.
He would implode with runners on base so joe had to be weary with him
Pineda can join a fellow country man in Ervin Santana and hopefully hash some things out. I’m excited to see what he brings to the club.
Don’t mind that shiny stuff on his neck.
Not a bad signing. Just don’t let me see a tweet that the twins are done upgrading their rotation.
Pineda has all the talent in the world….he just doesn’t use it consistently. Great 1 game & mediocre the next. A change of scenery may help
It’s “dodged a bullet” when Ohtani might need Tommy John even though he’s gonna be under team control for at least six years but the Pineda and Smyly signings are “good moves”. Makes sense
Considering the Smyly and Pineda deals are worth 10M and Ohtani’s is worth 23M and that Smyly and Pineda already got the surgery and Ohtani has yet to get the surgery, i would say that missing out on Ohtani is a dodged bullet and Pineda and Smyly deals are risky but cheap moves that could prove bountiful. Thats not to say Ohtani cant be great but the injured arm is just another risk on top of the usual risks of bringing a guy over from Japan.
Looks like a run on free agent pitchers out for the season with Tommy John surgeries. Any predictions on Drew Storen or Trevor Rosenthal?
If they move him to the bullpen he’d be lights out.
For an AAV guarantee of $5m, it’s a lot of upside for a rotation somewhat lacking in SP upside. If he does anything close to being a believable member of a rotation he’ll be worth the money.
If… Seems like too much for this guy. The first year back is often the most difficult following TJ. The Twins just paid solid starter money for a guy they hope can bounce back from his 2nd major surgery and pitch league average for them next season.
Thanks for your time in pinstripes!
I don’t blink when the Pirates don’t get Quintana or Sonny Gray, but….come on….this is EXACTLY the type of deal they should be looking for. He could have slotted into Cole’s spot next year.
The Twins gave Mike Pelfrey $15MM, this can’t be a worse deal…