The Twins have signed 1B/DH Lucas Duda to a minor-league pact with an invite to Spring Training, per a team release. Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that Duda will earn $1.75MM if he cracks the MLB roster, and can earn up to $1.5MM in further incentives.
Duda, 33, turned in a number of stellar seasons with the Mets in the middle part of the decade, four times posting a 120 wRC+ or better during the most pitcher-friendly era in decades. His output has tapered substantially over the last two seasons, though: a putrid second-half performance with Tampa in 2017 was followed by a below-league-average .241/.313/.418 mark over 367 PAs with the Royals and Braves last season.
Never a defensive stalwart – he was a disaster in an early-career outfield experiment – Duda’s bat, particularly against right-handed pitching, against whom he owns a robust .251/.354/.485 line, has carried him to a long and mostly-productive career. His hard-hit rate, always among the league’s best, has slipped in a bit in recent seasons, but still checked in a respectable 38.4% last season.
For the Twins, he’ll offer an excellent complement at first base to C.J. Cron, who was over 40% better against lefties than righties last season, and should serve as a serviceable strong-side platoon option at DH, were Nelson Cruz to succumb to injury. Even in a bench role, or stashed in the minors as insurance, Duda is the perfect choice to offset a righty-heavy Twins lineup.
Bruce Herpes is looking at job vacancies on the ups website.
You an expert on amphibians and reptiles?
I’m an expert on everything. I have 72 PhDs. You?
A Duda-Cron platoon could be pretty damn productive if Duda gets back to his 2014-2015 first half 2017 levels, but given his age and back injuries it seems unlikely.
You can do a lot worse for a 1B/DH platoon. Actually, some teams probably are doing a lot worse.
So if he could play like he did five years, he’s a steal? Nice analysis.
How many 1B/DH options does one team need??!
In the AL, you can have as many as you want, since you don’t need a lot of position player depth. Much harder in the NL.
Throw them against the wall and see which one sticks approach
the yellow racing stripe goes in the front the brown racing stripe goes in the back
I don’t know but Twins have sneaky good off season. No big spends but some potential big improves. They got Nelson Cruz for a steal.
Now just bargain bin for rotation depth and since central is so dumpster bad, maybe win enough for second wild card.
I can’t believe the Tigers didn’t sign this guy to fill their current 1B/DH void, with the fact that they only have 1 left-handed hitter on their entire 40-man. I know this team isn’t trying to win in 2019, but at least pretend like you’re trying.
I’m still hoping they sign Logan Morrison. If healthy, better than Duda.
LoMo was given opportunity after opportunity to show that he could play in 2018…. If he batted .215 maybe…but under .200!?!!? No more chances
Duda is the better player right now cause LoMo is broken.
I believe for a Tiger, Castellanos will play some 1B. But agree too, Tigers could spend a little on a LoMo and get some hope and some hits from 1B. At our point, Cabby is probably full time DH and maybe 10-15 games at 1B.
Maybe the Tigers should trade with the Twins for Tyler Austin.
Give the young player a full time shot on a rebuilding team.
More win now moves?!! Wow these Twins are a shoe in to run away with the division.
This year’s less expensive version of Logan Morrison. Haven’t heard his name this winter, now that I think about it.
Tyler Austin is like, “what the hell”?
Tyler Austin is like “What the hell is dad gonna tweet about this?”
I love this. Hahahah.
That’s what he gets for being Right Handed.
No one cares about Tyler Austin. Including Tyler Austin.
As the Indians prepare to be without Lindor for the first week or two of the season (assuming rehab goes well), the Twins response is another 1B/DH. Can the team add a legitimate pitcher, and actually commit to winning with this roster?
As an Indians fan, it almost seems like each team in the central is waiting to see someone else prove they want to win the division
no
So there is Cron, Duda, Austin, Cruz, and to an extent Sano, filling time as DH and/or 1B. In the minors there is Brent Rooker that is somewhat close as well. Ehhh……Not bad, but not too inspiring.
Duda was signed to a minors deal. Unless he wows at ST he’ll probably remain there or get cut. I wouldnt pencil him in as someone who is going to see time at DH at the ML level for them just yet
I think he has a better than 50% chance of making the squad as they don’t have any LH power bats.
Since when is .251 batting average robust? Too funny…
I think the OBP and SLG is near robust. It certainly isn’t average or middling. Would you rather “solid” or “good” or “above average” get used? There is only so many times a writer can do that before they feel like their writing is no longer robust or above average.
The point is that robust means well above average, not average.
The wRC+ is 31% above league average
Did you just wake up from a coma from 2002?
Dude is a great clubhouse presence . Hope he mashes righties Twin bops
Maybe they should have hired him to be the Clubhouse Manager then. A funny, inspiring guy is he?
The Duda bides.
I am hoping that the Twins can compile a complete Major League roster of 1B/DHs.
Even have a fat, immobile guy pitch.
Bring Bartolo back
I’m fine with not signing Kimbrel, or even signing another reliever, but can we at least try and trade for one. How about Jose Leclerc?? Either that, or sign Keuchel to a 5yr/$75M.
Or maybe both…
They should be going after Keuchel and Kimbrel. Why they aren’t at least interested is a mystery.
I don’t get it either. Cron/Duda/Wilin Rosario/Olt/Cruz/Austin and lets not pretend that Sano is eating his way to 1b/DH as we speak…..How many do we need???? Lets get Kimbrel and shorten the game by a inning 3 times a week.
I don’t like this move and hope Duda is let go if he doesn’t hit well. I’d rather give Austin a roster spot, even though he’s a right handed hitter. I’m still waiting for the Twins to get a strong starting pitcher. I think I will be waiting for that a bit.
“Whose gonna play at first in Rochester this year?
Duda! Duda!…..”
^ … to the tune of De Camptown Races
To Twins fans –
Duda’s a great guy. Humble, authentic, selfless, team player, great in the clubhouse and so unassuming. For your sake and his, I hope he returns to the slugger he was with the Mets, earns a 25-man roster spot and stays on it all season.
Financially, Duda made huge mistake during 2015 turning down the Mets 3 yr 3o mil extension, plus 4th year team 2019 option which would have covered him through 2018. guaranteed. I suspect may have gotten wrong advice from his agent and/or others who over-estimated the potential impact of leaving the Mets if they didn’t work out an extension at another time or if injury led to lessor performance..
Turning that down eventually cost him at least 12.5 mil in salary through 2018 and I suspect he would have played better had he stayed with the Mets in his comfort zone. For years Duda was so shy in public he could barely string a sentence together when talking to the media. He’s grown over the years, but this is example of this guy’s background – a gentle giant impossible not to like..
At some point they are gonna upgrade the pitching right??
Wade Herbers Yeah they are negotiating with Mudcat Grant , Jim Kaat and Jim Perry and Al Worthington will be the closer.
you only need to upgrade if you are really trying to win. They are trying to be ” competitive:.
The roster at Rochester is really starting to shape up.
.
Good to see that the Twinkies are FINALLY adapting their roster to their current stadium. LH power bats don’t succeed in the new place like they did in the dome. Unfortunately, the desire of the downtown Mpls money men to squeeze a stadium into an unsuitable downtown location that took away the LH power advantage built by the Twins coupled with the Pohlad’ family cheapness that prevailed upon them to build a non-retractable roof open air stadium permitting current fans to enjoy April and October Twins games like the fans from the 1960’s did at Metropolitan Stadium (for BOTH Twins and Vikings games)..
Don’t want a roof for baseball. Summer is too short, want to be outdoors as much as possible on summer. Don’t even want to think of a roof, even if it’s open.
Twins ballpark is the best.
Summer is really short in Minnesota.
Many think the Twins stadium is the best in all of baseball. Not just Twins fans. Sure, a retractable roof would be nice, but it would have changed the dimensions completely, potentially turning it into an eyesore. It could be a lot worse — it could be Vikings stadium, a stadium that may be uglier than the Metrodome. They could have modeled that thing after a toilet seat and it would look better.
Nobody thinks Target Field is best stadium in MLB outside of Twins fan.
At best it sits behind Oracle, PNC & Petco.
And I’d imagine most baseball fans would also have Wrigley, Fenway & Yankee Stadium in that top 5 or 6.
Most Twins fans don’t think it is either.
I’ve seen two dozen games @ Target Field (and a wedding).
It’s a nice, cozy stadium w great view of the skyline.
But there’s nothing “special” about that ballpark.
And those games in April-May (I’ve seen 3 when it’s cold) are not enjoyable. I’d imagine that’s why many FA (especially pitchers) don’t find Twins as favorable destination.
Can’t blame ‘em.
I’m sure the wife (& kids) aren’t thrilled about the unpredictable MN weather when asked.
i like duda as a royal first at bat asva royal was a bomb
I still want Joe Mauer
Dumpster Duo strikes again. Go Brewers.
pitching staff of berrios, Gibson, Pinedia Odorizzi and Perez
so 6+ innings, 6 innings, ?????, 5 innings and 5 innings.. this scream a 7 man bullpen .. meaning 12 position players meaning Austin if hitting the waiver wire as he is out of options.. Unless their optimism about their planning out weighs the way the reality of the starting rotation.. so why do they have so many positionly challenged players they are signing?
I think the MLB average IP for an SP is five something innings per game. Hardly anyone throws 200 innings anymore, sadly.
I love the approach. Create depth at a position of need and get the most production possible. More teams should use this approach. If teams could use the hot hand effectively throughout the season, they could micro-manage more production than having a superstar being paid 25 mil a year supplanted at that position all season. Best of luck Twins!
We just need to spend money on Kimbrel.
Is Kimbrel the one who stands on the mound like he forgot to take the coat hanger out of his shirt?
If that’s him, we don’t need him.
Yeah, I looked him up.
I guess that they used and traded away a gimmicky player last year, so…