Even after signing left-hander J.A. Happ to a one-year, $8MM contract late last month, the Twins may not be done addressing their rotation. They remain in touch with one of their own free agents, right-hander Jake Odorizzi, and were in attendance for righty Jake Arrieta’s throwing session last Friday, La Velle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune reports. The Twins will stay in touch with Arrieta, according to Neal.
Odorizzi spent the previous three seasons with the Twins and combined for a 4.11 ERA/4.34 SIERA in 337 innings. In his best season, 2019, Odorizzi earned an All-Star nod and pitched to a 3.51 ERA/4.14 SIERA with a a career-best 27.1 percent strikeout rate and an 8.1 percent walk rate over 159 frames. The Twins then handed Odorizzi a $17.8MM qualifying offer, and he accepted it instead of trying his luck in free agency.
Minnesota was no doubt expecting another quality showing from Odorizzi when it gave him the QO, but it wasn’t to be in 2020. Injuries, including to his back, chest and right middle finger, limited him to 13 2/3 innings of 10-run ball. Odorizzi doesn’t seem to be a free agent at the ideal time, then, but considering his positive track record with the Royals, Rays and Twins, he could still land a solid multiyear payday this offseason. Other than the Twins, Jon Morosi of MLB.com lists the Angels, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Giants and perhaps the Mets as teams vying for the soon-to-be 31-year-old.
Either Odorizzi or Arrieta would fill out a Twins rotation that currently has Happ, Kenta Maeda, Jose Berrios, Michael Pineda and Randy Dobnak comprising its top five. Of course, unlike Odorizzi, Arrieta probably isn’t in line for better than a one-year contract. While Arrieta is a former NL Cy Young winner (2015) with the Cubs, he’s now on the market after a pair of disappointing seasons with the Phillies. Arrieta, 35 in March, put up his worst ERA since 2012 last year (5.08) in 44 1/3 innings. He also logged a meager 16.8 percent strikeout percentage – one of the worst of his career – though he did record an above-average walk rate of 8.4 percent and a 51.8 percent groundball rate.
Twins don’t need starting pitching that much but they do need relief.
They need both starters and relievers.
Angels should sign Odorizzi.
Angels should sign every pitcher available and slowly weed out the ones pitching the worst, we all know it’s been their Achilles heel ever since Trout made it to the bigs… lol
No. They need a top flight starter. They already have enough #3, #4 starters
Odorizzi never pitched for the orioles, angels will pass.
Am I the only one that forgot Jose Berrios existed?
Yes.
You certainly are, troll, you certainly are!
I would be shocked if Odorizzi doesn’t end up in Toronto. The Jays tried trading for him at the deadline last year and have been in contact with him all off season.
They have been runners up on basically ever pitcher this offseason and have made it know. They would like to add 2 more rotation arms.
He fits perfectly in the rotation as the #2 and should be the same AAV such as guys they missed like Tanaka and Kluber.
I think he’s more of a #3 but it’s pretty subjective. I agree that the Jays need to sign him. If they sign him and Walker/Paxton I’ll be pleased.
I’ll be pleased with just one of Odorizzi, Paxton or Walker. Overjoyed with two.
Depends on the money right? I wouldn’t be pounding the desk for any of them if it means shelling out big bucks.
A signing can still make you excited about 2021, even if you disagree with it over what it’ll do to 2024. No point not enjoying the good times, assuming you don’t work in the front office.
@emax
After 2020, I wouldn’t give Odorizzi an AAV like Tanaka (should be $14MM-$16MM). Maybe like Kluber ($11MM) on the outside. Personally, I would be more comfortable with 1/9 or 2/18.
Odorizzi lit up by an inferior Central division, both sides. Not good if he’s moved to the AL East. Jays should avoid Odorizzi.
Inferior? Please do explain
It was four games in which he was hurt anyways.
Odorizzi yes, he fits as a 3-4 in the Rotation. Forget Paxton, he is not the same pitcher he once was due to injuries. Buyer beware. Forget Walker too he is just another poor depth piece. The Jays rotation still needs a elite #2.
do they really need more starters?
They do. Last year they had berrios, maeda, odorizzi, dobnak, pineda, bailey, and hill going into the year and needed every last one of them. In fact they ran out of starters. They had to have bullpen games due to the lack of arms. YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY PITCHING OPTIONS heading into a season. Teams that go in with 5 and expect to be fine the whole year quickly realize their mistake within the first month, usually.
Why are the Twins so insistent on keeping Dobnak out of the rotation? He had a FIP of 2.90 in a small sample in 2019 and 3.94 last year. Granted he’s not going to strike out a ton of people but he’s giving you more production then Haap, Pineda, and way better then what Arrieta would give you. If I was a GM I’d focus on adding some guys to the bullpen instead of going out to find another mediocre starter. But alas, I am not a GM (obviously) and I’m not going to pretend that I know everything or even most things lol. Just my opinion.
He’s a pitch to contact guy. And at some point luck will run out and those measly ground balls will find holes in the defense.
@mnsportsfan It didn’t for Dallas Keuchel, Mike Soroka, Brett Anderson, and classics like Tim Hudson, and Greg Maddox. Mark Buerhle etc. Popular to a lot of people’s beliefs you don’t have to strike everybody out to be successful. Did you really just say “measly groundballs?” Lol alright buddy.
But Dobnak is not nearly as good as the pitchers you site.
Yea, but the Twins have a great defense. They just signed Andrelton Simmons to pair with Josh Donaldson on the left side of the infield and Luis Arraez took major steps forward defensively at 2B, Byron Buxton is one of the best defenders in the outfield in the game and Max Kepler is a great right fielder.
I think they’d be more than happy to let Dobnak start, but things get awfully thin if they have any injury in that rotation, especially early in the season. Dobnak is a great #6.
@Louie Schuth
True, but if I was Minnesota I’d want that guy in my rotation over Haap or definitely Arrieta to start the year. But, you can’t stash them in the minors so I get what you are saying. If I was them I would bring in some veterans on milb deals too. KING Felix Hernandez can be had on one.
Yeah, this is a good point. Dobnak absolutely has earned another look in the rotation, but if they need a reinforcement, Smeltzer has been inconsistent; Thorpe came up as a much higher-regarded prospect and deserves a clean slate from last season, but you have to assume they can’t rely on him until he shows otherwise; and the next wave of Duran and Balazovic isn’t ready and shouldn’t be rushed. It’d be great to see Odorizzi back, but failing that, agree that maybe a veteran who would take a minors contract is the best reinforcement.
As Louie said, it’s good to have more depth due to injury concerns. No one pitched a lot in 2020, though the Twins had a set program for all their pitchers, but you never know how any one is going to hold up going from 60 games to a normal season.
Mrtwotone
I did say measly groundballs, because as a pitch to contact guy, he’ll get the job done with getting the groundball. But unfortunately they’re going to find holes in the infield. I’d rather have a guy who will throw a 98 mph fastball right by the guy then have a groundball with a chance to get through or a chance for an error.
Dobnak has an option. Is he better than Arrieta? For sure. Might he be better than Happ or Odo? Possible, though his stuff isn’t really there.
But you can have him as your 6th starter and a solid #5 or you can have him as your 5th starter and be down to Smeltzer/Thorpe as the 6th starter. Far more ideal to have 6. That’s not even taking into consideration that this year could see a lot more doubleheaders due to COVID.
They needed a top end guy. Another quick exit from playoffs.
Aaahhh….where are the Randy Johnsons, Roger Clemenses, Greg Madduxes, Tom Glavines, John Smoltzes of the world? It’s been a long time since these legends have retired and no one has taken up their mantles of complete dominance for such durations as they had. Yes, some have had a run of good success. I suppose Verlander would fit that mold. Basically, I want to see more pitchers be better for longer into the games and not get hurt so much. More pitching and less throwing I suppose?
Kershaw, DeGrom, Mad Max, Verlander, Greinke. no one’s going to be Clemens or the Big Unit because they were unique types of pitchers, but any of those five can hang with the Braves 3 any day.
Less arm padding, less plate crowding, more flinching on curve/slider, less likely to be as comfortable in the box, more likely pitchers go deeper in games and more likely less throwing more pitching as a result.
Eddie Rosario will win more games for the Indians at $8 million than JA Happ will for the Twins at $8 million.
Very strange thinking by the Twins.
That’s not really the right comparison. Will Rosario win more games at $8M vs Kirilloff at $550k. That’s the bet the Twins FO is making there.
This is wrong on so many levels.
1) comparing an outfielder to a pitcher, why?
2) rosario’s replacement is a better hitter / will outproduce him. fact.
3) any outfielder is better than the crap the indians threw out there last year.
4) twins won’t miss expensive eddie.
I mean, #2 is not a fact and it’s not even super likely. I like Kiriloff as much as the next person but adjusting to the majors is hard and lots of great players struggle at first. Mike Trout put up a .672 OPS in his first short season. If Vegas had odds on a higher OPS, it’d be Rosario. And Kiriloff is not a significantly better fielder (and might be worse at first as, again, he adjusts to MLB parks and pace).
The Twins will certainly miss Eddie at times but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t the right call.
Jake Arrieta? Really Minnesota?
Ok, I will fully admit if I’m wrong, but watching Pineda, looks like a closer to me. Dude can throw gas, but tires at about the 4th inning.
I agree 100% with the idea of Pineda as a late inning weapon. With the Twins losing May, Clippard, Romo and Wisler, and so far only adding Robles after a career worst season, it speaks loudly to add at least 2 legitimate bullpen arms. I can see Pineda slotting into one spot if the Twins are able to sign or trade for a quality starter to take his place. I’d like to see the Twins add Walker and/or Paxton, if they can’t swing a trade for Castillo for SP. Getting Colome or Rosenthal would make perfect sense for the bullpen. If they sort out the pitching, I think they can get by w/o Nelson Cruz, due to anticipated better defense and a more flexible plug and play lineup that uses the DH to get ABs for the promising kids and rests the vets as needed.
They will use Jorge Alcala more. I think a guy like Jhoan Duran could rise to an arm of use next season. Bullpen arms are easier to find in the minors than durable starters. For this reason I am confident they use Pineda as a starter next season.
Twins lose Happ and Pineda after this year, I believe, so I can see the sense in adding at least a #2-3 SP on a multi year contract to protect themselves. And right now their top 3 might not stack up very well against most of the other playoff-caliber teams. They may kick the tires on Odorizzi and Arrieta, but I smell a trade instead. They pulled off a successful win-win in the Graterol-Maeda deal, and they may be looking to deal from their farm again for another controllable starter with upside. They’ll still grab some FA relief help as well.
They have one of the cleanest books in the entire league moving forward. They literally can go in any direction with the payroll flexibilty to address anything they want!
If they go Arrieta he better not cost much. They absolutely need more starters to provide innings. Last year they ran out and came into the year with more options than they have now. I would pay a little more for FOLTY or SHARK. It’s possible but not probable that Arrieta throws back the hands of time and becomes useful again. I have my doubts though. Best case scenario, a trade surfaces for a reliable arm. Might be wishful thinking there.