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Twins To Select Cody Stashak

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The Twins will select the contract of right-hander Cody Stashak from Triple-A Rochester prior to tonight’s series opener against the Yankees, per La Velle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Minnesota has four open spots following a recent spate of DFAs in the bullpen; each of Mike Morin, Matt Magill and Adalberto Mejia have been designated for assignment and landed with a new club in the past week. Stashak will take the 25-man roster spot of righty Zack Littell, who was optioned to Rochester following yesterday’s game.

Stashak, who turned 25 last month, was Minnesota’s 13th-round pick back in 2015 and will make his MLB debut the first time he sets foot on the mound. He didn’t enter the season considered to be among the Twins’ top echelon of prospects even after a strong showing in Double-A last season (2.75 ERA, 11.2 K/9, 2.1 BB/9). Stashak posted even better K/BB numbers in Double-A this season before moving up to Triple-A, where he’s pitched to a 1.61 ERA with 12.5 K/9, 1.6 BB/9, 0.4 HR/9 and a 38.5 percent ground-ball rate in 22 1/3 innings of work.

The bullpen has been an ongoing problem for Minnesota, particularly in the past few weeks (hence the considerable turnover). While Twins relievers improbably rank 13th in each of ERA (4.36), FIP (4.27) and xFIP (4.41) as a collective unit, their relief corps has struggled to find consistency beyond closer Taylor Rogers and rookie Ryne Harper. The Twins are widely expected to add at least one veteran arm to the mix between now and next week’s trade deadline, but for the time being they’ll once again dip into their farm to provide some depth while waiting for a still-stagnant trade market to develop.

Mariners Acquire Matt Magill

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The Mariners announced the acquisition of right-handed reliever Matt Magill from the Twins in exchange for cash considerations. Minnesota designated Magill for assignment Thursday. As MLBTR’s Mark Polishuk noted then, the Twins stood a good chance of losing the 29 year-old on waivers. Instead, they acquire some amount of cash from a Seattle club who would have otherwise claimed him.

Magill has been a solid but unspectacular middle reliever for Minnesota over the past two seasons. This year, he logged a pedestrian 4.45 ERA thanks to a plethora of free passes, but he also struck out an eye-opening 27.1% of batters. He’s averaging 95.92 MPH on his four-seam fastball, per Brooks Baseball, and features slightly above-average spin rates on both his fastball and curveball, per Statcast. There’s some raw material here to work with, especially for a Mariner bullpen light on established performers.

At the same time, Magill’s out of options, meaning he needs to stick with the major-league club or else run the risk of being exposed to waivers. He’s also been hit exceptionally hard despite his quality stuff, so he’s far from certain to bring stability to the club himself.

If things do click in Seattle, he’s controllable for four seasons beyond this one via arbitration, where his lack of an established track record should result in low starting salaries.

Angels Claim Adalberto Mejia, Place Andrew Heaney On IL

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The Angels have claimed left-hander Adalberto Mejia off waivers from the Twins and placed fellow southpaw Andrew Heaney on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to July 17), per an announcement from Los Angeles. Heaney’s dealing with shoulder inflammation, though he doesn’t have any structural damage, J.P. Hoornstra of the Orange County Register reports.

The 26-year-old Mejia was a top 100 prospect in his days in the Giants’ farm system, but he hasn’t lived up to the billing in the majors as a member of the Twins. Since Mejia made his MLB debut with Minnesota in 2016, he has pitched to a 4.63 ERA with 7.4 K/9 against 3.4 BB/9 in 138 innings. He was barely a factor for this year’s Twins, totaling just 15 1/3 innings before they booted him from their 40-man roster.

For an Angels team low on pitching, there’s no real risk in taking a flier on Mejia. Perhaps he’ll help make up for the loss of Heaney, another former high-end prospect. Heaney hasn’t been especially durable in his career, and the 28-year-old has also dealt with a decline in performance this season. He owns a 5.09 ERA/4.79 FIP despite 10.57 K/9 against 3.72 BB/9 in 46 innings in 2019.

Phillies Acquire Mike Morin From Twins For Cash Considerations

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The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired right-handed pitcher Mike Morin from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for cash considerations, the team announced. Seranthony Dominguez was transferred to the 60-day injured list to make room for Morin on the 40-man roster.

The Twins designated Morin for assignment earlier this week in order to activate Eddie Rosario and C.J. Cron from the injured list. The 28-year-old gave the Twins two solid months of production out of the bullpen. He ends his Minnesota tenure after 23 appearances with a 3.18 ERA across 22 2/3 innings.

In contrast with his sparkly ERA figure, fielding independent pitching pegs Morin’s runs per nine at 4.50. Taken in conjunction with a 4.4 K/9 and .230 BABIP, and there’s cause enough to suspect Morin benefited from a tough of good luck while pitching for the Twinkies. Still, by pounding the zone (5.5 BB%) with an arsenal of downward driving sinkers, changeups, and sliders, Morin has suppressed opponents’ launch angle to a below-average 8.2 while limiting hard contact to just under 30% (league average is 34.4%).

If Morin keeps generating groundballs as he has for the Twins (47.4 GB% versus a career mark of 42.3%), he would fit the profile of someone capable of outperforming his FIP with some regularity – but that’s not been the book on Morin in the past. He is, however, prominently featuring a sinker for the first time in his 6-year career. Morin’s career resume includes a 4.48 ERA across 209 relief appearances for the Angels, Royals, Mariners and Twins.

For the Phillies, Morin provides another low-cost option for a pen that has thus far been unspectacular. Phillie relievers rank in the bottom-10 league-wide in ERA and FIP while pulling 29th with a -0.7 fWAR so far in 2019.

Michael Pineda’s Respectable Rebound From Tommy John Surgery

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We just passed the two-year anniversary of right-hander Michael Pineda undergoing Tommy John surgery on July 18, 2017. Pineda had the procedure as a member of the Yankees, and because it occurred during a contract year, it essentially brought about the end of his tenure in pinstripes. The Yankees acquired Pineda from the Mariners for then-star catching prospect (and now-bust) Jesus Montero after 2011, a terrific rookie season for Pineda, but the trade didn’t work out the way either team hoped it would. Pineda missed all of 2012 because of a torn labrum in his shoulder, and though he was tremendous during a truncated Yankees debut in 2013, his numbers fell off in the ensuing years before his TJ procedure.

The Yankees didn’t re-sign Pineda in his trip to free agency, but he found a home with the Twins on a two-year, $10MM contract. Knowing Pineda would contribute little to nothing in the first year of the deal, the Twins backloaded it, giving the 6-foot-7, 280-pounder a $2MM salary in 2018 and $8MM this season. Pineda did indeed fail to make it back last season, but he has enjoyed a healthy and fairly productive campaign in 2019, which looks sure to earn him another guaranteed contract when he reaches free agency over the winter.

While Pineda got off to a slow start this season, evidenced by his 6.21 ERA through six March/April starts, he has rallied to serve as a useful member of AL Central-leading Minnesota’s rotation. In his most recent start this past Tuesday, Pineda tossed six innings of three-run ball (one earned) with six hits allowed, no walks and three strikeouts in a loss to the Mets.

Dating back to May, the 30-year-old Pineda has coughed up three or fewer earned runs in 11 of 12 starts, also going no fewer than five innings in any of those appearances. In all, Pineda owns a 4.38 ERA/4.17 FIP over 98 2/3 innings and 18 starts. As always, walks have been extremely tough to come by against Pineda, who has logged the majors’ sixth-best BB/9 (1.46). Although his K/9 (7.94) isn’t spectacular, Pineda has nonetheless produced the game’s 11th-highest K/BB ratio (5.44).

Limiting walks and fanning hitters at a decent rate have been hallmarks of Pineda’s MLB tenure, but what of the rest of his numbers? Well, his home run-to-fly ball rate (13.3) is the same as his career figure, even though inducing ground balls has become more difficult for Pineda. During Pineda’s final season with the Yankees, batters hit grounders at a career-best 50.9 percent clip against him. This year, though, the number has fallen to a personal-worst 36.6 for Pineda, who’s also allowing more damaging contact than usual. According to FanGraphs, Pineda has yielded far more hard contact and far less soft contact than ever. Statcast backs that up, placing Pineda in the majors’ 41st percentile in terms of hard-contact rate and assigning him unimpressive marks in general. It also regards Pineda as below average in fastball velocity and spin rate, strikeout percentage, expected batting average against, exit velocity, expected slugging percentage and expected weighted on-base average. The .332 xwOBA Pineda has surrendered isn’t terrible, but it pales in comparison to the .311 real wOBA hitters have registered off him.

As for Pineda’s velocity, it has dropped since his Yankees swan song. Back then, Pineda averaged 93.9 mph on his four-seamer, 89.0 on his changeup and 85.1 on his slider. Those figures have tumbled to 92.6, 87.4 and 83.9 this season. The extent to which Pineda has relied on those offerings has also changed. His four-seamer was his primary pitch then and still is, but he’s utilizing it even more now, having upped its rate from 47.7 percent to 50.5. That has come at the expense of his slider, which has gone from 37.9 percent to 33.8, while his changeup remains in the 14 percent range. The change has been Pineda’s most effective pitch in terms of bottom-line results, with hitters having managed a paltry .252 wOBA against it. On the other hand, the four-seamer (.318) and slider (.329) haven’t been as useful. Pineda’s change has helped him limit left-handed hitters to a weak .277 wOBA. Same-handed hitters have fared a lot better, though, with a .331 mark.

Pineda’s aggregate production obviously hasn’t been stellar, but it has gotten better as the season has gone along. Despite Pineda’s flaws, 2019 has been an encouraging step for a pitcher who’s amid his first action since major surgery. Assuming Pineda stays on his current course and remains healthy through season’s end, the man known as “Big Mike” should do well for himself during his next visit to the open market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Twins Designate Matt Magill For Assignment

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The Twins have designated right-hander Matt Magill for assignment, as per a team press release.  Righty Kohl Stewart has been called up from Triple-A to take Magill’s roster spot.

Magill has been a solid, if unspectacular, member of the Twins’ bullpen mix since joining the organization on a minors contract in the 2017-18 offseason.  The righty has had trouble keeping the ball in the park (1.6 HR/9 in 85 innings) and has consistently missed bats, including an 11.4 K/9 over 28 1/3 frames this season.  Magill has a 4.45 ERA and 2.40 K/BB rate in 2019, as his high strikeout total has been belied by both homers and a 4.8 BB/9.

Between these decent results and the 95.3 mph Magill averages on his fastball, one wonders if Minnesota is in danger of losing the 29-year-old on a DFA waiver claim.  There’s no shortage of teams (both rebuilding clubs or even contenders) looking to add bullpen help, and Magill seemingly offers more upside than reclamation project-types what could be on the open market.

Fallout From Mike Morin's DFA

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  • The Twins designated reliever Mike Morin for assignment Tuesday, which came as somewhat of a surprise considering the 3.18 ERA and .79 BB/9 the right-hander has posted in 22 2/3 innings this season. Manager Rocco Baldelli admitted it was a “very difficult” decision to jettison Morin, who did “his job very well” (via Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com). With 37 players on their 40-man roster after Morin’s DFA, the Twins “will almost certainly” select a reliever from the minors (recent pickups Cody Allen and Carlos Torres are among the candidates) or acquire one via trade to replace him.

Twins Sign Alejandro De Aza

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The Twins have added outfielder Alejandro De Aza to their top affiliate, per an announcement from Triple-A Rochester communications director Nate Rowan (via Twitter). De Aza agreed to terms on a minors deal with the Minnesota organization, which in turn purchased his contract from the indy ball New Britain Bees.

Now 35 years of age, De Aza has not seen MLB action since the 2017 campaign — his tenth with at least some time in the majors. All told, the left-handed-hitting outfielder is a .260/.325/.396 hitter through 2,878 trips to the plate at the game’s highest level.

De Aza has hit rather well at his various stops over the past two seasons. He posted a .420 OBP in 32 games last year at Triple-A with the Nats and then turned in a .868 OPS in Venezuelan Winter League action. This year, he has dominated the Atlantic League to the tune of a .347/.415/.517 batting line with six home runs in 299 trips to the plate.

Twins Activate Rosario, Cron; Buxton Placed On IL; Morin Designated For Assignment

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4:35pm: The Twins announced that Byron Buxton has been placed on the 7-day concussion list and Morin has been designated for assignment. Rosario and Cron have also formally been reinstated from the IL.

4:12pm: Morin’s DFA will likely be one of the moves made to accommodate the returns of both Eddie Rosario and C.J. Cron from the injured list, Hayes tweets.

3:55pm: The Twins will designate right-hander Mike Morin for assignment today, reports Dan Hayes of The Athletic (Twitter links). There’s no word on what the corresponding roster move will be, although Hayes adds that a trade doesn’t appear to be pending. The Twins already had a pair of vacancies on the 40-man roster.

Morin, 28, has given the Twins 22 2/3 innings of 3.18 ERA ball, though there’s ample reason to be skeptical of that earned run average. The former Angels/Mariners/Royals righty has only whiffed 11 hitters in that time (4.8 K/9) and has benefited from a deflated .230 average on balls put into play against him. He’s done a nice job keeping the ball on the ground (47.4 percent) and avoiding walks (just two allowed), but Morin’s results have also begun to fade as of late.

In his past 11 outings, Morin has been tagged for 10 runs (seven earned) on 13 hits and two walks in 11 1/3 innings. He’s also hit a batter in that time, and two of the 13 hits he yielded have been home runs. ERA alternatives like FIP (4.49), xFIP (4.86) and SIERA (4.62) all peg Morin as a candidate for further regression, and Statcast also feels that he’s been fortunate to generate the results he’s gotten so far (.319 xwOBA vs. his actual .277 wOBA).

Minnesota will have a week to trade Morin, release him or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. He’s out of minor league options, meaning any team that picks him up either via trade or waiver claim would need to carry Morin on the MLB roster.

Twins Owner Pohlad On Trade Deadline Approach

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Twins owner Jim Pohlad discussed his team’s surprisingly strong performance and trade deadline approach in a brief but interesting chat with Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Though he’s obviously not heavily involved in day-to-day baseball operations, Pohlad ultimately holds the purse strings for the organization.

So, will financial considerations limit the Minnesota organization from considering certain players? Not so, says Pohlad:

“I don’t really think, especially in these trade deadline deals, that money is the issue. It’s what you have to give up, really, and it’s not what you have to give up in terms of money, it’s what you have to give up in terms of players.”

Some may question whether the Twins owner will really be as free with the organizational wallet as that quote may indicate. In all likelihood, he doesn’t mean that chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and GM Thad Levine have free rein to spend. It’s more that, with only a relatively small portion of the season left to play, labor cost takes on a different tone. For one thing, most of a given player’s annual salary has already been paid out by his original team. For another, with a good sense of the competitive situation, teams have much more confidence in their assessment of the financial risk and reward of further payroll investment.

In the Twins’ case, too, there’s good reason to think that the organization has ample cash to work with. Many expected a bit more in the way of offseason outlay than actually took place. The team sat just under $120MM in Opening Day payroll, nearly ten million shy of the club’s high-water mark from 2018. But that’s still not a particularly hefty set of commitments, especially for a team that is in full-blown contention. More important still is the fact that Falvey and Levine have jealously guarded the club’s future payroll space. While they finally tied up a small amount in a pair of extensions (which have looked great to this point) and the signing of Marwin Gonzalez (which is also paying dividends), the books are still largely clear past 2019.

Given that financial picture and a start to the season that Pohlad characterizes as a pleasant surprise, it stands to reason that he has a good bit of confidence in the “Falvine” front office duo. He suggested that he’ll continue to entrust decisionmaking to the personnel he hired for the task, noting that “they certainly don’t ask my opinion on specific players.” Falvey and Levine “are just assembling the right team,” said the owner, running from their baseball ops department to the dugout and onto the MLB roster.

It’s promising for the Minnesota faithful to hear of such organizational harmony, though that’s to be expected when things are going as smoothly as they have thus far in 2019 for the Twins. It remains unclear precisely how the club will attack the deadline, in terms of targets, though it stands to reason that upgrades to the pitching staff will have top priority. As Pohlad says, that’s not really his bailiwick. But his comments do given insight into the organizational approach to structuring deals. It seems there’s some appetite and capacity for absorbing money, along with a clear desire not to part with the team’s best internal talent. That’ll surely impact which rival organizations line up best as trade partners — and, ultimately, which of the major deadline targets end up in Minnesota.

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