Revisiting The Twins Swaps In 16

During the 2016 season, it was apparent nearly from the get go that the Minnesota Twins would need to be sellers. Now sure, that's a bit unfair, but an 0-9 start never got better, and now sitting at over 100 losses, this team struggled in all facets of the game. The organization did make a couple of swaps that likely had the future in mind though, so how do they look now?

Remember, during the middle of the year, long time General Manager Terry Ryan was relieved of his duties. Assistant GM Rob Antony stepped in and was the head honcho in the front office through both the non-waiver and waiver trade deadlines. Whether new boss Derek Falvey would've approved of these moves or not is a moot point, and whether they were worth of praise for Antony is moot as well. At this point, we're far enough out from the moves themselves to see how things have gone since.

Move 1: Eduardo Nunez traded to San Francisco for Adalberto Mejia

If there's ever been a fraud of an All Star, it was Eduardo Nunez for the Twins in 2016. Owner of a career .696 OPS while being a glorified utility man/backup, Nunez broke out in 91 games with the Twins. He was still lackluster defensively, but his .764 OPS was a career best. He went to San Diego to represent Minnesota at the mid-summer classic, and then somehow was turned into a top 100 prospect. Since going to San Francisco, Nunez has cooled some, but still owns a .418 OPS. Nunez has helped to spell the Giants on the left side of the infield, and has gotten to be a part of a playoff race.

Minnesota received Adalberto Mejia in return, which seemed like a good haul for Nunez. Mejia made four starts for Triple-A Rochester posting a 3.76 ERA. He made his MLB debut for Minnesota as well, working 2.1 IP of relief. Mejia will likely compete for a spot in the starting rotation to begin 2017, but is probably destined to begin the year at Triple-A. He's 23 and not a top of the rotation arm, but in an organization starved for pitching, he should help at the big league level soon.

Move 2: Fernando Abad traded to Boston Red Sox for Pat Light

Over the course of his career, Terry Ryan had a solid record of non-roster guys that made an impact for the big league club. Blaine Boyer fits that bill in 2015, and it's absolutely what Abad was in 2016. In 34.0 IP for Minnesota, Abad posted a 2.65 ERA. He walked nearly four per nine, but that's been something he's struggled with for the past two seasons. The Twins believed he was tipping his pitches, worked it out, and got 39 games of production out of him. Since having gone to Boston, Abad has blown up to the tune of a 6.39 ERA and has been virtually untrustworthy in relief.

For the Twins, Pat Light has always been a guy that can throw hard. Light's biggest problem has always been his ability to throw strikes and have command in the zone. He pitched seven innings for Triple-A Rochester after the trade and posted a 2.57 ERA along with a 2.6 BB/9. In the 12.1 IP for Minnesota through, he owns a 10.22 ERA, 9.5 K/9, and a terrible 10.9 BB/9. At 25, Light needs to hone in his command sooner rather than later. He was acquired for nothing (being that Abad was a non-roster guy), but should factor into the Twins pen in 2017 if he can get out of his own way.

Move 3: Ricky Nolasco and Alex Meyer traded to Los Angeles Angels for Hector Santiago and Alan Busenitz

Rounding out the Twins trades this year was the one that was a surprise, and met with far more excitement than it should've been. I was immediately critical of Minnesota giving up on Meyer simply to shed Nolasco's salary, but that's absolutely what happened. Ryan failed big time in overextending himself with a big contract on a mediocre starter when he signed Nolasco. In his time with the Twins, Nolasco was significantly more bad than he was good. Since going to the Angels though, he's made 11 starts to the tune of a 3.21 ERA and a 1.8 BB/9. Between getting out of Minnesota and having a better defense behind him, Nolasco has found success.

If there's a silver lining in Meyer moving on, it's that he deserved it. A 26 year old that the Twins failed to develop, and Paul Molitor washed his hands of, Meyer needed a change of scenery. Since joining the Angels, they got him back on the mound (Minnesota had him not pitching for over a month due to a shoulder injury that was never given an MRI), and up to the big leagues. In four starts with Los Angeles, Meyer owns a 4.58 ERA and 9.7 K/9. His 6.1 BB/9 are still a problem, but one that the Angels seem they'll work through him with.

The Twins return in the whole thing, aside from the salary relief from Nolasco, comes in the form of Hector Santiago. Minnesota is still paying a portion of Nolasco's deal in 2017, but they'll have the option to tender Santiago. Arbitration eligible after making $5 million this season, Santiago has made 10 starts for the Twins. He owns a 6.22 ERA along with a 5.1 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9. Since coming over from the Angels, Santiago has been worse across the board. He probably will be around, and in the 2017 starting rotation, but expecting him to be reliable is probably a fool's errand unless the coaching staff can get more out of him.

Busenitz gets lost in this deal as merely a throw in. He's a 25 year old that reached Triple-A this season. For the Twins, he pitched in 7.2 innings at Rochester while owning a 3.52 ERA. Busenitz has pumped strikeouts right around eight per nine thus far in his career, and he's a middle relief option if and when he makes it to the big leagues.

As a whole, the Twins can look back at their exchanges this season and see a slam dunk in the Nunez deal, a mediocre flip in the Abad swap, and a less than thrilling return with the Nolasco and Meyer move. When you're losing, the goal is to flip veterans to stockpile assets, but unfortunately the Twins didn't have anything to give up. In the few exchanges they did make, there was really only one that can be looked back upon as something of value going forward. It's unfortunate, but 2016's swaps could end up being evaluated upon how much move three blows up in Minnesota's face.

A Solid 2015 Masks Twins Reality

In 2015, Paul Molitor's first season as manager for the Minnesota Twins, the club cruised to an 83-79 record. They were in the playoff hunt deep into September, and they led the AL Central on multiple occasions throughout the campaign. With the 2016 season ending in 100 loss territory, it's fair to wonder whether that near playoff miss didn't mask bigger issues for the Twins.

A year ago, the Twins pitched and hit the ball well enough. They competed on a nightly basis, and most importantly, they got a good deal of luck. In one run games, the Twins went 23-22. They had winning records against two of the four AL Central teams, and Molitor's club squeaked by it's 81-81 Pythagorean projection.

During 2016, Molitor has had a roster of nearly the same players. He's watched his youngsters such as Jose Berrios and Byron Buxton struggle at points, while players like Trevor Plouffe, Miguel Sano, and Joe Mauer have all dealt with injuries. This club has set new levels of futility when it comes to pitching, and aside from Brian Dozier, there's been next to no bright spots.

Now ready to announce that former Indians front office member Derek Falvey will be named the new Head of Baseball Operations for the Twins, a turnaround needs to begin. As the news has started to break however, there's been comments immediately made about the Twins being better in 2017. While that's true, it's probably not worth putting much stock in.

The reality that Falvey will be dealing with is the 2016 Twins will almost assuredly be coming off of the worst record in franchise history. If the club wins an extra 10-15 games a year from now, that puts the 2017 record somewhere in the high 60's for a win total. Out of 162 games during a season, that number should still be seen as unacceptable.

As for his manager, Molitor has been given a vote of confidence from Jim Pohlad. He's been told he'll be back in 2017, but there's almost no reason for him to have been told as much. While 2015 was fun, the level of set back that has been 2016 can't go unnoticed. He's failed to develop virtually any of his youth, more often than not he's been unable to simply get them into games. Then there's the head scratching lineup decisions, and the criticism that has been loudly proclaimed by plenty of national names.

A year ago, three managers were fired, and none of them lost more than 94 games. With the Twins destined to top that mark by a possibility of ten, Molitor sticking around would seem to be nothing more than allowing the futility to continue.

Sure, Derek Falvey can't be expected to step in and change things over night. If the Twins do win 10-15 more games a year from now, it's progress. What has to happen though, is a commitment to revitalizing progress, or progress that allows for some real sustainability. For that to take place, Falvey cleaning out what left over fodder there is, seems to be a good ask.

I think Falvey sounds like a guy that could be a very great fit for the direction the Twins need to take into the future. Asking him, a 32 year old, to fire Paul Molitor as a first point of business would take some serious cajones. Separating 2015 from the underlying realities that Paul Molitor has been tied to makes the decision easier though, and one I think has merit in being made.

No matter how 2017 plays out, progress needs to take place, and doing so without Paul Molitor could help to speed things up as well.

2016 May Define Lost Season For Twins

With just a week of games left for the Minnesota Twins this season, Paul Molitor's club has already eclipsed the 100 loss mark. This group has gone from playoff contenders a year ago, to seemingly lost without a purpose this September. If you are trying to define a lost season as it relates to a pro sports franchise, the 2016 Twins are it.

This year, the Twins had playoff hopes coming into the campaign. While those in Minnesota were likely higher on the club than that of national pundits, this team wasn't expected to flop. Sure, a season ago the club was fueled by things going their way, and a good amount of luck, but it all breaking down at once was something no one expected.

As the Twins hit the 100 loss mark with a series losing defeat by the Seattle Mariners, it's worth wondering what exactly the Twins accomplished this season. The two most notable developments are arguably the ridiculous year that second basemen Brian Dozier is having, and the firing of General Manager Terry Ryan.

For Dozier, his homer output has been among the best in all of baseball, and his ability to pull the ball over the fence has increased his average by over .30 points. By all measures, Dozier's incredible year has positioned him among the best second basemen in the game, and has presented the Twins with an interesting decision this offseason. The next head honcho for Minnesota will have to decide whether to hang onto Dozier, or flip him for something that is deemed as assets that can be utilized in the future.

On the Ryan front, Minnesota did something incredibly right for the direction of their franchise going forward. Terry Ryan had long become someone that wasn't going to right the ship for Minnesota and a change was needed. While the organization did make the right move, Jim Pohlad likely was force fed his hand as he watched attendance plummet greatly.

Outside of those two developments however, it's really hard to take a step back and see anything the Twins really learned. Sure, Taylor Rogers looks for real, and Byron Buxton has been great since his recall. Long term though, Minnesota may still have some questions about Jorge Polanco at shortstop, and internal relief options may present more questions than answers. We still don't know what Adam Brett Walker or Daniel Palka look like as big leaguers, and there's no reason to believe that a group of five starters are set in stone to begin the 2017 season.

As the season has worn on, more often than not, Paul Molitor has made puzzling decisions in regards to both youth as well as his lineups on a daily basis. The Twins seem somewhat stuck between placeholders and future growth, while failing to commit wholeheartedly to either.

When a team loses as many games as the Twins have this season, there's obviously going to be more negatives than positives. What generally is desirable though, is a gameplan for future growth and a showing of some executable areas for improvement. Right now, it's hard to take a step back and see either of those realities playing out for the Twins.

A new Head of Baseball Operations and a General Manager are going to make a difference for the Twins, but there's little reason to believe that 2017 won't feel like completely starting from scratch. For a fan base and a franchise that has preached rebuilding, the reality is that the execution of that rebuild might just now be starting to take place. The Twins will hopefully get back to relevance, but 2016 doesn't give many reasons to suggest we're close to seeing that take place.

2016 IBWAA Season Awards Ballot

As the 2016 Major League Baseball season comes to a close, award season begins to rear its head. While it's been a tough slate for the hometown Minnesota Twins, the year has produced plenty of great performances. Being a member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America as well as the Vets Committee, I have the privilege of turning in a ballot for Season Awards each year.

For 2016, IBWAA president has set a cut off date of October 2 for ballots to be place. With most teams having right around 10 games left in the regular season, my ballot was filed to IBWAA Founding Director Howard Cole recently. As I have done every year, my vote is now going to be made public.

The IBWAA votes on ten different awards (five for each League). Below are the full results of my selections for each award. Feel free to engage in discussion and share your thoughts in regards to my votes in the comment section below.

American League MVP

1. Mike Trout
2. Mookie Betts
3. Jose Altuve
4. Josh Donaldson
5. Brian Dozier
6. Manny Machado
7. Adrian Beltre
8. Dustin Pedroia
9. Adam Eaton
10. Kyle Seager

American League Cy Young

1. Masahiro Tanaka
2. Rick Porcello
3. Chris Sale
4. Aaron Sanchez
5. Corey Kluber

American League Rookie of the Year

1. Michael Fulmer
2. Gary Sanchez
3. Tyler Naquin

American League Manager of the Year

1. Terry Francona
2. Jeff Banister
3. John Farrell

American League Reliever of the Year

1. Zach Britton
2. Andrew Miller
3. Edwin Diaz

National League MVP

1. Kris Bryant
2. Corey Seager
3. Daniel Murphy
4. Freddie Freeman
5. Nolan Arenado
6. Anthony Rizzo
7. Joey Votto
8. Christian Yelich
9. Justin Turner
10. Paul Goldschmidt

National League Cy Young

1. Noah Syndergaard
2. Clayton Kershaw
3. Kyle Hendricks
4. Madison Bumgarner
5. Jon Lester

National League Rookie of the Year

1. Corey Seager
2. Trea Turner
3. Trevor Story

National League Manager of the Year

1. Joe Maddon
2. Dusty Baker
3. Brian Roberts

National League Reliever of the Year

1. Seung Hwan Oh
2. Kenley Jansen
3. Mark Melancon

Bottom Line Brings Twins Changes

Update: With the Twins now done with their home schedule, the attendance for 2016 came in at 1,963,912. That number is the worst mark since 2004, but better than the pace Minnesota was on just over a week ago. While announced attendances over the past few games were significantly more than the amount of people in the stadium, season ticket sales saved the Twins. You can bet that 2017 will see another dip in season ticket sales, and that Minnesota will be asked to prove it.

The Minnesota Twins have just over a week's worth of baseball games left in 2016. As the season draws to a close, Paul Molitor's troops are certain to lose 100 games, and they may end up posting the worst record in team history. Although we've seen Jim Pohlad move on from long time General Manager Terry Ryan this season, the reality is that it's the bank account that reigns supreme.

Here's what we know right now. In the middle of the summer, the Twins gave Terry Ryan his walking papers. They were long overdue, and they should be considered performance related first and foremost. For far too long, his approach had become outdated and the results hadn't been fruitful. After firing his head man, Pohlad quickly went on record to suggest that Manager Paul Molitor would remain in 2017 regardless.

At that point, we were quickly reminded that Pohlad's expertise is solely rooted in dollars and cents. He's not a baseball man, Molitor isn't worthy of a vote of confidence, and the chips falling where they may still means that Pohlad's scope ends with the fans walking through the gates.

With six home games left, the Twins have a recorded attendance number of 1,831,020 fans. That boils down to roughly 24,400 fans per game. At capacity, Target Field tops out at 39,504 fans per game. That's a figure that the Twins haven't seen often at all this season. In reality, the stretch run has consisted of roughly 14,000 season tickets being accounted for every night, while the in game crowd likely falls somewhere below 10,000 people.

You can probably look at the numbers above and make the educated conclusion that the Twins aren't proud of those results. Target Field is a gorgeous venue, and baseball during a Minnesota summer and fall are some of the best ways to spend your time. What those numbers don't show on their own however, is a reality that has the current Twins club being less supported than any team in recent memory.

Since Target Field opened in 2010, the Twins have never had less than 2.2 million fans over the course of a season. That number came last year, when the Twins narrowly missed the playoffs after four straight 90 loss seasons. The first two years at their new digs saw the Twins draw over 3 million fans per year, and the third year brought in over 2.75 million. Minnesota's number for 2016 though, won't compare to anything Target Field has seen before.

When the dust settles on the year, the Twins will likely be right around 1.9 million for a final attendance figure. You'd have to go back to 2001 at the H.H.H. Metrodome to find a Twins team that drew that few fans over the course of an 81 game home slate. The 2001 Twins were coming off of four straight 90 loss seasons, but boosted their attendance to 1.7 million (after not topping 1.43 million since 1993) while winning 85 games and finishing second in the AL Central that year.

To Pohlad, and Team President Dave St. Peter, the fact that this collection of Minnesota Twins will draw the smallest crowd since 2001 is a problem. It's a problem because it doesn't even sniff previous Target Field attendance numbers, and it gets beat by the last eight seasons at the Metrodome (which was an absolute dump). The honeymoon phase with Target Field appears to be over, and expecting to draw simply because of the atmosphere is no longer a realistic proposition.

Over the winter, Pohlad and his business partners can roll out as many new food options, patios, and perks as they so choose, but without a commitment to a competitive product with a purpose on the field, the fans dollar will continue to speak. It's a great thing that the organization has decided to go in a different direction than the one Ryan was treading water in, but nothing forced them to make that decision more than the financial implications that this season presented. While wins and losses highly dictate the turnout, it's ultimately the turnout that continues to control operations.

As you make your last trips to Target Field in 2016, be glad that it's the paltry crowds that have forced change, and hope that change brings the people back. A new Baseball Operations President and General Manager will be tasked with righting the ship, and if they succeed, the Minnesota Twins will once again run like a well oiled machine.

Phil Hughes' Incredible Record Could Fall

The 2014 Major League Baseball season brought Phil Hughes to the Minnesota Twins. He was signed, and then extended, on a free agent contract and ended up being among consideration for the AL Cy Young award. The former Yankees first round pick had an incredible debut with the Twins, and in the process, set a record that didn't get much notoriety.

As has always been the case, Phil Hughes is a guy that simply does not walk many batters. He's never been a real serious strikeout threat, and it's probably fair to suggest Hughes hasn't been the player that Yankees hoped they would get from a first round starter. That said, he's more than capable of holding down a spot in the middle of a big league rotation, and he can make getting professional hitters out look routine.

During 2014, Hughes struck out batters, while walking so few, at a truly incredible pace. He eventually finished with an 11.63 strikeout to walk ratio, which would go down as the single greatest mark over the course of a season in Major League history. Hughes joined Bret Saberhagen as the only pitchers ever to post a strikeout to walk ratio of 11.0 or greater.

Since 1884, only four pitchers have ever had a strikeout to walk ratio of 10.0 or higher. Jim Whitney accomplished the feat in 1884 for the Boston Beaneaters. Saberhagen joined him in 1994 while pitching for the Mets, and Cliff Lee rounded out the trio in 2010 as he split time between the Mariners and Rangers.

This all now becomes relevant again though because the record which Hughes set in 2014, one that broke Saberhagen's 20 year old mark, could fall this season. As September baseball winds down, Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw currently owns a mark that would smash Hughes' number into oblivion. With a 17.22 strikeout to walk ratio through 18 starts, Kershaw would top the Twins pitcher by nearly six strikeouts per walk. The one caveat to the scenario is whether or not Kershaw pitches enough to become qualified.

A big talker as the summer wound down, Kershaw was placed on the disabled list with injury issues. There were concerns as to whether or not he would pitch again this season, and if he did, what kind of effectiveness he would have. Now removed from the disabled list, Kershaw has made two starts in September in which he's owned a 2.25 ERA and a 10/0 K/BB across 8.0 IP.

Pitching today, Kershaw should make three more starts for the Dodgers yet this season. That would give him 21 on the year, and somewhere in the realm of 140.0+ IP. Should he reach the floor to qualify, his mark will almost assuredly unseat that of Hughes.

While Kershaw's number is significantly higher than the mark the Twins 2014 ace put up, it's impressive to see just how the two of the compare as well. Clayton Kershaw is one of the game's best at striking batters out, and that's witnessed by his 10.8 K/9. In just 129.0 IP, he has 155 strikeouts. For comparison, Hughes pitched 209.2 innings during 2014 while fanning just 186 batters. When looking at the walks, it's Hughes that may get the nod. In over 200 innings during 2014, he issued just 16 free passes. Kershaw has been stingy as well, but has given up nine walks in 129 innings thus far in 2016.

Regardless of how everything shakes out, the efficiency displayed by Hughes in 2014 and Kershaw this season is something to truly marvel. The former did it but limiting the damage he inflicted upon himself, and the latter has been a master of inflicting damage upon opposing hitters. Using history as a guide, Hughes and Kershaw have shown us something we may not see again for quite some time.

Could 2016 Be A Mirage For Byungho Park?

Heading into the 2016 Major League Baseball season, the Minnesota Twins shocked the sport as they won the bid for Korean Baseball Organization slugger Byungho Park. The most fearsome hitter in the league was headed to a team in Minnesota that was expected to hit a lot of home runs. While his position only complicated things on the Twins roster, his power potential remained certain. As the story has unfolded, the results couldn't be more disheartening. That said, maybe there's more to it?

Prior to the 2016 season, Park was signed by the Twins to a four-year, $12 million contract. Add in the additional money required to negotiate with him, and Minnesota chipped in a healthy sum for the Korean slugger. What they got in return was 62 games at the MLB level with a .191/.275/.409 slash line. Park turned in just 12 homers and had 10 other extra base hits (nine doubles, one triple), with 80 strikeouts and 21 walks.

In watching Park, it was pretty apparent that his swing and miss tendencies from Korea only grew here in the big leagues. Having owned a 161/78 K/BB with Nexen in 2015, the expectation is that he would strike out plenty this season. The understanding though, was that the power would overshadow the negatives.

By the percentages, Park's power showed up quite often when hitting a fly ball. Over one-fifth of the batted balls he launched in the air left the yard. His hard hit percentage wads right at 37% with a swinging strike rate that rested at 15%. A contract percentage of 67.4% leaves something to be desired, but isn't all that uncommon for a home run or bust type hitter.

Putting it in the simplest terms though, a guy that nearly won his 3rd MVP in the last four years for the KBO didn't acclimate well to the big leagues. His back to back 50 home run seasons seemed like a mirage, and the power production that was supposed to dwarf the strikeouts was only visible in short bursts.

What's interesting though, is that Park appears to be alone. Prior to the 2016 season, four Koreans (including Park) were signed to big league deals. Joining the Twins power bat was Dae-ho Lee (Mariners), Seung-hwan Oh (Cardinals), and Hyun Soo Kim (Orioles). The unfortunate reality for Park is that three inferior players to himself, have seen much more success in the early going.

For the Mariners, Lee was the only Korean to sign a deal that included the ability to send him to the minors. He spent just seven games in Tacoma (late in the year), and has batted .261/.323/.445 in 96 games at the big league level. Lee's 14 homers and 49 RBI have been a solid source of run production as well.

Arguably the best season of the Koreans this year has come from Oh of the Cardinals. At 34 years old, he's hardly a typical rookie, but on a one-year $2.5 million deal, he's been an absolute steal. In 70 games (72.1 IP) with St. Louis, he owns a 1.87 ERA and a dazzling 97/18 K/BB ratio. Having moved into the closer role and racking up 17 saves, Oh is going to be in the running for the NL Rookie of the Year award.

Rounding out the group is Kim, who is probably the most interesting story of the bunch. After signing a two-year, $7 million deal with the Orioles, a bad spring training had the club wanting to ship him to Triple-A. Tensions nearly got to the point of an all out release, but cooler heads prevailed. Spending the entirety of the season at the MLB level, Kim has played in 81 games and owns a .308/.389/.421 slash line. He's not the flashy player at the plate, but with 16 doubles to his credit, he's more than carried his weight.

Obviously, the influx of KBO players into baseball follows the emergence of Jung Ho Kang's breakout a year ago. Byungho Park's best friend slashed .287/.355/.461 and launched 15 homers en route to a 3rd place NL Rookie of the Year finish in 2015. He, along with the three aforementioned players, have established that a transition from the KBO to MLB is more than doable.

So, what gives for Park?

At the end of the day, I think that there's probably a bit more about Park's wrist than what he wanted to let on. He underwent surgery in August and effectively ended his first big league season. While he came with mammoth expectations, his power was sapped even further due to his health. Combine that with an adjustment period both on the field and off (the Twins didn't even begin spelling his name as he asked until halfway through the summer), and you end up with less than ideal results.

Going into 2017, there should be heightened expectations that Park is able to come in and contribute. He's likely never going to be the MVP type player he was in Korea, but absolutely should be able to be a vital member of the Twins 25 man roster. Lesser players from the KBO have shown success is attainable in the big leagues, and a healthy wrist could be the key that unlocks the next level for Park.