Has Jose Mijares...

by roger13 on Sep 21, 2008 4:58 PM EDT

...pitched himself into the Twins plans for their 2008 bullpen?

After breaking his pitching elbow in an auto accident in his native Venezuela this past winter, Mijares spent much of this season on the DL. He began his late season rehab with the GCL Twins where he pitched in 7 games (11.0 innings), picking up a 2-1 record with a 2.45ERA and 16K/1BB. He moved across the parking lot to the Ft. Myers Miracle where he made another 5 appearances (10.1 innings) with a 2.61ERA and 8K/3BB. Mijares then closed out his season with 11 appearances with the AA New Britain Rock Cats where he had a 1-1 record with a 2.93ERA and 17K/7BB in 15.1 innings.

In somewhat of a surprise move, Mijares was added to the Twins roster following the end of the New Britain season. Some reports have indicated that Terry Ryan watched him the final week of the season and reported that he was throwing very well. The Twins made the move, however, he had a visa problem and was unable to join the team in Toronto. Upon the Twins return to Minneapolis, Mijares joined the team but sat in the bullpen as Gardenhire/Anderson seemed reluctant to use Mijares even in games in which they had substantial leads. Mijares made his major league debut on September 13th, pitching a shutout inning against Baltimore. Today, Mijares got the call for an important eighth inning appearance in the final game in Tampa...pitching another perfect inning dropping his ERA to 1.50.

Mijares has now appeared in six games, pitching 6.0 innings while allowing only one earned run (and that run began with an infield hit that preceded an error by Mauer). With 2 hits, 0 walks and 4 strikeouts in 6.0 innings it appears that Mijares has certainly pitched himself into the Twins plans for 2009. Mijares was added to their 40-man roster in November, 2005, thus he will be out of options next spring. These September outings certainly will make it easier for the Twins to pencil Mijares into their plans for 2009.

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Here's the key phrase

>>These September outings certainly will make it easier for the Twins to pencil Mijares into their plans for 2009.

September means facing a lot of AAA players and reserves in games that don’t matter. Mijares has had, what, two real tests? And in one of those games he allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning, although it was Guerrier who actually let it in. But Mijares had a crucial wild pitch in that outing.

He has looked pretty decent and like he belongs, but it matters exactly who he is facing and when. Lots of AAA players audition pretty well in 12-2 blowout.s

by Johnny Safron on Sep 21, 2008 5:14 PM EDT 0 recs

Rays

I don’t think you can discount protecting a three-run lead in the eight against the team that will likely win the Eastern Division. That’s not September pitching. That’s pennant race pitching.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 22, 2008 10:36 PM EDT up 0 recs

Sure you can

He was facing a hungover team that barely managed a handful of hits – one for extra bases – in a getaway day game that was their 9th contest in 9 days. They had 10 whiffs, nine of them swinging, six in the final four innings. The Rays were all but sprinting out of the Trop at that point, knowing they had to play again on Monday.

That’s not exactly facing the Sox in a win-or-go-surfing series.

by Johnny Safron on Sep 23, 2008 12:41 AM EDT up 0 recs

You can spin it any way you want

It’s easy to just waive your hands and dismiss his September work as another German Gonzales event, but you have to look at the guys he got out in those situations to draw those conclusions.

In the Tampa game, he came in in the 8th in a save situation and got the middle of the Rays order out, including Pena on a ground out and Longoria on a strike out.

In the Cleveland game, he came in a tie game and did surrender an infield single to Grady Sizemore, but then got the next two outs (should have been a DP in there except Punto’s throw had nothing on it), including Shin-Soo Choo on strikes. The only reason Mijares took the L in that game is because Guerrier couldn’t get one out out of the bottom of the Cleveland order.

These are tough outs against good hitters playing for something in September. In Tampa’s case, they want to clinch the division, the sooner the better. In Cleveland’s case, they’re playing for third place and momentum going into the offseason. In case you didn’t notice, they were playing hard, hard enough to sweep the Twins, and Mijares was one of the few relievers to get tough outs in that series.

Granted, it’s just a few games, but I see nothing from him that says he’s some September phenom who will go away next year. How many left handers locate a mid-90s fastball and a plus slider?

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 23, 2008 10:55 AM EDT up 0 recs

The stuff of Greek gods

I already pointed out the Cleveland/Guerrier stuff. That’s cause I don’t deal in spin.

You have the formula for creating myths down pretty well. And that is the definition of spin.

I deal in reality, and the reality is the hungover Rays had been playing swing-hard-you-might-hit-something by the time Mijares entered the game.

by Johnny Safron on Sep 23, 2008 7:25 PM EDT up 0 recs

Rays, again

I think you have to give some credit to Liriano for that.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 23, 2008 7:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

You seem to enjoy this game more than I

Rich Garces was the second-coming of Al Worthington at one time, too. I’m in no hurry to learn if Mijares becomes Garces or Mariano Rivera.

You’ve been predicting this and that all year. Pridie was this and Perkins was that, and then when pressed you conceded you were parroting some Baseball America writer. Bobby Korecky. Randy Ruiz. It’s always some phenom, even if, like Ruiz, he’s not a phenom.

So, fine. If predicting how Alexi Casilla and Denard Span will do matters so much to you that you would even use someone else’s opinion, have at it. Can you let us know about the ones you’re wrong on and not just boast about the times the dart glanced off a drunk’s shoulder and hit the board?

I’m content to see if Mijares even gets into a game against the Sox.

Hey, at least the guy who doesn’t know how to use an apostrophe “positively” agrees with you.

And don’t forget: whatever you do, get the last word.

by Johnny Safron on Sep 23, 2008 8:59 PM EDT up 0 recs

man...

Mijares WILL make an appearance in this series…its almost guaranteed. If the starters go 7 innings and it is only a 3 run lead…look for Breslow/Mijares to be warming up. Mijares likes to be in that situation and he OBVIOUSLY has excelled in it so FAR. I am not saying he is the next Walter Johnson but he is doing a great job this year!

and notice after battling back from what could have been career ending injury

by 33MorneauMVP on Sep 23, 2008 10:57 PM EDT up 0 recs

Last word

I like the last line. It’s prophetic. But I think you need to read here more carefully.

For the record, I thought he might become a decent fourth outfielder. And I did say that BA was high on him, so that meant something to me. And I still think he can be a decent bench guy. I based it on John Manuel’s assessment, which I trust, and on his work in AAA this year (throwing out May).

I said I thought Perkins would be a good back-of-the-rotation guy. And he’s been better than that, except at the end here, after he pitched 100 more innings than he did all last year.

I wasn’t too high on Ruiz because, as you pointed out, if a guy has spent 10 years in the minors, there’s something wrong with him. And I’ve never liked Bobby Korecky much, though I’m in the minority on that one.

But I have been predicting Mijares’s ascendancy all year. Most people, (e.g. Seth) thought he would be lucky to make it back to AA after the injury. Ever since I saw him in spring training a couple of years ago, I thought he could be at least as good as Reyes. I figured if he was able to get healthy, he would be a September option for a troubled bullpen. There’s nothing wrong with reminding people that you’re occasionally right.

Guys I was wrong on:

Delmon Young: I thought he would hit over 300 and over 100 RBIs. I also thought he would be better in the field.
Carlos Gomez: I predicted 280/320/420. He hasn’t come close to that because of a horrendous August slump.
Alejandro Machado: I thought he’d be a decent utility guy at the majors but he never recovered from a shoulder injury.
Jose Morales: I thought he’d be a good back-up option this September but he might never recover from an ankle injury suffered in his major league debut.

I could go on and on. Part of the fun of blogging is making predictions. I make them knowing I’ll be wrong from time to time. It doesn’t bother me because even the best in the business are wrong some of the time. The Twins’ braintrust made several bad decisions this offseason, and I have a lot of respect for them. They’re a whole lot smarter than I am, I know that.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 24, 2008 12:19 AM EDT up 0 recs

And Span

I was totally wrong about Span. I thought he would be a fourth outfielder type in the mold of Jason Tyner. But he really picked up his game this year, in part because of his eye surgery.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 24, 2008 1:54 PM EDT up 0 recs

Was curious Safron...

…Am I the guy you were referring to about the apostrophe comment?

by roger13 on Sep 24, 2008 7:56 AM EDT up 0 recs

grammar

Dear lord, if we’re going to start calling people out for grammar here, this site will have like 10 readers left.

formerly known in these parts as adamb

by ravenfly on Sep 24, 2008 1:46 PM EDT up 0 recs

Just curious

I’m just wondering if Safron has a second screen name on this site. I actually like his content, though the tact could use some work. To be honest, CMath, I’ve wondered if he isn’t your other personality.

by snolls on Sep 24, 2008 3:09 PM EDT up 0 recs

Not me

But I know who he is. He used to post frequently under his real name on the old TwinsTerritory site that the Geek set up, which led to this site. He’s also had another screen name here, but I don’t want to spoil that one for him. I respect his anonymity.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 24, 2008 4:29 PM EDT up 0 recs

fair enough

In a lot of ways I appreciate what he says. Certainly makes it lively, though some of it gets annoying.

by snolls on Sep 24, 2008 5:58 PM EDT up 0 recs

I positively agree with you CMath

Mijares has been red-hot for the Twins out of that bullpen. Breslow also hasnt gotten much recognition from Twins fans. They blame how bad the Twins bullpen (except for Mirajes) and dont realize that Nathan and Breslow have also shut down the opponents.

Now if only we had Neshek but that is wishful thinking.

by 33MorneauMVP on Sep 23, 2008 7:34 PM EDT up 0 recs

I think

Reyes is gone. He’ll command a lot and Breslow has been pretty good. I wouldn’t be upset if they went with Breslow and Mijares as their lefties. He sure throw hard and has inpressed me thus far.

He’ll at least get a very long look in the spring…

by Twins Territory on Sep 21, 2008 5:51 PM EDT 0 recs

Mijares has looked very good

Given the current state of the bullpen, the Twins just about have to look at taking him on their playoff roster. Would he pitch the eighth? Again, I don’t think you can rule it out.

by Alexi Casilla All-Star on Sep 21, 2008 6:20 PM EDT 0 recs

the

the problem is that Mijires is not elegible for the post season roster because he was not on thebig league roster before August 31

by DedicatedFollowerOfFashion on Sep 22, 2008 7:41 PM EDT up 0 recs

I thnk...

That Reyes has pitched himself into being “THE” 8th inning guy the rest of the way, and absolutely he is in the Twins plans. Reyes will likely make a bit of money in the offseason and with Breslow and Perkins around, don’t really have to worry about another lefty.

by SethSpeaks on Sep 21, 2008 8:55 PM EDT 0 recs

You are probably right

but I hope not. Let Reyes go.

by snolls on Sep 21, 2008 10:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

I meant

Reyes will likely make a bit of money …

For Another Team… The Twins won’t and shouldn’t have any interest in bringing him back.

by SethSpeaks on Sep 22, 2008 12:23 AM EDT 0 recs

Yep...

something else to consider;

it looks like Reyes will be a Type B FA this offseason, meaning the Twins will get a draft pick as compensation. Makes a ton of sense to let him go.

And I would actually argue for putting Perkins in the pen as well, with Humber (out of options) getting the 5th slot in the rotation. Then you’d have:

Liriano, Baker, Slowey, Blackburn, Humber (Swarzak/Duensing/Manship waiting in case either of Humber/Blackburn falter)

Nathan, Neshek, Boof, Crain; a bit iffy for the righties, but I think that Boof can do well with a full offseason adjusting to relief, and hopefully Neshek/Crain will both be healthy.

Mijares, Perkins, Breslow

That really could make our bullpen potentially dominant. Imagine having those options to turn to before Joe.

Oh, and Guerrier was off of the above list for a reason. I think the Twins should trade him in the offseason as his salary is going to be over $1 M probably and there’s just not enough spots for him. You have to figure that the guys above are locks.

by DJSkillz on Sep 22, 2008 3:28 AM EDT 0 recs

Perkins not a good candidate for the Pen

Maybe in long relief, but with his inconsistency and lack of strikeouts, I would not want to bring him into a tight situation. I’d rather they trade him while he is near the top of his value and move on to a different option.

Mijares looks fine. I’m sure Eddie G is leaving a trail of bread crumbs for him to pick up on how the role of ace reliever works. Take off 20 pounds, give him another year, and he will definitely be in the mix.

by Old Twins Cap on Sep 22, 2008 12:47 PM EDT 0 recs

Mijares

I think it’s pretty clear that a guy is in next year’s plans when the manager brings him in to protect a three-run lead in a pennant race.

The more interesting question, for me, is will the Twins find a way to get him on the playoff roster, as the Angels did with F-Rod in 2002? All they have to do is put Perkins on the DL with a dead arm and make Mijares his replacement.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 22, 2008 10:34 PM EDT 0 recs

Way to stay positive...

…CMath. I believe that the Twins left their playoffs on the road in one of the many games they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. By blowing what, 4-5-6 games in the 8th or 9th innings, the hill they must climb is almost unclimbable. Had they won just one of those their chances would be so much better. The amount of time they were on the road really hit me on Sunday…..they were playing the last of 24 games on the road over a 30 game period. That is almost unbelievable…they were on the road for a month with only those 6 home games.

by roger13 on Sep 23, 2008 7:22 AM EDT up 0 recs

Good stuff...

though I’d attempt to offer Guerrier or Blackburn as a “DL” candidate in that scenario. Perkins COULD help in relief as a lefty I think.

What’s really frustrating is that we could easily miss this postseason by 2 games or so. Gardy’s management (ie hesitance of use) of Mijares could well have been that difference. Not to mention all the other in-game and lineup blunders by Gardy throughout the season.

I want a new manager, dammit!

by DJSkillz on Sep 23, 2008 10:24 AM EDT 0 recs

Blunders

In the scheme of things, not trusting Mijares in a few key situations early in the month is relatively unimportant. Going back to June and July, trusting Rincon and then Bass in 16 close-and-late situations will go down as the worst mismanagement of a bullpen since Billy Gardener managed the Twins.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 23, 2008 10:33 AM EDT up 0 recs

funny

I just remembered that Juan Rincon was on the team earlier this year. I had totally forgotten about him. Now the bad memories are all coming back…

by Hoya on Sep 23, 2008 11:20 AM EDT up 0 recs

Wow...

you know, I had somehow blocked all the poor Bass/Rincon usage out of my brain.

Thanks for bringing back those memories, CMath, and right before I eat lunch too.

Damn you! :)

by DJSkillz on Sep 23, 2008 1:51 PM EDT 0 recs

Well

He just pitched an inning of a lifetime in a HUGE game…

by Twins Territory on Sep 24, 2008 10:58 PM EDT 0 recs

Where, oh Where are you now

Johnny Safron? Dont think he belongs here in 09…well I think Mijares answered that question for you and for all fans that doubtED him!

by 33MorneauMVP on Sep 24, 2008 11:10 PM EDT 0 recs

No kidding....

I really look at tonight like Mijares just pitched the Twins into a top 40 draft pick this offseason (ie Reyes leaving) and just booted Guerrier off this team for 2009. All in just 1 inning of work.

by DJSkillz on Sep 24, 2008 11:18 PM EDT 0 recs

Is Reyes type B?

Really? Wow. That is huge. Actually, both are. And Boof-et too. Notice how he’s pitching better now that he scrapped the diet?

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 24, 2008 11:42 PM EDT up 0 recs

Yes, Reyes is....

He’s actually not that far away from Type A, but he probably won’t get there.

Guerrier would be, but of course he’s not a FA. I bet we’ll end up trading him, either in a package or on his own for a low A player with upside.

Just a guess.

by DJSkillz on Sep 25, 2008 12:49 AM EDT up 0 recs

Guerrier

I hope we keep him. I think he had a down year, and that was largely due to increased usage, and increased pressure. If we have Nathan, Neshek, Mijares, Crain and Breslow, then Guerrier can go back to being a 6th and 7th inning guy. I think he’s still above average in those roles.

by snolls on Sep 25, 2008 9:17 AM EDT up 0 recs

How about Eddie?

Is he a Type B?

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 25, 2008 10:56 AM EDT up 0 recs

Don't think so....

but I’ll double-check.

by DJSkillz on Sep 25, 2008 11:04 AM EDT up 0 recs

Reyes

Reyes has given up only 30 runs in 125 innings the last 3 years for a 2.16 era. I hope we bring him back next year. Even if we do have extra LOOGY’s.

by doofus on Sep 25, 2008 3:08 AM EDT 0 recs

Reyes

He had a great 2006, no question about it. Still, I think his stats are artificially inflated because of the situations he is used. He frequently comes in to face one or two batters, which signficantly reduces the probability that he gives up an earned run. For instance, if he comes in with 2 outs, he may allow inherited runners to score, but it is unlikely that he will get an ER.

He allows a lot of baserunners, and he allows a lot of inherrited runners to score. I’d like to see a stat that balances those factors in, because I don’t think that his 2.16 ERA is comparable to someone who usually pitches a whole inning at a time. Also, I think that a specialist is considerably less valuable than someone who pitches a whole inning at a time. Over the course of a 162 game season, I suspect you will do better with pitchers that you trust to use for a whole inning.

by snolls on Sep 25, 2008 9:20 AM EDT up 0 recs

Plus...

if you can get a supplemental 1st rd pick for a situational lefty (which we can with Reyes) you let him walk EVERY time. Period.

As for Guerrier, no dice. There’s just no spots for him, barring a trade. Humber needs a spot; out of options, and he’s better than Guerrier, and cheaper. Ditto for Boof. There’s just no spot for either Guerrier or Reyes, barring a trade.

by DJSkillz on Sep 25, 2008 11:03 AM EDT up 0 recs

Inherited runners

I lost track, but the last time I counted in August, he had allowed 12 inherited runners to score. I’m sure that number has risen. In 2006, he was particularly effective in stranding inherited runners. So even though his raw numbers look good, he has had a much worse year this year than 2006.

That said, the thought of Mijares, Reyes and Breslow sharing the LOOGY role is intriguing. I think a part of Reyes’s failure this year is overwork. If you can spread the stress around, he might be more effective.

I’m torn, but all things considered, I’d rather have the sandwich pick. And since we’re talking about Eat at Denny’s Reyes, I’ll take the soup and salad bar as well, with an order of fries on the side.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 25, 2008 11:05 AM EDT up 0 recs

Yep....

I don’t think Reyes is bad, but I just think you always take a supplemental 1st rd pick over a situational reliever that is relatively easily replaced. Plus, it’s a roster crunch, like I said.

CMath, Eddie has no chance for Type B apparently, at least according to this, which is what I’ve been using:

http://tigers-thoughts.blogspot.com/2008/08/projected-elias-rankings.html

by DJSkillz on Sep 25, 2008 11:10 AM EDT up 0 recs

Gardy has spoken...

…and Mijares has answered.

Eighth inning, one run lead of a must win game in a playoff like atmosphere. Thome, Konerko, Griffey………1-2-3!

Change that pencil to ink!

by roger13 on Sep 25, 2008 7:13 AM EDT 0 recs

Neshek is on the DL

Mijares can replace Neshek for the playoffs… but let us not count our chickens before they hatch. Still need to get there.

by diehardtwinsfan on Sep 25, 2008 7:49 AM EDT 0 recs

60-day DL?

If a guy is on the 60-day DL on August 30, does he count as a possible replaceable player for the playoffs? I know it works with the 15-day DL, but if you’re on the 60-day DL, you’re not even on the 40-man roster.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 25, 2008 11:21 AM EDT up 0 recs

Just confirmed

The so called “K-Rod clause” (I prefer to call him F-Rod since the 2002 playoffs) indicates that a team can substitute for a player on the 60-day DL, as the Angels did with F-Rod. So Jose Mijares can substitute for Pat Neshek on the playoff roster.

"You're thinking too much. Just have fun." -- Bennie "The Jet" Rodriguez in Sandlot

by cmathewson on Sep 25, 2008 12:58 PM EDT up 0 recs