Twins sign Mets pitcher Mike Pelfrey to a one-year deal. (Photo Courtesy of minnpost.com)
The Minnesota Twins pitching reclamation project continues this off season with the signing of Mike Pelfrey from the Mets. The ninth overall pick of the 2005 draft, Pelfrey was expected to be an ace for New York for years to come. Instead, the Mets allowed the young pitcher to come to Minnesota with little fanfare as he signed a one-year $4 million deal with the Twins.
Pelfrey is the newest addition to the Twins revamped staff, which includes the young Alex Meyer (acquired in the Denard Span trade to the Nationals) and Vance Worley and Trevor May (acquired in the Ben Revere trade to the Phillies). Along with them, is Kevin Correia, who the Twins signed to a two-year $10 million deal from the Pirates. Pelfrey finished his 7-year career with the Mets with a 4.36 E.R.A.. His best season was in 2010 when he posted a 15-9 record with a 3.66 E.R.A.
While it’s clear the Twins are making strides to improve the pitching staff, many Minnesota fans and writers think all we’re doing is changing the pitching staff, not improving it. For instance, Aaron Gleeman’s most recent article: “Twins’ signing of pitcher Mike Pelfrey is a discouraging sign“. Not the ringing endorsement a big new signing should bring. Gleeman points to the fact that the Twins now boast three of the ten worst pitchers in all of MLB in strikeouts per nine innings from 2010-2012–Pelfrey, Correia and Nick Blackburn.
Or how about this mock application process for becoming a Minnesota Twins pitcher, which includes the following question:
Again, not the ringing endorsement we’re sure Twins management is hoping to see. It leaves us wondering if the Twins are planing for 2013 or looking ahead. Have they concluded that this season is another bottom of the division finish and it’s important to look beyond this year? Do they expect these moves to put us back into contention for the AL Central? Will we again hear credible rumors of a Joe Mauer trade this season?
We’re five months from the season and the questions are already piling up.
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