3/10/18

How the dominos are falling for the Twins and 9 things you may not know about their new RHP Lance Lynn

The Twins have signed former Cardinals' RHP Lance Lynne.  The free agent was signed to an one-year $12 million contract, with the potential of receiving $2 million more, based on performance.  Because Lynn rejected the Cardinals' qualifying offer (of $17+ million) the Twins will surrender their third round and 95th overall pick in the 2018 amateur draft.  In addition, according to the new CBA, the Twins cannot extend a qualifying offer to him next off-season, since he already had one.

Lynn will round up the Twins rotation of Jose Berrios, Jake Odorizzi, and Kyle Gibson, to which Ervin Santana will be added in early April once his finger is 100%.   Here are how the dominos will likely call for the Twins:

Anibal Sanchez, who has a non-guaranteed contract, will be released,  
Phil Hughes, who has been improving, will start the season in the pen,
The same with Tylor Duffey who has an option and potentially can also start in the minors.
Trevor May who is on the 60-day DL will also head in the pen.
Adalberto Mejia who has one option and Aaron Slegers who has too, along with everyone else without MLB Starting experience will be in Rochester to start the season.

There are lot of things that have been written about Lance Lynn, his comeback from Tommy John surgery, his potential regression based on his 2018 FIP and BABIP, the fact that he only pitched in the NL etc.   I will not repeat those, other than saying that he will be better for the Twins than Bartolo Colon, Hector Santiago, and the other slew of characters he replaces...

Here are things that you many not know about Lance Lynn:

  1. He has never faced the Twins
  2. His little league team made it to the Little League World Series in 1999
  3. He was a High School teammate of Drew Storen.
  4. He jumped 3 levels in his fist full professional season ending up in AAA.
  5. The next season (2010) he broke the Cardinals' franchise strikeout record with 16 in a game in the AAA PCL.
  6. At 6'5" and 280 lbs, he will be the Twins' biggest player, to the relief of Miguel Sano.
  7. He has worn numbers 62 and 31 with the Cardinals.  31 is Jeff Pickler's number and 62 non-roster catcher's Jordan Pacheco.  There are not many numbers available for the Twins these days...
  8. Lynn has effectively one pitch: the fastball.  But he throws is as a 4-seamer, 2-seamer, and cutter and all over the zone, which confuses batters.
  9. Last August he was hit on the head with a comebacker off the bat of Lorenzo Cain.



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