Although the Twins apparently will open spring training next Sunday with similar personnel to last season, that doesn’t mean the franchise is without interesting storylines to follow while the team is in Florida and during the early weeks of the season.
The first focus could be on late inning relief pitchers Luis Ayala and Jose Mijares. The Twins came close but couldn’t win the American League Central championship last season and a major issue was the absence of a reliable eighth inning reliever. Pat Neshek, who had been up to the job in the past, pitched in only 15 games last season, none after May 8 because of his right arm injury. He won’t be available in 2009 following surgery last year.
Ayala might be the best candidate to become a late inning hero, holding leads or keeping the Twins in games until super closer Joe Nathan enters in the ninth inning. Media reports a few days ago had the 31-year-old right hander signing with the Twins as a free agent.
He’s an experienced relief pitcher whose signature pitch is a sinker. He missed the entire 2006 season because of Tommy John elbow surgery, the same procedure that Neshek had. While Ayala had a 3.19 ERA in 2007 with Washington, that number jumped to 5.71 last year pitching in the late innings for the Nats and the New York Mets.
Ayala blamed his problems in Washington on a divorce and an off-season incident where he was shot in the left arm, according to a story by MLB.com. In New York he was troubled by a sore groin.
Mijares, a 24-year-old left hander, pitched minimal innings in 2008, his first in the major leagues, but was impressive. His record: 1-0, 1.87 ERA, with five strikeouts in 10.1 innings. Also important was giving up no walks. Relief pitchers who can’t find the plate are usually headed for bad results, in a hurry.
The Star Tribune reported recently that Mijares quit his winter league team in the Dominican Republic. Apparently he had a disagreement with his manager and that will only add to the focus on Mijares in Florida.
In earlier innings, when the Twins need a left handed arm to face a left handed batter, the Twins might turn to another 2008 newcomer who also impressed last season. Craig Breslow, who the team acquired off waivers in the spring, was 0-2 with a 1.91 ERA. Other early inning help may come from a group that’s been inconsistent in the past including Boof Bonser, Matt Guerrier and Jesse Crain.
Except for Nathan, the bullpen looks like a project with pitchers who showed promise and disappointment in the past, with some interesting personalities (see Ayala and Mijares) who figure to make all of this a storyline to follow.