Phil Riewer
Posts: 26337
Joined: 8/24/2007
From: MN
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From Gleeman Mailbag:
Is there a realistic chance that Cole Sands could be used in the rotation? And what is the process for that type of role change? — Kyle K.
I asked those same questions of both manager Rocco Baldelli and president of baseball operations Derek Falvey earlier this week, and they each indicated that Sands stretching back out as a starter could be a possibility if the rotation depth erodes much further. They’d like to avoid that, because Sands has looked great as a reliever so far this season, but the other starter options are limited.
Simeon Woods Richardson was No. 7 on the starter depth chart going into the season, but he’s already needed in the rotation thanks to Anthony DeSclafani’s elbow injury and Varland’s struggles. Inevitably, a No. 8 and No. 9 starter will be required, but Brent Headrick, Josh Winder and Matt Canterino are injured and David Festa could use more development time.
That’s why Sands could be a short-term solution. He came up through the minors as a starter and, unlike most relievers, Sands still uses a deep, five-pitch mix. He’s become a key bullpen piece, and it’s not certain the velocity gains he’s made as a max-effort reliever would remain as a starter, but Sands is the Twins’ most logical candidate for an in-season role change that can often prove tricky.
“We’ll definitely put all of those things on the table,” Falvey said. “He’s thrown the ball really well in the early going. He’s obviously had a multi-inning history for us at the big-league level and the minor leagues. We just want to make sure we do it thoughtfully, if we do it. It’s always hard to do while you’re midstream and you’re trying to compete at the same time. We’ll continue to assess that.”
Ideally, the Twins would like to see what this version of Sands is capable of as a full-time reliever throwing mid-90s fastballs and low-90s cutters. He has a 0.77 ERA and 16-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 11 2/3 innings so far. But these are the types of compromised decisions that stem from ownership dropping payroll by $30 million and the front office having to shop for bargain-bin starter depth.
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SSG Riewer, Greg A Co 2/136 CAB
KIA 23 March 2007 Habbaniyah Iraq
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