Time to Pick Up Slowey/Garza?

[BMcP]

Don't know if I'd take that as gospel just yet. This is the excerpt from the Tribune - notice it includes nothing more than the writer's opinion (no quote from GM/manager):

Baker is 3-2 with a 3.16 ERA at Rochester after losing on Sunday to Buffalo. Righthander Kevin Slowey is 3-2 with a 1.51 ERA and also is a candidate, but Baker has more experience at the AAA level than Slowey and the Twins might feel that Baker has earned another shot.

[Zito is God]

Slowey has been touted to have the best control in all of the minors this year. I think they will love to see if he can translate that to major league level. He'll have to be since he does not throw very hard.

I really have no idea where Garza's 1.5+ WHIP is coming from, hes getting pounded. Never thought after the MLB experience he'd be giving up more than 1 hit per inning in the minors.

I think the Twins have too many touted prospects and need to move a couple of a good offensive bat. Garza's stock will continue to take hits if he keeps that WHIP up.

[Halo Homers]

Any futher updates on this? My money is on Slowey. He's been the best so far in AAA. I think the Twins want an immediate contribution.

Garza will probably get the call later when Silva or Ortiz come back down to earth.

[Pirates4Life]

Slowey has been touted to have the best control in all of the minors this year. I think they will love to see if he can translate that to major league level. He'll have to be since he does not throw very hard.

I really have no idea where Garza's 1.5+ WHIP is coming from, hes getting pounded. Never thought after the MLB experience he'd be giving up more than 1 hit per inning in the minors.

I think the Twins have too many touted prospects and need to move a couple of a good offensive bat. Garza's stock will continue to take hits if he keeps that WHIP up.

The issue with Slowey, from what I've read, is that he throws primarily (as in over 75%) fastballs, albeit fastballs with excellent accuracy. In AAA, perfect placement of mostly fastballs will get a lot of outs, but in the majors, I'm not so sure it'll be quite as effective.

As for Garza, they've got him working on his secondary pitches in AAA right now. His fastball is already major league ready, so once his secondary pitches catch up, the sky's the limit for him.

His WHIP is what it is because he gave up 24 baserunners in his first 13 innings (3 starts).

Since then, he's allowed 31 in his last 23 (4 starts).

Even further, in one of those four starts, he gave up 11 of the baserunners in only 4 innings.

To me, that sounds like a guy who's working on stuff and getting more and more comfortable and consistent with it.

[BlueBandit24]

Any futher updates on this? My money is on Slowey. He's been the best so far in AAA. I think the Twins want an immediate contribution.

Garza will probably get the call later when Silva or Ortiz come back down to earth.

No further word, but I'd guess it's down to Slowey or Baker. Baker has the experience and is on the 40 man roster, but Slowey has been the better pitcher down at AAA. A decision should come soon as the spot in the rotation is up this Saturday in Milwaukee.

[joecahill]

It's probably going to be Baker. Slowey is pitching tonight (very well, might I add), and for him to get to the majors and have his first start Saturday on four days' rest doesn't seem very kosher.

[BMcP]

Kevin Slowey yielded one run in 7 2/3 innings Tuesday in a win for Triple-A Rochester.

That's the good news. The bad is that there's no way the Twins would have let him throw 7 2/3 innings last night if they intended to call him up to start Saturday. Slowey is most deserving of the assignment, but it looks like Scott Baker will be the choice.


Ok. Any need to pick up Baker? Or, conversely, still hang on to Slowey (Ortiz looks like the next implosion victim).

[colt4523]

I bet it will be baker, since I dropped him last week thinking slowey would get the call.

[BlueBandit24]

Kevin Slowey yielded one run in 7 2/3 innings Tuesday in a win for Triple-A Rochester.

That's the good news. The bad is that there's no way the Twins would have let him throw 7 2/3 innings last night if they intended to call him up to start Saturday. Slowey is most deserving of the assignment, but it looks like Scott Baker will be the choice.


Ok. Any need to pick up Baker? Or, conversely, still hang on to Slowey (Ortiz looks like the next implosion victim).

If you're hard-up for a pitcher, taking a chance on Baker might not be a bad idea. If he fails in his next big league stint, it will likely be his last chance.

As for Slowey, I think he's going to be up around mid-season. If the Twins fall out of the race, he'll likely get a shot to prove himself, and he's throwing so well in the minors that they may have no choice but to bring him up.

[Members Only Jackets]

Slowey is a Steeler fan (as I stated before) and Steeler fans are winners.

Blue Bandit--is that Travis Bickle in your sig?