Fanta-see You at Target Field: Pitcher Files
Not only was the title of this piece to feature the singular “file”, it was…it was…who am i kidding? It was never going to be written. Fantasy hurlers on the Twins will be slim pickings come draft day – no breaking news there. Glen Perkins will be around the 20th closer to hear his name called, but after that it’s this.
Sammy D straight cheesin’ the Puerto Ricans in WBC championship.Or is it? I don’t know about you, but following Samuel Deduno‘s stellar performance (W, 5 IP, 0 ER, 5 K) against Puerto Rico in the WBC championship, I’ve been showing everyone my Deduno-face all day. Dedunooo. Dedunooo. You know what I’m talkin’ about.
So Perk plus Sam and maybe a double secret probation pick equals a (small) list of arms you can entrust to round out that fantasy roster with local product. When you’re assembling that squad you know you want that Twin in there, so read on playa.
Glen Perkins (15th Round / $5)
Joe Nathan was funk nasty last season for the Rangers (64 IP, 2.80 ERA, 78 K, 37 saves). We have to get over it. It was especially hard for me to take considering we are boys and all (below right). Matt Capps did little to ease the pain, but much to my surprise, once he finally collapsed, Glen Perkins stepped-in to close and did a phenomenal job. Joe and I kickin’ it in Bmore (we are not actually boys).
Perkins converted 16 of 20 save opportunities and finished with an ERA of 2.56 78 K in 70 innings. He showed great command in walking only 16 batters and his Post-All Star WHIP was 0.58. Fully entrenched as Gardy’s go-to in the 9th, there’s no reason to doubt Glen can save 30 games for an improving Twins team that will hopefully present more chances in 2013. He is a safe bet as a mid-tier closer and is a slam dunk value-add to your fantasy team.
Samuel Deduno (Last Round / $1)
In the República Dominicana, baseball is more than a game, it’s a way of life. Every day, children go to school for four hours in the morning and then it’s baseball for the rest of the day. In Puerto Rico, the sport is of equal importance, so for the players in that WBC championship, the only bigger stage is the World Series. For Deduno to perform like that and bring the title to the DR, making the Mama Juana flow like my wife and I were back for another honeymoon – well needless to say, I’m impressed.
Sam started 15 games for Minnesota last year, and like a Jim Morrison trip to the desert, there were highs and there were lows. For one three-game stretch in late summer he only surrendered four earned runs over 20 innings while nearly averaging a strikeout per frame. Yes, he had his blow-ups here and there, but I chalk that up to inexperience. Before 2012 he had only appeared in six games, so there’s lots of room for improvement. Although most of his work this spring has come in the WBC, Deduno’s curve and change-up have batters off-balance, and I’m ready to bet his effectiveness carries into this season.
Scott Diamond (Last Round / $1)
There was no cooling Diamond in the 1st half of 2012. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY SportsWhen it became quite evident that Francisco Liriano was not the guy, Diamond came out of nowhere to establish himself as the Twins’ ace. He blanked the Angels and Blue Jays for wins in his first two starts and cruised into the All-Star break with a 2.62 ERA and a 7-3 record. The second half of the season didn’t pan out as well, but likely reasons could have been the ever-present rookie wall and a troublesome elbow that required off-season surgery to remove bone chips.
Things are looking up though for young Scott. He recently made his spring debut in a Class A game and said everything went smoothly. He’s slated to open the season on the 15-day DL but is on track to make his season debut April 12 versus the Mets at Target Field. He won’t factor much in strikeouts, but if Diamond doesn’t suffer any setbacks and can return to form, he could be a sneaky source of 13-15 wins.
Of course, you could let him hit the waiver wire and risk another owner snatching him up, but you are a real Twins fan, so you wouldn’t do that. Would you? Well I would, but I’m eagle-eying him in the early weeks like the sex offender down the street. Keep on keepin’ on, Scotty.