Recently, the Minnesota Twins made a key trade in acquiring Kenta Maeda from the Los Angeles Dodgers. In exchange, they sent flame thrower Brusdar Graterol to Los Angeles. While this was seen as a trade made so the Dodgers could get Mookie Betts, there is always two sides to every story.
Namely, the Twins really wanted Maeda. Right now, PECOTA has the Twins as a 93-win team and taking the AL Central division crown once again. As a baseball fan, I am excited to see what Minnesota can do. They have always had some flash and some power, but lacked starting pitching depth to carry them to further heights.
On Tuesday their general manager Derek Falvey joined MLB Network SiriusXM Radio to talk about how excited he is to land a pitcher the caliber of Maeda.
The #Twins love the addition of Kenta Maeda. They also believe he has another level. pic.twitter.com/OSJSOLav1s
— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 11, 2020
First, Falvey feels that Maeda can be dominant against left or right-handed hitters. Equally important, his new pitcher is a great fit he determines.
“We feel this guy is a pitcher who is primed to be someone who can really impact our rotation going forward on a more regular basis. He has the ability to pitch against right and left-handed hitters. He’s been dominant against right-handed hitters. We feel he’s a great fit for a team that is going to have a great 2020 and have a chance to contend going forward.”
Without question, Falvey made this move because he is getting a starting pitcher. Maeda expressed the desire to be a starter but was a great team player in Los Angeles; often pitching in any role called upon. That won’t be the case in 2020 says Falvey.
“We think there is upside there with him being a starting pitcher every five days. The way he was used on the Dodgers was more of a function of his versatility and ability. For us we value him as a MLB starting pitcher and a rotation piece for us. We think there is more upside there than what he has done already, which has been really solid to watch.”
Finally, I think Maeda has a chance to have one of those years that jumps out on the back of his baseball card this season. Consistently a guy without a consistent role, he’s always shown flashes of brilliance and when he’s on; it’s a short ballgame. He uses his stuff with a lot of moxy, working corners and changing speeds. As someone who has watched him throw a lot over several years, I would not worry too much about him making the perceived ‘leap’ to the AL in 2020.
