“I don’t know how big of an effect it had, but I’d say it definitely was something that tempered his ability to get to where he needs to be,” Beldelli said.
The Twins manager pointed to the second half of the season as the time when Durán was throwing the ball “exceptionally well”. The data surely supports this notion, as Durán sported a 1.97 FIP, a 27.3% strikeout minus walk rate, and a lowly .152 opponents’ batting average from Jul. 1 on. As the Twins are getting set to begin spring training, Durán’s health continues to be a topic of conversation.
“I think you could really look at [Durán] and see that he spent a lot of time and effort on coming in in excellent shape”, said Baldelli. So can we expect Durán to reprise his role as one of the league’s most dominant closers? Come to think of it, has Baldelli ever named a “closer”? He hasn’t.
“[Durán’s] going to throw a lot of ninth innings for us,” he said. “I’m sure [Jax] will throw some ninth innings for us.”
Last season, Durán dominated ninth-inning appearances 41 to 15, but the two were nearly equal in high-leverage appearances, where Jax held a 44 to 38 advantage.
So while Baldelli won’t officially name a closer, Durán seemed to be the go-to guy in save situations, while Jax was used in high-leverage opportunities earlier in games.
As much as we love to see one of the best closer entrances in baseball, maybe Baldelli is onto something by not naming a closer.
Instead, what if Durán and Jax were just two high-leverage relievers who very rarely (ideally never) had to pitch on back-to-back nights?
Given the Twins’ depth in the bullpen (when healthy), is it feasible to alternate Durán and Jax and use them in whatever high-leverage situation might arise on days when it’s their turn, regardless of inning?
While Durán has done his best work when pitching on back-to-back nights, limiting those types of outings will undoubtedly keep him fresher and healthier over the grueling season.
For Jax, he’s found the most success when given a day or two between appearances, so this strategy would dually put him in the best position to be successful.
Moreover, the workload would stay roughly the same but the added rest could bring the impact of both players to another level.
While deploying this strategy may be better for the team, it would require a lot of flexibility and understanding from the two players.
For better or worse (mostly worse), saves reign supreme when it comes to reliever compensation, especially arbitration awards.
Telling two of the best relievers in the game they may not be used in those situations as often would likely have an impact on their bottom line.
Additionally, Baldelli would be committing late-game, high-leverage opportunities to the likes of Cole Sands, Brock Stewart, or Jorge Alcalá. No disrespect to those guys, but they just aren’t in the same tier as Jax or Durán.
Regardless of how Baldelli decides to use his relief arms, the talent that sits in the bullpen gives him the flexibility to manage each moment nimbly.
He can worry less about saving an arm for later in the game, given one of the best bullpens in baseball.
