Things got so bad with the Twins starting rotation last year, Terry Ryan basically junked the whole thing and started over. How many teams can say this? Not a single pitcher who started a game after Aug. 20 a year ago is on the team's active roster today.
With a week to go in the 2014 season, it's time to evaluate how the makeover went. And Ryan isn't exactly congratulating himself for fixing the problem.
"We spent all kinds of money last year. … We don't do that very often," the general manager said Monday, shortly before his priciest acquisition, Ricky Nolasco, failed to deliver a quality start for the 17th time in 26 opportunities. "Last year, we did go get some [pitching] and it didn't work. We're still in last place."
Yes, the faces have changed, but the results are stubbornly similar. They clinched a last-place finish with their 90th loss of the season, 6-2 to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Target Field.
"It's been a terrible year," Nolasco said after falling to 5-12. "So just try to finish healthy, that's all I can do. There's nothing I can do to fix it."
As Nolasco walked off, having given up five runs in just 4⅔ innings, the Twins' ERA for starters stood at 5.16 — worst, by a large margin, among the 30 major league teams. It's barely a slight improvement over the 5.26 ERA they put up in 2013, also worst in the major leagues.
"The rotation's been one of our problems. We've got a lot of work to do," Ryan said. "You can't keep putting that much pressure on your offense. Our offense has responded pretty well, and our bullpen held it together for quite a long time, but you keep going to get them night in and night out, you get into [trouble]."
After four shutout innings Monday, Nolasco got into trouble during a long fifth against one of the National League's feeblest offenses, giving up three singles, a double, a wild pitch and, to Diamondbacks cleanup hitter Mark Trumbo, his team-leading 21st home run. Nolasco has allowed the fourth-most earned runs in the AL (93) even though he has pitched fewer innings (153) than anyone on that list's top 25. Of the 98 pitchers who have thrown 150 innings in the majors this season, Nolasco owns the highest ERA (5.47).
"Just one of those nights," he said. "I did a terrible job using my fastball."
The start was a setback for the 31-year-old righthander, who had given up two runs or fewer in four of his previous five starts, and has offered hope, since returning from an elbow injury in mid-August, that he might have found the form that won 10 or more games for six consecutive seasons.
"His mechanics are definitely cleaned up. He's not slinging and falling off the ball like he was before, when he was kind of rushing his left side through and dragging his arm," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "So he's definitely been able to get his fastball where he wants to."
But it's still been a career-worst year for Nolasco, who Ryan signed to a $49 million, four-year contract last December, the largest free-agent jackpot the franchise has ever awarded. And Ryan bristled when it was suggested that those millions guarantee him a spot in next year's rotation.
"I take exception to that statement. If he's one of the best five starters when we break spring training next year, then he'll have one" of the spots, Ryan said. "Forget the contract — that has nothing to do with guys getting innings. Guys get innings because of quality."
Phil Hughes has provided that quality, posting a 3.61 ERA and delivering 201 innings with one start to go. Kyle Gibson has looked terrific at times and awful at others, but his 12-11, 4.64 ERA season is probably an acceptable follow-up to his rough rookie campaign.
But beyond that, the Twins have gotten little but disappointment from their rotation — and their Opening Day starter.
"We've still got six games left," Nolasco said about trying to put this year behind him. "Once that last one goes out the window, then I'll definitely be ready for that."
Said Ryan: "We're looking for 35 starts. [We want] 200-some innings. I'm happy that he's [bounced back in September], but unfortunately, there are 30 other starts that we were looking for, and no matter who you're talking about, we're looking for innings, and we're looking for quality, and we're looking to give us a chance."
For the second year in a row.
