The Minnesota Twins addressed their need for starting pitching depth by acquiring right-hander Dean Kremer from the Baltimore Orioles ahead of the Aug. 3 trade deadline. Shortly after, Joe Ryan landed on the IL with a glute injury . Kendry Rojas is starting for Triple-A St. Paul, but other than him, there weren't many other pitchers in the minors who could step in to make a start for Minnesota until recently, as the Twins reportedly signed right-hander Germn Mrquez to a minor-league deal, according to his transactions log on MLB.com . He will report to Triple-A St. Paul.
Mrquez signed a one-year, $1.75 million deal with the San Diego Padres this past offseason. It's been a rough year for Mrquez, as the veteran posted a 5.26 ERA over 53 innings for San Diego, prompting the Padres' decision to designate him for assignment. He cleared waivers before being released, allowing him to sign with Minnesota.
Obviously, signing a player who was just released to a minor-league deal isn't a super exciting move. But it gives the Twins the pitching depth they need, and there are reasons to believe that Mrquez could turn his season around if he gets an opportunity to pitch for the Twins.
Mrquez had a decent start to the year, posting a 3.32 ERA in 21 2/3 innings across four starts in April. After a rough outing on May 1, in which he allowed seven runs over five innings, Mrquez landed on the IL with a forearm issue. He returned on July 2 and recorded a 3.22 ERA in 22 1/3 innings in July.
Unfortunately, Mrquez's last outing didn't go well. He surrendered four runs in one inning of work out of the bullpen for the Padres on Aug. 4. In his defense, Mrquez has typically been a starter, not a reliever, throughout his MLB career.
On the flip side, Mrquez's Baseball Savant page reveals plenty of concerns. He gives up plenty of hard contact and walks and has low ground-ball and strikeout rates.
Regardless, signing Mrquez is a solid depth move for the Twins. If the team suffers another injury or simply needs to give the rotation some rest, they can count on having an experienced veteran in the minors who can be called upon to make a start. Mrquez has plenty of big-league experience, having played 10 seasons with Colorado before signing with San Diego in the winter.
This article was originally published on www.puckettspond.com as Twins bolster pitching depth by signing Padres castoff .
