Latest news with #Varland
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
One Minnesota Twins Pitcher Devastated by Trade
When the Minnesota Twins indicated they would get serious about selling at the MLB trade deadline all of the impending free agents were put on notice. There was no reason to believe any of them would remain, and ultimately the only one that did was expensive but unproductive veteran catcher Christian Vazquez. From there ownership was convinced to completely burn things to the ground. They paid the Houston Astros to take Carlos Correa off their hands. Controllable talents like Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax were moved as well. Right before the bell hometown kid Louie Varland was packaged with Ty France and sent to Canada. That move was jarring, and it hit home for the lifetime Minnesotan. Related Headlines Byron Buxton Rejected Multiple Trade Inquiries Before Deadline MN Twins Interested in Former (Familiar) Top Reliever 5 Quarterbacks the MN Vikings Should Dump Sam Howell For Louie Varland crushed by MN Twins In 2019 the Minnesota Twins took Louie Varland in the 15th round out of Concordia St. Paul. He was overlooked as a Division II product, but not long later was pumping 100 mph cheddar. Pushed to the bullpen this season, he owned a 2.02 ERA (2.90 FIP) with 47 strikeouts in 49 innings. Effectively one of the best, and most-used (51 appearances) relievers in baseball, the trade shook the Minnesota native. Varland was devastated, leaving Twins players seething and rivals GMs dumbfounded as to why the Twins would actually trade a valuable reliever (2.02 ERA, 47 strikeouts in 49 innings) with five years of control. My God, he was born and raised in St. Paul, with his wife and a family coming to virtually every home game. This is the way you treat him? USA Today As Bob Nightengale points out, the move for Varland was earth-shattering. He grew up with this organization. He transformed himself with this organization. Varland became a dominant big league pitcher wearing a Twins jersey. He also knows, having been a fan of the franchise while growing up, how bad the Pohlad's are as an ownership entity. Derek Falvey said the moves were 'not geared toward the financial flexibility component of it.' Nightengale eloquently stated, 'Believe it or not, those words were uttered with a straight face.' Varland is under team control through the 2030 season and makes little more than the league minimum. He is not set to hit arbitration until 2027, and couldn't be more of a player you'd want to build around. That didn't matter to the Pohlad's or Falvey though. Related: When a player like Louie Varland is being pieced out in an effort to shed a prorated portion of Ty France's $1 million salary, you know rock bottom has been reached. It's something Varland felt in the moment, and a reality he now must move forward with. No matter what the return ultimately brings down the line for Minnesota, July 31, 2025 is a day that will forever live in infamy. The Pohlad family can't cease to exist in an ownership capacity soon enough. They took everything from the fanbase, and they took everything from a kid that turned into a big league and was right where he belonged. Related Headlines Byron Buxton Rejected Multiple Trade Inquiries Before Deadline MN Twins Interested in Former (Familiar) Top Reliever 5 Quarterbacks the MN Vikings Should Dump Sam Howell For
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Blue Jays' Trade Deadline Addition Already Turning Heads In Toronto
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Toronto Blue Jays are one of the more surprising stories in baseball this season. While they came into the season with World Series hopes, they've exceeded these expectations by leading the American League East late in the season, pushing for a potential first-round bye in the postseason. They used the trade deadline to improve the roster in a big way, too. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently shared some high praise for Blue Jays trade deadline addition Louis Varland. Varland was acquired from the Minnesota Twins in an under-the-radar move a few weeks ago. TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 03: Louis Varland #77 of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch during a game against the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre on August 03, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. TORONTO, ON - AUGUST 03: Louis Varland #77 of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch during a game against the Kansas City Royals at Rogers Centre on August 03, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada."With a fastball that averages 98.1 mph and a nasty knuckle curve that is carrying a whiff rate just under 40 percent, Varland has the stuff to make an impact in the late innings, and he likely would have slid into the closer's role in Minnesota after Jhoan Durán and Griffin Jax were traded if [he] were not also sent packing," Reuter wrote. "Instead, he joins fellow newcomer Seranthony Domínguez and incumbents Brendon Little, Yariel Rodríguez and Jeff Hoffman to give the Blue Jays a potentially dominant late-inning contingent." Varland was one of the more under-the-radar moves at the trade deadline because he was seldom talked about as a potential trade chip. In 49 innings with the Twins, the righty held a 2.02 ERA with an impressive 1.10 WHIP and 212 ERA+. Since joining the Blue Jays, he's tossed three innings and surrendered one run on two hits and a walk. The biggest bonus with Varland is his contract. He's still in the pre-arbitration phase of his deal and doesn't hit arbitration until 2027. The righty won't land in free agency until 2031, giving the Blue Jays a lot of time with him in the bullpen. This looks to be one of the better pickups of the summer. More MLB: MLB Rumors: Red Sox Pushed To Add Former Dodgers 11-Year Veteran
Hamilton Spectator
01-08-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Blue Jays beef up bullpen, add versatility in getting Varland and France from Twins
The Blue Jays weren't able to land a big-name closer at this year's trade deadline but they did acquire a hard-throwing right-hander who will slot into the back end of their bullpen. With minutes to spare before Thursday's 6 p.m. ET cut-off, general manager Ross Atkins acquired Louis Varland and utilityman Ty France in a deal with the Minnesota Twins. Varland joins the recently acquired Seranthony Dominguez as part of the Jays' new-look bullpen. Earlier in the day, a slew of big arms went off the market. The New York Mets acquired Ryan Helsley from St. Louis, the New York Yankees added David Bednar from Pittsburgh, and Gavin Lux went from the Twins to Tampa Bay. The night before, the Twins sent Jhoan Duran to Philadelphia. The Jays reportedly were interested in everyone on that list. After missing out, they went searching for alternatives. Enter Varland, who isn't nearly as well known despite throwing 98 m.p.h. with an impressive 2.02 ERA in 49 innings for the Twins. The 27-year-old has yet to hit arbitration and won't reach free agency until at least 2030. 'He has as good of a fastball as you can find and as good as a curveball as you can find, with a very effective cutter,' Atkins said. 'He's extremely aggressive, he's coming after you and that's attractive to us. He immediately impacts our bullpen in a significant way, in addition to Seranthony … the impact is exactly what we were looking for.' Bieber, rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, has the talent to become the ace Toronto needs. He France will take the spot of Will Wagner on the active roster. Wagner was traded to San Diego on Thursday in exchange for Double-A catcher Brandon Valenzuela. The 24-year-old Valenzuela is a strong defender who doesn't offer much with the bat and will instead provide depth in the minors. Jays fans might remember France from his days with Seattle. He was an all-star on the 2022 team that swept the Jays in the wild-card series. His career took a nose dive after that and this season he was batting .251 with a below-average .678 on-base plus slugging percentage in 101 games. France's splits against lefties and righties are about the same, so he isn't the ideal platoon partner the Jays were expected to add, but he does offer versatility with an ability to play first, third and a bit of second. He signed a one-year, $1 million (U.S.) deal during the off-season and will be a free agent at the end of the year. 'A good offensive player who will get significant playing time against left-handed pitching,' Atkins said. 'We're not going to limit him to that, but he can cover us well at first base, has some versatility beyond that. Excited about that fit of adding a right-handed bat to our 26-man (roster).' The Jays made their first deal of Trade Deadline Week, acquiring big-armed reliever Seranthony To acquire Varland, and to a lesser extent France, the Jays parted with Kendry Rojas, who was ranked their No. 6 prospect by MLB Pipeline. Rojas recently had been promoted to Triple-A Buffalo and had a 3.46 ERA in 11 appearances this season across four levels. The 22-year-old could be ready for the majors as soon as 2026. The Jays also sent Alan Roden to the Twins as part of the deal. Roden received a lot of hype during this year's spring training and cracked the opening-day roster, but he struggled in the majors. The 25-year-old hit just .203 with seven extra-base hits in 43 games for the Jays.
New York Times
10-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Twins' bullpen has room for Louie Varland after Justin Topa, Michael Tonkin injuries
Nearly all of the greatest relievers in Minnesota Twins history were former starters who moved to the bullpen due to injuries and/or ineffectiveness. Joe Nathan, the Twins' all-time leader in saves and Win Probability Added, shifted to the bullpen at age 27 following elbow surgery. Rick Aguilera and Glen Perkins, who rank second and third in saves for the Twins, made the move at age 28 and quickly became All-Star closers. Advertisement Eddie Guardado has the most relief appearances in Twins history, but not before going 3-15 with a 6.95 ERA as a starter. LaTroy Hawkins ranks 17th in MLB history with 944 relief appearances in a remarkable bullpen career spanning 16 years for 11 teams, but first, he posted a 6.16 ERA in 98 starts. Taylor Rogers was a marginal starter prospect with a 4.03 ERA at Triple A and no clear path to the majors when he moved to the bullpen at age 25. Al Worthington, the first great Twins reliever in the 1960s, made the switch to the bullpen at 30 and recorded his first save for the Twins at 35. Thriving as a reliever for the Twins has often meant being a 'failed' starter first. The lengthy list of prime examples includes the current core of the Twins' bullpen, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Brock Stewart and Cole Sands. Jhoan Duran notches his first career save for the @Twins! — MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 3, 2022 Duran was the Twins' top starter prospect when he missed most of the 2021 season with an elbow injury at Triple A, moving to the bullpen the following spring. Stewart spent most of his 20s struggling as a starter before blowing out his elbow in 2021, signing with the Twins as a Triple-A rehab project. Jax got rocked for 62 runs in 82 innings as a 26-year-old rookie starter with the Twins in 2021, but instead of dropping him from the 40-man roster, they shifted him to the bullpen. Sands moved to the bullpen full-time last year at age 26 and was one of the Twins' most trusted relievers by midseason. Duran, Jax, Stewart and Sands are four 'failed' starters who now headline a Twins bullpen that projects to be one of the best in baseball this year, and they may soon be joined by a fifth former starter with a similarly promising upside as a reliever: Louie Varland. Advertisement Varland was twice named the Twins' minor-league pitcher of the year as a starter prospect and he's shown flashes of mid-rotation potential in 22 big-league starts spread across the past three years, but too little consistency and too many homers have led to a 5.27 ERA. And now the Twins seem to be on the verge of moving him to the bullpen full time. Varland has made that idea enticing because of how electric his raw stuff has looked in brief bullpen stints with the Twins the past two Septembers. He's also 27, so it's time to sink or swim in the majors, and younger starters Simeon Woods Richardson, David Festa and Zebby Matthews have moved ahead of Varland on the 2025 rotation depth chart. The bullpen is calling. Four strikeouts in two scoreless innings for Louie Varland, who is consistently working at 97-100 mph out of the #MNTwins bullpen. — Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) September 16, 2023 'He's going to throw some multi-inning appearances this spring no matter what we end up landing on for him,' manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters in Florida last week. 'We're getting closer to openly just discussing his role at this point, but we're not labeling him at the moment.' In other words, the Twins want to make sure spring training injuries don't wipe out the rotation depth before officially closing the book on Varland as a starter. And even if Varland shifting to relief is as inevitable as it seems, there would still be another decision to be made about whether he begins the season in the Triple-A Saints' bullpen or the Twins' bullpen. Securing a spot in what figures to be an eight-man bullpen looked to be an uphill climb for Varland when camp began because the Twins have seven relievers signed to guaranteed contracts and the minimum-salaried Sands all but locked into a job. However, that door may have opened for Varland when Justin Topa and Michael Tonkin suffered shoulder injuries last week. Advertisement Baldelli has always remained diplomatic about the value of rotation depth and Varland's ability to develop into a quality starter. But as far back as the first glimpse the manager got in September 2023, he's made no secret about believing Varland has the potential to become an impact reliever. 'Smitten' might be the most accurate way to describe it, and it's not hard to see why. In his 22 career starts, Varland's fastball has averaged 94.9 mph. In his 16 career relief appearances, that's jumped to 97.2 mph, including frequent 99 mph pitches and two 100 mph pitches. His velocity on non-fastballs has also increased when working out of the bullpen, with his cutter showing signs of being a real weapon when thrown in the low 90s instead of the high 80s. Welcome back to the bullpen, Louie Varland. — Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) September 11, 2024 Varland's starts often had a familiar pattern, with initial success unraveling rapidly. He held opponents to a .229 batting average and a .678 OPS his first trip through a lineup, with a homer every 33 plate appearances. But facing the same lineup for a second and third time within a start, opponents batted .314 with a .957 OPS and homered every 14 plate appearances. Varland's career ERA with the Twins is worse as a reliever (6.44) than as a starter (5.27), but that's misleading due to an ugly 'relief' outing last September that was just a start that began in the second inning following an opener. Varland cruised through two perfect innings and then gave up eight runs in his third frame, wrecking his numbers as a reliever. If that one quasi-start were removed from Varland's career bullpen totals, he'd have a 4.33 ERA in 27 innings as a reliever, with a spectacular 37-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio. When deployed in short, max-effort outings like a traditional reliever, Varland has displayed high-end stuff and bat-missing ability while leaning more heavily on his two or three best pitches. Advertisement And that's how the Twins have used Varland so far this spring, seemingly further foreshadowing their bullpen intentions. He's pitched in four games, working one scoreless inning in each while striking out four, walking none and averaging 97 mph with his fastball. He may throw multiple innings at some point, but he's not being stretched out like a starter. 'Getting a chance to see him throw an inning, kind of a revved-up inning,' Baldelli said. 'Letting him come in from the bullpen doing that gets him the work we're looking for from him right now.' That's the version of Varland the Twins want to see. All gas, no brakes. And if the decision is left up to Baldelli, we'll probably see it in the Opening Day bullpen. Either way, that's coming soon, and Varland has a chance to be the latest in a long line of 'failed' Twins starters to turn into impact relievers. (Photo of Louie Varland: Brace Hemmelgarn / Minnesota Twins / Getty Images)
