Thread: Wolfson: Twins "inquiring" on Ryan Dempster

KSTP's Darren Wolfson tweets that the Twins have been inquiring on right-handed starter Ryan Dempster.

The 35-year-old Dempster had averaged 206 innings per season since converting back into a starter with the Cubs in 2008. In over 800 innings, he had a 3.81 ERA and a 758-to-308 K-to-BB ratio. Of course, this season he failed to reach that 200 inning mark and struggled in Texas after a mid-season trade, which is not necessarily a good sign at his age. His velocity has dropped another few notches but thanks to a vicious slider, he still misses bats regularly.

As Wolfson notes, "inquiring" is the operative word as the Twins will be inquiring on any or all starting pitchers with a pulse this offseason. Still, how do you feel about a potential Dempster acquisition?

I think I like it...2 years maybe, a stop gap. Would I prefer someone younger than 35...yes. But the way he pitched for the dreadful Cubs last year should show us that he still has it. But an inquiry is much different than "talks."

God, no. Get a real pitcher not an over the hill chump.

Well, I'd LOVE him. A move from the NL to the AL gives me a little pause, but he had a pretty nice stretch for the Rangers between his first couple and last couple starts.

I gotta say, if you can't excited about Dempster, who can you get excited about? We're talking about a guy who has thrown nearly 600 innings the last three years, mostly for a dismal team, mostly with a sub-4 ERA. His K/9 has been over 8 for those three years too. For chrissakes, the RANGERS went out and acquired this guy last year, so they sure don't think he was washed up.

Dempster would be a good "buy lowish" pick up, his struggles in Texas are going to hurt his value on the open market I bet. I'd certainly prefer him over some of the other options like Guthrie etc

Originally Posted by John Bonnes

Well, I'd LOVE him. A move from the NL to the AL gives me a little pause, but he had a pretty nice stretch for the Rangers between his first couple and last couple starts.

I gotta say, if you can't excited about Dempster, who can you get excited about? We're talking about a guy who has thrown nearly 600 innings the last three years, mostly for a dismal team, mostly with a sub-4 ERA. His K/9 has been over 8 for those three years too. For chrissakes, the RANGERS went out and acquired this guy last year, so they sure don't think he was washed up.

Some people are just ridiculous in there expectations, they want everyone the Twins to sign to be a Verlander, Matt Cain, Zack Greinke or bust

The AL switch is going to be tough, but he spent the last two months in the AL last year. I think he rebounds from the last two months last year and is a solid pitcher. Sign him, sign another low level, Baker type, trade for one, then call it good.

If Dempster requires three years or less at, say, 11 mil per... I could get behind that.

I've been on the Dempster train for a while now, but I wouldn't want to give him 3 years. He's old enough as it is. Bring him in by all means, but see if you can do it with fewer years. If that means higher dollars now, then so be it.

im just afraid from past experiance that we end up with corriea and slowey in our rootation ,or marquis or sliva or ,or,or
dempster on a 2-3 year deal isnt bad ,add in a shields or johnson and you got the start of a much better rotation then we have seen in many a year

I'm in if the deal is only for two years and the Twins are also looking for another similar arm for the front of the rotation to pair him with. A two year deal would probably promise the most July trade value if the Twins are not contending and the Cubs did get a top 100 prospect for him when he was a rental last year.