Minnesota Twins: Ricky Nolasco Is The Worst Free Agent Signing In Team History
Ricky Nolasco has never been good for the Minnesota Twins and it looks like he won’t have the opportunity to change that in the 2015 campaign. Twins General Manager Terry Ryan said that it looks very unlikely that Nolasco will pitch again this season as the team runs out of calendar.
Nolasco hasn’t appeared since the last day of May in a game and had to have surgery on his ankle after rehabilitation efforts were not fruitful. What is becoming more and more evident is that the signing of Nolasco will never be fruitful and will go down as the worst contract in Minnesota Twins history.
Ervin Santana could change this, but there’s still hope for him.
In 2014, Nolasco made 27 starts for the Twins and had a 5.38 ERA with a 1.516 WHIP. It didn’t improve for Nolasco in seven starts in 2015. This season has resulted in a 5.51 ERA with a 1.653 WHIP in only 32.2 innings of work.
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According to my math, Nolasco has made over $128,000 per inning under his Twins contract. He still has a little less than $25-million and two years left on his deal with Minnesota.
When Nolasco was signed, the Twins needed starting pitching, true, but was never that great of a pitcher. His career ERA before joining the Twins sat in at 4.50 and that was all in the National League. It’s pretty much commonly held that it’s tougher for pitchers to go from the NL to the AL than vice versa.
The money might be close to what the average going rate is for a middle of the rotation guy, but Nolasco hasn’t even looked to be close to a middle of the rotation pitcher. Twins fans get to see him prove that for two more years.
Mistakes happen, but I think it’s time to call it: Ricky Nolasco is the worst free agent signing in Minnesota Twins history.