MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minnesota Twins have acquired right-handed reliever Kevin Jepsen from the Tampa Bay Rays for two minor league pitching prospects. The Twins announced the trade on Friday, July 31, 2015, not long before the deadline to make trades without waivers.
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Jepsen has the chance to provide the Twins with perhaps their best bullpen arm short of All-Star closer Glen Perkins, who leads the American League with 29 saves this season.
Jepsen has been good out of the Rays’ bullpen this season, posting a 2.81 ERA (despite a 4.13 FIP) and 1.296 WHIP in 46 appearances covering 41.2 innings. In his first year with the Rays this season, he has been good. Almost a dozen late-inning relievers changed teams in the final week before Friday’s deadline, including Jonathan Broxton (Cardinals), Steve Cishek (Cardinals), LaTroy Hawkins (Blue Jays), Jim Johnson (Dodgers) and Joakim Soria (Pirates).
Kevin Jepsen will take his talents to Minnesota.
“I have memories of him coming up and being a big contributor to some very successful Angels teams”, Molitor said. Now that the bullpen has been addressed, look for the Twins to put up a fight over the last two months of the season. Neither was rated among the organization’s top 30 prospects in Baseball America’s preseason list, although Hu was recently slotted in at No. 20 for the Twins by MLB.com. His strikeout to walk ratio was just 1.70-to-1 as his 7.3 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, and 0.9 HR/9 were all his worst since 2011. “I think the theory is relievers go in cycles”. Jepsen is a good pitcher that can get any batter out.
Jepsen’s acquisition could mean the end of former South Dakota State Jackrabbit Caleb Thielbar’s career with the Twins. “I can tell you, he’s a quality guy in the clubhouse and he’s going to pump these guys up”. He made a spot start in Triple-A, but otherwise has been with high Class A Fort Myers. With Fort Myers, their High-A affiliate, he pitch to a 2.44 ERA and a 5-3 record in 84.2 innings this season.
The 21-year-old Hu was signed as a free agent in 2012.
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Futhermore, Here is Alexis Tapia, a 19 year old pitcher who can either start or be in the bullpen.
