Quintin Torres-Costa had TJ Surgery, out for all of next season

[JDBrewCrew]

Tom

Verified account

@Haudricourt

8m8 minutes ago

Big development from #Brewers farm system: LHP Quintin Torres-Costa, who had big year for @skysox, has undergone Tommy John surgery and will miss all of next season. Was one of players eligible for Rule 5 draft this winter. Injured in final series of year.

[clancyphile]

Big-time gut punch for that guy... really like him, and hope he pulls through.

[MillerParkSouth]

Well that is a huge bummer. How does that affect his rule 5 status?

[clancyphile]

My guess is he can still be taken, but any team can just stash him on the 60-day DL all season.

[MillerParkSouth]

So we'll have to protect him and then put him on the 60-day then? I suppose that's not a huge deal since we were planning on putting him on the 40 anyways.

[Lathund]

A player needs to be active for at least 90 days during a season in order for the rule 5 draft conditions to be fullfilled. Which QTC won't be; any team taking him in the rule 5 draft would need to keep him on thier 25-man roster for all of 2020 as well. Which, of course, they very well might, but it doesn't make him the most attractive rule 5 target. Will be itneresting to see if they decide to protect him or not.

[OnaBadger58]

A player needs to be active for at least 90 days during a season in order for the rule 5 draft conditions to be fullfilled. Which QTC won't be; any team taking him in the rule 5 draft would need to keep him on thier 25-man roster for all of 2020 as well. Which, of course, they very well might, but it doesn't make him the most attractive rule 5 target. Will be itneresting to see if they decide to protect him or not.

Thanks for the information. Since he won't qualify for the Rule 5 draft (for 2019) and may go unprotected/not picked, does he just become a free agent?

[And That]

Thanks for the information. Since he won't qualify for the Rule 5 draft (for 2019) and may go unprotected/not picked, does he just become a free agent?

Torres-Costa isn't eligible for minor league free agency until after the 2021 season.

 

My guess is that the Brewers do not protect him and he doesn't get drafted considering there's not any guarantee he'll be ready for the beginning of the 2020 season either.

[OnaBadger58]

Thanks for the information. Since he won't qualify for the Rule 5 draft (for 2019) and may go unprotected/not picked, does he just become a free agent?

Torres-Costa isn't eligible for minor league free agency until after the 2021 season.

 

My guess is that the Brewers do not protect him and he doesn't get drafted considering there's not any guarantee he'll be ready for the beginning of the 2020 season either.

Thank you. In that case, it would be hard to imagine any other scenario.

[KeithStone53151]

Thanks for the information. Since he won't qualify for the Rule 5 draft (for 2019) and may go unprotected/not picked, does he just become a free agent?

Torres-Costa isn't eligible for minor league free agency until after the 2021 season.

 

My guess is that the Brewers do not protect him and he doesn't get drafted considering there's not any guarantee he'll be ready for the beginning of the 2020 season either.

 

I'd tend to agree. You'd be betting pretty heavy that he'll have no issues coming back from surgery and will immediately be ready to take a step forward in 2020 after sitting out a year and rehab. Hard to see it for a best case scenario upside of Justin Wilson.

[jerichoholicninja]

He's probably ready to throw off a mound in the late fall of 2019 so the drafting team get to work with him for a full offseason and spring training and then sends him on rehab assignment. Heck, I think the TJ makes him more likely to be drafted if anything. A couple of guys in his position have been drafted the last few years.

[Outlander]

For the acquiring team QTC would get a full MLB salary in 2019 and a year of service then would have to remain on the 40 man all off season before getting his 90 days in 2020. Plus it is still risky for any pitcher to have TJ surgery. I don't think that is all that attractive.

[ZBTMP]

Better now than in spring.

I guess Burdi sets the precedent that it could happen but QTC isn’t Burdi (which has yet to help the Pirates and I believe they still need a active roster spot next season) so I think we are fine leaving him unprotected.

[Outlander]

Burdi joined the Pirates in September so will have to be on the Pirates for the first two months or so. I guess that is the advantage of being on the DL, Burdi doesn't have to be in the majors all year, just has to get to his 90 days and then can be optioned.

[MadThinker88]

For the acquiring team QTC would get a full MLB salary in 2019 and a year of service then would have to remain on the 40 man all off season before getting his 90 days in 2020. Plus it is still risky for any pitcher to have TJ surgery. I don't think that is all that attractive.

 

The Orioles are a team that has done that before & considering their need for pitching overall I would not be surprised if they did it again.

 

Anthony Santander (OF) had shoulder surgery leading up to the R5 in 2016. Got taken in Dec 2016 by Baltimore, spent most of 2017 on the DL, got some time late in the 2017 season, spent the next off season on the 40 man and then finished out the obligation in the 2018 season before heading back to the minors.

[Outlander]

Yes but Santander can be looked at as guy that could potentially play every day. QTC is kind of limited in that he may only be a LOOGY, could be better than that but the ceiling isn't really t here.

[KeithStone53151]

Yes but Santander can be looked at as guy that could potentially play every day. QTC is kind of limited in that he may only be a LOOGY, could be better than that but the ceiling isn't really t here.

 

Well right. If QTC had more upside, TJ wouldn't deter a team. But he's a reliever, there are certainly better options for rule 5 than QTC.

[MrTPlush]

No one is selecting him in the R5 draft...if they do, shrug, they can have him. He isn't that good. If he was where was he in September?

[MadScientist]

No one is selecting him in the R5 draft...if they do, shrug, they can have him. He isn't that good. If he was where was he in September?

 

He wasn't on the 40-man roster and the Brewers didn't want to release anyone to bring him up.

[DHonks]

No one is selecting him in the R5 draft...if they do, shrug, they can have him. He isn't that good. If he was where was he in September?

 

 

He was getting tests on his torn UCL sustained in late August or early Sept.

[LouisEly]

No one is selecting him in the R5 draft...if they do, shrug, they can have him. He isn't that good. If he was where was he in September?

As the original post said, he was injured during the final series of the year at the beginning of September.

[clancyphile]

Pulling this thread up... one has to wonder if QTC had not needed Tommy John - do the Brewers still deal for Claudio?

 

Based on his 2018 performance... I think he would have made the team.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Pulling this thread up... one has to wonder if QTC had not needed Tommy John - do the Brewers still deal for Claudio?

 

Based on his 2018 performance... I think he would have made the team.

 

Probably. The Brewers were seeking a proven matchup lefty, and Claudio fit the bill. Torres-Costa will likely get an opportunity at some point this season, but he hasn't proven anything outside of one year of albeit very good minor league numbers. He's a guy to keep an eye on to see if he can replicate those results in AAA this year.

[sveumrules]

Pulling this thread up... one has to wonder if QTC had not needed Tommy John - do the Brewers still deal for Claudio?

 

Based on his 2018 performance... I think he would have made the team.

 

From 2016-18 Claudio posted a 3.19 ERA in 197 IP against MLB batters with a 1.73 BB/9 (7th lowest), 0.41 HR/9 (8th lowest) & 63.7% ground ball rate (5th highest). He was a top 20-30 reliever by all of fWAR, rWAR & Win Probability Added.

 

As nice as QTC's 2018 was he went from 12.8 K/9 vs 3.8 BB/9 in AA to 7.9 K/9 vs 4.5 BB/9 in AAA. Guys with that type of performance dip following a promotion aren't typically promoted again, especially to a contending MLB club.