Jhoulys Chacin Parts With Minnesota Twins After Miserable Camp

By    |  
Updated:
PHOTO: CARLOS GONZALEZ – STAR TRIBUNE

The Minnesota Twins and pitcher Jhoulys Chacin appear to have mutually parted ways, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic.

Chacin signed a minor-league contract with the team back in February. He was slated to make $1.6 million if he made the 40-man roster, with another $1.5 million in performance bonuses.

Within the contract, Chacin had an opt-out clause that allowed him to terminate his contract five days prior to Opening Day. With the Twins slated to start their season vs the White Sox this coming Friday, today was the deadline to make a decision… and he opted-out.

The Twins signed Chacin in hopes he could compete for the fifth rotation spot and perform as a serviceable stopgap, until the likes of Rich Hill (elbow surgery) and Michael Pineda (suspension) returned. That was prior to the league moving forward with their shortened 60-game season. due to coronavirus.

LOOKING FOR A REBOUND

Signing Chacin to a minor league deal was a win-win for both the Twins and Jhoulys. For the Twins, it was a minimal financial commitment and he could’ve become a quality rotation piece.

As for Chacin, he had even more on the line, as he looked to prove his MLB tank wasn’t empty. After some promising years, including a 15-8 record with a 3.50 ERA in 2018 with the Milwaukee Brewers, Chacin regressed in 2019.

Chacin was actually named the Brewers’ 2019 Opening Day starter and began 2-0. Unfortunately, he went 1-10 with a 6.00 ERA in his next 17 starts for them. He was then moved to Boston, where he went 0-2 with a 7.36 ERA.

ROUGH START TO 2020

Chacin hoped 2020 with the Twins would be different but he never seemed to get back to his former self. As a spring training invitee, he posted miserable numbers in three games, two of which were starts. He threw only eight innings in total, while recording a 6.75 ERA and allowing two home runs.

Jhoulys Chacin and the Twins gave it one more good shot butthe four-month hiatus didn’t help things. He received the start in a Twins intrasquad scrimmage last week, where he made it only three innings. Chacin gave up two earned runs and issuing three walks over 51 pitches.

The writing was on the wall and I wrote about that after his performance. That outing was worse than “sub-par” and it seemed to be his last chance to impress the front office.

This shouldn’t be a concern for the Twins. They have plenty of higher quality and younger options in their back pocket. From rookies Randy Dobnak, Devin Smeltzer and Lewis Thorpe, to Homer Bailey and a healthier Rich Hill. Even Pineda should make some starts, come September, when his suspension is up. There is no shortage of potential plug-ins Baldelli could use, if needed.

We wish Jhoulys Chacin the best of luck in his future endeavors. Unfortunately at 32-years old, I worry his time playing major league ball may be coming to an end.

Jack Kewitsch | Minnesota Sports Fan

Mentioned in this article:

More About: