Getty Images Nick Blackburn has one-and-half seasons and $8 million remaining on the contract extension the Twins misguidedly gave him in March of 2010, but today Minnesota sent the 30-year-old veteran and his 131 career starts to Triple-A.
Blackburn was never a particularly good bet to sustain long-term success because of his miniscule strikeout rate, but injuries have eliminated whatever thin margin for error he already had and basically turned him into a batting practice pitcher.
Since signing the contract extension he’s started 65 games with a 5.51 ERA and 4.2 strikeouts per nine innings while allowing opponents to hit .309 with a .500 slugging percentage.
Career minor leaguer Casey Fien has replaced Blackburn on the roster, but the Twins haven’t said yet who’ll take over his rotation spot.
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- pmcenroe - Jul 4, 2012 at 3:24 PM
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Gleeman what was the bet you had about him again? Whether he’d reach 45 career wins or something?
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- 7ransponder - Jul 4, 2012 at 3:32 PM
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MN sports news just gets better and better today. Parise/Suter signing and now this. Only thing that can make this day better now is a Capps trade, announcing they are making Perkins their full time closer.
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- mikeincmn - Jul 4, 2012 at 3:33 PM
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Another brilliant Bill Smith move. Bill probably was/is a pretty good guy, but he was just a flat out awful GM.
