Mike Minor on 2020 Contract Extension Talks
Mike Minor on 2020 Contract Extension Talks
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00:00I think I had a lot to work on, but a lot to build on.
00:05I feel like it was a step in the right direction.
00:06I felt like Lance could have easily won that too, because if you take away a couple
00:11of his starts early in the year where he wasn't necessarily getting hit hard,
00:16but a lot of singles and stuff like that, I think he deserves it as well.
00:19I think, but I feel like we're both of us going into it, and
00:22then a lot of the new guys, what they showed last year and
00:25what they've done in their careers, I think we have a good shot this year.
00:29Making the playoffs and have a better team.
00:32How do you feel about the additions to the rotation and
00:37how that changes the dynamic?
00:38Yeah, I like it a lot, just because, like I said before,
00:41they've got some experience, they've had some good years, and they know how to pitch.
00:46So there's not a whole lot of pressure on, say last year was a lot of pressure on me
00:50and Lance to win the games that we pitched, and then there's some young guys in there
00:54just getting some time up there just to see how it was.
00:58And I feel like those young guys will still contribute a lot this year, but
01:03we have those guys to fill in and to pitch competitive innings.
01:08You mentioned things to work on, is there something particular or
01:10specific that you wanted to try to do this off season, going into the season?
01:13It's every year just being more consistent.
01:15So the first half was a lot better than the second half, and
01:17then I had some spots there where three, four, five bad games in a row, and
01:21then I'd have three, four, five good games in a row.
01:23So I felt like there in the middle, I lost some of my pitches, some of the field.
01:28So I need to figure it out to, I guess, have a better routine or
01:32something, just to have a better feel for those pitches every single outing.
01:36So what goes through your mind when you have a chance of a top three of Lynn,
01:41Miner, and Kluber, what goes through your mind about that possibility?
01:45Yeah, if me and Lance can repeat from last year,
01:50then and Corey can bounce back from all the injuries they had the year before.
01:56I feel like you got three potential aces up there.
02:02But I mean, I feel like it's just competitive games where every night we
02:06can have a guy up there competing and giving us competitive innings and
02:11going deep in ball games and maybe taking some of the relief off the bullpen.
02:16I don't know if we're gonna add any more pieces, but
02:18the bullpen I feel like is fairly young.
02:20There's a lot of talent out there, but if we can go six, seven,
02:23eight innings every night, then you don't have a chance to win.
02:26I feel like with the veteran arms there and
02:30with the history of you and Lance both going 200, Kluber's traditionally been
02:35a 200-inning guy, those other guys have all pitched over 150 innings.
02:39There's gonna be a lot of pride, and we're going to be an innings-eating staff.
02:45Do you feel that way?
02:46Yeah, I just feel like I think everybody's mindset is to get to 200 innings,
02:51especially the veteran guys, because that's how it used to be.
02:55So last year with Woody letting us pitch and giving us the ball and saying,
02:59hey, go for it, I felt like that was, I mean, we talked about it before.
03:03It was unbelievable the way he handled everybody, especially me and
03:06Lance, where we could just go.
03:08And I don't expect it to be any different this year.
03:10Mike, do you finally feel like you're back into the starter mentality?
03:14I mean, we talked about the transition the first year.
03:17I know you guys talked about it a bit last year.
03:19You finally felt like this all seemed like you were kind of back to being
03:22in a starter only mode and kind of what to do.
03:25Yeah, it goes back to the other question with Woody.
03:28But the first year, I was kind of held back, and I was, I guess,
03:32learning that again, the workload and the routine and all that.
03:36And then last year was kind of just, hey, let's go.
03:38You've had that pre-stage of starting again, and
03:42we weren't very competitive either before.
03:43And so I feel like now, being the third year, it's back to normal.
03:49I have that routine.
03:49I have that off-season routine, the pitch feel, all that stuff.
03:53This one kind of felt, the off-season in particular,
03:55it was especially felt.
03:57Yes. You kind of know what to expect now.
03:58Mm-hm. Back to normal.
03:59Yes.
04:01Would it be an advantage to you now pitching in a climate control state?
04:04I think it's just an advantage to before the games,
04:07maybe before when they're doing batting practice, or we're trying to throw bullpens,
04:10or we're out there throwing long toss, and not everybody's gonna be drained, and
04:13we're not gonna be trying to conserve energy for every game.
04:17I think that's the biggest thing.
04:19And if it's a nice day, then you open the roof, but you can control everything.
04:27Looking back on it, there was a pretty big distraction in July.
04:33But still, at the end of the day, you wanted to re-sign here.
04:36If that comes up, does that still have interest in extending your stay here?
04:43Yeah, for sure.
04:43I feel like I endured the worst part of it.
04:47I can kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel.
04:49I can see the direction JD's trying to go right now, and I want to be a part of it.
04:53I don't want to jump ship now, and I feel like it's gonna be good.