BALTIMORE — On Opening Day a year ago, Nationals reliever Brandon Kintzler was the Minnesota Twins’ closer, on his way to a career-high 28 saves before a mid-season trade to Washington.
A lot has changed since, for both the veteran pitcher and the young arms in Minnesota he helped mentor.
Kintzler, 33, was a free agent this winter and re-upped with the Nationals, even though he figures to be a setup man for new manager Dave Martinez.
“I had other chances to go other places and close. I really didn’t care about that. It was going to be a bigger stage” in Washington, he told The Washington Times in spring training.
The Twins, who opened the season at Camden Yards Thursday against the Orioles, are counting on veteran Fernando Rodney as their closer to start 2018. He had 39 saves last year for Arizona while Twins newcomer Addison Reed had 19 with the New York Mets.
But in the fickle world of big-league bullpens, as Kintzler noted, a closer is only as good as his last outing.
Three Twins pitchers who had lockers beside each other in the visitor’s clubhouse here Thursday took advice last season from Kintzler.
Ryan Pressly, 29, Taylor Rogers, 27, and Trevor Hildenberger, 27, all pitched last season for the Twins. Pressly was 2-3 with a 4.70 ERA in 57 games out of the bullpen, Rogers was 7-3 with a 3.07 ERA in 69 games and Hildenberger was 3-3, 3.21 in 37 outings.
A right-hander from Dallas, Pressly said he learned a lot from Kintzler.
“He is a good guy to have around the clubhouse,” Pressly said. “An all-around good dude and he helped in any way you asked him to. He would give you his opinion. That is just the way he is. He is a competitor and a guy you want to have in your pen. You have to go out there and listen to what he says (and) take bits and pieces and see if it works for you.”
The Twins lost in the one-game playoff to the New York Yankees last October after losing more than 100 games in 2016.
Now Minnesota will be hard pressed to beat the Cleveland Indians in the American League Central. The loss of Kintzler will be just one of the adjustments.
“I think guys (in the bullpen) have a pretty good feel how they will be used,” said Paul Molitor, the Twins manager and Hall of Famer.
Kintzler and Ryan Madson will be setup men for the Nationals, who begin the season Friday in Cincinnati against the Reds.
A former Twins closer, Kintzler was 2-1 with a 3.46 ERA in 27 games with Washington after the trade last summer with Minnesota.
So would Kintzler make a good pitching coach when his career is over?
“I don’t think he would have the patience to be a pitching coach,” said Pressly, with a grin.
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