Bullpen Report: August 20, 2013
• Rafael Betancourt recorded his 16th save of the year and his first since returning from the disabled list. Betancourt faced the minimum and it looks like he’s back to his the ninth inning job in Colorado. Rex Brothers pitched quite well while Betancourt was out, but barring any injury I’d expect Betancourt to hold onto the job for the remainder of the year.
• Mariano Rivera pitched in both games of the double-header today but oddly didn’t record a save. In the first game Mo came in to get the final two outs in a non-save situation. In part II Mo received a win (4) after pitching around two hits in a tie game in the ninth. Nobody is surprised that Mariano bounced back after a stretch of three blown saves in a row but it’s still nice(r) to see Mo succeeding at the end of games. Although he’s retiring at the end of the year, with a 2.38 ERA and 36 saves in 41 tries, he remains one of the better closers in the sport. Unfortunately we won’t have many more opportunities to watch Mo pitch with the season’s end approaching.
• Fernando Rodney shot his 29th arrow tonight, closing the door on the Orioles. Rodney’s obviously had his ups and downs this year and is certainly not as good as he was in 2012 but he’s been a consistent source of saves for fantasy owners nonetheless. His control (5.40 BB/9) prevents him from being a top tier closer, but with a 3.24 SIERA and 11.85 K/9, Rodney should pile up saves for the Rays in their pennant race.
• The Dodgers continue to win ball games and Kenley Jansen continues to pitch well, notching save number 20 against the Marlins. Jansen’s always had swing and miss stuff (career 13.66 K/9) and his improved control (1.46 BB/9) has made him arguably the best reliever in baseball this year since he took over the job from Brandon League. Jansen’s 1.47 SIERA ranks second among all relievers and only Edward Mujica posts a higher K/BB than Jansen (8.80). We can nitpick the reliever rankings but anyone’s list would have Jansen near the top.
• Glen Perkins (29), Jim Henderson (19), Joe Nathan (37), Addison Reed (32) and Rafael Soriano (32) all recorded saves.
Closer Grid:
[Green light, yellow light, red light: the colors represent the volatility of the bullpen order.]
When he's not focusing on every team's bullpen situation, Ben can be found blogging at Ben's Baseball Bias and on Twitter @BensBias
What are the chances that Rafael Betancourt gets traded by the end of the month? Is it worth hanging on to Rex Brothers just in case Betancourt is dealt or would it be best to move on to other options in a 12-team mixed? Thanks!
I’d certainly drop Brothers for anyone who is getting saves. But, if you are desperate for saves and nobody else is lurking on the wire, hold onto Brothers for another week to see if he’ll be traded. I wouldn’t say the chances are high but it’s certainly plausible.
Betancourt is only making $4M, and has a team option for next year, so I’d imagine that (1) many teams would put in a waiver claim for him, and (2) the Rockies aren’t likely to deal him unless they can get a good prospect package from the claiming team.