Bullpen Report: July 10, 2013
Apologies for the slightly abbreviated Bullpen Report tonight. Have to be on my way to the airport in [checks watch] less hours than Mark Melancon has walks (4) (but I still get more sleep than Edward Mujica’s two free passes!).
• Casey Janssen had such a rough outing tonight, Steve Delabar had to come in and clean up the mess. Now, in Janssen’s defense, he did come on with a three-run lead, retired the first two batters, gave up a couple singles that dropped in front of outfielders, walked a guy, then suffered thanks to an error by his first baseman that prolonged the game. At that point, Janssen had thrown 26 pitches so Delabar was tabbed and induced a Michael Brantley fly ball for the final out. Twitter is abuzz with “oh, did Janssen just lose his job!?” Unlikely. The man still sports a 3.36 xFIP and one of the lowest walk rates among all big league closers (although he’s no Mujica). He had a rough outing a few days ago in a non-save situation, however, other than that, he hadn’t been scored upon for almost a month coming into tonight. Do not panic. Or take advantage of someone else’s panic. Feel free to handcuff Delabar in deep leagues, though. You never know when injury might strike.
• Joaquin Benoit tallied save number eight tonight. He did walk a pair, but didn’t allow either runner to score. He has worked the ninth inning in his last five outings and certainly has the look of the de facto closer for the Tigers. Make sure he’s owned in all leagues.
Good news for guys who like to own Detroit players in leagues that count holds! Jim Leyland sounded like he was playing a fun fortune cookie game when he went on record as saying “I’m not stretching him out. He can stretch out during the winter – on his bed,” when asked whether bullpen revelation Drew Smyly might be an option in the starting rotation (except he confused in and on). Smyly is outpitching his xFIP by a bunch thanks to a minuscule 2% HR/FB%, but the strikeouts are up and the walks are down, so hanging out behind the fence instead of on the bench certainly is doing something for him. His velocity is not stereotypically way up in relief and his SwStr% only ticked up a little so I’m not expecting him to keep the sparkling 2.00 ERA going forward, but he should keep racking up the holds and helping you out in WHIP.
• Frank Francisco is still not throwing. It’s not surprising he’s suffering with an elbow ailment, but what is interesting is Mets doctors are befuddled as to where the pain is coming from. He hasn’t thrown a pitch since May. If you’ve been stashing him on the DL in a deep, deep league hoping against hope he could come back and garner some high leverage opportunities it’s probably time to cut bait.
Closer Grid:
[Green light, yellow light, red light: the colors represent the volatility of the bullpen order.]
There are few things Colin loves more in life than a pitcher with a single-digit BB%. Find him on Twitter @soxczar.
“If you’ve been stashing him on the DL in a deep, deep league hoping against hope he could come back and garner some high leverage opportunities.”
Well, we’re waiting?
(And I’m not by the way, but what if I were?)
Guess the plane couldn’t wait
I thought the implication was clear…
“Double down! Make him use TWO DL slots!”
thanks to an error by his first baseman that prolonged the game
Did the 1B get the error officially? Kawasaki is a hero for his GIFs but he is the one to blame for that error, clearly.
First, Putz is the closer going forward, that seems pretty clear as bell is horrible and putz looks close to his old self.
Second, A. Bailey has looked good and Farrel has stated he wants him in the closer role (I follow redsox news closely)… I expect him to be anointed the closer over the asb barring a blow up between now and then.
Putz is probably the closer AFTER last night. At the time this was published (11:30 ET), it was still correct (Bell was the one with the save opp last night). Of course, 2012 Bell appears to be back.
Bailey has only had 3 scoreless outings since he gave up 7 ER over 3 innings (spread out over 5 outings, a couple of which were him not in the closer role). It’s pretty clear that Boston’s preference is to not use Uehara as the closer but I think (given Uehara’s success in the role, especially) they will need to see a solid, prolonged, multi-week stretch out of Bailey before they move him back to the ninth. I’d still hold, but I don’t think a change is imminent.
Watching the game was brutal though. Bell was a bit wild, but he was dealing. Hitting 98 (ARI hot gun?) strikes out Puig, game is down to last strike on A-Gon, fouls some off, finally takes the walk. Hanley rips a single up the middle, but if Bell gets glove on it, game over. Then of course Ellis, but yeah.
Summary: getting major league hitters out is hard, and I really should never watch closers pitch, because it is maddening. There is such a fine line between total success and utter failure.
If Putz is available on my wire is he worth a pickup? 6×6 roto with holds and I would drop Blake Parker. I grabbed him a few days ago figuring the Cubs would probably move Gregg and he would take over the 9th inning role.
I’d rather own Putz right now than Parker, if only because I think he has a clearer path to SV right now.
Why is Tommy Hunter considered the 2nd option in Baltimore instead of Darren O’Day? The only numbers in Hunter’s favor is a lower walk rate and better K/BB. O’Day has better K%, lower HR/9, more Shutdowns, fewer Meltdowns and has been used in higher leverage situations. Is Hunter favored because Showalter would want to keep O’Day in the setup role?
*Reaching for trade advice comment*
Was offered K Gregg and J Heyward if I give up Joe Nathan. Roto league, I have a 30 save lead on 2nd with Nathan, Johnson, Soriano, Benoit, and Street. My OF starts for and I have Cutch, Bautista, Harper, Austin Jackson and usually a waiver guy as backup (currently Hicks). 1 Util spot where I have Hosmer right now. Is this a good offer/would Heyward even crack my lineup? I am hoping I could get more out of Nathan in a future trade
I consider that offer is really just Nathan for Heyward (Gregg remains a “whatever I get, I get” guy in my mind). I’d do it because I think Heyward has the upside to play in your UTIL slot, but right now I’d put him behind your current OF.
Could you do better if you kick in Nathan + someone like Hosmer?
Burton is getting a mental break from 8th innning duties according to Gardenhire and he’s using 2 other guys to fill the 8th inning role. He wants to see Burton string together some good outing before handing back that role. I read Gardenhire’s quotes in the St Paul Press.
And Wilhemsen looked awful last night, just terrible, in a blowout loss. His usage there, and his performance, suggest he is not the Closer and won’t be for a while, if ever. Maybe he can mix up some Moscow Mules for the bullpen.
Why do you abbreviate the Chicago & New York teams with AL & NL and the Los Angeles teams with the initial of the mascot?
This my only complaint about this series.