Bullpen Report: June 1, 2015
Hoping you all had a nice Monday, enjoying my birthday. Here are a few quick updates from the weekend before we get into tonight’s action:
• Since being removed from the closer’s role, Addison Reed has made a few adjustments, leading to increased velocity on his slider. He’s put up zeroes in his last four appearances and he might be inching his way back into saves in Arizona. Brad Ziegler has been a little shaky of late, and while he’s still closing in Arizona at the moment, it might not be long before a change is made as Chip Hale hinted at using Reed in the ninth again. This situation has now been upgraded to Code Red.
• Santiago Casilla had a night to forget last night, blowing his third blown save of the season after allowing four runs in the ninth inning. Casilla has rewarded fantasy owners with an impressive 15 saves and four wins, but his 4.48 FIP/4.12 xFIP is less than impressive. There has been no chatter about a change in SF but ex-closer Sergio Romo has been the better pitcher this year with a 3.63/1.81/2.05 ERA/FIP/xFIP line and 25/5 K/BB in 17.1 innings. I would grab Romo if he’s available as a speculative pick up, he shouldn’t hurt your team and could be a second half saves sleeper. Stay tuned.
• Sean Doolittle’s return did not last long as he was placed back on the DL with a shoulder strain. The A’s situation was iffy before with Doolittle working himself back into possible save situations, but now that he’s gone it’s Clippard’s job again and that job is lush with green on the closer’s grid.
• No save situation in the Cubs game tonight, but Travis Wood threw a scoreless ninth, allowing one walk while striking out two. Wood has been decent since leaving the Cubs rotation, throwing four innings with a 6/4 K/BB in five appearances. It’s noting particularly impressive but the Cubs bullpen isn’t all that impressive either. While I doubt Wood will be a fixture for any vulture saves in Chicago, he could cement himself as a later inning bullpen piece and a holds sleeper.
• Luke Gregerson pitched a perfect ninth for his 14th save on the year. Gregerson had a few blips in mid-to-late May but he’s thrown three consecutive scoreless innings with six strikeouts and looks to be back on track. Will Harris received the win for Houston throwing 1.2 scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings lowering his ERA to 0.35. Harris was shadily solid last year in Arizona and the Astros were smart to select him off of waivers as he’s been an incredible asset in there bullpen. Harris won’t maintain a .100 BABIP all year but he had solid peripherals last year and this season he’s killing tons of worms with a 54.9 GB%.
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
Tolleson looks pretty safe to me right now, too. I think he might even have some leash by now. Casilla should be yellow; his challenger is a big contract experienced closer, not some fireballing rookie.
Angels bullpen should be updated to show Fernando Salas (7 holds) as second instead of Vinnie Pestano (0 holds), who was actually optioned to AAA a couple of days ago.
Thanks fixed!
While Clippard hasn’t blown up, he has a low K rate (~7) with a Bb/9 rate above 5. His xFIP is nearly 6, and he has Scribner in the pen who has been a revelation this year. I get the green for now but I wouldn’t bet on that situation staying that way for long. Scribner should take the job eventually if Doolittle can’t make it back.
I think Clippard hangs onto the A’s Closer job until he is traded. He’s a pending FA, so he is pretty much guaranteed to be traded by the middle of July. Scribner is definitely someone to target in the second half though, especially if Doolittle can’t regain his health\velocity.
Even though Scribner is the pitcher in the As pen, they have a financial incentive to keep him out of the 9th esp if theyre not competing this year.
Perhaps, but if Clippard is traded, I’m not sure they have a lot of other options. Dan Otero is uninspiring and Eric O’Flaherty has a bum shoulder.
Plus, I’m not sure the A’s view Scribner like they did Doolittle. At least long term and how they wanted to keep him and lock him up long term. I could see Beane also looking at it as a chance to increase the value of Scribner and then flip him in the offseason.
Clippard will have to falter before he’s removed. You make good points on how he actually isn’t pitching that well but his history also suggests he could improve from here on out.
The A’s are playing better than their record but if they hit the reset button, Clippard would be more valuable as a “proven closer” than one removed from his job.
blowing a blown save. Is that a … save?
In theory I suppose! whoops!
Interesting to see the Angels use Smith in the 8th last night, up by 2 runs, then turn to Bedrosian after scoring 2 more in the bottom 8th.
Bedrosian was being saved to close last night by the Scociapath with Street unavailable.
Broxton demoted in MIL and Jeremy Jeffress now the 8th inning man.
http://m.brewers.mlb.com/news/article/127510888/brewers-ready-to-switch-up-bullpen-roles
Thanks and fixed!
I think the Giants are grooming Hunter Strickland for the closer role. He’s been closing in the minors and has been used in the 8th inning over Romo even before Romo was sick. Plus, he’s been lights out, though a small sample size.
What are your thoughts on Greg Holland’s relatively bad start in KC this year? His peripheral stats look pretty bad compared to other years, strikeouts way down and walks way up, etc., though he hasn’t blown too many saves or anything. His SwStr% is not what we’ve come to expect and so that supports the lower K% rate. Would you take him or Luke Gregerson ROS, for example?
Oh good question. Considering Holland’s injury concerns I might take Gregerson save total over his rest of year.
Cool. Thanks!
Who you like going forward in holds league….jeffress, bshaw, or kela? Thanks
Really a tossup, but I’d go with Jeffress based on higher K/9 as the tiebreaker.