Bullpen Report: March 28, 2016
Guess what’s back. Back again. OK, so we probably aren’t quite nightly yet (although we should hit the wire a handful more times before opening day). And the closer grid may need some tweaking as final roster cuts get made. This is our spring training. But, hey, at least there’s something to read at midnight again.
First goal is to get a semi-functional grid out tonight. Don’t worry, iterations to come. As for some notes and notes…
• With Brad Boxberger down and out for the count (sorry if you drafted a couple weeks ago), the Tampa Bay bullpen looks like a bit of a mess. And Joe Maddon isn’t even managing it anymore (it’s been two years!). Alex Colome seems like the guy with all the buzz out of Florida and is an interesting invest. While he started 13 games last year, the righty moved to the bullpen in the second half. His fastball played up and his FIP was a tidy 1.71 thanks to a massive jump in K% in relief. You may want to split the difference between his SP/RP stats as a projection to be safe, but anyone who ends up with a mid-90’s heater and big whiff numbers in one inning bursts should raise eyebrows. If you have a spot just sitting there doing nothing, take a flyer on Colome. Danny Farquhar and Xavier Cedeno are also options for the ninth in super deep leagues but Farquhar needs to prove his big step back in 2015 was a fluke (4.02 xFIP) and Cedeno has been a solid lefty the last few years, but one with pretty bad platoon issues. I want Colome.
• Who is Dalier Hinojosa and what does he do? Well, I know he didn’t pitch well in a brief audition for Boston, but after getting DFA’ed (for Brian Johnson) he ended up playing out the rest of 2015 for the Phillies. He wasn’t terrible in an auditioning role, either, posting a 2.92 FIP. His rates were solid, albeit a tad unspectacular. His FIP was normally in the mid-3.00s in the minors and guys don’t normally suddenly become better in the bigs, but perhaps more important than raw skills is the fact that Hinojosa is square in the middle of a dumpster fire (sorry, rebuilding) bullpen in Philadelphia. Andrew Bailey pitched back-to-back days this weekend for the first time in camp and seems to have a slight leg up on the closing gig should his arm stay attached (well, his manager is unsure, but hey). However, Hinojosa may have leapfrogged David Hernandez into spot 1A. To be honest, I have no desire to invest in anyone in the Philly pen unless the league is absurdly deep and screams “need closers!” but those in NL-onlies might want to speculate on Hinojosa if someone already blew their priority on Bailey.
• Hopefully you already know that Will Smith is going to be out for a while after tearing his LCL taking his shoe off. Ah, to be a big league ballplayer. While there’s been a bit of a smokescreen about this still being a full-blown committee, I’m buying Jeremy Jeffress after the top 20 closers are off the board until I hear otherwise.
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.
The grid and its colors actually looks very, very good. Only question I have is why do you see Colorado as yellow rather than green?
I’m surprised Colorado is yellow rather than red. Rockies beat writer Patrick Saunders thinks Motte is the favorite to close.
And I think it would be fair to also list Ottavino in the “Injured” column, since he was closing effectively when he went down to Tommy John last season.
I can’t imagine they paid Corey Dickerson for McGee just so they could let a barely middle reliever close instead.
Yeah, but this is also the team that traded Corey Dickerson for a reliever
be that as it may, this is indeed what the local press is saying. weiss has consistently described the closer position as TBD, and at one point one of the beat writers doing a radio interview said he felt like it was going to be motte, just based on usage patterns in the spring games.
welp, now motte’s injured. it was a fun ride
Oh (Broxton), Caminero (Feliz) and Treinen (Gott) would seem to be fairly obvious fixes, but otherwise, this looks dead on.
Caminero has been bad enough this spring that there’s uncertainty. Treinen and Filipe Rivero are probably ahead of Gott in DC. I know Gott throws hard, but he doesn’t have the qualities of a late inning reliever.
i hear gregerson might have the slight edge on giles now.
yeah, that one should be red or at least yellow since Houston is refusing to name a closer. (http://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/Hinch-staying-away-from-closer-debate-7213973.php)
How do ya take, Grilli or Colome?
I’d guess the Corey Knebel is the more likely first man up for Milwaukee than Blazek. Counsell tends to use Blazek as a multi-inning guy, and Knebel has always been billed as a potential closer.
And thanks to that typo, I will now probably always refer to him as “the Corey Knebel.”
I’d argue Dyson should be on the Texas grid in the second chair given his October usage.
Kela, given his superior ability to pitch baseballs past batters.
The LAA line might be the least exciting green line on there. No upside. (ARI would be second.)
Street is trending in the wrong direction, seems to not pitch enough, and is just plain old.
Did Street kick your puppy or something? He’s “trending” down because he had his career year in 2014. And 32 is “just plain old.” jeesh!
I hope you’re not using ERA as an approximation of a “career year.” Last season, he posted the worst SIERA, fastball velocity, and F-Strike% of his career. If that doesn’t signify skills erosion, I don’t know what does.
Did your Dalier teach you this game?
Don’t forget the Final Boss in STL
i think hernandez has wandered back into pole position in philly without really doing anything himself; recent articles in the local press are talking like bailey may not even make the team. he (bailey) has an opt-out that doesn’t kick in until may 1 and the manager has been saying he “wants to see more velocity” so they may stash him to get a better idea of what they have and use their last big-league pen slot on frieri, who apparently made a mechanical adjustment about a week ago and has looked good since. (or mujica, i would have said yesterday, but apparently not.)
feels like matt barnes is clambering into second backup chair in boston; he’s having a great spring and is probably better than tazawa
Why is the Astros green? with Giles yet to be named the closer?
Nate Jones has to be the next man up in Chicago. The KC order might be correct but I think Hochevar is going to move up the ranks. Knebel would be sexond in Milwaukee from what people are saying.
Wade Davis is down 2 MPH this spring, anyone hear any reports on his health?
In a league with holds, who do you prefer this season: Daniel Hudson or Tony Zych?
Thanks in advance.
Sounds like Osuna was just announced as the closer in Toronto, so swap him and Storen.