Bullpen Report: Sunday, May 24, 2015
In one of the few save opportunities that we saw on Sunday, Jason Grilli struck out three Brewers and earned his thirteenth save of the year. I don’t think anyone has any illusions about the where the Braves will be at the trade deadline, so Grilli likely won’t be saving games in Atlanta in August and September. The difference between fantasy owners of Jason Grilli and the Atlanta Braves, is that his trade value could be very different depending on where and if he gets moved. If he’s traded to a team that is going to use him in the eighth, then you’re going to be missing out on saves. Maybe now is the time to look at moving him if you have him, while you know that he’ll be saving games for a few more months at least, and the prospect of his saves drying up is still well off in the distance.
In Arizona, Addison Reed pitched the eighth and picked up his second hold. He struck out one and didn’t allow a single Cub to reach base. His velocity was up a tick. He induced a popup and a fly out with the slider, and he struck out Dexter Fowler. Brad Ziegler came in and picked up the save. He’s got a .192 BABIP, which is unusually low for someone with a GB% of 67.3%. He’s closing for now, but I wouldn’t sleep on Addison Reed. It would probably be terribly uncomfortable.
Shawn Tolleson struck out the side for the save over the Yankees on Sunday night, upping his K%-BB% to a stellar 27.9%. He got up to 95.9 mph and generated whiffs with both of the sliders that he threw. The rest of the Rangers bullpen is still a work in progress. Keone Kela was tabbed with the seventh inning duties, and Ross Ohlendorf came on to start the eighth. He gave up a single and a walk and Sam Freeman was called on to retire Brian McCann. I’m not slotting Ohlendorf ahead of either Kela or Neftali Feliz for saves. Joe Girardi had an interesting deployment of his bullpen arms tonight. With Justin Wilson unable to retire anyone in the seventh inning, Dellin Betances was brought in to face Adrian Beltre, Mitch Moreland and Elvis Andrus, and he set them down in order. David Carpenter got the bottom of the lineup in the eighth, and Andrew Miller struck out two in a perfect ninth.
Of note: Luke Gregerson saved his twelfth of the year, striking out two Tigers and giving up a solo home run to Miguel Cabrera. A.J. Ramos earned his second save on Sunday, with a perfect ninth. Aroldis Chapman pitched the eighth inning against the Indians to get in some work. He walked two, gave up two hits and didn’t strike out anyone. Cody Allen gave up a run after he came in with a four-run lead. Koji Uehara struck out two as the Red Sox called on him with a five-run lead. Casey Janssen pitched for the second day in a row and earned a hold. Drew Storen followed him and struck out two more batters, earning his fourteenth save.
Notes from Saturday: The Mets sent Bobby Parnell on a rehab assignment to Binghamton. Fernando Rodney saved his twelfth of the year, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning. Luke Gregerson did the exact same thing, except it was his eleventh save and against the Tigers instead of the Blue Jays. Cody Allen saved his ninth, striking out one in a perfect inning. Kind of see a pattern emerging with the Saturday notes. Glen Perkins saved his sixteenth game. But he wasn’t perfect. One hit and a walk along with a pair of strikeouts. Santiago Casilla had to come in and clean up another mess, but he gave up two hits and retired only one of the three batters he faced, but that’s all he needed to do for his twelfth save. In the nightcap, John Axford earned his sixth save. Carter Capps struck out six in three innings of relief, and got the win when the Marlins walked off in the thirteenth. Enrique Burgos came in to a tied game in the ninth and gave up three runs to the Cubs. He did strike out three. Pedro Strop nailed it down for his first save of the year. Joe Maddon was just giving Rondon a night off. Kenley Jansen struck out one for his third save of the year.
Closer Grid:
[Green light, yellow light, red light: the colors represent the volatility of the bullpen order.]
Darren contributes to RotoGraphs when he isn’t watching the Braves or shoveling snow. Follow him on Twitter @shinesie.
Wouldn’t you say Fields is at least 2nd in line, maybe even 1st? Most talented arm in that pen and talent always comes out ahead.
I think Neshek is locked in as next in line, he has been great this year and last. Fields and Qualls are probably in a battle for the second chair with Fields being more talented, but Qualls having “closing experience” on his side. Which could play a part if anything happens to Gregerson.