Here are a few bullpen notes between the last Bullpen Report and Sunday’s games…

• The Cubs removed Rafael Dolis from the closer role after an ugly ninth inning, tie-game appearance versus the Pirates where he forced in the game-winning run with a hit by pitch. Dolis has been walking the tightrope all season, balancing with a mediocre 3.9 K/9 and a dumbfounding 0.73 K/BB (driving a 5.14 xFIP), and that was before he came on in mop up duty today and faced two batters — walking both. James Russell (5.23 xFIP, 1.50 K/BB) and Shawn Camp (3.70 xFIP, 2.75 K/BB) will share closing duties for now. Camp is right-handed and the superior pitcher, so he should be considered the lead dog in the race for saves, but both might get opportunities, at least until someone takes the job and runs with it (or someone drags Carlos Marmol from a 2010 time machine).

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• So Heath Bell implosion in Miami. Yes, yes, shocking development. Bell came in with a stat-padding, three-run lead and promptly sandwiched a groundout between three ringing line-drive hits before manager Ozzie Guillen mercifully yanked him. Steve Cishek trotted in and induced a flyout, then whiffed the en fuego Melky Cabrera with a runner on 2nd to nail down the 7-6 win. Bell’s 2012 woes are well documented. His actual pitch profile is not terribly unlike 2010 — his fastball is down a tick velocity-wise, but not dramatically so, and the overall movement on his main two pitches (fastball and curveball) is surprisingly close to his 2011 numbers. However, his command has been awful. His current walk rate is over double his career average, and when he isn’t missing the strike zone, he’s busy grooving get-me-over fastballs after falling behind in the count — a habit he fell victim to this evening. The bad xFIP (now 5.95) and awful strikeout rates aren’t getting any better. You probably will still hear a steady drone of “Bell has the contract, they aren’t paying him not to close,” but Cishek still needs to be owned in all leagues.

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You’d have been hard-pressed this offseason to find an unbiased observer who didn’t think that the three-year, $27 million contract that the Marlins handed to closer Heath Bell was foolish. (In fact, look no further than our own Paul Swydan’s review in December.) Yet while few liked the idea of giving such a large contract to a declining closer on a team which had more pressing needs, nobody could have foreseen just how disastrous Bell’s Miami debut would be. After blowing four saves in his first eleven appearances with the Marlins, Bell was bounced from his job in early May, and it was no fluke; after melting down on May 4 against his old San Diego teammates, Bell had struck out just six in 8.2 innings while allowing 25 baserunners and 11 earned runs.

Bell’s demotion lasted only about a week, as Steve Cishek & Edward Mujica handled the late-inning duties for the club until Bell returned to the role on  May 11. Since then, Bell has seen better results, saving four and winning two in seven outings. That’s miles ahead of his performance in April, and considering his reputation & contract this turnaround ought to be enough to solidify his hold on the closer’s job for the foreseeable future. Fantasy players have noticed, since he’s among the most-added relievers this week after many had cut bait on him earlier this month.

Yet while that all seems nice on the surface… it’s hard to say that he’s “back”, isn’t it? Read the rest of this entry »

• Chris Perez earned his third save in as many days against the division rival Detroit Tigers, giving him 16 on the young season and tying him for the Major League lead with Baltimore’s Jim Johnson. Due to some of the struggles with his K/BB (1.50) and xFIP (5.01) in 2011, some speculated that Vinnie Pestano could be a candidate to succeed Perez in the ninth inning should he experience the same issues. However, with a slightly improved K/BB (2.57) and xFIP (3.88) through twenty appearances and 16 consecutive handshakes since blowing his first chance of the season, Perez should continue to get the ninth inning call. Don’t lose track of Pestano though, as he will be waiting on the door step with the superior K/BB (4.33) and xFIP (2.64) should Perez lose control.
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• Robin Ventura officially named Addison Reed the closer of the Chicago White Sox today. The youngster from San Diego State patiently waited for the nod as the skipper initially named Hector Santiago the ninth-inning man when the team broke camp. When the Santiago ship sailed, Ventura surprisingly awarded the closer’s role to Chris Sale. Sale’s transition from starter to closer lasted just one blown save until Ventura stated he would be returning to a closer-by-committee situation. Since, Reed has converted his last four save opportunities to earn the manager’s endorsement. Now, Addison Reed owners just want to see his current 11.48 strikeout rate spike towards 2011’s 14.73 K/9.

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With Drew Storen attempting to return at the All-Star break, manager Davey Johnson stated he is opting for a “closer by committee” approach to the ninth inning in Washington. Tyler Clippard received his first ninth inning save opportunity of the year, and closed it down by retiring each batter faced with one strikeout.

Clippard stated that he really wants the closer job, and he may be given the opportunity over the next few weeks. Johnson wants to keep Clippard in his set-up role, which does offer a solid amount of leverage, but the ninth inning in general is the highest leverage situations and Clippard may prove to be the most consistent option late in games. Sean Burnett and Craig Stammen may also get opportunities, but there is something to be said for Clippard getting the first shot after Johnson announced the closer by committee strategy.

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• When Drew Storen went on the DL in the beginning of the season, everyone assumed that Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson was going to use relief ace Tyler Clippard to close games. Instead, he chose to keep Clippard in his familiar 8th inning role, opting for Brad Lidge and Henry Rodriguez to split the closing dutites. However, with Brad Lidge on the DL and Henry Rodriguez struggling Davey Johnson called on Clippard for the save tonight against the Phillies and Clippard responded well, pitching a clean ninth inning with one strikeout. Sean Burnett got the save last night so this situation looks to be a committee, depending on the matchup. Burnett might get a look if there is a tough lefty, but if Johnson is willing to let Clippard pitch the ninth, don’t be shocked to see him run away with the role considering he’s been one of the most consistent relievers in baseball, and this year has been no different (1.96 FIP/10.89 K/9).

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Of the 30 teams in baseball, 14 have already changed closers as a result of injury, ineffectiveness or in some cases, both. As a result of the extraordinary closer carousel year thus far we bring to you the Bullpen Report, which will provide you with daily updates on the most recent bullpen happenings, before your midnight waiver wire deadline.

• Henry Rodriguez’s days of closing might be numbered, if they even still exist at all. Henry Rodriguez entered the game tonight with a two-run lead in the 9th inning, seemingly business as usual. However, after a leadoff walk to John Mayberry and a Freddy Galvis fly out the wheels started to come off. With Mike Fontenot at the plate Rodriguez threw a wild pitch advancing Mayberry to second base, Fontenot singled moving Mayberry to third and then, with Ty Wigginton pinch hitting, Rodriguez threw another wild pitch which got him hooked in the middle of the at bat. Sean Burnett came on to finish the save, his 2nd of the year. Nationals Manager Davey Johnson has been patient with Rodriguez in the past, but with Rodriguez’s control issues (6.5 BB/9; eight wild pitches) Johnson might look to Burnett or Craig Stammen (who pitched 2 scoreless tonight and has a 2.05 FIP and 9.72 K/9 on the year) to close out games while Brad Lidge and Drew Storen recover from injuries.

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It can be difficult to write up some moves. For example, when one great reliever takes over a high-leverage role from another great reliever in the midst of having some bad luck, it seems there’s little to say. Sean Marshall is good, but Aroldis Chapman is better. Done?

Sean Marshall has a 1.42 xFIP based on a double-digit strikeout rate, a minuscule walk rate, and a great ground-ball rate that should lead to a better home run rate than he’s showing now. Aroldis Chapman has a 1.53 xFIP based on a double-digit strikeout rate, and above-average walk rate (right now), and an average-ish ground-ball rate that has been better over his career. What he does have, that Marshall doesn’t, is the velocity of a closer. Still humping it over the plate above 97 MPH, he has some of the best gas in the game.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some hurdles for him to overcome on his way to being a lights-out closer.

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Ryan Cook has now pitched 19.2 scoreless innings in a set up role for the Athletics, while Pedro Strop has a vultures three wins, six holds, and a 1.23 ERA in 22 innings pitched. Let’s see if the success of these two relative unknowns will continue.

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