As Spring Training approaches (pitchers and catchers report in six weeks) LeRoy will begin its preseason analysis of the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and the hated New York Yankees. We will continue with the bullpens and go on with the New York Yankees.
The Yankees are still employing the high-offense-low-pitching philosophy. That mentality has affected their bullpen. Their closer should still be at the top of his game, but the rest of their bullpen is highly suspect. The good news is that some of their question marks paid off big last year and they have made some critical signings on the free agent market.
Closer: RHP Mariano Rivera. Rivera is still at the top of his game. Last season he went 3-3 with a 1.80 ERA, 33 saves and 45 strikeouts. He won't be able to pitch forever and hopefully he stays at the top of his game and retires at the right time. I'd hate to see another great reliever fade out like RHP Trevor Hoffman. Age catches up to us all. But until I see it happen to Mo, I'll always bet against the hitter.
Here's how the rest of the bullpen figures to shape up:
1. RHP David Robertson: 4-5, 3.82 ERA, one save, 71 strikeouts
2. RHP Joba Chamberlain: 3-4, 4.40 ERA, three saves, 77 strikeouts
3. LHP Damaso Marte: 0-0, 4.08 ERA, no saves, 12 strikeouts
4. LHP Pedro Feliciano: 3-6, 3.30 ERA, no saves, 56 strikeouts
5. LHP Boone Logan: 2-0, 2.93 ERA, no saves, 38 strikeouts
6. RHP Romulo Sanchez: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, no saves, five strikeouts
7. RHP Andrew Brackman: MINOR LEAGUES
The bullpen figures to be stronger than it was last season. Rivera is still there and the road to him is getting less bumpier. Marte has been a weight on the bullpen for years now, but Logan stepped up against lefthanded hitters last season in a big way and they upgraded by signing Feliciano, a rubber-armed pitcher who appeared in 92 games last season, to further upgrade the lefthanders in the 'pen. Robertson is satisfactory in the eight inning role but Chamberlain is terrible in the seventh-inning role. The back end of the 'pen is suspect with the Yankees relying on a couple of career minor leaguers to fill the void.
Other pitchers who could figure into the mix are:
1. LHP Robert Fish
2. RHP Ryan Pope
3. RHP Brian Schlitter
4. RHP Daniel Turpen
Turpen is a career minor leaguer who has pitched in both the Boston and San Francisco systems, topping out at AAA, without having much success. Schlitter is a retread from the Cubs. Pope is a former third-round draft pick who the Yankees are converting into a reliever, so far unsuccessfully. Fish is a former sixth-round draft pick of the Angels who was converted into a reliever last season and was hit unbelievably hard.
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees will likely fill out their bullpen with former Major League arms. The players will likely get a look from New York during Spring Training. With a bullpen that is far from concrete they have a legitimate shot at making the team. Some of the players that Scranton/Wilkes-Barre have already signed are:
1. RHP Brian Anderson
2. RHP Buddy Carlyle
3. LHP Neal Cotts
4. RHP Mark Prior
5. LHP Andrew Sisco
Sisco is a former top prospect with the Cubs who spent all of last season in the Minor Leagues. Prior is a former All-Star pitcher who is attempting to ressurrect his career after a long series of injuries. He split last season between AAA and the Golden Baseball League. Cotts and Carlyle are veteran pitchers who are attempting comebacks. Anderson is a former everyday center fielder with the Chicago White Sox who was converted into a relief pitcher last season in AAA.
The final ranking of the three local teams looks something like this:
1. New York Yankees: The only team who can provide established players at each spot.
2. Boston Red Sox: Decent bullpen but are relying too heavily on injured players like Junichi Tazawa.
3. New York Mets: What a mess.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Mets sign Lefthander to Minor League Deal
The Mets have signed LHP Taylor Tankersley to a Minor League contract and have invited him to Spring Training. Tankersley has spent his entire Major League career working out of the bullpen for the Florida Marlins. Last season Tankersley went 0-0 with a 7.50 ERA, no saves and seven strikeouts in 27 appearances out of the bullpen.
Tankersley is expected to compete for a spot in the bullpen. Aside from former starting pitchers Oliver Perez and Pat Misch, Tankersley is the only established lefthanded pitcher competing for a bullpen spot. It is likely that he will make the team.
Tankersley underwent Tommy John surgery which required him to miss the entire 2009 season. He is another example of Sandy Alderson's low-risk-high-reward free agent mentality.
Tankersley is expected to compete for a spot in the bullpen. Aside from former starting pitchers Oliver Perez and Pat Misch, Tankersley is the only established lefthanded pitcher competing for a bullpen spot. It is likely that he will make the team.
Tankersley underwent Tommy John surgery which required him to miss the entire 2009 season. He is another example of Sandy Alderson's low-risk-high-reward free agent mentality.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Mets Bullpen
As Spring Training approaches (pitchers and catchers report in six weeks) LeRoy will begin its preseason analysis of the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and the hated New York Yankees. We will continue with the bullpens and go on with the New York Mets.
The Mets bullpen was in shambles for much of last year from top to bottom. Closer Francisco Rodriguez was jailed, suspended, and injured following an assault of his girlfriend's father. Ryota Igarashi was injured and ineffective. The team changed its tune on Jenrry Mejia mid-season. Sean Green was injured for the majority of the season. Also, the team was hamstrung for most of the year by the presence of Oliver Perez as the long reliever, effectively operating a man down. If not for Pedro Feliciano, Hisanori Takahashi, and the late-season re-arrival of Bobby Parnell (Feliciano and Takahashi are both gone) the team would have been in shambles. However, the bullpen somehow remained effective and was able to produce results as one of the better bullpens in the NL.
Some figured that new GM Sandy Alderson would have opted to revamp the bullpen but that is not the case. One of the principles of moneyball is to limit spending and to not overspend on "overvalued" players. Basically, this means that the bullpen and bench will suffer. Alderson is hoping for another collective miracle out of the 'pen. With the players the Mets have assembled he better hope that happens.
Closer: Francisco Rodriguez. If K-Rod can stay out of prison then the Mets should expect another decent season from him. He hasn't had a great season since arriving in New York, but the Mets are hoping that he can save over 90 percent of his games and post an ERA somewhere around 3.50. Anything more than that will be an added bonus as K-Rod has not been the same pitcher he was with the Angels. He is pitching in a contract year, so perhaps K-Rod will have extra incentive to perform.
Here's how the rest of the bullpen figures to shape up:
1. RHP Manny Acosta: 3-2, 2.95 ERA, one save, 42 strikeouts
2. RHP Bobby Parnell: 0-1, 2.83 ERA, no saves, 33 strikeouts
3. RHP D. J. Carrasco: 3-2, 3.68 ERA, no saves, 65 strikeouts (Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks)
4. RHP Taylor Buchholz: 1-0, 3.75 ERA, no saves, nine strikeouts (Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays)
5. LHP Oliver Perez: 0-5, 6.80 ERA, no saves, 37 strikeouts
6. LHP Pat Misch: 0-4, 3.82 ERA, no saves, 23 strikeouts
7. Who the fuck knows?
There is a lot of indecision regarding the bullpen. Acosta and Parnell started last season in AAA. Buchholz is in the midst of a comeback from Tommy John surgery. Perez again will force the team to play with a man down. Misch is a veteran of the Minor Leagues as a starter with essentially no experience working out of the 'pen. The only sure bet is Carrasco. Plus, the final spot in the 'pen will probably come from someone at AAA Buffalo.
Others who will be vying for the seventh spot may include:
1. RHP Manuel Alvarez: A small righthander who has had success out of the 'pen in the Minors.
2. RHP Pedro Beato: New to the organization, Beato is an animalistic righthander who has was converted into a reliever at AA in the Baltimore organization last season.
3. RHP Josh Stinson: A swing man in the minors who could figure into the plan as a long man and spot starter.
The Buffalo Bisons will likely fill out their bullpen with former Major League arms. Most of those players will get a look in Spring Training by the Mets. Given the wide-openness of the big league 'pen, those players could make the team with a good showing in Spring. Some of the pitchers that the Bisons have already signed are:
1. RHP Boof Bonser
2. LHP Michael O'Connor
The verdict: The bullpen is going to be a weak spot on a team which doesn't figure to be strong. In the moneyball system the bullpen and bench usually turns over every season and rarely is composed of marquee players, aside from the closer. The Mets may sign a host of players to Non-Roster contracts to compete for a spot in the 'pen and/or to provide depth at AAA. Alderson is hoping for another season where the team can catch lightning in a bottle from its relievers. This has happened every year since 2003 so it may happen again. However, the players assembled are the weakest the Mets have had in their 'pen collectively since 1995 or 1996. Expect the bullpen to lose a lot of games this year and expect Alderson to wisely upgrade in 2012. If he values his job, he'll start to see the worth of a reliable bullpen in New York.
The Mets bullpen was in shambles for much of last year from top to bottom. Closer Francisco Rodriguez was jailed, suspended, and injured following an assault of his girlfriend's father. Ryota Igarashi was injured and ineffective. The team changed its tune on Jenrry Mejia mid-season. Sean Green was injured for the majority of the season. Also, the team was hamstrung for most of the year by the presence of Oliver Perez as the long reliever, effectively operating a man down. If not for Pedro Feliciano, Hisanori Takahashi, and the late-season re-arrival of Bobby Parnell (Feliciano and Takahashi are both gone) the team would have been in shambles. However, the bullpen somehow remained effective and was able to produce results as one of the better bullpens in the NL.
Some figured that new GM Sandy Alderson would have opted to revamp the bullpen but that is not the case. One of the principles of moneyball is to limit spending and to not overspend on "overvalued" players. Basically, this means that the bullpen and bench will suffer. Alderson is hoping for another collective miracle out of the 'pen. With the players the Mets have assembled he better hope that happens.
Closer: Francisco Rodriguez. If K-Rod can stay out of prison then the Mets should expect another decent season from him. He hasn't had a great season since arriving in New York, but the Mets are hoping that he can save over 90 percent of his games and post an ERA somewhere around 3.50. Anything more than that will be an added bonus as K-Rod has not been the same pitcher he was with the Angels. He is pitching in a contract year, so perhaps K-Rod will have extra incentive to perform.
Here's how the rest of the bullpen figures to shape up:
1. RHP Manny Acosta: 3-2, 2.95 ERA, one save, 42 strikeouts
2. RHP Bobby Parnell: 0-1, 2.83 ERA, no saves, 33 strikeouts
3. RHP D. J. Carrasco: 3-2, 3.68 ERA, no saves, 65 strikeouts (Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks)
4. RHP Taylor Buchholz: 1-0, 3.75 ERA, no saves, nine strikeouts (Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays)
5. LHP Oliver Perez: 0-5, 6.80 ERA, no saves, 37 strikeouts
6. LHP Pat Misch: 0-4, 3.82 ERA, no saves, 23 strikeouts
7. Who the fuck knows?
There is a lot of indecision regarding the bullpen. Acosta and Parnell started last season in AAA. Buchholz is in the midst of a comeback from Tommy John surgery. Perez again will force the team to play with a man down. Misch is a veteran of the Minor Leagues as a starter with essentially no experience working out of the 'pen. The only sure bet is Carrasco. Plus, the final spot in the 'pen will probably come from someone at AAA Buffalo.
Others who will be vying for the seventh spot may include:
1. RHP Manuel Alvarez: A small righthander who has had success out of the 'pen in the Minors.
2. RHP Pedro Beato: New to the organization, Beato is an animalistic righthander who has was converted into a reliever at AA in the Baltimore organization last season.
3. RHP Josh Stinson: A swing man in the minors who could figure into the plan as a long man and spot starter.
The Buffalo Bisons will likely fill out their bullpen with former Major League arms. Most of those players will get a look in Spring Training by the Mets. Given the wide-openness of the big league 'pen, those players could make the team with a good showing in Spring. Some of the pitchers that the Bisons have already signed are:
1. RHP Boof Bonser
2. LHP Michael O'Connor
The verdict: The bullpen is going to be a weak spot on a team which doesn't figure to be strong. In the moneyball system the bullpen and bench usually turns over every season and rarely is composed of marquee players, aside from the closer. The Mets may sign a host of players to Non-Roster contracts to compete for a spot in the 'pen and/or to provide depth at AAA. Alderson is hoping for another season where the team can catch lightning in a bottle from its relievers. This has happened every year since 2003 so it may happen again. However, the players assembled are the weakest the Mets have had in their 'pen collectively since 1995 or 1996. Expect the bullpen to lose a lot of games this year and expect Alderson to wisely upgrade in 2012. If he values his job, he'll start to see the worth of a reliable bullpen in New York.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Yankees pick up Pitcher
The Yankees have claimed RHP Brian Schlitter on waivers from the Chicago Cubs. Schlitter has been placed on the 40-man roster and is expected to compete for a bullpen spot in Spring Training.
Red Sox pick up Catcher on Waivers
Boston has claimed C Max Ramirez on waivers from the Texas Rangers. Ramirez is not expected to figure into the Major League catching situation and is believed to have been acquired only for depth purposes.
Ramirez was designated for assignment by Texas on January 3. They had ten days to trade him but were unable to make a deal. Per MLB rules, Ramirez had to be offered to the 29 other teams on waivers. This is when the Red Sox picked him up. Had he not been claimed, Ramirez would have likely been sent to AAA or given his outright release.
Ramirez was nearly a member of Red Sox nation a year ago. He was the player-to-be-traded to Boston from Texas in exchange for Mike Lowell before Lowell failed his physical.
Ramirez was designated for assignment by Texas on January 3. They had ten days to trade him but were unable to make a deal. Per MLB rules, Ramirez had to be offered to the 29 other teams on waivers. This is when the Red Sox picked him up. Had he not been claimed, Ramirez would have likely been sent to AAA or given his outright release.
Ramirez was nearly a member of Red Sox nation a year ago. He was the player-to-be-traded to Boston from Texas in exchange for Mike Lowell before Lowell failed his physical.
Red Sox Bullpen
As Spring Training approaches (pitchers and catchers report in six weeks) LeRoy will begin its preseason analysis of the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and the hated New York Yankees. We will continue with the bullpens and will begin with the Boston Red Sox.
The Red Sox figure to be one of the best teams in the AL East (and probably in the league) and they hope their bullpen can be up to par. They had some gaps in their 'pen last year and Boston is counting on bounce-back years from quite a few guys pitching out of relief.
Closer: Jonathan Papelbon. Papelbon had a down year last season by his standards, posting a 5-7 record with a 3.90 ERA (well above his career 2.22 mark), and 37 saves. Some in Red Sox nation are calling for Papelbon to be traded or released. The notion is not completely absurd, especially given Theo Epstein's belief in the moneyball system. Papelbon is due a big raise in arbitration and will likely ask for a huge contract extension in the near future. But he's still an adequate closer and could have a rebound season be back on top again. Keeping Papelbon at closer answers a lot more questions than dumping him raises.
The remaining bullpen looks something like this:
1. RHP Daniel Bard: 1-2, 1.93 ERA, three saves, 76 strikeouts
2. RHP Bobby Jenks: 1-3, 4.44 ERA, 27 saves, 61 strikeouts (Chicago White Sox)
3. RHP Scott Athison: 2-3, 4.50 ERA, no saves, 41 strikeouts
4. RHP Tim Wakefield: 4-10, 5.34 ERA, no saves, 84 strikeouts
5. RHP Dan Wheeler: 2-4, 3.35 ERA, three saves, 46 strikeouts (Tampa Bay Rays)
6. RHP Robert Coello: 0-0, 4.76 ERA, no saves, five strikeouts
7. RHP Michael Bowden: 0-1, 4.70 ERA, no saves, 13 strikeouts
8. RHP Junichi Tazawa: Did Not Pitch
9. LHP Felix Doubront: 2-2, 4.32 ERA, two saves, 23 strikeouts
This group is heavily righthanded but they are considered to be the elite among Boston's relievers. As you can see, there are a lot of high ERAs a huge margin for error. Only seven of the nine are likely to make the team and others will undoubtedly come into the mix before Spring Training begins.
Another pitcher to watch is Matt Albers. Boston has also brought back Hideki Okajima to offset the heavy righthandedness present in the bullpen, but the signing has not yet been made official.
The Pawtucket Red Sox will likely fill out their roster with former big-league arms. Expect most of those pitchers to be looked at in Spring Training by Boston. With the thinness of Boston's rotation those pitchers could make the team with a good showing in Spring. Some of the players that Pawtucket has signed already are:
1. RHP Jason Bergmann
2. LHP Rich Hill
3. RHP Santo Luis
4. LHP Andrew Miller
5. RHP Tony Pena (former starting shortstop with Kansas City Royals)
6. RHP Clevelan Santeliz
7. LHP Randy Williams
Verdict: The bullpen will probably be the team's weak spot. With the apparent wide-openness of a lot of jobs in the bullpen, this should be one of the more interesting battles to watch in Spring Training. Expect the BoSox to sign a few more relievers, either in the big picture or as non-roster invitees.
The Red Sox figure to be one of the best teams in the AL East (and probably in the league) and they hope their bullpen can be up to par. They had some gaps in their 'pen last year and Boston is counting on bounce-back years from quite a few guys pitching out of relief.
Closer: Jonathan Papelbon. Papelbon had a down year last season by his standards, posting a 5-7 record with a 3.90 ERA (well above his career 2.22 mark), and 37 saves. Some in Red Sox nation are calling for Papelbon to be traded or released. The notion is not completely absurd, especially given Theo Epstein's belief in the moneyball system. Papelbon is due a big raise in arbitration and will likely ask for a huge contract extension in the near future. But he's still an adequate closer and could have a rebound season be back on top again. Keeping Papelbon at closer answers a lot more questions than dumping him raises.
The remaining bullpen looks something like this:
1. RHP Daniel Bard: 1-2, 1.93 ERA, three saves, 76 strikeouts
2. RHP Bobby Jenks: 1-3, 4.44 ERA, 27 saves, 61 strikeouts (Chicago White Sox)
3. RHP Scott Athison: 2-3, 4.50 ERA, no saves, 41 strikeouts
4. RHP Tim Wakefield: 4-10, 5.34 ERA, no saves, 84 strikeouts
5. RHP Dan Wheeler: 2-4, 3.35 ERA, three saves, 46 strikeouts (Tampa Bay Rays)
6. RHP Robert Coello: 0-0, 4.76 ERA, no saves, five strikeouts
7. RHP Michael Bowden: 0-1, 4.70 ERA, no saves, 13 strikeouts
8. RHP Junichi Tazawa: Did Not Pitch
9. LHP Felix Doubront: 2-2, 4.32 ERA, two saves, 23 strikeouts
This group is heavily righthanded but they are considered to be the elite among Boston's relievers. As you can see, there are a lot of high ERAs a huge margin for error. Only seven of the nine are likely to make the team and others will undoubtedly come into the mix before Spring Training begins.
Another pitcher to watch is Matt Albers. Boston has also brought back Hideki Okajima to offset the heavy righthandedness present in the bullpen, but the signing has not yet been made official.
The Pawtucket Red Sox will likely fill out their roster with former big-league arms. Expect most of those pitchers to be looked at in Spring Training by Boston. With the thinness of Boston's rotation those pitchers could make the team with a good showing in Spring. Some of the players that Pawtucket has signed already are:
1. RHP Jason Bergmann
2. LHP Rich Hill
3. RHP Santo Luis
4. LHP Andrew Miller
5. RHP Tony Pena (former starting shortstop with Kansas City Royals)
6. RHP Clevelan Santeliz
7. LHP Randy Williams
Verdict: The bullpen will probably be the team's weak spot. With the apparent wide-openness of a lot of jobs in the bullpen, this should be one of the more interesting battles to watch in Spring Training. Expect the BoSox to sign a few more relievers, either in the big picture or as non-roster invitees.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
BBWAA Strikes Again
The Baseball Writers Association of America has done it again. They're righting some of their wrongs, but they're also creating more at the same time.
What they got right: The inductions. Roberto Alomar should have been elected last year and Bert Blyleven was long overdue, having to wait until his 14th yer on the ballot - and second from last - to get elected. It's about time the BBWAA got these two players right. But without a no-doubt newcomer on the ballot this year it would have been difficult to pick anyone else.
What they may have gotten right: There weren't any no-doubt Hall of Famers among the new players on the ballot. I think that players like Jeff Bagwell are worthy to be in the Hall and I would have voted for them if given the chance, but he might not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Others in that same boat are Edgar Martinez (who's not a second-ballot Hall of Famer either), Larry Walker, Fred McGriff, and Juan Gonzalez. I think that Rafael Palmeiro was a first-ballot Hall of Famer even with the failed drug test and I think that Mark McGwire should have been elected by now, but I can also understand why a lot of people wouldn't vote for them.
What they're still getting wrong: Dave Parker and Dale Murphy were neither first-ballot nor second-ballot Hall of Famers but seriously, it's about time we give them a pass. They're never going to get voted off t he ballot. I hate to see a player consistently get well over five percent of the vote and still manage to fail to get 75 percent of the vote too. If the guy can stay on the ballot for 14 years, maybe he is a Hall of Famer after all.
What I can't explain: Bruce Sutter had to wait a long time. So did Goose Gossage. How long will Lee Smith - who was far and away better than those two pitchers - have to wait?
What the BBWAA got deplorably, incorrigibly, and unforgivably wrong, again: Harold Baines, the all-time leader in runs batted in by a DH, failed to get five percent of the vote. He's now out of consideration. He wasn't a first ballot Hall of Famer, but he should have at least been able to stay on the ballot. Guess what folks, he was better than Edgar Martinez. Tino Martinez, who hit 339 home runs in his career, was voted off the ballot on his first try. He wasn't first ballot material either, but seriously, only one percent of the vote? and in the finale John Franco. I've talked about the long waits of Sutter and Gossage. I've talked about Smith. Franco got 4.6 percent of the vote. 424 career saves. The fourth highest total ever. The most all-time by a lefthander. Wow BBWAA. Wow.
What they got right: The inductions. Roberto Alomar should have been elected last year and Bert Blyleven was long overdue, having to wait until his 14th yer on the ballot - and second from last - to get elected. It's about time the BBWAA got these two players right. But without a no-doubt newcomer on the ballot this year it would have been difficult to pick anyone else.
What they may have gotten right: There weren't any no-doubt Hall of Famers among the new players on the ballot. I think that players like Jeff Bagwell are worthy to be in the Hall and I would have voted for them if given the chance, but he might not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Others in that same boat are Edgar Martinez (who's not a second-ballot Hall of Famer either), Larry Walker, Fred McGriff, and Juan Gonzalez. I think that Rafael Palmeiro was a first-ballot Hall of Famer even with the failed drug test and I think that Mark McGwire should have been elected by now, but I can also understand why a lot of people wouldn't vote for them.
What they're still getting wrong: Dave Parker and Dale Murphy were neither first-ballot nor second-ballot Hall of Famers but seriously, it's about time we give them a pass. They're never going to get voted off t he ballot. I hate to see a player consistently get well over five percent of the vote and still manage to fail to get 75 percent of the vote too. If the guy can stay on the ballot for 14 years, maybe he is a Hall of Famer after all.
What I can't explain: Bruce Sutter had to wait a long time. So did Goose Gossage. How long will Lee Smith - who was far and away better than those two pitchers - have to wait?
What the BBWAA got deplorably, incorrigibly, and unforgivably wrong, again: Harold Baines, the all-time leader in runs batted in by a DH, failed to get five percent of the vote. He's now out of consideration. He wasn't a first ballot Hall of Famer, but he should have at least been able to stay on the ballot. Guess what folks, he was better than Edgar Martinez. Tino Martinez, who hit 339 home runs in his career, was voted off the ballot on his first try. He wasn't first ballot material either, but seriously, only one percent of the vote? and in the finale John Franco. I've talked about the long waits of Sutter and Gossage. I've talked about Smith. Franco got 4.6 percent of the vote. 424 career saves. The fourth highest total ever. The most all-time by a lefthander. Wow BBWAA. Wow.
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