OK, there's no game today and no reason to pile on the Pirates; they've had a tough enough time. So we'll look at one aspect of baseball, the bullpen. No, not the Pirate relief corps. We're going deeper than one team; we're going to expose how that hill of dirt and bench in the outfield became known throughout the land as a bullpen. The leading speculation:
-- Bull Durham tobacco signs were in virtually every baseball park during the early 1900s. Their unmistakable billboards were usually located out in left field, near the pitchers' warm-up area, where managers would send their relievers before the game. It was basically a prototype ad placement.
-- The Ol' Perfessor Casey Stengel explained that "The extra pitchers would just sit around shooting the bull, and no manager wanted all that gabbing on the bench. So he put them in the outfield to warm up." Many baseball people believe the "shooting the bull" theory.
-- SRO fans in the late 19th century watched the game from roped-off areas in foul territory. Because the fans were herded like cattle, this area became known as the "bullpen", a designation which was later transferred over to the relief pitchers who warmed up there.
-- Before a bull fight or rodeo, the bull is corralled in a small area called the bullpen. Then, when it's game time, the gate is opened and the bull comes charging out, much like a relief pitcher (remember "The Mad Hungarian" Al Hrabosky pawing and stomping around the mound?).
-- Jon Miller of ESPN said the term comes from the late 19th century. The New York Giants played at the Polo Grounds then. The relief pitchers warmed up outside the left-field fence, an area also used as a stockyard (a bull's pen is where cattle cooled their hooves before being sent off to slaughter).
-- Along those lines, in the bush leagues, the game was played in the fenced in fields where the cows and bulls pastured. The ranges had a smaller fenced-in area where the bulls were kept when the farmers didn't want them romping with the cows. That's where pitchers warmed-up ... out of the field of play, in the bull pen.
-- A bullpen has been used to describe a prison, a POW camp (Andersonville, in particular), or a holding area, often bordered by barbed wire. Eventually, the term came to mean any waiting area. The era and concept fit; regular pitchers were exiled or sentenced to the bullpen when they weren't good enough to start.
Word specialists and baseball historians agree on one thing: nobody really knows how the term became popularized, although it dates back to a 1912 sports page. So rolls the dice and take your chances; they're all good. And that's no bull.
Showing posts with label bullpen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bullpen. Show all posts
Monday, May 3, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
The Bullpen Rebuild
Hey, should we be worried about the 2010 Pirate bullpen? After all, the suits, in many public statements, have made it fairly clear that they believe that it's an area that's a) can be addressed year-to-year by market means, and b) not a place to tie up money.
Unlike some of the other suit philosophies, Green Weenie thinks they're right on in this case.
They've lost Solly Torres, Damaso Marte, John Grabow, Sean Burnett, Jesse Chavez, and Matt Capps since Neal Huntington's arrival. Ramon Aguero and Ronald Uviedo are the only relievers on the 40-man roster who predate the current front office.
All the gonzo guys were from the back end of the pen, and three of them signed up with other teams for $3M/year or better contracts.
Now we'll admit some of the replacements have been less than stellar - Denny Bautista, Chris Bootcheck, Romulo Sanchez, Frankie Osario, Marino Salas...but the key is none of those guys were supposed to see the ball with the game on the line. They were cannon fodder, meant to eat innings when the starters faltered early.
A bullpen is as good as the arms it can trot out to close a game in the last two or three innings; that usually requires an investment in three, maybe four pitchers. Heck, you don't even need a lights-out closer. Having Mariana Rivera is nice, but there have been plenty of closer-by-committee pens, or closer switches during the year. Just look at Pittsburgh.
We went back to Teke's last season of 1984 to see who closed: they were John Candelaria, Don Robinson, Jim Gott, Bill Landrum, Stan Belinda, Alejando Pena, Rick White, Cecilio Guante, Dan Miceli, Francisco Cordova, Rick Loiselle, Mike Williams, Jose Mesa, Mike Gonzalez, Solly Torres, and the Mad Capper.
There were a couple of clunkers in there, but all in all, they finished games pretty well and affordably over the past twenty-five years. Mike Williams closed for four years to lead the pack; Capps was actually one of our longer-tenured ninth inning men.
Let's start with the basic building block, the closer. It appears that Joel Hanrahan is the default guy, with Evan Meek on tap if he reverts to Nat days. That's one place we'd like to see a veteran guy as an insurance policy.
Octavio Dotel would do just fine if the Bucs can ink him; we're not at all convinced that Kevin Gregg is an upgrade, and there's no need for a pricey closer for a team that's still building. Ramon Aguero will be at Altoona if the fat hits the fire.
Meek and Javier Lopez will be the set-up men; its possible that one of the Cub pitchers the Bucs got for John Grabow and Gorzo, Jose Ascanio or Kevin Hart, could become late-inning guys if they fizzle as starters.
Both Tyler Yates and Neal Cotts fit in here, but neither will be back from TJ surgery until the late summer at best. Ascanio and Chris Hansen aren't throwing yet, either; their recovery timeline is still up in the air.
For a bridge arm, Steve Jackson should have a leg up on the competition. Chris Jakubauskas, Wil Ledezma, and Justin Thomas are all looking to land a spot here, too. If the Pirates are hot on DJ Carrasco, this is his place in the puzzle; he's a mid-inning pitcher, not a back ender.
For the long man/sixth starter spot, Hart, maybe Daniel McCutchen if he doesn't land a starting role, Jeff Karstens and Brian Burres are all possibilities.
It's not unusual for a bullpen to be unsettled at this time of the year; both the Brewers and Cardinals were in the same boat last year, and showed you can build a viable relief corp from scratch.
Do we like this bullpen? Not yet. It's too young and thin at the back end. But add a veteran set-up guy and have someone rise to take Matt Capp's role, and it's OK. There are still dozens of arms on the market, and we think that a couple at least will sign on for a stint at Pirate City in March.
But we do agree with the basic premise that now's not the time to load up on $3M set-up guys. In a couple of years, when a win is worth something in the standings, that may change. But for now, it looks like the suits are on the right track for filling the pen.
Unlike some of the other suit philosophies, Green Weenie thinks they're right on in this case.
They've lost Solly Torres, Damaso Marte, John Grabow, Sean Burnett, Jesse Chavez, and Matt Capps since Neal Huntington's arrival. Ramon Aguero and Ronald Uviedo are the only relievers on the 40-man roster who predate the current front office.
All the gonzo guys were from the back end of the pen, and three of them signed up with other teams for $3M/year or better contracts.
Now we'll admit some of the replacements have been less than stellar - Denny Bautista, Chris Bootcheck, Romulo Sanchez, Frankie Osario, Marino Salas...but the key is none of those guys were supposed to see the ball with the game on the line. They were cannon fodder, meant to eat innings when the starters faltered early.
A bullpen is as good as the arms it can trot out to close a game in the last two or three innings; that usually requires an investment in three, maybe four pitchers. Heck, you don't even need a lights-out closer. Having Mariana Rivera is nice, but there have been plenty of closer-by-committee pens, or closer switches during the year. Just look at Pittsburgh.
We went back to Teke's last season of 1984 to see who closed: they were John Candelaria, Don Robinson, Jim Gott, Bill Landrum, Stan Belinda, Alejando Pena, Rick White, Cecilio Guante, Dan Miceli, Francisco Cordova, Rick Loiselle, Mike Williams, Jose Mesa, Mike Gonzalez, Solly Torres, and the Mad Capper.
There were a couple of clunkers in there, but all in all, they finished games pretty well and affordably over the past twenty-five years. Mike Williams closed for four years to lead the pack; Capps was actually one of our longer-tenured ninth inning men.
Let's start with the basic building block, the closer. It appears that Joel Hanrahan is the default guy, with Evan Meek on tap if he reverts to Nat days. That's one place we'd like to see a veteran guy as an insurance policy.
Octavio Dotel would do just fine if the Bucs can ink him; we're not at all convinced that Kevin Gregg is an upgrade, and there's no need for a pricey closer for a team that's still building. Ramon Aguero will be at Altoona if the fat hits the fire.
Meek and Javier Lopez will be the set-up men; its possible that one of the Cub pitchers the Bucs got for John Grabow and Gorzo, Jose Ascanio or Kevin Hart, could become late-inning guys if they fizzle as starters.
Both Tyler Yates and Neal Cotts fit in here, but neither will be back from TJ surgery until the late summer at best. Ascanio and Chris Hansen aren't throwing yet, either; their recovery timeline is still up in the air.
For a bridge arm, Steve Jackson should have a leg up on the competition. Chris Jakubauskas, Wil Ledezma, and Justin Thomas are all looking to land a spot here, too. If the Pirates are hot on DJ Carrasco, this is his place in the puzzle; he's a mid-inning pitcher, not a back ender.
For the long man/sixth starter spot, Hart, maybe Daniel McCutchen if he doesn't land a starting role, Jeff Karstens and Brian Burres are all possibilities.
It's not unusual for a bullpen to be unsettled at this time of the year; both the Brewers and Cardinals were in the same boat last year, and showed you can build a viable relief corp from scratch.
Do we like this bullpen? Not yet. It's too young and thin at the back end. But add a veteran set-up guy and have someone rise to take Matt Capp's role, and it's OK. There are still dozens of arms on the market, and we think that a couple at least will sign on for a stint at Pirate City in March.
But we do agree with the basic premise that now's not the time to load up on $3M set-up guys. In a couple of years, when a win is worth something in the standings, that may change. But for now, it looks like the suits are on the right track for filling the pen.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Pirates by Position: Bullpen
For all the ups and downs of the Pirates bullpen in 2009, we think that it's pretty well put together for 2010, barring injury and with the addition of a viable lefty.
The $64,000 question, of course, is what Matt Capps reports to camp. If it's the 2009 version, with the 5.80 ERA, .324 opponent batting average, and the command of a little league pitcher, his three-year run as Bucco closer will come to an end.
He always depended on a relatively flat 93 MPH fastball that caught corners; last year, it caught the plate. Capps, 26, publicly blamed his control issues on overusing his secondary pitches; we'll see. This will be a make-or-break camp for him, if he gets to it - there's been less than subtle indications that he's on the market, and he has a $4M contract that will only jump in arbitration.
But if the Capps era comes to a close, the Pirates believe that 2008 Rule 5 pick-up Evan Meek, 26, has the stuff to replace him. Meek was 1-1 with a 3.45 ERA, and except for a rough July, pitched fairly consistently. He still has to cut down on walks, but made great strides in that direction this season.
Plan B is Joel Hanrahan, 28, who was lights out for the Bucs, compiling a 1.72 ERA. The Washington acquisition also has to find the plate more often, walking two guys every three innings. Another red flag; as a closer last season, he only converted 5-of-10 save opportunities. Capps, even with his inflated stats, saved 27-of-32 chances.
Jesse Chavez, 26, was 1-4 with a 4.01 ERA. In his first full season, he was called on a team-high 73 times. Chavez faded at the end, but we think overuse caught up to him. His control was usually fine; he walked a batter every three innings and had better than a 2:1 K to W ratio, and seems mentally suited to be an effective set-up arm. Chavez has to cut down some on long balls; he gave up 11 in 67-1/3 innings.
The addition of Meek, Hanrahan, and Chavez met one of the original goals of the new bosses; they all brought the heat, hitting 95 with regularity and reaching back for a couple more feet when needed.
Steven Jackson, 27, claimed off waivers from the Yankees, was more of a surprise than Chavez. In 40 games, he posted a 3.14 ERA. Unlike the other guys, his stuff isn't going to miss many bats, but when his change up was on, he proved to be a dependable bridge pitcher.
Jeff Karstens, 27, had a yo-yo of a year. Knocked out of the starting rotation, he thrived in the pen as a long man, and generally threw nicely as a limited-inning spot starter. But his grandmother's illness and death, followed by a cranky back, led to a late-season meltdown.
He finished 4-6 with a 5.42 ERA, and has to be considered a bubble player to come north after camp. There should be quite a crowd for that last spot, and options remaining could play a role in determining who's left standing.
Jose Ascanio, 24, part of the John Grabow deal with the Cubs, was his chief rival for the long role out of the pen. But a late-September scope to repair a labrum tear took him out of the competition until at least June. He finished the year 1-3 with a 4.99 ERA.
Old dependable Denny Bautista, 29, got another call to the big club, and per his MO, started off on fire and then rapidly faded. He ended up 1-1 with a 5.27 ERA.
Chris Bootcheck, 30, was signed as a veteran insurance policy, but it didn't quite work out that way for him in 2009. The six-year player posted his third double-digit ERA in the past four years, putting up an 11.05 ERA in Pittsburgh.
Tyler Yates, 32, had Tommy John surgery in August, and Craig Hansen, 25, has Personage-Turner Syndrome, a nerve problem, and no one knows when he'll be back. Those injuries could mark the end of their stints in Pittsburgh, though the suits could non-tender the pair and sign them to minimum-wage deals just to stockpile them in the system.
Anthony Claggett, 25, was claimed from the Yankees - a pity their payroll doesn't rub off the the Pirates, too - and got a cup of coffee in Pittsburgh. In 2006, Claggett was named by MLB.com as the Class A reliever of the year, so there may be something worth mining in his arm.
The sole returning lefty in the pen is Phil Dumatrait, 28, who came back from shoulder surgery in August, and strung together a lackluster 0-2 record with a 6.92 ERA, giving up 4 homers in 13 innings.
He had a brief shining moment as a starter in 2008, taking the place of Matty Mo, but looks like a long shot to stay with the Pirates next season. He's still a year away from arbitration, but is out of options and will likely be one of the odd men out for the long role out of the pen.
The only lefty in the system worth looking at for the pen is Danny Moskos, 23, the 2007 #1 pick from Clemson. Yah, yah, he's not Matt Weiters, but he may sneak into a Pirate uniform next year as a lefty set-up guy. Moskos was 11-10 with a 3.74 ERA at Altoona, had a pretty good split against lefties, and gets ground balls. And he was a closer for the Tigers.
It's a big jump, and he's better suited to set up than face late innings. Still, he has a shot in the southpaw challenged Bucco system.
There are a few right handers in the pipeline, although none are MLB ready yet.
Jeff Sues, 26, had a rough season at Altoona, with a 2-6-2 record and 4.46 ERA. His performance wasn't as bad as his line; his peripheries were OK, but his command was off until the last two months of the season. He'll probably get a shot at Indy next year; his current position on the 40-man roster is tenuous.
Ron Uviedo, 23, spent the year alternating between starting and closing at Lynchburg, where he went 3-3-5 with a 3.36 ERA. He was limited in his work last season, suffering a bout of elbow tendinitis, and may return full-time to relieving in 2010. We expect him to move to Altoona in 2010.
Diego Moreno, 23, closing at West Virginia, finished 1-3-5 with a 2.60 ERA. He features a mid-90s fast ball and struck out 57 in 45 innings. He should move to Lynchburg next season.
Mike Dubee, 23, came to Pittsburgh from the White Sox for Andy Phillips, and had a 2-0-6 record and 1.05 ERA as part of Lynchburg's closer-by-committee, and was 3-0-1 at Altoona with a 2.91 ERA in the second half of the season, and should start 2010 there.
Tom Boleska, 23, finished the year pitching for Great Britain in the World Cup; he put together a 2.13 ERA in 12-2/3 innings, striking out 14. Before that, he had a 1-1 slate at Lynchburg with a 1.60 ERA, although his season didn't really start until July because of an oblique strain.
This, of course, is the short list. Ramon Augero and RJ Rodriguez were left off because they're 25 and still in A ball. Also, the Pirates like to work their best guys as starters, no matter what the MLB projection may be, so tomorrow's list of rotation prospects will no doubt have a couple of future bull pen candidates included.
And we'd be flabbergasted if the Bucs didn't find one or two lefties to bring in. JR's mouth may have said it makes no difference, but his actions sure spoke loudly every time he had to bring Donnie Veal and Phil Dumatrait in to match up during the latter part of the season.
CONTRACTUAL ISSUES: Tyler Yates enters his free agency year. Matt Capps is in his final arbitration year; Denny Bautista and Chris Bootcheck, their second. Jeff Karstens may qualify for arbitration as a "Super Two" player. Joel Hanrahan will become eligible in 2011.
But a lot of guys are out of minor league options - Jose Ascanio, Bautista, Bootcheck, Phil Dumatrait, Hanrahan, and Craig Hansen. There are also injury issues - Ascanio, Hansen, and Yates will not be ready for season.
The $64,000 question, of course, is what Matt Capps reports to camp. If it's the 2009 version, with the 5.80 ERA, .324 opponent batting average, and the command of a little league pitcher, his three-year run as Bucco closer will come to an end.
He always depended on a relatively flat 93 MPH fastball that caught corners; last year, it caught the plate. Capps, 26, publicly blamed his control issues on overusing his secondary pitches; we'll see. This will be a make-or-break camp for him, if he gets to it - there's been less than subtle indications that he's on the market, and he has a $4M contract that will only jump in arbitration.
But if the Capps era comes to a close, the Pirates believe that 2008 Rule 5 pick-up Evan Meek, 26, has the stuff to replace him. Meek was 1-1 with a 3.45 ERA, and except for a rough July, pitched fairly consistently. He still has to cut down on walks, but made great strides in that direction this season.
Plan B is Joel Hanrahan, 28, who was lights out for the Bucs, compiling a 1.72 ERA. The Washington acquisition also has to find the plate more often, walking two guys every three innings. Another red flag; as a closer last season, he only converted 5-of-10 save opportunities. Capps, even with his inflated stats, saved 27-of-32 chances.
Jesse Chavez, 26, was 1-4 with a 4.01 ERA. In his first full season, he was called on a team-high 73 times. Chavez faded at the end, but we think overuse caught up to him. His control was usually fine; he walked a batter every three innings and had better than a 2:1 K to W ratio, and seems mentally suited to be an effective set-up arm. Chavez has to cut down some on long balls; he gave up 11 in 67-1/3 innings.
The addition of Meek, Hanrahan, and Chavez met one of the original goals of the new bosses; they all brought the heat, hitting 95 with regularity and reaching back for a couple more feet when needed.
Steven Jackson, 27, claimed off waivers from the Yankees, was more of a surprise than Chavez. In 40 games, he posted a 3.14 ERA. Unlike the other guys, his stuff isn't going to miss many bats, but when his change up was on, he proved to be a dependable bridge pitcher.
Jeff Karstens, 27, had a yo-yo of a year. Knocked out of the starting rotation, he thrived in the pen as a long man, and generally threw nicely as a limited-inning spot starter. But his grandmother's illness and death, followed by a cranky back, led to a late-season meltdown.
He finished 4-6 with a 5.42 ERA, and has to be considered a bubble player to come north after camp. There should be quite a crowd for that last spot, and options remaining could play a role in determining who's left standing.
Jose Ascanio, 24, part of the John Grabow deal with the Cubs, was his chief rival for the long role out of the pen. But a late-September scope to repair a labrum tear took him out of the competition until at least June. He finished the year 1-3 with a 4.99 ERA.
Old dependable Denny Bautista, 29, got another call to the big club, and per his MO, started off on fire and then rapidly faded. He ended up 1-1 with a 5.27 ERA.
Chris Bootcheck, 30, was signed as a veteran insurance policy, but it didn't quite work out that way for him in 2009. The six-year player posted his third double-digit ERA in the past four years, putting up an 11.05 ERA in Pittsburgh.
Tyler Yates, 32, had Tommy John surgery in August, and Craig Hansen, 25, has Personage-Turner Syndrome, a nerve problem, and no one knows when he'll be back. Those injuries could mark the end of their stints in Pittsburgh, though the suits could non-tender the pair and sign them to minimum-wage deals just to stockpile them in the system.
Anthony Claggett, 25, was claimed from the Yankees - a pity their payroll doesn't rub off the the Pirates, too - and got a cup of coffee in Pittsburgh. In 2006, Claggett was named by MLB.com as the Class A reliever of the year, so there may be something worth mining in his arm.
The sole returning lefty in the pen is Phil Dumatrait, 28, who came back from shoulder surgery in August, and strung together a lackluster 0-2 record with a 6.92 ERA, giving up 4 homers in 13 innings.
He had a brief shining moment as a starter in 2008, taking the place of Matty Mo, but looks like a long shot to stay with the Pirates next season. He's still a year away from arbitration, but is out of options and will likely be one of the odd men out for the long role out of the pen.
The only lefty in the system worth looking at for the pen is Danny Moskos, 23, the 2007 #1 pick from Clemson. Yah, yah, he's not Matt Weiters, but he may sneak into a Pirate uniform next year as a lefty set-up guy. Moskos was 11-10 with a 3.74 ERA at Altoona, had a pretty good split against lefties, and gets ground balls. And he was a closer for the Tigers.
It's a big jump, and he's better suited to set up than face late innings. Still, he has a shot in the southpaw challenged Bucco system.
There are a few right handers in the pipeline, although none are MLB ready yet.
Jeff Sues, 26, had a rough season at Altoona, with a 2-6-2 record and 4.46 ERA. His performance wasn't as bad as his line; his peripheries were OK, but his command was off until the last two months of the season. He'll probably get a shot at Indy next year; his current position on the 40-man roster is tenuous.
Ron Uviedo, 23, spent the year alternating between starting and closing at Lynchburg, where he went 3-3-5 with a 3.36 ERA. He was limited in his work last season, suffering a bout of elbow tendinitis, and may return full-time to relieving in 2010. We expect him to move to Altoona in 2010.
Diego Moreno, 23, closing at West Virginia, finished 1-3-5 with a 2.60 ERA. He features a mid-90s fast ball and struck out 57 in 45 innings. He should move to Lynchburg next season.
Mike Dubee, 23, came to Pittsburgh from the White Sox for Andy Phillips, and had a 2-0-6 record and 1.05 ERA as part of Lynchburg's closer-by-committee, and was 3-0-1 at Altoona with a 2.91 ERA in the second half of the season, and should start 2010 there.
Tom Boleska, 23, finished the year pitching for Great Britain in the World Cup; he put together a 2.13 ERA in 12-2/3 innings, striking out 14. Before that, he had a 1-1 slate at Lynchburg with a 1.60 ERA, although his season didn't really start until July because of an oblique strain.
This, of course, is the short list. Ramon Augero and RJ Rodriguez were left off because they're 25 and still in A ball. Also, the Pirates like to work their best guys as starters, no matter what the MLB projection may be, so tomorrow's list of rotation prospects will no doubt have a couple of future bull pen candidates included.
And we'd be flabbergasted if the Bucs didn't find one or two lefties to bring in. JR's mouth may have said it makes no difference, but his actions sure spoke loudly every time he had to bring Donnie Veal and Phil Dumatrait in to match up during the latter part of the season.
CONTRACTUAL ISSUES: Tyler Yates enters his free agency year. Matt Capps is in his final arbitration year; Denny Bautista and Chris Bootcheck, their second. Jeff Karstens may qualify for arbitration as a "Super Two" player. Joel Hanrahan will become eligible in 2011.
But a lot of guys are out of minor league options - Jose Ascanio, Bautista, Bootcheck, Phil Dumatrait, Hanrahan, and Craig Hansen. There are also injury issues - Ascanio, Hansen, and Yates will not be ready for season.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
ZiPS and Chones: The Bullpen
Here's the 2009 pre-season projections for the bullpen, shown as (W-L-S, ERA):
ABOVE PROJECTIONS:
Evan Meek (1-1-0, 3.45) ZiPS (2-3, 5.03) Chones (0-3, 4.33)
The Rule 5 pick paid dividends for the Pirates and is the logical challenger for Matt Capp's closer spot.
Steve Jackson (2-3-0, 3.14) ZiPS (5-7, 5.32) Chones (3-3, 4.58)
Yo-yo'ed back and forth, and is a good bridge pitcher when he can get his change up over the plate.
AS PROJECTED:
Jesse Chavez (1-4-0, 4.01) ZiPS (3-5, 4.96) Chones (4-4, 4.24)
Faded at the end, probably due to mental exhaustion with Grabow and Burnett gone and Meek and Hanrahan hurt. A tough projection because he had no MLB time, Chones nailed his performance while ZiPS missed pretty badly.
Joel Hanrahan (PIT 0-1-0, 1.72; COM 1-4-5, 4.78) ZiPS (5-4, 3.92) Chones (4-4, 3.93)
Different pitcher in Pittsburgh, maybe because he was removed from the closing pressure cooker and settled into a set-up role.
BELOW PROJECTIONS:
Jeff Karstens (4-6-0, 5.42) ZiPS (5-9, 5.18) Chones (6-6, 4.25)
Showed promise as a long man/spot starter in the pen; his stats suffered badly after his personal leave, followed closely by a back sprain.
Matt Capps (4-8-27, 5.80) ZiPS (5-3, 3.27) Chones (4-3, 3.48)
Still has the velocity, but lacking in command. Says he's going back to being a flame thrower instead of using so much off-speed stuff. A huge question mark going into 2010, and probably on the block if someone will overpay for him.
Under 20 innings: Jose Ascanio (PIT 0-1, 6.75; COM 0-2, 4.00; ZiPS 2-2 4.91; Chones 3-3, 4.58), Donnie Veal (1-0-0, 7.16; ZiPS 5-10, 5.95; Chones 5-9, 5.73), Chris Bootcheck (0-0-0, 11.05; ZiPS 1-3, 5.98; Chones 3-3, 4.14), Denny Baustista (1-1-0, 5.27; ZiPS 3-4 4.62; Chones 4-4, 4.23), Phil Dumatrait (0-2-0, 6.92; ZiPS 4-10, 5.88; Chones 3-4, 4.89), Tyler Yates (0-2-0, 7.50; ZiPS 3-4, 4.79; Chones 4-3, 4.08), Chris Hansen (0-0-0, 5.68; ZiPS 3-5, 4.82; Chones 4-3, 3.95), Eric Hacker (0-0-0, 6.00; COM 0-1 7.88; ZiPS 8-8 4.81; Chones 6-6, 5.07), and Anthony Claggett (0-0-0, 9.00 COM 0-0 27.00; ZiPS 5-5 5.10; Chones 2-3, 5.20)
Of this group, Ascanio, Yates and Hansen will start 2010 on the DL, Dumatrait has to show he's recovered his stuff after surgery, and Veal with join Indy's rotation. There's not a lot left to sort through after them.
The Pirates had a pretty good eye in putting this gang together. They need a preferably veteran lefty, and may be looking for a closer that doesn't bring the drama of Capps to the ninth inning. One word of warning; Hanrahan is the only guy with closer experience, and he was only 5-of-10 for the Nats. The rest of the staff went 0-for-8 in save chances in 2009.
ABOVE PROJECTIONS:
Evan Meek (1-1-0, 3.45) ZiPS (2-3, 5.03) Chones (0-3, 4.33)
The Rule 5 pick paid dividends for the Pirates and is the logical challenger for Matt Capp's closer spot.
Steve Jackson (2-3-0, 3.14) ZiPS (5-7, 5.32) Chones (3-3, 4.58)
Yo-yo'ed back and forth, and is a good bridge pitcher when he can get his change up over the plate.
AS PROJECTED:
Jesse Chavez (1-4-0, 4.01) ZiPS (3-5, 4.96) Chones (4-4, 4.24)
Faded at the end, probably due to mental exhaustion with Grabow and Burnett gone and Meek and Hanrahan hurt. A tough projection because he had no MLB time, Chones nailed his performance while ZiPS missed pretty badly.
Joel Hanrahan (PIT 0-1-0, 1.72; COM 1-4-5, 4.78) ZiPS (5-4, 3.92) Chones (4-4, 3.93)
Different pitcher in Pittsburgh, maybe because he was removed from the closing pressure cooker and settled into a set-up role.
BELOW PROJECTIONS:
Jeff Karstens (4-6-0, 5.42) ZiPS (5-9, 5.18) Chones (6-6, 4.25)
Showed promise as a long man/spot starter in the pen; his stats suffered badly after his personal leave, followed closely by a back sprain.
Matt Capps (4-8-27, 5.80) ZiPS (5-3, 3.27) Chones (4-3, 3.48)
Still has the velocity, but lacking in command. Says he's going back to being a flame thrower instead of using so much off-speed stuff. A huge question mark going into 2010, and probably on the block if someone will overpay for him.
Under 20 innings: Jose Ascanio (PIT 0-1, 6.75; COM 0-2, 4.00; ZiPS 2-2 4.91; Chones 3-3, 4.58), Donnie Veal (1-0-0, 7.16; ZiPS 5-10, 5.95; Chones 5-9, 5.73), Chris Bootcheck (0-0-0, 11.05; ZiPS 1-3, 5.98; Chones 3-3, 4.14), Denny Baustista (1-1-0, 5.27; ZiPS 3-4 4.62; Chones 4-4, 4.23), Phil Dumatrait (0-2-0, 6.92; ZiPS 4-10, 5.88; Chones 3-4, 4.89), Tyler Yates (0-2-0, 7.50; ZiPS 3-4, 4.79; Chones 4-3, 4.08), Chris Hansen (0-0-0, 5.68; ZiPS 3-5, 4.82; Chones 4-3, 3.95), Eric Hacker (0-0-0, 6.00; COM 0-1 7.88; ZiPS 8-8 4.81; Chones 6-6, 5.07), and Anthony Claggett (0-0-0, 9.00 COM 0-0 27.00; ZiPS 5-5 5.10; Chones 2-3, 5.20)
Of this group, Ascanio, Yates and Hansen will start 2010 on the DL, Dumatrait has to show he's recovered his stuff after surgery, and Veal with join Indy's rotation. There's not a lot left to sort through after them.
The Pirates had a pretty good eye in putting this gang together. They need a preferably veteran lefty, and may be looking for a closer that doesn't bring the drama of Capps to the ninth inning. One word of warning; Hanrahan is the only guy with closer experience, and he was only 5-of-10 for the Nats. The rest of the staff went 0-for-8 in save chances in 2009.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)