The Pen

[Bellhorn04]

leongate

 

Very well played.

[Bellhorn04]

i dont believe relievers are as weird as starters.

 

Well played again.

 

Starters are strange and finicky creatures. They are the prima donnas of baseball.

[mvp 78]

Well played again.

 

Starters are strange and finicky creatures. They are the prima donnas of baseball.

 

Just wait until rosters expand and some relief ace has a personal catching caddie.

[harmony]

Shall we bet it doesn’t last all season?

I don't bet but it's safe to say the Red Sox will win more games this season than any single pitcher.

 

And for what it's worth, FanGraphs Playoff Odds still project the Seattle Mariners to finish fourth in the American League West:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds

[S5Dewey]

Well played again.

 

Starters are strange and finicky creatures. They are the prima donnas of baseball.

 

Ya think? More than closers??

[Kimmi]

I don't bet but it's safe to say the Red Sox will win more games this season than any single pitcher.

 

And for what it's worth, FanGraphs Playoff Odds still project the Seattle Mariners to finish fourth in the American League West:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds

 

Fangraphs also still has the Red Sox with a 64% chance of making the playoffs.

 

Considering our current record and run differential, that says a lot about the talent of the Red Sox. Or maybe about the lack of talent on the competition.

[Kimmi]

Ya think? More than closers??

 

I think that relief pitchers are a breed of their own, and stranger than starters.

[moonslav59]

Fangraphs also still has the Red Sox with a 64% chance of making the playoffs.

 

Considering our current record and run differential, that says a lot about the talent of the Red Sox. Or maybe about the lack of talent on the competition.

 

...or that the sample size is so damn small, it hardly matters.

[harmony]

Fangraphs also still has the Red Sox with a 64% chance of making the playoffs.

 

Considering our current record and run differential, that says a lot about the talent of the Red Sox. Or maybe about the lack of talent on the competition.

I still give great weight to the projections even though one team entered today's games with MLB's best run differential and the other team with the worst run differential.

[mvp 78]

Even though it's a small sample, it's nice to see Barnes and Brasier pick up where they left off. There was substantial concern about those two.

[Bellhorn04]

Even though it's a small sample, it's nice to see Barnes and Brasier pick up where they left off. There was substantial concern about those two.

 

Substantial indeed.

[mvp 78]

Thornburg looks ok? Hembree and Brewer might just be replaced by AAA arms sooner than later.

[TylerD]

Even though it's a small sample, it's nice to see Barnes and Brasier pick up where they left off. There was substantial concern about those two.

 

I was nervous and excited all at the same time. They handled the pressure very nice in the post season so part of me thought one of them would make a great closer. They are the least of the concern on this team right now.

[mvp 78]

I was nervous and excited all at the same time. They handled the pressure very nice in the post season so part of me thought one of them would make a great closer. They are the least of the concern on this team right now.

 

 

To me, as long as the starting pitchers are healthy, they'll be fine in the long run. The trouble is that they can't dig themselves into too deep of a whole. It is only April and I do typically wait until the end of May to make any grand statements of the season, but this .250 winning % ain't gonna cut it much longer.

[notin]

Thornburg looks ok? Hembree and Brewer might just be replaced by AAA arms sooner than later.

 

Brewer has 4.2 IP, 7Ks and 1ER. Who in AAA is going to do better?

[mvp 78]

Brewer has 4.2 IP, 7Ks and 1ER. Who in AAA is going to do better?

 

That WHIP tho.

[notin]

That WHIP tho.

 

 

Not good, but not a death sentence either. It is still based on 4.2IP and a couple clean innings will alter it drastically...

[mvp 78]

Not good, but not a death sentence either. It is still based on 4.2IP and a couple clean innings will alter it drastically...

 

We'll see. I just have a hunch.

[TylerD]

To me, as long as the starting pitchers are healthy, they'll be fine in the long run. The trouble is that they can't dig themselves into too deep of a whole. It is only April and I do typically wait until the end of May to make any grand statements of the season, but this .250 winning % ain't gonna cut it much longer.

 

Fair point, I do think we will get this rotation rolling eventually. Have said that from the beginning, but I just hope it isn't too late by that time. If we are 12 games under when they finally decide to pitch good we are really going to be hurting..... More so than we already are. Tampa at some point has to cool off one would think..... But they are looking red hot right now.

[notin]

Fair point, I do think we will get this rotation rolling eventually. Have said that from the beginning, but I just hope it isn't too late by that time. If we are 12 games under when they finally decide to pitch good we are really going to be hurting..... More so than we already are. Tampa at some point has to cool off one would think..... But they are looking red hot right now.

 

 

Tampa is 47-21 (.691) since last July when they were 54-53...

[Kimmi]

I still give great weight to the projections even though one team entered today's games with MLB's best run differential and the other team with the worst run differential.

 

That's because you are a wise man.

[Kimmi]

We'll see. I just have a hunch.

 

Interesting, because I have a hunch in the opposite direction.

[SCM33]

Matt Barnes can never be brought in for a close/late situation ever again.

[oldtimer]

The amount of work the pen is getting could result in dead arms later in the season. I would hope we would explore using other 40 man roster pitchers and sort out the wheat from the chaff soon. We have D. Hernandez and T. Latkins who might fit in instead of Poyner and other weaker performers. It would be great if the work could be spread out more equitably.

[SCM33]

The amount of work the pen is getting could result in dead arms later in the season. I would hope we would explore using other 40 man roster pitchers and sort out the wheat from the chaff soon. We have D. Hernandez and T. Latkins who might fit in instead of Poyner and other weaker performers. It would be great if the work could be spread out more equitably.

 

Again, they may be overworked........but they sucked to begin with, prior to being overworked. Now they suck more.

 

It doesnt change the fact that the pen sucked to begin with. They weren't good last year, won the WS by putting SP's in the bullpen, and somehow...got worse during the offseason.

[notin]

The amount of work the pen is getting could result in dead arms later in the season. I would hope we would explore using other 40 man roster pitchers and sort out the wheat from the chaff soon. We have D. Hernandez and T. Latkins who might fit in instead of Poyner and other weaker performers. It would be great if the work could be spread out more equitably.

 

 

So Poyner, who was one of those young stars many wanted on the postseason roster instead of Kelly, is now on the outs after facing one hitter???!!?

 

I think sometimes people are a bit too desperate to replace the current players with the youngsters on the farm.

[notin]

Again, they may be overworked........but they sucked to begin with, prior to being overworked. Now they suck more.

 

It doesnt change the fact that the pen sucked to begin with. They weren't good last year, won the WS by putting SP's in the bullpen, and somehow...got worse during the offseason.

 

 

That “somehow” might be explained by replacing Kimbrel and Kelly with Colten Brewer and a bunch of Ryan Brasier Hopefuls with long minor league careers...

[Station 13]

Matt Barnes can never be brought in for a close/late situation ever again.

 

Sure let's not use a guy with a 18K/9 in a close/late situation and use Brandon Workman instead, the most senior member of the pen.

 

Who do you suppose to run out there over Barnes?

[notin]

Sure let's not use a guy with a 18K/9 in a close/late situation and use Brandon Workman instead, the most senior member of the pen.

 

Who do you suppose to run out there over Barnes?

 

SCM has been convinced Barnes can’t handle pressure ever since he realized Matt has that dangerous 0.87 ERA in the postseason...

[devildavid]

The only thing lacking in the bullpen is a closer. But it appears that the approach this season has moved away from the traditional closer role. Don't know if this is by design or that the bullpen is seen as an area to keep salary costs down or a little of both.