The Pen

[moonslav59]

The Rays have defensive whiz Mike Zunino, who is a year removed from a 3.7 fWAR season.

 

Got it. My bad.

[moonslav59]

MLBTRs reports...Besides the Marlins...

 

Frisaro pegs the Dodgers, Braves, Astros, Rays, Padres and Reds as the six teams still in the mix for Realmuto. Frisaro further tweets that the Dodgers “may be [the] most motivated” to land Realmuto of the six current suitors.

 

Why are the Rays looking for a catcher?

[sk7326]

MLBTRs reports...Besides the Marlins...

 

Frisaro pegs the Dodgers, Braves, Astros, Rays, Padres and Reds as the six teams still in the mix for Realmuto. Frisaro further tweets that the Dodgers “may be [the] most motivated” to land Realmuto of the six current suitors.

 

Why are the Rays looking for a catcher?

 

Not sure - it is interesting that they are clearly going for it this year.

[moonslav59]

Not sure - it is interesting that they are clearly going for it this year.

 

They "quietly" won 90 games this year, despite playing the Sox and Yanks in over 20% of their games.

 

[notin]

Dominant Dave - Good one notin - glad you are coming around .

Whoops sorry notin. Thought you had finally gotten it right .

 

 

Hey I’ve been defending his bullpen approach for 2 weeks now and decided he is having a Very Notin Off-Season, which actually may not be a good thing...

[notin]

MLBTRs reports...Besides the Marlins...

 

Frisaro pegs the Dodgers, Braves, Astros, Rays, Padres and Reds as the six teams still in the mix for Realmuto. Frisaro further tweets that the Dodgers “may be [the] most motivated” to land Realmuto of the six current suitors.

 

Why are the Rays looking for a catcher?

 

 

Or the Reds, who just extended theirs? Or the Braves, who have Flowers and McCann?

 

Dodgers, Astros, and Padres make sense. But it won’t be the Padres, since the Marlins will insist on Tatis...

[sk7326]

They "quietly" won 90 games this year, despite playing the Sox and Yanks in over 20% of their games.

 

 

Right - it is good to see at least one team actually trying to win and not pocketing the TV money

[notin]

Right - it is good to see at least one team actually trying to win and not pocketing the TV money

 

And they’re having a crazy off-season. I think they’ve been involved in almost every trade so far...

[moonslav59]

And they’re having a crazy off-season. I think they’ve been involved in almost every trade so far...

 

They could use one big boost.

[harmony]

They could use one big boost.

Edwin Encarnacion!?!?😀😀😀

 

... athough the Rays lack a big contract to trade back to Seattle.

 

How much of the $25 million remaining on Encarnacion’s contract would the Mariners need to pay to get a decent prospect?

[notin]

Edwin Encarnacion!?!?

 

... athough the Rays lack a big contract to trade back to Seattle.

 

How much of the $25 million remaining on Encarnacion’s contract would the Mariners need to pay to get a decent prospect?

 

 

$30 million....

[BillyWilliams]

For what it's worth, the FanGraphs projections have the Yanks at #1 in the bullpen department with the sox coming in at #21.

[FredLynn]

For what it's worth, the FanGraphs projections have the Yanks at #1 in the bullpen department with the sox coming in at #21.

 

Is that the same Fangraphs that projected the Yankees to win the ALE last year?

[notin]

For what it's worth, the FanGraphs projections have the Yanks at #1 in the bullpen department with the sox coming in at #21.

 

For what it’s worth, my calendar projects it to be January 10....

[BillyWilliams]

For what it’s worth, my calendar projects it to be January 10....

 

You might want to invest in a new calendar.........

[TylerD]

To be fair the pen was much better late in the season (specifically in the playoffs) Our pen was the weakness of the team but did a hell of a job against some very good teams in the playoffs.

[moonslav59]

To be fair the pen was much better late in the season (specifically in the playoffs) Our pen was the weakness of the team but did a hell of a job against some very good teams in the playoffs.

 

"Weakness" vs weakest area on a team are not the same thing.

 

We had the 9th best pen fWAR in MLB last year and were just 0.2 from 7th best. Being top tier (out of 3 tiers) is not a weakness.

 

One could argue our weakness was Catcher offense, 2B everything & 3B defense.

[mvp 78]

For what it’s worth, my calendar projects it to be January 10....

 

FWIW, back to back to back TO BACK

[dannycater]

Would be funny if by a certain point, Porcello ends up as a closer. Wright/ERod healthy, lot of pitchers.

[mvp 78]

Would be funny if by a certain point, Porcello ends up as a closer. Wright/ERod healthy, lot of pitchers.

 

He'd be a terrible closer.

[moonslav59]

Would be funny if by a certain point, Porcello ends up as a closer. Wright/ERod healthy, lot of pitchers.

 

Porcello is our horse. More chance of Eovaldi sliding over to closer, if another starter steps up (Wright?).

[OH FOY]

Porcello is our horse. More chance of Eovaldi sliding over to closer, if another starter steps up (Wright?).

 

I could see this. He does 2 important things for a Closer, throws smoke, and good secondary Pitches, and the most important thing, he throws strikes.

[Bellhorn04]

It's not usually a good plan to have one of your top starters moving to the bullpen.

[moonslav59]

It's not usually a good plan to have one of your top starters moving to the bullpen.

 

Agreed. To me, it would be a last resort and could only happen, if someone like Wright, Johnson or Velazquez showed they could be a decent 5th starter, no other starter is hurt AND nobody shows they can close effectively out of Brasier, Barnes, Thornburg & Hembree or whoever we add.

 

I think the odds are long.

[notin]

He'd be a terrible closer.

 

 

Based on what?

[mvp 78]

Based on what?

 

The last year he did any relieving he had a x7.37 FIP and a 9.00 BB/9. Duh.

[notin]

The last year he did any relieving he had a x7.37 FIP and a 9.00 BB/9. Duh.

 

 

I know you realize he had only 6IP as a reliever in a 10 year career...

[mvp 78]

I know you realize he had only 6IP as a reliever in a 10 year career...

 

I could only go by the most recent sample...

[notin]

I could only go by the most recent sample...

 

 

Well one reason I think he’d be OK as a closer is he doesn’t walk people. He has to get beat because he rarely beats himself.

 

The real reason NOT to move him to closer is his primary asset is his durability...

[notin]

I could see this. He does 2 important things for a Closer, throws smoke, and good secondary Pitches, and the most important thing, he throws strikes.

 

 

Closers don’t need to throw smoke. But they do need to throw strikes...