Our pen has certainly been one of many weak points on the team.
I do question the use of ERA, especially for RP'ers, since they often enter innings with 1-2 outs already and the full amount of runs allowed my be lessened by walk off hits.
In other areas, our pen still looks bad, buy not always bottom 5.
9th in IP, which hints at forced overuse- shifting some of "the blame" to the starters or manager
21st in fWAR at 2.7
21st WHIP at 1.35
23rd xFIP at 4.55 (20th in FIP)
26th in ERA- at 110
Our SP'ers are...
21st in IP.
18th in FWAR at 8.8
18th xFIP at 4.09
21st in ERA- at 109 (about the same as the pen)
24th in WHIP at 1.34 (about the same as the pen)
The pen deserves criticism, but you seem to focus only on them, when the starters forced more IP on them, and their injuries forced Houck and Whitlock to start some games and a few "pen games," along the way, as well.