Tag Archives: relief pitchers

Red Sox Should Target Three Relievers This Offseason

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The bullpen has been a thorn in the Boston Red Sox’s side many times in 2018. To say that it is a bad bullpen is, quite frankly, a bad statement. However, it seems that they may not be a threatening bullpen to opposing teams. They can get the job done, but are they reliable to have a lock-down inning when needed? Red Sox fans loathe the moment when a relief pitcher comes in to a high leverage situation, in 2018.

This season has been a fantastic one as of now. Currently at 103 wins and one win away from clinching their third AL East title in as many years. The writing seems to be already on the wall for this impending postseason. The bullpen is barely trustworthy.

This is a small cloud that is seen in a huge ray of sunshine. Not to be redundant, but this Red Sox team is legitimately good. However, every team has its weaknesses and this is one that can carry into next season if not addressed. Don’t expect a trade, as the Red Sox don’t have a lot of pieces they can afford to give away for the time being. Thus, it’s never too early to look at who the Red Sox could sign in the offseason. Here are three serious options they should consider:

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1. Craig Kimbrel

Hear me out on this one before you shoot me.

Yes, we all know that Kimbrel isn’t having a fantastic season. Yes, he is having the worst season of his career when it comes down to FIP. A statistic that is, of many things, very telling of how a pitcher could perform in the future.

When it comes down to who the Red Sox currently have that can take over in case of Kimbrel’s departure, it’s frightening. Currently the closer role would have to go to Ryan Brasier, who has been the most reliable pitcher this season for the Sox. Even then, Brasier is unproven (38.1 IP in his MLB career) and Kimbrel should not be replaced with Brasier just yet. Also, some current closers on the 2019 free agent market are not worth breaking the bank for.

Kimbrel knows what it’s like to pitch in Boston, experience the media, fans, ballpark and the pressure of a big market. He’s experienced success and struggles with this team. He knows what is needed of him, and he is the best available option in the 2019 free agency class. It’s time to trust Kimbrel again.

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2. Andrew Miller

Andrew Miller has been on my list of “Relief pitchers I want next season” and there are a lot of reasons as to why this still holds water. Since 2016, he is ranked first (high leverage situations) in average against, ERA, FIP, xFIP, WHIP, BB/9, and K/BB among all relief pitchers that will be a free agent in 2019.

He’s been to a World Series, seen success and failure throughout his career and is a seasoned veteran. Also to note, he has a 1.10 ERA in 32.2 Postseason innings pitched.

One final note is that he has also experienced what Boston has to offer, being that he was with the club for four seasons. He knows what is expected of him just like Kimbrel, and Miller can be the guy that can bring this bullpen to a new level if added.

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3. Jeurys Familia

Never would a former Mets player would be on a list of players that I would put my trust in, yet here we are.

Jeurys Familia has quietly put together a pretty good career up to this point. Albeit, he hasn’t looked unhittable since joining Oakland but that’s besides the point. His numbers in high leverage situations are very good and he does a great job at keeping the ball in the yard. Familia is someone that the Sox can potentially replace Kimbrel with if talks fall through. He’s proven to the world that he can close out games (51 saves in 2016) and can produce in a big market city.

One final note on Familia, is that he is younger than the aforementioned options. This is one less worry for when this team has to lock up some of the younger guys.

@ELJGON

Is the Bullpen Cart Making a Comeback?

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As Major League Baseball searches for ways to shorten games and attract fan attention, there has been talk of bullpen carts making a return to the game. Bullpen carts were a fixture in baseball during the 1970’s, but where did they originate? Will the return of the carts to escort relievers into the game actually speed anything up?

The Origins of the Bullpen Cart

According to Paul Lukas of ESPN, the first use of a “bullpen cart” came in 1950. The Indians were the first team to implement this, using something known as “the little red wagon.” Teams slowly added some sort of cart to bring relief pitchers from the bullpen to the mound. There was no immediate craze where everyone jumped on board with it, they just slowly trickled their way into the game. In fact, the Braves didn’t become the first National League team to use one until mid-season in 1959.

“A motor scooter with sidecar was used for the first time in the National league by the Braves. Here pitcher Hal Jeffcoat arrived at the mound, chauffeured by John (Freckles) Bonneau. It took less than 30 seconds to make the trip. 6/24/1959. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Teams slowly started using golf carts during the 1960’s to make the trip rather than little wagons and scooters. Oddly, no one is really sure of the evolution that took place into the well-known baseball shaped golf carts of the 1970’s. The Mets had a baseball shaped golf cart in 1967, but it is not known for a fact this was the first of them.

The Height of the Bullpen Cart Era

The seventies is the decade that first comes to mind when talking about bullpen carts. The use of the carts was widespread throughout baseball. Also in this decade, teams implemented the design that is well known.

Houston Astros cart circa 1970’s

The combination of these throwback Astros uniform with their bullpen cart is awesome. Teams used these throughout the seventies and up through the eighties as well. Most of these carts were the same from team to team; just the baseball cap atop the cart changed to match the hometown team. The Seattle Mariners went a step further with their cart, trying to make it match the theme of their nickname.

The Mariners tugboat cart was introduced in 1982.

However, the bullpen carts started dying out as the eighties drew to a close and the nineties ushered in a new era. Some pitchers did not like to use them and chose to run alongside them even when they were in use. As the mid-nineties came, the cart completely died out. The Brewers were the last team to employ one in 1995.

Nicknamed “Papa Cheese”, the Brewers bullpen cart was the last one still being used by 1995.

Are Bullpen Carts Worth It?

How much would reintroducing the bullpen cart to the game really change things? Except for the relievers who slowly lumber out to the mound, I don’t see bullpen carts actually speeding things up much. Most relievers tend to jog in from the pen, which would probably only take a few seconds longer than a cart trip. Are some baseball fans just nostalgic for the goofy baseball designed carts from the past? Maybe with all the pitching changes that take place in today’s game these carts could help a little. However, how much time can they really carve off of a game?

The reason for bringing these back would seem to be more of an entertainment factor. If each team had some neat design that complemented what their team is about it could be a fun time. The Mariners tugboat may have been a little over the top, but looking back on it, it looks pretty awesome. I hope if they are brought back some of the goofy design from a few decades ago is kept. Some improvements will need to be made and MLB can modernize the look of the carts, but they should remain baseball themed.

Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee arrives in the bullpen cart to relieve Ferguson Jenkins in the fifth inning as the Red Sox played the White Sox on July 24, 1977. (Boston Globe)

 

Featured picture from SonsofSamHorn.net

The Top Relievers in Baseball

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In today’s game, relief pitchers are used so often. Starters are often relied upon to only go five to six innings, then turn it over to the pen to close things out for several innings. There are more relievers in the game, and more guys who throw in the upper 90’s. Nowadays, there are so many guys who can dominate for an inning, and oftentimes there are random guys who have one outstanding season. This can make it difficult to determine who is real and who is a pretender. In this article, I factor in age when determining my top 10.

Craig Kimbrel

Kimbrel is one of the most dominant stoppers the game has ever seen. From when he broke in during the 2010 season, through 2014, Kimbrel had a ridiculous 1.43 ERA while saving 186 games. During this time he struck out 14.8 batters per nine innings pitched and had a WHIP of 0.90. You really can’t be any better than he was. He did tail off for two seasons after leaving Atlanta, though he did save 70 games with a sub 3.00 ERA.

Last season, Kimbrel was back to his dominant self, pitching to a 1.43 ERA, the same ERA he had during his first five seasons. Kimbrel had a crazy low 0.68 WHIP and a filthy 16.4 strike outs per nine innings. In fact, if Kimbrel had struck out just one batter that managed to put the ball in play, he would have struck out exactly half of the batters he faced on the season. Still just 29 years old, Kimbrel should have plenty of run left as a dominant closer.

Kenley Jansen

Kimbrel and Jansen are clearly the top two relievers in baseball in my mind. It was them one-two, and then figuring out the rest. Jansen is remarkable in that he was a catcher in the minor leagues before becoming one of the most dominant relievers in the game. In parts of eight seasons, Jansen has posted an ERA below 2.00 in half of them. One of the top strike out artists in baseball, Jansen has struck out 14 batters per nine innings pitched during his career.

Jansen had arguably his best season last year, leading the league with 41 saves to go with his 5-0 record. He had the lowest ERA (1.32) and the lowest WHIP (0.75) of anyone with 11 or more innings pitched in the National League. Jansen has saved 230 games during his career. His ERA is 2.08 and he has a career 0.87 WHIP. Every number is among the league leaders during the time period.

Photo by John McCoy/So Cal News Group

Roberto Osuna

This might be a name that doesn’t come straight to mind for most. Osuna has not been around long, and pitches for a mediocre team north of the border. As such, Osuna doesn’t get the publicity others do. Make no mistake, Osuna is one of the best relief pitchers in baseball. Turning just 23 in less than a week, Osuna should be around much longer than guys behind him on this list.

As a closer, one thing you don’t want to do is allow baserunners. Osuna has a WHIP below 1.00 in all three seasons of his career, so he does a great job of limiting them. This past season, even though his ERA was a career high 3.38, Osuna allowed the fewest baserunners of his career at 0.86 per inning. He also allowed a career low three home runs, leading me to believe his still solid ERA was flukily high. With a little more luck, his ERA should dip back closer to 2.50 this coming season. Osuna has saved 95 games in his first three seasons, and at such a young age there is room for improvement.

Andrew Miller

If this list was just for 2018, Miller would be at least one spot higher. Easily the most dominant left-handed reliever in the game, Miller dominates both left-handed and right-handed hitters alike.

Over the last four years, Miller has been arguably more dominant than anyone. He is 22-11 over that span with a 1.72 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 14.5 strike outs per nine innings. He can go for more than one innings, which he illustrated during the postseason over the past couple years. In postseason play, Miller has a 1.10 ERA over 32.2 innings pitched. He seems to dominate no matter the circumstance. Miller will be turning 33 in May, giving him a full decade on Roberto Osuna, causing me to place Osuna in the third spot. I will not argue the fact that at the moment, Miller is the better pitcher.

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

Dellin Betances

I was shocked when I looked up Betances and learned he would be 30 years old before the season starts. He has only been around for four years, so it seems like he should be much younger. He also has been less dominant the last two seasons than he was in his first two. However, Betances can still dominate and has great stuff, so he cracks my top five. After pitching to a 1.45 ERA in his first two seasons, Betances’ ERA in the last two is 2.98. His WHIP has also risen every season, going from 0.78 in 2014 to 1.22 last season. There are some warning signs, but this is still a guy who has struck out over 15 batters per nine in each of the last two years. Last year, only Craig Kimbrel had a better strike out rate in the AL.

Ken Giles

Ken Giles struggled this past postseason, but that should not be all you think about when it comes to him. At 27, Giles has been in the majors for four years. Giles has a 2.43 career ERA and 12.4 strike outs per nine. After dominating for two seasons in Philadelphia, Giles encountered his first struggles in 2016 with the Astros. Despite the struggles, he did strike out a career high 14 batters per nine. Reaffirming himself as one of the better relievers in baseball, Giles posted a 2.30 ERA for the Astros last year with a 1.04 WHIP. He bolstered the back end of the Houston bullpen as they made their race towards the playoffs. Giles should be a good closer for years to come.

Aroldis Chapman

One could definitely argue that Chapman should be higher on the list. After all, I do have Chapman approaching top 10 all-time status for relief pitchers. However, Chapman showed signs of cracking last season and will be 30 before the month is out. Not that 30 is old, but he has eight Major League seasons of throwing a ball 100 miles per hour. All the stress of throwing that hard could catch up to him. Late last year, his control was all over the place and he exhibited very poor body language on the mound at times. I also wonder then how he will handle the pressures of New York.

All that said, Chapman still posted good numbers, just far from the great ones we were used to from him. His ERA was its highest since 2011, as was his WHIP. Chapman also posted the lowest strike outs per nine of his career. For his career though, Chapman has struck out nearly 15 batters per nine innings while allowing one baserunner per inning. He has surpassed 200 career saves with a 2.21 ERA.

Cody Allen

A man who can keep Andrew Miller from being a closer must be a pretty good pitcher, and Cody Allen is that man. He isn’t better than Miller, but Miller is more valuable in a role where he can be plugged in at opportune times, and Allen is plenty good enough to hold down the fort when his time comes. In five full seasons, Allen has had an ERA below 3.00 in all of them. He has saved 122 games while pitching to a 2.67 ERA. Whether it’s gone noticed or not, Allen has been even better in the playoffs. Over 19.1 postseason innings, Allen has allowed 1 earned run while striking out 33 batters.

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Corey Knebel

Based just upon last year, Knebel should maybe be several spots higher on this list. I’d like to see him do it for another year though, as he kind of came out of nowhere last year to be one of the very best closers in the game. Knebel was a first round pick, so there is reason to think he can possibly continue his dominance. However, before last year Knebel had a career ERA north of 4.00 along with a relatively high WHIP. He had struck out a good amount of batters, but not near the rate at which he did this past year.

Last season, Knebel saved 39 games for the Brewers while striking out just a tick under 15 batters per nine innings. Knebel’s ERA hovered around 1.00 for half the season before one poor game. He then didn’t allow a run in 21 of his next 22 appearances to get his ERA back in the low 1.00’s. He faded a little in the last week or two of the season, possibly tiring out as he pitched more than ever before. Knebel finished the season with a 1.78 ERA

Zach Britton

Heading into last year, Britton would have likely been in the top three of this list. After an injury plagued season, and one much worse than we have been accustomed to, Britton has some rebounding to do. Problem is, he is injured again and expected to miss half this season. He is also 30 years old now. All of that has him dropped, but I felt he still needed to be included based upon how dominant he has proven to be when healthy. Britton was a legitimate Cy Young candidate in 2016, allowing just four earned runs over 67 innings pitched. He led the league with 47 saves that year along with his 0.54 ERA.

Over the three seasons prior to last year, Britton had a 1.38 ERA and 0.91 WHIP while saving 120 games. He was probably the best closer in the game during that three year stretch. Last year his WHIP skyrocketed to an unhealthy 1.53, though he still managed a 2.89 ERA due to his ground ball tendencies. Even if Britton comes back and shows some rust this season after missing half the year, I expect him to ultimately return to being a dominant closer again for a few years.

Honorable Mentions:

Edwin Diaz, Raisel Iglesias, Brad Hand, Wade Davis, Greg Holland

The Worst Relief Pitchers in Red Sox History

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As one can imagine, there have been many poor relief pitchers in the history of the Boston Red Sox. With over a century’s worth of pitchers in team history, and at a position with many guys on the team, the list is cluttered. Narrowing it down to just five guy’s leaves a lot of “worthy” players on the dishonorable mention list.

Jerry Stephenson

Stephenson was a swingman for the Red Sox during the 1960’s. He both started and relieved during his time, but was a disaster in both roles. Stephenson was 8-19 with a 5.54 ERA and 1.68 WHIP while with the Red Sox. This was during the sports best era to be a pitcher since the dead-ball era. These numbers led to a -4.4 WAR for the Red Sox, an astoundingly bad number for a pitcher. Stephenson was even worse as a reliever, posting a 6.65 ERA and 1.92 WHIP in that role.

Ramiro Mendoza

Mendoza pitched for the Red Sox for two seasons, but it was like he was still employed by the Yankees. After spending seven seasons in New York as an effective long reliever, Mendoza was given a 2 year 6.5 million dollar deal by the Red Sox. With the Yankees, Mendoza could come in after a starting pitcher was knocked out early and keep the opponent at bay for several innings while the Yankees clawed their way back into the game. He did it to the Red Sox on multiple occasions.

Mendoza went 16-8 with a 3.60 ERA over his final two seasons with the Yankees. After switching sides of the rivalry, supposedly, Mendoza posted a 6.75 ERA and 1.77 WHIP in 2003 for the Red Sox. Mendoza did bounce back in 2004 in half a season. He missed about half the year and was not trusted in high leverage situations once he was back. He also faltered down the stretch, allowing eight runs in September and October after allowing four prior to that. Mendoza finished his Red Sox career 5-6 with a 5.73 ERA.

Did Ramiro Mendoza ever really trade in his pinstripes? (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Eric Gagne

Gagne was the Red Sox big acquisition for the stretch run in 2007. The Red Sox were the best team in baseball that year but needed another reliable bullpen arm in the later innings. Gagne wasn’t quite the dominant force he had been in Los Angeles when he set the record for most consecutive successful save opportunities, but he was still a good pitcher.

From 2002-05 he was 14-7 with a 1.83 ERA and 160 saves. Gagne missed most of 2006, only pitching two innings. Texas took a chance on him in 2007 and he rewarded them, going 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 16 saves. Texas cashed him in for a few prospects with David Murphy turning out to be the best of the bunch. Murphy went on to have a solid career for the Rangers, while the Red Sox got nothing out of Gagne. Over 20 games Gagne had a 6.75 ERA and a 1.88 WHIP for the Red Sox. Then in the postseason, Gagne allowed three earned runs over 4.1 innings pitched. He was anything but the reliable setup man the Sox thought they were receiving.

Bringing in Eric Gagne was like punting the game. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Craig Hansen

Hansen was the Red Sox 26th overall pick in the 2005 draft. He was supposed to be a rapid riser through the system, a near Major League ready arm. Because of this belief, I think the Red Sox pushed him quicker than was warranted. Hansen made four appearances late that same season. The next season he pitched well overall in the minors, but showed underlying control issues. The Red Sox called him up anyways and he proven unready. Hansen had a 6.63 ERA in the Major Leagues in 2006.

The Red Sox, realizing they may not have allowed Hansen to develop, left him in the minors for all of 2007. This late attempt at a correction didn’t have much effect as Hansen had a 5.58 ERA and almost as many walks as strike outs in 2008. He was then including in the three team deal at the deadline that season that involved Manny Ramirez and Jason Bay. Hansen finished his Red Sox career with a 6.15 ERA and 1.67 WHIP.

Craig Hansen of the Red Sox during a game against the Orioles on May 30, 2008 at Camden Yards. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

Todd Frohwirth

Frohwirth was as bad as can be while with the Red Sox. He pitched in 26.2 innings for the Red Sox, and 52 innings for the PawSox. Frohwirth came to the Red Sox after spending three seasons with the division rival Orioles. In Baltimore, he was 17-13 with a 2.71 ERA, so there was reason to be in favor of the acquisition.

Todd Frohwirth had an 0-3 record with the Red Sox in 1994, pitching to an unsightly 10.80 ERA and 2.14 WHIP. Usually pitching two innings or less, Frohwirth allowed three or more runs in four appearances out of 22. After pitching to an ERA north of 10 by June 10th, the Red Sox sent him to the minors. When he returned in August he was no better, allowing 10 runs, seven earned over five innings. He was so bad I remember friends and family referring to him as Todd “throw up.”

Despite a successful three year stint in the Baltimore bullpen, Frohwirth spent a chunk of the 1994 season in Pawtucket.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Skip Lockwood, Mark Melancon, Heathcliff Slocumb, John Wasdin, Matt Mantei, Lenny Dinardo, Emerson Dickman, David Aardsma, Arnold Earley

Best Relief Pitchers in Red Sox History

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To round out the Red Sox all-time pitching staff I will cover their five greatest relief pitchers ever. This is the third installment of my series of articles. Again, this covers how good they were as a Red Sox, and longevity plays into it. Craig Kimbrel was crazy filthy this season, but to be included he needs at least one more great year, probably two.

Jonathan Papelbon

Papelbon is the best reliever in Red Sox history, and would be their closer on an all-time roster. Papelbon is by far the all-time saves leader in franchise history with 219. He accomplished this with a 2.33 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 10.7 strike outs per 9 innings pitched. Pap made 4 All-Star Games with the Red Sox. From 2006-2009 he was nearly unhittable, posting a 1.74 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. He had a WHIP under 1.00 in three straight seasons and an ERA under 2.00 in 3 out of 4. Hell, his ERA was under 1.00 in his rookie season of 2006.

Papelbon was also unhittable in the postseason and helped the Red Sox to the 2007 World Series championship. That season he threw 10.2 shutout innings in the playoffs and saved 3 games in the World Series. For his Boston career, Papelbon did not allow a run in his first 25 postseason innings, saving 7 games in that span. Remarkable. He was also a fun pitcher to watch, glaring at the hitter like he’s about to throw the ball through the batter’s head. Then there were also his wild celebrations after a successful save.

 

 

 

 

 

Dick Radatz

“The Monster” got his nickname for a reason: nobody wanted to face him. Standing at 6’6″, Radatz was an imposing figure on the mound. He became burned out quickly, unfortunately, pitching a lot of innings in relief. In his first 4 seasons Radatz averaged 135 innings pitched over 68 appearances. Compare that to your typical relief pitcher nowadays. During his first 3 seasons he made 2 All-Star Games, had a top 5 MVP finish and led the league in saves twice. During that span he had a 40-21 record and saved 98 games. In a time when batters were embarrassed to strike out, Radatz struck out 10.6 batters per 9 innings during those 3 seasons and had a 2.17 ERA.

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Ellis Kinder

Ellis Kinder was a swingman for the Sox in the late 40s and 50s. In his first 3 seasons he made a lot of starts for the Red Sox while also relieving. He won 23 games in 1949, finishing 5th in the MVP vote. Two years later he led the league in appearances. By 1953 Kinder was a full-time reliever. That season Kinder was 10-6 with a 1.85 ERA and led the league in saves with 27. This was the 2nd time in three seasons Kinder had led the league in saves. For his Red Sox career, Kinder finished 86-52 with a 3.28 ERA and 93 games saved.

Bob Stanley

The all-time games pitched leader in franchise history has to make an appearance here. Stanley made starts in some years, but he was almost always a relief pitcher, and better at it then he was starting. Bob Stanley won 115 games and saved 132 during his career, which he spent entirely in Boston. As a relief pitcher his ERA was 3.28, opposed to being north of 4.00 as a starter. Stanley made 2 all-star teams and saved as many as 33 games in 1983.

Koji Uehara

Koji was always good, but often injured before coming to the Red Sox. No one could have predicted the impact he had on the team. In 2013, Koji was 4-1 with a 1.09 ERA and microscopic 0.56 WHIP. Then in the playoffs he allowed 1 run over 13.2 innings while saving 7 games. He was instrumental in their World Series run that season. Koji spent 4 seasons with Boston, saving 79 games. His rate statistics during that time were phenomenal; a 2.19 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 11.6 strikeouts per 9 innings.

Koji Uehara of the Boston Red Sox reacts after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 in Game Six of the 2013 World Series at Fenway Park on October 30, 2013. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Special Mention

Keith Foulke needs to get an honorable mention in this article. He cannot make the top five Red Sox relievers ever, only having one good season, but he gave his career for that one season. Without him the Red Sox wouldn’t have broken the curse, beat the Yankees and won the World Series in 2004. Period. After a season in which Foulke had a 2.17 ERA and 0.94 WHIP, he amped up even further when the Sox needed him most. Foulke allowed 1 run over 14 innings in the playoffs, striking out 19 batters.

With their backs against the wall, down 0-3 to the Yankees in the ALCS, Foulke pitched in 7 of the final 8 games. During four of those appearances Foulke pitched more than the typical one inning. In Game 4 against the Yankees, he pitched 2.2 shutout innings, helping prolong the game to give the offense the opportunity to win it. What he did that postseason was nothing short of miraculous, and he was never the same afterwards. I’m sure he would do it all over again.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Keith Foulke, center, and first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, left, celebrate after St. Louis Cardinals’ Edgar Renteria (3) grounded out to end the ninth inning and give Boston a 3-0 win and a sweep of the World Series, Wednesday Oct. 27, 2004, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)