2009 Closer -- Hoffman to Brewers

[BrewCrewForever]

What's wrong with McClung as closer, Torres and Villy as set-up?

You read my mind. McClung has the closer stuff and mentality. If he is only throwing 1 or 2 innings at the most as the closer he can really let his stuff go and constantly throw his fastball in the high 90's.

[jjfanec]

Doesn't McClung seem to have a pretty high walk rate to be a closer? As a reliever he walked 26 guys in 41 innings while allowing 35 hits. I just dont see him as a great option unless the September McClung is the guy we will see the whole year.

[ILuvDaBush]

Have the Red Sox REALLY given up on the idea of Paps being a starter? I still have dreams of them signing K-Rod and moving Paps into the rotation, giving them the best rotation....ever. Paps/Beckett/Dice-K/Lester... Wake and Clay. Masterson. Umm...disgusting.

 

As for the Brews, I would have no problem with Carlos in the 9th, though McClung would give me doubts. The thing about a closer is they are usually given a long leash, and when they're not, they do tend to lose a lot of their effectiveness, attempting to be too fine. Coffey doesn't excite me AT ALL because of this. Who do you trust enough to load the bases with no outs and not get the hook? Villy. Umm....Yo? I would think, unless Aguilar has a 0.00 ERA in ST, we'll see a true battle between the once (Torres) and future (CV the Younger...err. Villy, though he is still the youngest member of the staff outside of our DH.

[dlk9s]

I would like to see Villanueva given a chance to be the closer, he was dominant last year after moving to the bullpen.

I don't know...the 9th inning is a pretty inopportune time to wake up a sleeping giant.

[madrx]

I agree that it would probably be ideal to look internally for a candidate. One interesting comment on MLBTR today discussed how Trevor Hoffman is concerned about the ability of the Padres to contend and may not automatically resign there. He may just retire as well (he is 41), but his numbers from last year were still pretty good. He converted 30 of 34 save opportunities and still had 46K in 45 innings. I wonder if he might consider signing a one year deal with a contender.

[madtowndrunkard]

I'd target Houston Street. Obviously it depends on the asking price, but Oakland seems like the perfect trade partner. Ricky Weeks for Street. They need a 2nd basemen and we need a closer. Seems like a logical move to me.

 

 

We'd have plenty of options to fill the 2nd base spot vacated by Weeks. I personally would love to see us go after Chone Figgins. He's on the trade block, he can play 3rd or 2nd. He's a great lead off hitter. I'd do what ever I could to get him. I'm not sure what they want or need in return?

 

If Escobar is ready to play SS we could move Hardy to 2nd or 3rd.

 

There are FA 3rd basemen and 2nd baseman available, such as: Casey Blake, Orlando Hudson, Felipe Lopez, etc.

 

So there are options if we traded Weeks.

[kramnoj]

Mark Ellis is back with the As for 2-3 years and they have a couple 2B in the minors that are a couple of years away. The As don't really have use for Weeks at 2B.

[yoshii8]

I haven't heard anything about Chone Figgins being on the block at all.

[piccione88]

I would love to have Cruz if he was not a type A free agent. Spending money on relievers is risky to begin with, giving up a first round pick, in my opinion is borderline crazy unless the reliever is someone like K-Rod, or Fuentes. If we are going to spend money on a free agent to close I would be happy with Fuentes as long as the deal is not longer than 3 years.

 

To me the best option would be picking up a couple of high ceiling guys and see how it works out. Some names just off the top of my head that could work would be Lyon, Affeldt, and maybe even Isringhausen if he would agree to an incentive based deal.

[sheetskout]

I also am on the McClung for closer bandwagon. Stetter if not McClung. I could never justify the thought of paying a closer big money as they pretty much have to be Lidge/K-Rod like to justify the money. I was also never on board with signing Cordero for the kind of money or contract length he was asking for....

[Diggr14]

McClung and Cruz in 7th and 8th. Im down with that.

[8brewcrew]

if the role is filled with a current player, I say use torres as an 8th inning guy and mcclung as the closer. Otherwise go after fuentes.

[Diskono]

colbyjack wrote:

 

I also am not a big fan of having the closer be a role by committee. I can't think of an instance in which that has worked.

I think part of the reason for this is that, as soon as one of the committee members blows a save, the teams panic and appoint someone the next day. I can't think of any teams that have gone with a closer-by-committee for an entire season anytime recently. Maybe it won't work, but I don't feel like anyone has given it a proper chance. For those who remember, how were short relievers used before the save was invented?

 

So do we go back to the shotgun method of finding a closer? Sign a couple guys for the BP (like Juan Cruz or other could-close relievers), throw in Vill, McClung, and Torres and see who ends up on top?

I'm all for that. If we must designate a closer, might as well just grab a bunch of failed starters off the scrap heap and see who sticks. Looking at the top 5 saves leaders in the AL and NL last season, more than half of them were failed starters.

[colbyjack]

I think part of the reason for this is that, as soon as one of the committee members blows a save, the teams panic and appoint someone the next day. I can't think of any teams that have gone with a closer-by-committee for an entire season anytime recently. Maybe it won't work, but I don't feel like anyone has given it a proper chance. For those who remember, how were short relievers used before the save was invented?

 

I'm not saying it wouldn't work, but I'm very skeptical. You don't see too many, if any, successful teams that don't have a defined closer. Even a stat-oriented team like the Blue Jays under Ricciardi dropped a ton of cash on BJ Ryan a couple of offseasons ago, just like the Red Sox did with Foulke prior to 2004. I'm just not comfortable going into next season trying to figure that out if the playoffs are indeed in sight.

 

As for the history of the closer and saves, prior to the mid-80s, when the closer role emerged to more of a one-inning stint led by relievers such as Dennis Eckersley, Lee Smith, John Franco and Jeff Reardon, closers were used for 2-3 innings to close out games. Bruce Sutter, Dan Quisenberry and Rollie Fingers are the closers that come to mind first, since these are the guys I remember the most growing up, but none of them just came in the 9th to close out a game in which their team held a 3-run lead. They were coming in the 6th and 7th to shut down opponents no matter what the lead (usually 3 runs or less since runs weren't as ample back then), annually recording 100+ innings of work.

 

And the closer role was just as important back then. The Brewers biggest target in the late-70s and early-80s before they acquired Fingers was to acquire an established closer, which they felt was needed to put them over the top. The book 9 Innings offers very good insight on their pursuit, as they tried to figure out a way to acquire Sutter from the Cubs before the Cardinals did. People even today still point to the lack of Fingers on the '82 World Series team as the reason for the team's demise.

 

That's why I firmly believe they shouldn't mess around with the uncertainty of an unproven guy or even a committee type structure, unless they have investigate every other options and have no other choice.

[Ennder]

Every year around a dozen teams go into the season without certainty at closer or their closer gets injured causing uncertainty. The majority of those teams have things work out just fine. Closer is not a particularily important part of the team but having a lot of good arms in the bullpen IS important.

[logan82]

The main reason to go to closer by committee is so that your best reliever is available whenever you need him instead of just in the ninth inning. I would rather have a bunch of good guys instead of one elite guy who is only going to pitch the ninth inning.

[Never Outhustled]

I don't think the Brewers can consider McClung for the closer role until they aquire enough starting pitchers to fill out the rotation. Also, as much as I like McClung, its difficult to rely on him. Tampa was planning on him to close for them to open 2007, until he showed up to spring traing fat and out of shape.

[twobrewers]

Trevor Hoffman done in SD as Padres pull offer...

 

Had been offering 4M with incentives. Hoffman would be a decent 1-2 year option.

[pogokat]

rotoworld thinks the crew might jump at hoffman...

 

i don't see it happening though..

[craig712]

Depending on what Hoffman would want, I would not mind. Otherwise I'd give McClung a shot.

[colbyjack]

Man alive, if the Brewers offered Gagne, a completely unpredictable commodity, $10 million a year ago, they had better consider this option. His WHIP was barely above 1.00 last year, and he has never gotten burned in his career with walks or home runs.

 

If you're not a fan of throwing a ton of money or a long-term commitment at a closer, I'm not sure why you wouldn't be at least mildly excited about Hoffman's availability.

[splitterpfj]

I see no reason for the Brewers to avoid Trevor Hoffman. I don't know what he'll want, and I'm sure there will be several interested teams, but it would greatly disappoint me if the Brewers didn't at least take a shot.

 

If you're willing to bring in Gagne, Torres, Mota and Riske in one off-season, why on earth would you avoid Hoffman?

 

It's at least worth a phone call.

[RockCoCougars]

Could Hoffman convince Peavy to recind his no-trade clause to the Brewers? If so, I am all for it.

[jjfanec]

Hoffman makes a lot of sense for the Crew because it would be a short term, low-risk signing and it would shore up a weak-spot down the stretch. Torres can move back to the 8th inning. Then you have Villy, Riske, Stetter, and others to pitch the other innings, with McClung staying in the rotation for now. Hoffman had a nice year last year. His WHIP was great, and he converted a good, not great 30 out of 34 chances.

[Never Outhustled]

The thing that suprised me about Hoffmans numbers were that his ERA and K totals were much better on the road this past season. That alleviates the concern I had about him just being a product of pitching at Petco. His road numbers were mediocre in 2007, but his road ERA was under 2 in 2006. Most players are better at home, but I don't see evidence of him being protected by a huge ballpark like I thought I'd see.

 

Sign him up.