2017 bullpen

[djoctagone]

same deal as before with tommy milone out and rob scahill in . . . the brewers still have only two relievers with minor league options in knebel and barnes . . . and both have been the club's most effective relievers a month into the season.

[sveumrules]

I know most of us have moved past beyond judging pitchers based on wins & losses, but one time I do think it can be helpful is when looking at relief losses on a team level.

 

After the month of April the Brewers have an MLB worst 8 relief losses with Tampa Bay & Kansas City close behind with 7 each.

 

Another stat I like for relievers is ShutDowns & MeltDowns, which they track at Fangraphs. A similar idea as saves & blown saves, but applicable to all relief outings, not just the 9th inning with a lead of 3 runs or less. Currently the best bullpen has been the Rockies with 31 ShutDowns against only 7 MeltDowns. The Brewers conversely have an MLB worst 21 MeltDowns with Toronto 2 behind (ahead of?) us at 19.

 

Anyway you paint it what has been a relatively encouraging month of April otherwise has been somewhat dampened by the bullpen's results. I agree with those that think the bullpen should & likely will be the last thing addressed throughout the rebuild but at this point the only guys in the pen I think have a real shot at being plus arms as part of a contending bullpen are maybe Barnes & Knebel.

 

Will be interesting to see how Stearns & company address this moving forward and what steps they will take to try and acquire some premium relief arms.

[ClosetBrewerFan]

same deal as before with tommy milone out and rob scahill in . . . the brewers still have only two relievers with minor league options in knebel and barnes . . . and both have been the club's most effective relievers a month into the season.

 

Stearns is using this last one or two spots in the bullpen differently than we have seen in years past. He is claiming older AAAA relievers without options remaining and using them interchangeably. Goforth gets called up to fill a need for a week and then he gets waived. If someone picks him up or he leaves, oh well. He can find another guy like that. He keeps trying different guys to see what sticks. He did this a lot last year and a few have stuck, like Torres, Marinez. Drake may be one this year (nice K rate but WHIP is terrible).

 

However, if they don't produce, they will be gone. I think Marinez is likely the next one on the chopping block.

 

He'll continue to do this once the prospects, who will have options, start coming up.

[JohnBriggs12]

Counsell may want to consider moving Barnes out of late inning role temporarily. He runs hot and cold so it should be a fluid situation all year. We could see Blazek back at some point too

[pacopete4]

Counsell may want to consider moving Barnes out of late inning role temporarily. He runs hot and cold so it should be a fluid situation all year. We could see Blazek back at some point too

http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/865/302/3d5.gif

[djoctagone]

here's the bullpen now, with number of minor league options remaining.

 

jacob barnes (2)

oliver drake (0)

neftali feliz (2, but with service time, able to refuse optional assignment)

jared hughes (0)

corey knebel (1)

rob scahill (0)

brent suter (2, already burned his 2017 option)

carlos torres (0)

 

already optioned, but can be recalled at any point during the season (requires a 10-day minimum stay in the minors unless replacing an injured player):

 

tyler cravy

taylor jungmann (is now being stretched out as a starter)

 

all other optioned pitchers on the 40-man are either starters or recovering from an injury.

[gregmag]

I don't hate the state of the pen right now. Knebel looks great. Barnes has legit stuff. Drake has been getting people out for a while. Scahill seemed to get some analytics love when he came over last year. Torres has a decent track record. Suter has pitched well enough at AAA that he deserves a chance to make his case. I could see any of those guys being a keeper.

 

I like the Pirates guys least. I can't see a good pitcher in Feliz right now, and I never understood the Hughes pickup. But Feliz is probably worth trying to rehabilitate for flipping, and Cravy vs. Hughes is not exactly a battle of titans or a cause of sleepless nights.

 

The churn is encouraging. They're trying guys out and dumping them if they provide strong evidence that they can't hack it (Milone, Marinez).

[sveumrules]

Coming up on a quarter of the way through the season and we still are "leading" MLB bullpens with 12 losses & 28 meltdowns. While the overall bullpen ERA of 3.88 (10th in MLB!) is somewhat encouraging the underlying 4.16 FIP/4.32 xFIP (both 16th in MLB) make it appear as if our bullpen has somehow slightly overachieved so far this season, as scary of a thought as that is.

[And That]

The way he's pitching, pretty much any time Carlos Torres doesn't give up a run, I assume luck was involved.

[Roderick]

I don't hate the state of the pen right now..... Drake has been getting people out for a while.

 

So it is your fault then.

 

Hate the Drake

[JohnBriggs12]

Interesting decisions if they decide to keep Sogard up when Braun and Guerra are activated. Do they go back to 7 man pen and who's the odd man out? Feliz? Is there a team out there desperate enough to claim him and take on his salary? Or do they option Arcia or DFA Franklin?

[yfinn6]

Interesting decisions if they decide to keep Sogard up when Braun and Guerra are activated. Do they go back to 7 man pen and who's the odd man out? Feliz? Is there a team out there desperate enough to claim him and take on his salary? Or do they option Arcia or DFA Franklin?

 

Do you think the Brewers will option Arcia in favor of Sogard?!

[NievesNoNO]

I would like to see Jimmy Nelson shifted to the bullpen with Peralta. I know he just had a decent start his last time out but I don't really see a future for him to stick as a reliable starter.

 

Also would like to see Hader start his career in the pen. He can learn on the job and provide some help in an area of need without the pressure if starting. Can also limit his innings if they think it's necessary.

[yoshii8]

Nelson has pitched well recently. I'd like to see Tristan Archer get a shot in the bullpen if he keeps pitching well.

[DHonks]

2 outstanding additions to our pen in the 2nd half would be Woodruff and Hader. No trade necessary

[MrTPlush]

The bullpen is perfectly fine if you ask me. If we keep contending we could easily internally add to make it even better.

[adambr2]

2 outstanding additions to our pen in the 2nd half would be Woodruff and Hader. No trade necessary

 

Hader I totally agree. Woodruff I think needs to stay in the rotation and should be in the MLB rotation sometime this season.

[ClosetBrewerFan]

2 outstanding additions to our pen in the 2nd half would be Woodruff and Hader. No trade necessary

 

Hader I totally agree. Woodruff I think needs to stay in the rotation and should be in the MLB rotation sometime this season.

 

 

I'd say Hader and Lopez. Maybe Taylor Williams although he needs to get his walks down. Hader as well but I give him a pass at CS.

[JohnBriggs12]

Hader definitely would provide something the pen lacks, a lefty power arm even if they envision him starting in the not too distant future. Woodruff should remain a starter. He's ahead of Espino in the pecking order already but they just needed a spot start.

[liveforoctober]

Interesting decisions if they decide to keep Sogard up when Braun and Guerra are activated. Do they go back to 7 man pen and who's the odd man out? Feliz? Is there a team out there desperate enough to claim him and take on his salary? Or do they option Arcia or DFA Franklin?

 

Do you think the Brewers will option Arcia in favor of Sogard?!

 

I need to double quote this to emphasize it. I know you are just creating conversation ... but optioning Arcia to keep Sogard is stuff of soon to be fired GMs. Sogard and Nick Franklin are the same player. One of them can go and given Sogard's revival it will be Franklin.

[JohnBriggs12]

Interesting decisions if they decide to keep Sogard up when Braun and Guerra are activated. Do they go back to 7 man pen and who's the odd man out? Feliz? Is there a team out there desperate enough to claim him and take on his salary? Or do they option Arcia or DFA Franklin?

 

Do you think the Brewers will option Arcia in favor of Sogard?!

 

Not at this point no I would not expect that but it's an option (no pun intended). Sogard playing LF yesterday was not a good sign for Franklin.

[homer]

Back end of the Brewers 'pen might be pretty darn good now with Barnes and Knebel. Find a 7th inning guy (Drake? Peralta?) that's reliable and you might have something here.

[Never Outhustled]

Interesting decisions if they decide to keep Sogard up when Braun and Guerra are activated. Do they go back to 7 man pen and who's the odd man out? Feliz? Is there a team out there desperate enough to claim him and take on his salary? Or do they option Arcia or DFA Franklin?

 

Do you think the Brewers will option Arcia in favor of Sogard?!

 

I need to double quote this to emphasize it. I know you are just creating conversation ... but optioning Arcia to keep Sogard is stuff of soon to be fired GMs. Sogard and Nick Franklin are the same player. One of them can go and given Sogard's revival it will be Franklin.

 

Arcia wasn't even a good AAA hitter, if they send him there, it wouldn't be a bad move at all. It's for his development. They're not cutting him

[Never Outhustled]

Hader definitely would provide something the pen lacks, a lefty power arm even if they envision him starting in the not too distant future. Woodruff should remain a starter. He's ahead of Espino in the pecking order already but they just needed a spot start.

 

Let Hader develop in AAA, hopefully he can become a big league caliber starter someday.

 

This bullpen already got the major addition it needed in Peralta. He was down right awesome yesterday. The pen is full. When we reach July we finally start to have a normal amount of off days, then we'll be able to go back to a 7 man pen.

[homer]

I think bringing up Hader to the pen in late August makes some sense. Keeps his innings down, gets him experience on a playoff team (assuming Brewers are still contending). Teams have done it before (Rays did it with Price back in the day)