Saturday the Mets acquired Addison Reed from the Diamondbacks and they made a claim on Marc Rzepczynski (Scrabble), although thankfully up until this point they’ve been unable to come to terms on a deal with the Padres for him. It’s remarkable how many transactions Sandy Alderson has made in general the last 10 months or so, and for the bullpen in particular. If a year ago, someone would have said that Sandy Alderson would have made this many deals, he would have been laughed out of the room.
Here’s a list of bullpen moves made since the Winter Meetings:
Added Sean Gilmartin in Rule 5
Acquired Jerry Blevins
Traded for Alex Torres
Dealt for Tyler Clippard
Actually sent something of potential value for the useless LOOGY who shall not be named
Completed the transaction for Reed
In negotiations for Scrabble
Gilmartin has been a find and Clippard has been an absolute key pickup. They’ve had unqualified success with the two relievers that they’ve essentially just let … pitch, without trying to force feed them into sub-optimal roles. The hope is that they do the same thing with Reed and that they cut the useless one to make a spot on the roster for him.
Everyone probably recognizes Reed’s name because he comes with 104 lifetime Saves to his credit. But despite those shiny Save numbers, he’s never been a particularly dominating reliever. His best season was in 2013, when he had a 3.79 ERA and a 1.107 WHIP. Last year he had his best-ever K/BB ratio, with a 4.60 mark. That’s a strong rate; however, it didn’t translate into a good year, as he went 1-7 with a 4.25 ERA.
This year he lost his closer’s job and was even sent to the minors, where he spent a month pitching in Reno, another hitter-friendly place in the Pacific Coast League. Reed struggled with his command in this brief stint, but otherwise pitched well, as he recorded a 1.74 ERA and a 1.258 WHIP in the city once best known for divorce.
The interesting thing is how Arizona used Reed upon his recall in late July. Not only did they not use him as a closer but in five of his 13 outings, they let him pitch more than an inning. Since his recall, Reed has a 1.65 ERA and a 1.163 WHIP. In 16.1 IP, he has 14 Ks and 3 BB for a 4.7 K/BB ratio. Since he had a 5.92 ERA, a 1.726 WHIP and a 1.8 K/BB ratio before his demotion, it’s safe to say he’s been getting much better results here lately.
Imagine if the Mets replaced the useless one with not only a competent reliever but one who could go two innings at a time. That would go a long way towards solving a lot of the problems we’ve witnessed with the pen. They could bend over backwards trying to limit Jeurys Familia and Clippard to one-inning outings and have the remaining five guys in the pen capable of going multiple innings at a time.
My personal preference would be for these five relievers to go two innings at a time and then get two days off, rather than one inning pitched every three out of four days and then hope the next game doesn’t go extra innings. Of course, you can lay out whatever scenario you like ahead of time but the game is never going to be so neat and tidy to allow you to use that scheme all season. You have to be able to adjust on the fly.
But which would you rather do – pitch a guy coming off a two-inning stint after he’s had just one day of rest or call on a guy for the fourth time in five days, like we just saw Friday with Carlos Torres?
Also, the bottom line is that you’ll have to make fewer adjustments if you can use all of your relievers at any point in time, which as we’ve seen time and time and time again is not possible if you insist on carrying a LOOGY. Which makes the pursuit of Scrabble all the more frustrating. Now seems like a good time to mention that Scrabble has a 4.88 ERA and a 1.518 WHIP in 60 Games over 27.2 IP this season. He’s allowed 6 R (5 ER) in 7.1 IP since joining the Padres. And the Mets want to trade for the guy!!
A tip of the hat to Alderson for acquiring an MLB-quality reliever in Reed who’s recently displayed the ability to go multiple innings at a time and have success. He’ll be a welcome addition to the bullpen. And a wag of the finger for even entertaining the idea of adding another LOOGY. The one we currently have plays a large part in why the pen has been burnt out here recently.
It can’t be stated strongly enough that the poor results of the useless LOOGY here lately is only part of the problem. The inability to use the situational lefty in anything but the most favorable circumstances for him puts extra strain on every other reliever in the pen. And you have to go back no further than Friday and Torres to see what happens when that’s the case.
Now we just have to hope that A.J. Preller demands too much – a broken bat and a pop-up toaster – for Scrabble and saves Alderson from himself.
It’s so weird watching prospects you’ve followed for multiple years just flying out of the organization like this. Good on Alderson for making the moves the shore up weak spots on the team, though. It’s kind of refreshing.
I definitely see the value of having a good, lock down LOOGY on the roster when appropriate. When that reliever is so awful against righties that he can’t be trusted to pitch when your BP is fried is a serious problem, though.
If he can pitch to righties – why wouldn’t you let him do that?
Well the difference here would be “can pitch to righties but dominant vs lefties” vs “unmitigated disaster vs righties”. One of these is a a boon while the other forces Carlos Torres into that situation.
Then again, the former wouldn’t technically be a LOOGY I guess.
I am glad that someone else is experiencing that empty feeling, watching so many of the players in the system depart in exchange for relative unknowns destined to be here for short duration.
Baseball, the business of scoring runs or preventing opposition runs, operates within the context of three out units, innings. Baseball also functions in 162 units, annual seasons, and that is where success or failure is ultimately measured. I find the process of chasing the ultimate goal to be painful; I am still checking up on Michael Fulmer’s efforts with Erie, PA, the Tigers’ AA team. I have little doubt that I will follow him in the majors next year. But sometimes the team has to play the cards to try and accomplish a successful season.
The Mets 7th inning relief is the problem in save/tie situations. I thought Verritt may be the answer but asking a rookie to acclimate to that role was risky as we saw the other day. Reed is experienced and that should make a difference. I agree with you Brian that the other relievers should go more than one inning because they usually come in when the Mets are behind. Torres, Gilmartin, Robles and Verritt should pitch multiple innings and with the bench TC should make double switches to assure it. TC has missed a few opportunities to do this but he is trying.
TC has really failed in the use of Gilmartin. In 80% of his appearences he has not allowed a run. Compared that to Torres (75 %) and Robles (70%) , Gilmartin should have been given the opportunity in early August for the 7th inning role. The Mets may not have needed Reed after all.
The two pitchers they traded were OK but probably never would have seen the inside of Citi Field without a ticket. Another nice move for Sandy and the 2nd largest crowd of the season yesterday will pay for Reed’s remaining salary. 🙂
Verrett was placed in an unfair position. Remember this is his first year as a RP and he’s asked to go back-to-back a couple of days after starting and throwing a gem.
I’m not ready to give up on him as a bullpen asset for the remainder of the season.
Here’S My Nym Pitching Concerns…
@ Issue Is The Overall Internal Consideration When Reassigning Prospects From Future Sp To Current Relievers
As I Assess This Issue, I’M Increasingly Alarmed As I Will Attempt To Provide As…
Ok, Someone, Sometime, Somewhere Has Got To Explain To Sandy, Terry & Dan That There Are Going To Be Ever Increasing #S Of Milb Sp Assigned By & To Them As Bp Fodder Simply Due To The Impossibility Some Of These Pitching Prospects Will Have In Displacing Any Of The 5 Gorilla Glued Into The ’16 Rotation; Ie. Harvey, Matz, Degrom, Wheeler, Syndergaard.
Thus Unlike Logan Verrett, They’Ll Have To Be Allowed A Break-In Period Before Attempting To Ignore Their Established 5-Offday Routines As Starters & Attempting To Force Them Into Back To Back Appearances Despite Their Effectiveness In The 1St One, The 2Nd Is Most Likely To Be A Failure As We Just Witnessed & Harvey Was Victimized By With Logan. I Believe This Was A Similar Cause For Erik Goeddel’S Initial Issues With Consistancy Within Appearances Out Of The Pen, Which Eventually Smoothed Out To Being More & More Consistantly Strong For Terry To Become Reliant Upon Erik’S Capacity To Be Strong…Late. Until His Elbow Became Painful Due To Strain, No, Not Broken Torn Or Requiring Surgical Restoration.
It Also Requires Taking Note That Carlos Torres’ Ability To Pitch With Relative Effectiveness Whenever Called Upon Is A Unique Gift, As An Ability.
Making Anyone Else, Like Logan Or Whomever A Candidate To Flex Perform Flipping Between Sp & Rp Based Upon Sandy’S Gs Manipulating Visionquest To Apply To Overtaxed Talent In His Rotation There, I Believe, Is As Much Proof Of The Causation To The Overrepresentation Of Relievers On Our D/L Which Of The 11 Players Presently Listed As Injured 7 Are Relief Pitchers 4 Of Which Are Young To Mlb, Alphabetically:
Blevins
Carlyle
Edgin[Age,28]
Goeddel[Age,26]
Leathersich[Age,25]
Montero[Age,24]
Parnell
Youngish Pitchers, Since Recorded Mlb Records Were Kept Have Been Amongst The Most Fragile Mlb Commodities; But 64% Or 7/11Ths Of 1 Team’S D/L(Subset Based Upon Age Is 57% Or 4 Of 7 Being Younger, Relatively Less Used) Is, Imo, Truly Indicative Of Anintolerable Issue Sandy & The Mets Are In Dire Need Of Addressing!
NY Fan, welcome to this site as I know you usually bring good info. In this case, I must disagree with you on the cause of some of these guys on the DL. While we know TC ruined Rice and is doing his best to do the same to Torres, he has been much more cautious this year. Collins is a liability as a manager, but I’m willing to be fair.
Carlyle was barely used.
Parnell suffered a neck injury and while trying to come back blew out his elbow the very beginning of the season.
Edgin got hurt in the spring after a winter’s rest and very little usage in February.
Montero has a shoulder issue and no one knows what’s wrong.
Leathersich barely was used.
Blevins was hit by a batted ball and then tripped over the sidewalk – hardly our designated punching bag’s fault.
Goeddel got hurt this year but I don’t recall him being overworked. If anything we wanted him having a bigger role
You’ve been on this issue from the beginning and have been absolutely correct.
It’s been a real flaw in the organization. I hope it’s not fatal.
I favor a LOOGY-plus type pitcher, the guy who can perform that role and more. Really, it seems more about the vision management than the ability of the player. They continue to cling to this *idea* in spite of a season’s worth of evidence to the contrary.
If the Mets make the playoffs …
And if Matz goes to the pen …
It will be interesting how they handle that transition as well as how they define his role.
It would be a travesty if they say, “Here’s our LOOGY!”
Likewise, yes, it was grossly unfair to use Verrett as a starter all year than use him in Back to back games out of the pen. No, not unfair; impractical. If the Mets want Matz to relieve in the playoffs, he should sit in that bullpen for at least the final two weeks of the season, learn the routines.
And yes, I hate the stated rational of saving Harvey, and losing games, so that they have him for “the playoffs.” I’d still like them make the playoffs. It feels as presumptuous and wrong-minded as shutting down Strasburg was years ago.
Not a direct reply, but going off a tangent based on what you said….
I don’t like the idea of automatically assuming Matz should go to the bullpen because he’s a lefty. If Matz comes up and makes four starts in September and looks like he’s one of the team’s four-best SP — I want him in the rotation.
I want to assemble the starters taking the best guys – regardless if they’re rookies or veterans or throw lefty or righty. And after doing that, put together the best bullpen you can, with the same approach as with the starters.
I wouldnt put Matz in the pen because he is a lefty. I would do it because hes a great pitcher. The Cards have a way of doing this to emerging starters.
That said, I agree to some degree with your destination for Matz. If he gets 3 starts and goes 8 IP, 1 WHIP, few walks, couple earnies, then he needs to be considered for the post season 4. Its too fluid to know today. But trying to imgine what the starting 4 would look like is limited to exactly two pitchers from: Noah, Matz, Niese, Colon
Someone(s) are headed behind the outfield fence.
Yes, Matz will end up in the pen post season. That makes too much sense.
It is interesting to read comments about minor leaguers, as if the purpose of an organization is have the best teams top to bottom. The goal of this game is to win a World Series. If players are traded to make that happen, then that’s what they are there for. “Prospects are cool, but parades are cooler” once said a wise baseball man.
With that in mind, I would have pursued Chapman and Kimbrel hard, and still would this off season.
I would love (wish I could use capital letters) for Alderson to pursue Kimbrel and Chapman this offseason. It might be tough for Familia, Kimbrel, or Chapman to accept demotions to a set-up role, but if the Mets re-sign Clippard it would be a filthy back-end.
Playoff baseball does favor “special weapons”—a Loogy is great to have in a playoff run. Forcing that is a mistake—Finding it is a great bonus.
Just another line of thinking, I may be nuts…
During the spring, Alderson said that having a lefty just because he was a lefty isn’t important; it’s getting guys out. Then, Collins went on this long campaign and even told Fred Wilpon, on Wilpon’s lone visit during his pronounced “keep an eye on the team this year” speech, that the team didn’t have a good lefty in the pen. So, Alderson goes and gets him two lefties.
Now, with an obvious lacking in that area, he wants to make sure the crybaby doesn’t have an excuse to go to his buddy Wilpon with, so he gets him another and is actually trying to get one more. This all seems like overkill of a role and definitely goes against Alderson’s methods of finding good deals rather than taking on a questionable pieces because we know if there is one ultra-conservative person in that organization it’s Sandy Alderson.
So, I am thinking that he wants to make absolutely certain that his little crybaby doesn’t have a leg to stand on should he fail to make the playoffs, and turns to point at Alderson.
Something interesting I noticed when looking at Reed’s splits over his career. In the 7th and 8th innings he’s a different pitcher. He’s got an ERA under 2 and an 8:1 SO to BB ratio in those innings. I’m hoping that translates to his new role and that he’s one of those pitchers with excellent stuff that just can’t handle the 9th inning.
Koch and Diaz are marginal prospects, and when you add in arbitration years for Reed, it’s a good deal, especially if he plays up to his career numbers in the 7th and 8th.
Reed in the 7th, Clippard the 8th, and Familia the 9th? Not a bad combo. If Reed performs as well as you pointed out, then the game has become much shorter for the opposition, which is crucial in the playoffs.
Written in an analytical article regarding O’Flaherty after his appearance last Thursday:
Mets left handed reliever Eric O’Flaherty began the eighth inning allowing two singles, a walk and one run in two-thirds of an inning.
Flaherty showed a tight spinning, sharp slider inducing groundballs. Unfortunately, Flaherty exhibited average fastball velocity, average slider command.