If the past week is any indication, then the answer is an emphatic "YES."
After Brett Anderson dazzled with 10 strikeouts in seven innings of one-run ball, Adam Liberatore and the returning Pedro Baez each struck out the side in the last two innings, and the Dodgers cruised to a 7-1 win in Miami. It helped that the Marlins looked completely incompetent at times, and that their big superstar Giancarlo Stanton broke a bone in his left hand during the game. But the Dodgers looked really good nonetheless.
We all know the book on beating the Dodgers: get their starter out of there early enough to attack their middle relief. If you can't do that, then forget about it, because Kenley Jansen is as good as it gets at the end of the game. For much of the season, the Dodgers looked helpless at times in getting the ball to Jansen.
Maybe that's finally turning around, as over the last seven days, the bullpen has been nearly flawless. Yimi Garcia, J.P. Howell, Matt West, Juan Nicasio, and Jansen have all pitched at least a couple of innings without being scored on. Baez made his return on Friday and was perfect, blowing away the three Marlins he faced.
Liberatore has bounced back from a rough start in June to lower his ERA to 2.82. Joel Peralta is also back, and has two straight scoreless appearances.
Add it all up, and for the first time in quite awhile, the Dodgers have to be feeling good about their options in innings 6-8. There's been so many moving parts this year that it's hard to pinpoint the exact roles for each, but here's what I would do if I'm Don Mattingly:
6th - 8th Innings: Garcia, Howell, Nicasio
8th Inning: Liberatore, Peralta, Baez
9th Inning: Jansen (duh)
I'll leave Liberatore in the late-inning role right now only for matchups. Peralta was brought in to be that setup guy, but as long as Baez throws that hard and effectively as he showed Friday night, he deserves some chances as well.
Nicasio was never meant to be playing such a big role, but much to his credit, he's been fantastic with a 1.78 ERA. I think he'd be good as a bridge in the earlier innings to the setup and closer. That can easily change if the other guys flop.
The bullpen has been maligned at various points this year, but if you're looking at the bottom line, it's that they're third in the NL in ERA (2.96) and K's (236), and second in BAA (.219). That's pretty darn good.
With healthier arms now, those numbers could get even better soon.
Showing posts with label Howell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Howell. Show all posts
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Monday, June 8, 2015
Despite trying virtually everything, middle relief is still a huge problem
Picture this scenario: Eighth inning, Dodgers beating the Cardinals 2-1, Adam Liberatore staying in the game after getting the last out of the seventh.
Do you have confidence that the Dodgers will hold on to win?
I certainly didn't, and guess what? They sure as hell couldn't do it.
Alas, it's another frustrating end of the game, as the Cardinals scored three times, and the Dodgers had zero answers in dropping the finale of the four-game set 4-2. Good thing Clayton Kershaw was masterful on Saturday, because the Dodgers lost all three of the other games.
We all know how lousy the offense has been, as they scored a grand total of six runs in the four games, and that was without facing the great Adam Wainwright, who's done for the season. Hell, the Cardinals scored seven runs on Thursday, which has been practically unheard of for this damn team.
Rather, let's focus on the middle relief. That is, the horrendous arms that are trying to bridge the gap to Kenley Jansen, and failing miserably.
Sunday night it was up to Liberatore and Juan Nicasio. That's how desperate the Dodgers are - relying on a guy who wasn't with the club to begin the year, and another who was supposed to be there for long relief. Liberatore did get Kolten Wong swinging to end the seventh, and should've been pulled right after.
Instead, Don Mattingly stuck with him to pitch to Matt Carpenter to start the eighth. It didn't work, as a walk later, Nicasio came in. To his credit, he did have a 1.48 ERA coming into this appearance. But don't be fooled - those weren't against the Cardinals in the eighth inning of a one-run game. This was a whole different animal in which he failed miserably.
To sum it up quickly, Matt Holliday ripped an RBI triple to tie it, Jhonny Peralta an RBI single to take the lead, and Mark Reynolds a deep RBI double to get some cushion. Yimi Garcia got a double play to end the inning, but was lucky since it was a liner to short that Jimmy Rollins caught and doubled Reynolds off of second.
By the way, Nicasio's ERA shot up to 2.19 based off that one appearance alone.
I, along with many others, am kind of at a loss on what exactly the Dodgers can do. They've tried everything under the sun the last couple of years. The former closers (Brian Wilson, Brandon League, Chris Perez) and young arms (Garcia, Liberatore, Chris Hatcher) and it's just not working. I'll give them this, at least they've tried a bunch of different options.
Right now, the Dodgers will probably just have to accept the fact that this is truly a trial-and-error process until somebody, ANYBODY, steps up and can pair himself with Jansen. With Joel Peralta and Pedro Baez still out, then I wouldn't be opposed to giving flame throwing Josh Ravin a chance for holds. He's only pitched 2 1/3 innings, but with two strikeouts and no walks. Better than watching Hatcher screw things up, right?
From what I can tell, Baez could be back soon. That would great news, and I'd immediately give him the ball in the eighth as well and see what happens.
As for J.P. Howell, who has an 0.63 ERA in 21 appearances, I wouldn't consider him as a major option in the eighth. Perhaps sometimes he could, but he throws so soft, and with a 1.40 WHIP, I wouldn't totally trust him to be the guy. He's better off earlier in the game for hitters here and there.
Maybe Andrew Friedman has a move or two up his sleeve, and we're about to find out. Then again, maybe not, and the Dodgers are stuck with who they've got. Which, um... isn't much. But until this thing gets figured out, the awful middle relief will continue to hold them back from becoming a serious threat to come out of the National League.
Again.
Do you have confidence that the Dodgers will hold on to win?
I certainly didn't, and guess what? They sure as hell couldn't do it.
Alas, it's another frustrating end of the game, as the Cardinals scored three times, and the Dodgers had zero answers in dropping the finale of the four-game set 4-2. Good thing Clayton Kershaw was masterful on Saturday, because the Dodgers lost all three of the other games.
We all know how lousy the offense has been, as they scored a grand total of six runs in the four games, and that was without facing the great Adam Wainwright, who's done for the season. Hell, the Cardinals scored seven runs on Thursday, which has been practically unheard of for this damn team.
Rather, let's focus on the middle relief. That is, the horrendous arms that are trying to bridge the gap to Kenley Jansen, and failing miserably.
Sunday night it was up to Liberatore and Juan Nicasio. That's how desperate the Dodgers are - relying on a guy who wasn't with the club to begin the year, and another who was supposed to be there for long relief. Liberatore did get Kolten Wong swinging to end the seventh, and should've been pulled right after.
Instead, Don Mattingly stuck with him to pitch to Matt Carpenter to start the eighth. It didn't work, as a walk later, Nicasio came in. To his credit, he did have a 1.48 ERA coming into this appearance. But don't be fooled - those weren't against the Cardinals in the eighth inning of a one-run game. This was a whole different animal in which he failed miserably.
To sum it up quickly, Matt Holliday ripped an RBI triple to tie it, Jhonny Peralta an RBI single to take the lead, and Mark Reynolds a deep RBI double to get some cushion. Yimi Garcia got a double play to end the inning, but was lucky since it was a liner to short that Jimmy Rollins caught and doubled Reynolds off of second.
By the way, Nicasio's ERA shot up to 2.19 based off that one appearance alone.
I, along with many others, am kind of at a loss on what exactly the Dodgers can do. They've tried everything under the sun the last couple of years. The former closers (Brian Wilson, Brandon League, Chris Perez) and young arms (Garcia, Liberatore, Chris Hatcher) and it's just not working. I'll give them this, at least they've tried a bunch of different options.
Right now, the Dodgers will probably just have to accept the fact that this is truly a trial-and-error process until somebody, ANYBODY, steps up and can pair himself with Jansen. With Joel Peralta and Pedro Baez still out, then I wouldn't be opposed to giving flame throwing Josh Ravin a chance for holds. He's only pitched 2 1/3 innings, but with two strikeouts and no walks. Better than watching Hatcher screw things up, right?
From what I can tell, Baez could be back soon. That would great news, and I'd immediately give him the ball in the eighth as well and see what happens.
As for J.P. Howell, who has an 0.63 ERA in 21 appearances, I wouldn't consider him as a major option in the eighth. Perhaps sometimes he could, but he throws so soft, and with a 1.40 WHIP, I wouldn't totally trust him to be the guy. He's better off earlier in the game for hitters here and there.
Maybe Andrew Friedman has a move or two up his sleeve, and we're about to find out. Then again, maybe not, and the Dodgers are stuck with who they've got. Which, um... isn't much. But until this thing gets figured out, the awful middle relief will continue to hold them back from becoming a serious threat to come out of the National League.
Again.
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Let's hope Kenley is OK. As for the rest of the bullpen...
Boy, do they flat out stink lately.
And that's being nice.
The latest example of a reliever melting down is Adam Liberatore. Actually, it's Yimi Garcia. No wait, it's J.P. Howell. On second thought, it's Chris Hatcher.
What do they all have in common? They all had a hand in blowing a 6-4, ninth inning lead to the Rockies on Wednesday, which soon lead to a painful 7-6 defeat in Colorado.
Painful, embarrassing... call it what you want. I'll call it pathetic, too.
One night after a thrilling comeback victory, highlighted by Alex Guerrero's go-ahead grand slam in the ninth, the Dodgers took one step back thanks to their shaky 'pen. Liberatore was perfect in the eighth, so with Kenley Jansen mysteriously unavailable, he started the ninth. A single and a ground rule double later, he was out of there.
Garcia wasn't any better, issuing two straight walks, one of which brought in a run to make it 6-5. Out he went, and in came Howell, who threw a low pitch that wasn't handled well by Yasmani Grandal for the passed ball, tying the game.
After an intentional walk to load the bases again, Hatcher gave up the walk-off sacrifice fly to Nolan Arenado, and that was that.
Simply put, the Dodgers just don't have a whole lot of options to rely on late in the game, save for Jansen of course. Liberatore has given up runs in two straight games. Garcia has fallen apart, allowing multiple baserunners in three straight appearances. If Hatcher even records an out it's considered an accomplishment.
Paco Rodriguez, Pedro Baez, and Joel Peralta are all hurt. About the only worthwhile guys are Howell and Juan Nicasio. Josh Ravin has looked really good in both of his appearances, but it's still way too early to tell if he's an answer.
It's hard to know where the Dodgers go from here. They've signed veterans with good track records to big contracts, and it's blown up in their faces (Matt Guerrier, Brian Wilson, Chris Perez, Brandon League). Now they're trying youth and power, and it's starting to come apart.
Right now, the Dodgers have the fourth best bullpen ERA in the National League at 3.09, but don't be fooled. That's mostly from the start of the season when they didn't even need Jansen to look untouchable. Now Jansen is back, looking fantastic, and they either can't get the ball to him, or he's suddenly unavailable for unknown reasons.
The Dodgers won the NL West last year with a struggling 'pen, and they were exposed by the Cardinals in the NLDS. This year, they shouldn't even count on getting that far, as you know the Giants won't be going anywhere, and if the Padres start playing up to their potential, they'll be there as well.
So like the title says, we can only hope Jansen's disappearing act was only for a night or two, and nothing more. But Jansen or not, the rest of the bullpen has got to step up and deliver. All of those innings in middle relief has got to be pitched by someone. And hopefully pitched well.
And that's being nice.
The latest example of a reliever melting down is Adam Liberatore. Actually, it's Yimi Garcia. No wait, it's J.P. Howell. On second thought, it's Chris Hatcher.
What do they all have in common? They all had a hand in blowing a 6-4, ninth inning lead to the Rockies on Wednesday, which soon lead to a painful 7-6 defeat in Colorado.
Painful, embarrassing... call it what you want. I'll call it pathetic, too.
One night after a thrilling comeback victory, highlighted by Alex Guerrero's go-ahead grand slam in the ninth, the Dodgers took one step back thanks to their shaky 'pen. Liberatore was perfect in the eighth, so with Kenley Jansen mysteriously unavailable, he started the ninth. A single and a ground rule double later, he was out of there.
Garcia wasn't any better, issuing two straight walks, one of which brought in a run to make it 6-5. Out he went, and in came Howell, who threw a low pitch that wasn't handled well by Yasmani Grandal for the passed ball, tying the game.
After an intentional walk to load the bases again, Hatcher gave up the walk-off sacrifice fly to Nolan Arenado, and that was that.
Simply put, the Dodgers just don't have a whole lot of options to rely on late in the game, save for Jansen of course. Liberatore has given up runs in two straight games. Garcia has fallen apart, allowing multiple baserunners in three straight appearances. If Hatcher even records an out it's considered an accomplishment.
Paco Rodriguez, Pedro Baez, and Joel Peralta are all hurt. About the only worthwhile guys are Howell and Juan Nicasio. Josh Ravin has looked really good in both of his appearances, but it's still way too early to tell if he's an answer.
It's hard to know where the Dodgers go from here. They've signed veterans with good track records to big contracts, and it's blown up in their faces (Matt Guerrier, Brian Wilson, Chris Perez, Brandon League). Now they're trying youth and power, and it's starting to come apart.
Right now, the Dodgers have the fourth best bullpen ERA in the National League at 3.09, but don't be fooled. That's mostly from the start of the season when they didn't even need Jansen to look untouchable. Now Jansen is back, looking fantastic, and they either can't get the ball to him, or he's suddenly unavailable for unknown reasons.
The Dodgers won the NL West last year with a struggling 'pen, and they were exposed by the Cardinals in the NLDS. This year, they shouldn't even count on getting that far, as you know the Giants won't be going anywhere, and if the Padres start playing up to their potential, they'll be there as well.
So like the title says, we can only hope Jansen's disappearing act was only for a night or two, and nothing more. But Jansen or not, the rest of the bullpen has got to step up and deliver. All of those innings in middle relief has got to be pitched by someone. And hopefully pitched well.
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Lefties in the 'pen continue to be a problem
Remember back at the end of last August when J.P. Howell had a 1.24 ERA? It's safe to say that that guy hasn't been seen since.
A lousy September (11.81 ERA), lousier playoffs (13.50), and another lousy start to this season (5.40) has left us wondering just what in the world has happened to the guy? Does he have a dead arm? Or have batters simply figured him out?
I have no idea if there's something wrong with his arm, but I definitely think batters have improved their approach against him. They basically lay off of his breaking stuff, because most of the time it barely gets to the plate anyway. He doesn't throw hard enough to blow anyone away, so there ya go.
Friday night in Arizona, he had a chance to keep the game going in extras, as the Dodgers and DBacks were deadlocked at two apiece in the 10th. After getting a groundout to start the inning, he walked Cliff Pennington, uncorked a wild pitch to get him to second, and walked A.J. Pollack. Don Mattingly brought Yasiel Puig to play third for five infielders, but Ender Inciarte ripped a walk-off single down the first base line to beat the Dodgers 4-3.
There's plenty of reasons to be excited about the Dodgers in 2015, but right now, the bullpen is not one of them. Kenley Jansen is hurt and won't return until May. Brandon League is also out for awhile, and even though he's been a disappointment, he did have a 2.57 ERA last year. Take those two away, and it's only natural for things to not go as smoothly.
While Yimi Garcia and Joel Peralta did look very good on Friday, Howell let the game get away. The only other lefty in the bullpen is Paco Rodriguez, who started his career a couple years ago on absolute fire, but has faded since then. The only other lefties are Clayton Kershaw and Brett Anderson, and I'm guessing neither one of them will be pitching out of the bullpen anytime soon.
It's not uncommon for teams to have a shortage of lefties in the later innings, as left-handed pitchers just aren't seen as much in the Majors. But for the Dodgers, this is an issue that isn't going away. Howell looks like a shell of his former self from this time last year. Paco is about to turn 24 in a few days, so he obviously has youth on his side to turn things around. But saying it and doing it are two different things.
These are the Dodgers, so a trade is only a moment or two away. That happened a few days ago when they acquired Ryan Webb from the Orioles, but he's another righty and may get sent to the Minors anyway. The Dodgers were not able to sign Andrew Miller this past offseason, who was the premier lefty on the market. I'm hoping they don't regret not making a bigger push to get him.
A lousy September (11.81 ERA), lousier playoffs (13.50), and another lousy start to this season (5.40) has left us wondering just what in the world has happened to the guy? Does he have a dead arm? Or have batters simply figured him out?
I have no idea if there's something wrong with his arm, but I definitely think batters have improved their approach against him. They basically lay off of his breaking stuff, because most of the time it barely gets to the plate anyway. He doesn't throw hard enough to blow anyone away, so there ya go.
Friday night in Arizona, he had a chance to keep the game going in extras, as the Dodgers and DBacks were deadlocked at two apiece in the 10th. After getting a groundout to start the inning, he walked Cliff Pennington, uncorked a wild pitch to get him to second, and walked A.J. Pollack. Don Mattingly brought Yasiel Puig to play third for five infielders, but Ender Inciarte ripped a walk-off single down the first base line to beat the Dodgers 4-3.
There's plenty of reasons to be excited about the Dodgers in 2015, but right now, the bullpen is not one of them. Kenley Jansen is hurt and won't return until May. Brandon League is also out for awhile, and even though he's been a disappointment, he did have a 2.57 ERA last year. Take those two away, and it's only natural for things to not go as smoothly.
While Yimi Garcia and Joel Peralta did look very good on Friday, Howell let the game get away. The only other lefty in the bullpen is Paco Rodriguez, who started his career a couple years ago on absolute fire, but has faded since then. The only other lefties are Clayton Kershaw and Brett Anderson, and I'm guessing neither one of them will be pitching out of the bullpen anytime soon.
It's not uncommon for teams to have a shortage of lefties in the later innings, as left-handed pitchers just aren't seen as much in the Majors. But for the Dodgers, this is an issue that isn't going away. Howell looks like a shell of his former self from this time last year. Paco is about to turn 24 in a few days, so he obviously has youth on his side to turn things around. But saying it and doing it are two different things.
These are the Dodgers, so a trade is only a moment or two away. That happened a few days ago when they acquired Ryan Webb from the Orioles, but he's another righty and may get sent to the Minors anyway. The Dodgers were not able to sign Andrew Miller this past offseason, who was the premier lefty on the market. I'm hoping they don't regret not making a bigger push to get him.
Monday, February 9, 2015
2015 Season Preview: Bullpen
Here is the second installment in my season preview series. Last season, the bullpen was a huge weak spot on a division winning team, as the Dodgers had a very difficult time getting the ball to their dominant closer, Kenley Jansen. It ended up being one of the big reasons they Dodgers went four and out in the playoffs.
So, have the flurry of moves made this unit stronger heading in '15? Let's take a look.
2014
Closer - Kenley Jansen
Setup - Brian Wilson
J.P. Howell
Brandon League
Chris Perez
Jamey Wright
Pedro Baez
2015
Closer - Kenley Jansen
Setup - Joel Peralta
J.P. Howell
Pedro Baez
Brandon League
Juan Nicasio
Chris Hatcher
Then Compared to Now:
Right off the bat, what jumps out is the addition by subtraction. That is, getting rid of dead weight in Wilson and Perez. They both were so horrendous last season, it's hard to imagine those two signings going any worse. Wilson had a 4.66 ERA in 61 games, and Perez collected a 4.27 in 49. Awful, just awful. Good riddance!
In their places come Peralta, Nicasio, and Hatcher. The biggest name is Peralta, who's coming off of three straight seasons of more strikeouts than innings pitched. But, he's also seen his ERA creep up the last few seasons as well. Like Peralta, Hatcher relies on his fastball to blow hitters away, so the strikeout is always a possibility.
Howell will look to pitch more like the guy the first few months of the season, and less like the one who was knocked around at the end. Baez will look to step up into a bigger role, and Nicasio will look to play the swingman role of long reliever and spot starter.
Individual Breakdown:
Jansen (2014 stats): 2-3, 44 SV, 2.76 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 101 K's in 65 1/2 IP
After some bumps in the road to start the season, he really turned it on as the summer months got hotter and hotter. The result was another terrific season in which he by far posted his most career saves. He's in love with the cutter, and when it has a sharp bite, it's practically unhittable. When he mixes in softer stuff like a slider, he's even more effective. He's only 27 with not much mileage, so the Dodgers have very little worry that he'll continue that success.
Peralta (with Rays): 3-4, 1 SV, 18 HLD, 4.41 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 74 K's in 63 1/3 IP
The good news is that he can't possibly be worse than Wilson in the setup role (right?). The bad news is that he appears to be going in the same direction as Wilson. Of course, that's not to say he'll completely fall off the map too, as I can't imagine he'll get roughed up nearly as bad as The Beard did. The strikeouts are still there, and he only walked 15 last season in 69 appearances, which is very good. With an improved defense behind him, those are reasons to believe he'll be effective. Is he an everyday setup man? That might be a stretch, but we shall see.
Howell: 3-3, 27 HLD, 2.39 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 48 K's in 49 IP
It's a shame he started getting shelled in September, because before that, he was really, really good. And what do you know, he's once again the only lefty in the bullpen. Like it or not, he's the man to face tough lefties. He's not going to blow you away, as he's a location and breaking ball type of guy. When it's working, it's good. When it's not, it's practically batting practice. Maybe he just ran out of steam last season, so hopefully he can be fresher down the stretch, because he'll be needed.
Baez: 0-0, 5 HLD, 2.63 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 18 K's in 24 IP
In his first season, he only appeared in 20 games, so the sample size is small. Even with that, he was thrust right into the spotlight of the postseason, giving up a huge three-run shot to Matt Holliday in that epic meltdown in Game 1 against the Cardinals. Still, I like what he offers, as he throws hard and seems to have good composure on the mound. With Chris Withrow most likely out for all of 2015, his role will be increased even more.
League: 2-3, 11 HLD, 2.57 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 38 K's in 63 IP
What a roller coaster ride it's been for him since being traded to the Dodgers from the Mariners in 2012. He went from closer of the future to a complete waste of a big money deal. Then he posted a fantastic ERA last season, but a very high WHIP showed just how often he was playing with fire. At this point, he is what he is - a guy who will fool some with his breaking stuff, and will go through awful stretches where he lets everyone on base. He survived the offseason without getting canned, but if he falters once again, he'll be sent packing.
Nicasio (with Rockies): 6-6, 1 HLD, 5.38 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 63 K's in 93 2/3 IP
The best thing for any young pitcher is to finally get out of Coors Field, as he owns a 5.24 career ERA at home. It's not like he lit it up on the road, though, with a 4.81 ERA. Still, he has to feel great about coming to the Dodgers and taking the ball in a much friendlier ballpark. If there's a silver lining, he's made six career starts in LA (seven games overall), and owns a 3.63 ERA. That's something to build on.
Hatcher (with Marlins): 0-3, 6 HLD, 3.38 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 60 K's in 56 IP
Like Jansen, he was once a catcher who converted to a hard throwing reliever. His first few seasons weren't so hot, but after getting called up in late May with the Marlins last season, put together a good season. He throws hard and keeps his walks low, which is always a good combination. Right now he's a young, power arm on the rise, so if he can keep missing bats and avoid the free passes, he'll be a good weapon.
Other Names to Remember: Daniel Coulombe, Carlos Frias, Yimi Garcia, Paco Rodriguez
Is Now Better Than Then?
The Dodgers could pair just about anyone up with Jansen and be considered better this season. They absolutely needed to dump Wilson, even if it cost them $10 million in dead salary. Big deal, it needed to be done. And thank the Lord that it did.
The guys who were brought in - Peralta, Hatcher, and Nicasio - aren't names that will jump off the page, and will have to prove that they can be the answer. Peralta appears to be the first in line to pitch the eighth, and finally give a reliable bridge to Jansen in the ninth. That, in my opinion, was the biggest Achilles' heel of the Dodgers last year, so that's something that absolutely needs to get better if they want to take the next step in the playoffs. If not Peralta, then maybe a surprise name such as Baez or Hatcher can be that guy.
Two other guys who are gone from last year are Wright and Perez, as their best days are clearly behind them. Because of those subtractions, I'll easily take this year's squad as an upgrade over last year's. But, does that mean this year's group is good? There's always a huge plus with Jansen at the end, but the newcomers and young guys like Baez will have to show they can put up consistent numbers all season long to be one of the better bullpens in baseball.
So, have the flurry of moves made this unit stronger heading in '15? Let's take a look.
2014
Closer - Kenley Jansen
Setup - Brian Wilson
J.P. Howell
Brandon League
Chris Perez
Jamey Wright
Pedro Baez
2015
Closer - Kenley Jansen
Setup - Joel Peralta
J.P. Howell
Pedro Baez
Brandon League
Juan Nicasio
Chris Hatcher
Then Compared to Now:
Right off the bat, what jumps out is the addition by subtraction. That is, getting rid of dead weight in Wilson and Perez. They both were so horrendous last season, it's hard to imagine those two signings going any worse. Wilson had a 4.66 ERA in 61 games, and Perez collected a 4.27 in 49. Awful, just awful. Good riddance!
In their places come Peralta, Nicasio, and Hatcher. The biggest name is Peralta, who's coming off of three straight seasons of more strikeouts than innings pitched. But, he's also seen his ERA creep up the last few seasons as well. Like Peralta, Hatcher relies on his fastball to blow hitters away, so the strikeout is always a possibility.
Howell will look to pitch more like the guy the first few months of the season, and less like the one who was knocked around at the end. Baez will look to step up into a bigger role, and Nicasio will look to play the swingman role of long reliever and spot starter.
Individual Breakdown:
Jansen (2014 stats): 2-3, 44 SV, 2.76 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 101 K's in 65 1/2 IP
After some bumps in the road to start the season, he really turned it on as the summer months got hotter and hotter. The result was another terrific season in which he by far posted his most career saves. He's in love with the cutter, and when it has a sharp bite, it's practically unhittable. When he mixes in softer stuff like a slider, he's even more effective. He's only 27 with not much mileage, so the Dodgers have very little worry that he'll continue that success.
Peralta (with Rays): 3-4, 1 SV, 18 HLD, 4.41 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 74 K's in 63 1/3 IP
The good news is that he can't possibly be worse than Wilson in the setup role (right?). The bad news is that he appears to be going in the same direction as Wilson. Of course, that's not to say he'll completely fall off the map too, as I can't imagine he'll get roughed up nearly as bad as The Beard did. The strikeouts are still there, and he only walked 15 last season in 69 appearances, which is very good. With an improved defense behind him, those are reasons to believe he'll be effective. Is he an everyday setup man? That might be a stretch, but we shall see.
Howell: 3-3, 27 HLD, 2.39 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 48 K's in 49 IP
It's a shame he started getting shelled in September, because before that, he was really, really good. And what do you know, he's once again the only lefty in the bullpen. Like it or not, he's the man to face tough lefties. He's not going to blow you away, as he's a location and breaking ball type of guy. When it's working, it's good. When it's not, it's practically batting practice. Maybe he just ran out of steam last season, so hopefully he can be fresher down the stretch, because he'll be needed.
Baez: 0-0, 5 HLD, 2.63 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 18 K's in 24 IP
In his first season, he only appeared in 20 games, so the sample size is small. Even with that, he was thrust right into the spotlight of the postseason, giving up a huge three-run shot to Matt Holliday in that epic meltdown in Game 1 against the Cardinals. Still, I like what he offers, as he throws hard and seems to have good composure on the mound. With Chris Withrow most likely out for all of 2015, his role will be increased even more.
League: 2-3, 11 HLD, 2.57 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 38 K's in 63 IP
What a roller coaster ride it's been for him since being traded to the Dodgers from the Mariners in 2012. He went from closer of the future to a complete waste of a big money deal. Then he posted a fantastic ERA last season, but a very high WHIP showed just how often he was playing with fire. At this point, he is what he is - a guy who will fool some with his breaking stuff, and will go through awful stretches where he lets everyone on base. He survived the offseason without getting canned, but if he falters once again, he'll be sent packing.
Nicasio (with Rockies): 6-6, 1 HLD, 5.38 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 63 K's in 93 2/3 IP
The best thing for any young pitcher is to finally get out of Coors Field, as he owns a 5.24 career ERA at home. It's not like he lit it up on the road, though, with a 4.81 ERA. Still, he has to feel great about coming to the Dodgers and taking the ball in a much friendlier ballpark. If there's a silver lining, he's made six career starts in LA (seven games overall), and owns a 3.63 ERA. That's something to build on.
Hatcher (with Marlins): 0-3, 6 HLD, 3.38 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 60 K's in 56 IP
Like Jansen, he was once a catcher who converted to a hard throwing reliever. His first few seasons weren't so hot, but after getting called up in late May with the Marlins last season, put together a good season. He throws hard and keeps his walks low, which is always a good combination. Right now he's a young, power arm on the rise, so if he can keep missing bats and avoid the free passes, he'll be a good weapon.
Other Names to Remember: Daniel Coulombe, Carlos Frias, Yimi Garcia, Paco Rodriguez
Is Now Better Than Then?
The Dodgers could pair just about anyone up with Jansen and be considered better this season. They absolutely needed to dump Wilson, even if it cost them $10 million in dead salary. Big deal, it needed to be done. And thank the Lord that it did.
The guys who were brought in - Peralta, Hatcher, and Nicasio - aren't names that will jump off the page, and will have to prove that they can be the answer. Peralta appears to be the first in line to pitch the eighth, and finally give a reliable bridge to Jansen in the ninth. That, in my opinion, was the biggest Achilles' heel of the Dodgers last year, so that's something that absolutely needs to get better if they want to take the next step in the playoffs. If not Peralta, then maybe a surprise name such as Baez or Hatcher can be that guy.
Two other guys who are gone from last year are Wright and Perez, as their best days are clearly behind them. Because of those subtractions, I'll easily take this year's squad as an upgrade over last year's. But, does that mean this year's group is good? There's always a huge plus with Jansen at the end, but the newcomers and young guys like Baez will have to show they can put up consistent numbers all season long to be one of the better bullpens in baseball.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Same old story: Dodgers' bullpen crumbles once again
Game 3 was more of the same for the Dodgers. A close game in the late innings. A starting pitcher yanked. And a bullpen than simply cannot get the big outs when needed.
Add it all up, and it's the Cardinals who are feeling good after a 3-1 victory in Game 3 of the NLDS. Game 4 is Tuesday afternoon, as the Dodgers turn to Clayton Kershaw on three days' rest to salvage the series.
The story for the start of Game 3 was the return of Hyun-Jin Ryu, and with a strikeout of Matt Carpenter to start the game, he showed that his shoulder was ready to go. He ended up lasting six innings, giving up one run on five hits, striking out four. He really gave the Dodgers everything they could've hoped for.
Who didn't give the Dodgers what they hoped for? That's right - the damn bullpen. More specifically, the middle relief, because they're so bad at this point, Kenley Jansen stands virtually no chance of being handed the ball in the ninth with a lead. It's gotten downright embarrassing watching the middle relief in action.
In the previous two games, we've seen Pedro Baez and J.P. Howell fall apart. In Game 3, it was Scott Elbert's turn. With the rain coming down hard from a passing shower, Yadier Molina took a first-pitch fastball to left for a double to start the seventh.
After a Jon Jay sacrifice bunt, Kolten Wong deposited a 405-foot home run to right, KO'ing any chance the Dodgers had in this one. Elbert gave up a double to Carpenter for good measure before mercifully getting the hook.
I know a lot of people blame Don Mattingly for putting Elbert in, as it clearly was the wrong move. But think about it - who the hell else is there to turn to? Brian Wilson? Give me a break. He faced three batters, giving up a double and intentional walk. After getting an out, he had the nerve to act surprised that he was getting pulled. That's right, the guy who's stunk it up all season long is mad he's getting pulled. Whatever.
Brandon League is another option, but not much of one. Howell was very fortunate to turn a double play on a ball hit back to him to end the eighth. Of course, he gave up another single right before that to load the bases. He's about as easy a reliever to hit as there is in baseball right now.
At this point, the Dodgers are going to have to win in spite of the crap that sits in the bullpen all game, then comes in and gives up hard hit after hard hit. I guess they can only hope Kershaw and Zack Greinke keep their pitch counts low, keep the score lower, and bridge the gap themselves to Jansen.
Two guys we haven't seen appear yet are Jamey Wright and Carlos Frias, so don't be surprised if they're next in line to give this thing a shot. You can also include Dan Haren on that list since he's been bumped from his Game 4 start. Hell, he's better than watching some of these other clowns.
Despite all of this, the Dodgers only need to win two straight games to advance. One in St. Louis with Kershaw looking for redemption, and back in LA with Greinke. That's certainly doable. Maybe someone like Adrian Gonzalez or Hanley Ramirez hits a couple homers and leads the way.
It will also help to not have the incredibly inconsistent Dale Scott calling balls and strikes. He should be an NBA referee with all the home town calls he gave. I don't blame Kemp at all for going off about the strike zone. It was a joke all night long.
Add it all up, and it's the Cardinals who are feeling good after a 3-1 victory in Game 3 of the NLDS. Game 4 is Tuesday afternoon, as the Dodgers turn to Clayton Kershaw on three days' rest to salvage the series.
The story for the start of Game 3 was the return of Hyun-Jin Ryu, and with a strikeout of Matt Carpenter to start the game, he showed that his shoulder was ready to go. He ended up lasting six innings, giving up one run on five hits, striking out four. He really gave the Dodgers everything they could've hoped for.
Who didn't give the Dodgers what they hoped for? That's right - the damn bullpen. More specifically, the middle relief, because they're so bad at this point, Kenley Jansen stands virtually no chance of being handed the ball in the ninth with a lead. It's gotten downright embarrassing watching the middle relief in action.
In the previous two games, we've seen Pedro Baez and J.P. Howell fall apart. In Game 3, it was Scott Elbert's turn. With the rain coming down hard from a passing shower, Yadier Molina took a first-pitch fastball to left for a double to start the seventh.
After a Jon Jay sacrifice bunt, Kolten Wong deposited a 405-foot home run to right, KO'ing any chance the Dodgers had in this one. Elbert gave up a double to Carpenter for good measure before mercifully getting the hook.
I know a lot of people blame Don Mattingly for putting Elbert in, as it clearly was the wrong move. But think about it - who the hell else is there to turn to? Brian Wilson? Give me a break. He faced three batters, giving up a double and intentional walk. After getting an out, he had the nerve to act surprised that he was getting pulled. That's right, the guy who's stunk it up all season long is mad he's getting pulled. Whatever.
Brandon League is another option, but not much of one. Howell was very fortunate to turn a double play on a ball hit back to him to end the eighth. Of course, he gave up another single right before that to load the bases. He's about as easy a reliever to hit as there is in baseball right now.
At this point, the Dodgers are going to have to win in spite of the crap that sits in the bullpen all game, then comes in and gives up hard hit after hard hit. I guess they can only hope Kershaw and Zack Greinke keep their pitch counts low, keep the score lower, and bridge the gap themselves to Jansen.
Two guys we haven't seen appear yet are Jamey Wright and Carlos Frias, so don't be surprised if they're next in line to give this thing a shot. You can also include Dan Haren on that list since he's been bumped from his Game 4 start. Hell, he's better than watching some of these other clowns.
Despite all of this, the Dodgers only need to win two straight games to advance. One in St. Louis with Kershaw looking for redemption, and back in LA with Greinke. That's certainly doable. Maybe someone like Adrian Gonzalez or Hanley Ramirez hits a couple homers and leads the way.
It will also help to not have the incredibly inconsistent Dale Scott calling balls and strikes. He should be an NBA referee with all the home town calls he gave. I don't blame Kemp at all for going off about the strike zone. It was a joke all night long.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Through two games, middle relief is still a big problem
The Dodgers are fortunate to be even at 1-1 in the NLDS, as they can thank Zack Greinke and Matt Kemp for stepping up big in Game 2.
Who has not stepped up big? Middle relief, as they have once again been exposed as the true weakness of the Dodgers.
Even when guys like Brian Wilson and J.P. Howell aren't in the game, they're still impacting it in a big way. Take Game 1, for example. With a tiring and suddenly ineffective Clayton Kershaw hobbling in the seventh, Don Mattingly left him in to try and get through it. Well, it clearly didn't work, and the Dodgers ended up blowing a big lead and losing.
Why was Kershaw left in? Mostly because he's Clayton Freakin' Kershaw, but that's not the only reason. The other one was because there's basically no one to turn to in that spot. Kenley Jansen is the closer, so you can take him out of the equation. The rest are either young, unproven arms, or veterans whose best days are clearly behind them.
When one of those middle relievers did get into the game, the result was horrible. Pedro Baez got the call in the seventh with two outs and the Cardinals up 7-6. He immediately walked Randal Grichuk, then watched Matt Holliday wallop a three-run shot into left measured at 410 feet. That proved to be the fatal blow.
On Sunday night in Game 2, it was Howell's turn to flounder. The lefty faced three straight lefties, and here were the results: single by Oscar Taveras, two-run homer by Matt Carpenter, single by Jon Jay. And that was it.
The Dodgers have at least gotten a few outs from Brandon League (4) and Scott Elbert (2) without giving up runs, but the rest has been terrible. Baez and Howell each have ERAs of 27.00, while guys like Jamey Wright, Carlos Frias, and Wilson haven't gotten in yet. But it's not like they've given anyone much of a reason to put them in.
Fair or not, Mattingly has made the wrong decision with his bullpen in both games, as it's allowed the Cardinals to climb back into each one. Baez tried to overpower Holliday, and it didn't work. Howell has clearly regressed from earlier in the year and can no longer get big outs. Opposing hitters just sit back and tee off of him.
What can be done? For starters, Howell should not be in there in situations like Sunday. Elbert has barely pitched this year, but so what? He's on the roster for a reason, has better stuff, and should be given the chance in those spots.
For Game 3, I would make sure Wright, Frias, and Dan Haren are all ready to go when needed. Hyun-Jin Ryu is making his first start since September 12, and even that lasted only one inning. Mattingly shouldn't hesitate to give the ball to one of these three to start an inning where they'd probably be most comfortable, especially for a starter like Haren.
And no, I would not under any circumstances advocate using Wilson as a late-inning answer. He's been the wrong answer all season long.
If the Dodgers survive this round and Howell still can't get anyone out, then I would yank him for Paco Rodriguez in the NLCS. But that's down the line, so let's take care of the Cardinals first.
Who has not stepped up big? Middle relief, as they have once again been exposed as the true weakness of the Dodgers.
Even when guys like Brian Wilson and J.P. Howell aren't in the game, they're still impacting it in a big way. Take Game 1, for example. With a tiring and suddenly ineffective Clayton Kershaw hobbling in the seventh, Don Mattingly left him in to try and get through it. Well, it clearly didn't work, and the Dodgers ended up blowing a big lead and losing.
Why was Kershaw left in? Mostly because he's Clayton Freakin' Kershaw, but that's not the only reason. The other one was because there's basically no one to turn to in that spot. Kenley Jansen is the closer, so you can take him out of the equation. The rest are either young, unproven arms, or veterans whose best days are clearly behind them.
When one of those middle relievers did get into the game, the result was horrible. Pedro Baez got the call in the seventh with two outs and the Cardinals up 7-6. He immediately walked Randal Grichuk, then watched Matt Holliday wallop a three-run shot into left measured at 410 feet. That proved to be the fatal blow.
On Sunday night in Game 2, it was Howell's turn to flounder. The lefty faced three straight lefties, and here were the results: single by Oscar Taveras, two-run homer by Matt Carpenter, single by Jon Jay. And that was it.
The Dodgers have at least gotten a few outs from Brandon League (4) and Scott Elbert (2) without giving up runs, but the rest has been terrible. Baez and Howell each have ERAs of 27.00, while guys like Jamey Wright, Carlos Frias, and Wilson haven't gotten in yet. But it's not like they've given anyone much of a reason to put them in.
Fair or not, Mattingly has made the wrong decision with his bullpen in both games, as it's allowed the Cardinals to climb back into each one. Baez tried to overpower Holliday, and it didn't work. Howell has clearly regressed from earlier in the year and can no longer get big outs. Opposing hitters just sit back and tee off of him.
What can be done? For starters, Howell should not be in there in situations like Sunday. Elbert has barely pitched this year, but so what? He's on the roster for a reason, has better stuff, and should be given the chance in those spots.
For Game 3, I would make sure Wright, Frias, and Dan Haren are all ready to go when needed. Hyun-Jin Ryu is making his first start since September 12, and even that lasted only one inning. Mattingly shouldn't hesitate to give the ball to one of these three to start an inning where they'd probably be most comfortable, especially for a starter like Haren.
And no, I would not under any circumstances advocate using Wilson as a late-inning answer. He's been the wrong answer all season long.
If the Dodgers survive this round and Howell still can't get anyone out, then I would yank him for Paco Rodriguez in the NLCS. But that's down the line, so let's take care of the Cardinals first.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
Mattingly needs to adjust his bullpen habits... NOW
Saturday afternoon was one of those games that leaves you wondering just how long the Dodgers can last in the postseason. Not because they don't have the talent, but because they don't exactly make the smartest decisions at times.
And that starts with Don Mattingly's use of the bullpen.
Look, I swear I'm not one who constantly points the finger at Mattingly when things don't go well. Even last season when he was virtually a game or two away from getting fired before the Dodgers went on their historic 42-8 run, I was fully on his side. And I still like him as a manager.
With that said, I'm going to criticize him big time on one particular thing right now, and that's his CONSTANT and STUBBORN use of Brian Wilson as a setup man. As yesterday showed, it just makes no sense whatsoever.
But let's back up for a second and take a look at the seventh inning and J.P. Howell. With the Dodgers up 7-2 thanks to two homers and five RBIs from Adrian Gonzalez, Howell started the inning walking Chris Coghlan. Following an out, a wild pitch sent Coghlan to third, and Anthony Rizzo's RBI single made it 7-3.
No big deal, right? Well, no. Right-handed Mike Olt pinch-hit and singled. Left-handed Luis Valbuena flew out to right to make it two down. Right-handed Arismendy Alcantara then lined a three-run shot out to left, and all of a sudden it was 7-6.
For those of you keeping score, Howell faced righties in two of his last three hitters. Why in the world Mattingly decided to keep in the lefty Howell when he had righty Brandon League warming up is completely beyond me. And what do you know, League came in next and got a grounder to short to end the inning.
OK, so that was a hiccup, and hopefully Mattingly learned from his mistake. Wrong. In came Wilson and his 4.53 ERA to pitch in the setup role. Time and time again he has shown why he's lousy for this role, yet Mattingly sticks with him.
And on Saturday, sure enough, Wilson was rocked. After a John Baker single greeted him, Coghlan continued his huge day an out later with a two-run homer to put the Cubs up for good. Carlos Frias had to relieve and get the last out.
Hey, I'm all for managers showing confidence in their players. But there has to be a line drawn somewhere, and that line should have been drawn a long time ago in regards to Wilson pitching the eighth. I don't care how shaky the bullpen is - Wilson is the shakiest, and has absolutely no business pitching in that role. I just can't believe Mattingly can't see what is so obvious to even the most casual of Dodger fans.
Changes have to be made. Howell was having a great season, but has fallen apart in September to the tune of a 13.50 ERA. Perhaps hitters have finally caught up to him, as the book on him is to lay off the soft stuff, and make him bring the "heat" that wouldn't blow a Little League player away. He's only made six appearances this month, yet his ERA has gone up over one full run since the end of August from 1.24 to 2.27.
As for Wilson, it's just the same old song and dance. Apparently Mattingly still thinks the Wilson who collected 171 saves and two rings with the Giants is walking through that door. Even though he had a great run in a short span last season, his arm is obviously shot. I'd be willing to bet every single person who watches him pitch realizes that except one: Don Mattingly.
The solution is that Mattingly needs to rely on new blood later in the game to get the ball to Kenley Jansen. Guys like Pedro Baez, Scott Elbert, and Paco Rodriguez should get the call. Howell is slowly crumbling, and Wilson is just plain awful. Opposing teams are salivating every time they see one of those two being trotted out to the mound. Try something different for crying out loud!
The Dodgers are assured a playoff berth. If they want it to start in the Division Series and not the one-and-done Wild Card round, then Mattingly needs to make adjustments in the 'pen. He hasn't yet, so I'm very skeptical it will happen.
But hey, I can still hope.
And that starts with Don Mattingly's use of the bullpen.
Look, I swear I'm not one who constantly points the finger at Mattingly when things don't go well. Even last season when he was virtually a game or two away from getting fired before the Dodgers went on their historic 42-8 run, I was fully on his side. And I still like him as a manager.
With that said, I'm going to criticize him big time on one particular thing right now, and that's his CONSTANT and STUBBORN use of Brian Wilson as a setup man. As yesterday showed, it just makes no sense whatsoever.
But let's back up for a second and take a look at the seventh inning and J.P. Howell. With the Dodgers up 7-2 thanks to two homers and five RBIs from Adrian Gonzalez, Howell started the inning walking Chris Coghlan. Following an out, a wild pitch sent Coghlan to third, and Anthony Rizzo's RBI single made it 7-3.
No big deal, right? Well, no. Right-handed Mike Olt pinch-hit and singled. Left-handed Luis Valbuena flew out to right to make it two down. Right-handed Arismendy Alcantara then lined a three-run shot out to left, and all of a sudden it was 7-6.
For those of you keeping score, Howell faced righties in two of his last three hitters. Why in the world Mattingly decided to keep in the lefty Howell when he had righty Brandon League warming up is completely beyond me. And what do you know, League came in next and got a grounder to short to end the inning.
OK, so that was a hiccup, and hopefully Mattingly learned from his mistake. Wrong. In came Wilson and his 4.53 ERA to pitch in the setup role. Time and time again he has shown why he's lousy for this role, yet Mattingly sticks with him.
And on Saturday, sure enough, Wilson was rocked. After a John Baker single greeted him, Coghlan continued his huge day an out later with a two-run homer to put the Cubs up for good. Carlos Frias had to relieve and get the last out.
Hey, I'm all for managers showing confidence in their players. But there has to be a line drawn somewhere, and that line should have been drawn a long time ago in regards to Wilson pitching the eighth. I don't care how shaky the bullpen is - Wilson is the shakiest, and has absolutely no business pitching in that role. I just can't believe Mattingly can't see what is so obvious to even the most casual of Dodger fans.
Changes have to be made. Howell was having a great season, but has fallen apart in September to the tune of a 13.50 ERA. Perhaps hitters have finally caught up to him, as the book on him is to lay off the soft stuff, and make him bring the "heat" that wouldn't blow a Little League player away. He's only made six appearances this month, yet his ERA has gone up over one full run since the end of August from 1.24 to 2.27.
As for Wilson, it's just the same old song and dance. Apparently Mattingly still thinks the Wilson who collected 171 saves and two rings with the Giants is walking through that door. Even though he had a great run in a short span last season, his arm is obviously shot. I'd be willing to bet every single person who watches him pitch realizes that except one: Don Mattingly.
The solution is that Mattingly needs to rely on new blood later in the game to get the ball to Kenley Jansen. Guys like Pedro Baez, Scott Elbert, and Paco Rodriguez should get the call. Howell is slowly crumbling, and Wilson is just plain awful. Opposing teams are salivating every time they see one of those two being trotted out to the mound. Try something different for crying out loud!
The Dodgers are assured a playoff berth. If they want it to start in the Division Series and not the one-and-done Wild Card round, then Mattingly needs to make adjustments in the 'pen. He hasn't yet, so I'm very skeptical it will happen.
But hey, I can still hope.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
8th inning could be the Dodgers downfall
Remember last season when Brian Wilson was signed, and the Dodgers had the ultimate 1-2 punch with Kenley Jansen down the stretch and in the postseason?
Well, it sure was fun while it lasted.
The combination of Jamey Wright and Brandon League were the latest to not get the job done in the setup role, as they turned a 2-0 lead into a 5-2 deficit, and the Dodgers dropped one to the Brewers 6-3. At least the Phillies had a comeback of their own in beating the Giants, so the lead in the NL West remains 5 1/2.
To say the eighth inning was ugly would be an understatement. Here's the final tally: nine batters, four hits, five runs, one walk, one strikeout. Most of that damage was done against Wright, who gave up four of those hits and one intentional walk. Even his one out was a hard lineout by Jonathan Lucroy leading off. Every ball hit against him was hard.
League was put in a tough situation of the bases loaded and one out, but he did get Rickie Weeks swinging for two down. But, as has been the case over his three-year deal worth $22.5 million, he couldn't get a second big out, as Lyle Overbay's double cleared the bases and any hope of the Dodgers winning. It was pathetic.
There's no doubt in my mind that the biggest issue the Dodgers face right now is bridging the gap to Jansen. There certainly isn't a Wilson circa 2013 Don Mattingly can turn to. Wilson, by the way, had an 0.66 ERA in 18 appearances last season. Little did we realize just how much we'd miss that version of Wilson.
About the only reliable guy in the 'pen before Jansen is J.P. Howell, but he's not your prototypical setup man. He relies on the soft stuff, and is very effective at it. In 39 1/3 innings, he has a 1.37 ERA. I think Mattingly should just ignore the lefty-righty stuff and pitch him more in the eighth regardless. It certainly can't hurt.
But other than Howell... yikes. It's just a whole lot of nothing to turn to. Here's my breakdown of the other choices, and why they're.... well, not good choices:
Wilson - 5.26 ERA, and can't seem to pitch a clean eighth
League - Much better ERA at 2.32, but the bigger the pressure, the worse he gets
Wright - Had a chance to make a positive impression, and showed why he's much more suited to pitching earlier in the game
Chris Perez - Currently on the DL, and when he's back, has absolutely no business taking the mound in any inning
Pedro Baez and Carlos Frias - Too young and inexperienced to pitch in a big situation. But then again, it's not like they can do any worse, so why not try them?
So like I said, there just aren't any solid options to turn to. I actually liked it on Friday night when Donny gave Wright a chance to do the job. It definitely backfired, but the other options are so bad, it was worth a shot.
This is definitely a big concern heading into the postseason. The only positive is that the Dodgers have really good starting pitching in Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-Jin Ryu (who hopefully can rest his sore butt!). They can pitch deep into games, which would then limit the amount of relievers needed. We hope.
If I'm Jansen, I'm making sure my arm is plenty rested and ready to go in October. I absolutely think Donny will call upon him in the eighth for more than the traditional three-out save. Donny really has no choice. Might as well skip all the other bums and go with the Big Dog.
Will someone actually step up and finally claim that setup role over the final month-and-a-half? That will be the major question facing the Dodgers the rest of the season.
Well, it sure was fun while it lasted.
The combination of Jamey Wright and Brandon League were the latest to not get the job done in the setup role, as they turned a 2-0 lead into a 5-2 deficit, and the Dodgers dropped one to the Brewers 6-3. At least the Phillies had a comeback of their own in beating the Giants, so the lead in the NL West remains 5 1/2.
To say the eighth inning was ugly would be an understatement. Here's the final tally: nine batters, four hits, five runs, one walk, one strikeout. Most of that damage was done against Wright, who gave up four of those hits and one intentional walk. Even his one out was a hard lineout by Jonathan Lucroy leading off. Every ball hit against him was hard.
League was put in a tough situation of the bases loaded and one out, but he did get Rickie Weeks swinging for two down. But, as has been the case over his three-year deal worth $22.5 million, he couldn't get a second big out, as Lyle Overbay's double cleared the bases and any hope of the Dodgers winning. It was pathetic.
There's no doubt in my mind that the biggest issue the Dodgers face right now is bridging the gap to Jansen. There certainly isn't a Wilson circa 2013 Don Mattingly can turn to. Wilson, by the way, had an 0.66 ERA in 18 appearances last season. Little did we realize just how much we'd miss that version of Wilson.
About the only reliable guy in the 'pen before Jansen is J.P. Howell, but he's not your prototypical setup man. He relies on the soft stuff, and is very effective at it. In 39 1/3 innings, he has a 1.37 ERA. I think Mattingly should just ignore the lefty-righty stuff and pitch him more in the eighth regardless. It certainly can't hurt.
But other than Howell... yikes. It's just a whole lot of nothing to turn to. Here's my breakdown of the other choices, and why they're.... well, not good choices:
Wilson - 5.26 ERA, and can't seem to pitch a clean eighth
League - Much better ERA at 2.32, but the bigger the pressure, the worse he gets
Wright - Had a chance to make a positive impression, and showed why he's much more suited to pitching earlier in the game
Chris Perez - Currently on the DL, and when he's back, has absolutely no business taking the mound in any inning
Pedro Baez and Carlos Frias - Too young and inexperienced to pitch in a big situation. But then again, it's not like they can do any worse, so why not try them?
So like I said, there just aren't any solid options to turn to. I actually liked it on Friday night when Donny gave Wright a chance to do the job. It definitely backfired, but the other options are so bad, it was worth a shot.
This is definitely a big concern heading into the postseason. The only positive is that the Dodgers have really good starting pitching in Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, and Hyun-Jin Ryu (who hopefully can rest his sore butt!). They can pitch deep into games, which would then limit the amount of relievers needed. We hope.
If I'm Jansen, I'm making sure my arm is plenty rested and ready to go in October. I absolutely think Donny will call upon him in the eighth for more than the traditional three-out save. Donny really has no choice. Might as well skip all the other bums and go with the Big Dog.
Will someone actually step up and finally claim that setup role over the final month-and-a-half? That will be the major question facing the Dodgers the rest of the season.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
1-0, again? Sure, the Dodgers will take it
For as bad as the offense has been this week for the Dodgers, there were some good things to come out of Sunday's game: they won, they took three of four from the Padres, they have the best record in the National League, and Hyun-Jin Ryu more than shook off getting creamed in Detroit.
So, despite one run for the second straight night, it's another win for the Dodgers over the Padres.
Hey, at least they did better than one run on four hits on Saturday, right?
If you want to read about how poorly the Dodgers have been performing at the plate, then take a look at my article on yesterday's game. I could have written the same exact thing today, because Yasiel Puig's RBI single in the sixth was the lone highlight of the game for either team. Tyson Ross, Ryu, and a few relievers completely shut these teams down.
What I will focus on is just that, the pitching. The start of the Dodgers' offensive ineptitude began on Tuesday against the Tigers. After taking a 5-0 lead in the first inning off of Justin Verlander, Ryu got pounded for 10 hits and seven runs in 2 1/3 innings as the Dodgers got destroyed 14-5. Today Ryu went six innings for two hits, no runs, no walks, and 10 strikeouts. His off speed stuff was awesome.
From there, Brandon League, J.P. Howell, and Kenley Jansen combined to shut the door. League was a little shaky, walking Yasmani Grandal and giving up a single to Cameron Maybin. Howell put out that fire when Brooks Conrad lined to Carl Crawford in left.
Howell stayed on in the eighth, still with only the one-run lead. Even though Adrian Gonzalez dropped a throw to first for an error, Howell had no issues. At the break, he has a 1.32 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 19 holds. Lefties are 8-for-56 (.143) and righties are 9-for-54 (.167) against him. Very quietly, he's turned into one of the best middle relievers in baseball.
Jansen had to toughen up today for the save, as he walked Carlos Quentin on a very close full count pitch, then watched Grandal bounce a single into right with an out. Two strikeouts later, the game was over for his 27th save.
Back on June 20, Jansen blew his third save in San Diego, giving up three runs in the ninth and being hit all over the place. His nine appearances since then? All perfect, collecting seven saves and a win while lowering his ERA from 4.55 to 3.49. He also has more K's (13) than walks (1) and hits (5) combined. He's finally mixing up his pitches and figuring things out.
Other thoughts from the game:
* OK, so here's a bit more talk about the offense. Matt Kemp didn't start (good move), but pinch-hit in the eighth with Puig on second and two outs (bad move). Predictably, he struck out. Man, he really stinks now. That's all I've got to say about that.
* I don't think I've ever seen A.J. Ellis yell and get visibly upset at himself during a game before, but that's exactly what happened after he K'd with two on and none out in the second. He's had a rough year between injuries and a big lack of production at the plate and in not throwing out stealers. Let's hope the All-Star break does him some good.
* It was good to see Crawford get the start in left, as he singled and walked in four at-bats. Like I wrote about recently, there's no way Kemp should be handed every start in left. Give me a break. Let's see what Crawford can do with more time. Better than watching Matt "Swing and a Miss" Kemp.
* Can you tell I'm down on Kemp?
* Ross is a very good young pitcher. His slider is practically untouchable. I initially wasn't so sure about him making the All-Star team, but he showed he deserves it today. Too bad for him his team sucks behind him.
Every team in baseball will take the next four days off, then return to action Friday. The Dodgers will be in St. Louis, and Dan Haren will get the ball. Gee, if that doesn't get you pumped for Friday, then I don't know what will!
So, despite one run for the second straight night, it's another win for the Dodgers over the Padres.
Hey, at least they did better than one run on four hits on Saturday, right?
If you want to read about how poorly the Dodgers have been performing at the plate, then take a look at my article on yesterday's game. I could have written the same exact thing today, because Yasiel Puig's RBI single in the sixth was the lone highlight of the game for either team. Tyson Ross, Ryu, and a few relievers completely shut these teams down.
What I will focus on is just that, the pitching. The start of the Dodgers' offensive ineptitude began on Tuesday against the Tigers. After taking a 5-0 lead in the first inning off of Justin Verlander, Ryu got pounded for 10 hits and seven runs in 2 1/3 innings as the Dodgers got destroyed 14-5. Today Ryu went six innings for two hits, no runs, no walks, and 10 strikeouts. His off speed stuff was awesome.
From there, Brandon League, J.P. Howell, and Kenley Jansen combined to shut the door. League was a little shaky, walking Yasmani Grandal and giving up a single to Cameron Maybin. Howell put out that fire when Brooks Conrad lined to Carl Crawford in left.
Howell stayed on in the eighth, still with only the one-run lead. Even though Adrian Gonzalez dropped a throw to first for an error, Howell had no issues. At the break, he has a 1.32 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and 19 holds. Lefties are 8-for-56 (.143) and righties are 9-for-54 (.167) against him. Very quietly, he's turned into one of the best middle relievers in baseball.
Jansen had to toughen up today for the save, as he walked Carlos Quentin on a very close full count pitch, then watched Grandal bounce a single into right with an out. Two strikeouts later, the game was over for his 27th save.
Back on June 20, Jansen blew his third save in San Diego, giving up three runs in the ninth and being hit all over the place. His nine appearances since then? All perfect, collecting seven saves and a win while lowering his ERA from 4.55 to 3.49. He also has more K's (13) than walks (1) and hits (5) combined. He's finally mixing up his pitches and figuring things out.
Other thoughts from the game:
* OK, so here's a bit more talk about the offense. Matt Kemp didn't start (good move), but pinch-hit in the eighth with Puig on second and two outs (bad move). Predictably, he struck out. Man, he really stinks now. That's all I've got to say about that.
* I don't think I've ever seen A.J. Ellis yell and get visibly upset at himself during a game before, but that's exactly what happened after he K'd with two on and none out in the second. He's had a rough year between injuries and a big lack of production at the plate and in not throwing out stealers. Let's hope the All-Star break does him some good.
* It was good to see Crawford get the start in left, as he singled and walked in four at-bats. Like I wrote about recently, there's no way Kemp should be handed every start in left. Give me a break. Let's see what Crawford can do with more time. Better than watching Matt "Swing and a Miss" Kemp.
* Can you tell I'm down on Kemp?
* Ross is a very good young pitcher. His slider is practically untouchable. I initially wasn't so sure about him making the All-Star team, but he showed he deserves it today. Too bad for him his team sucks behind him.
Every team in baseball will take the next four days off, then return to action Friday. The Dodgers will be in St. Louis, and Dan Haren will get the ball. Gee, if that doesn't get you pumped for Friday, then I don't know what will!
Monday, June 23, 2014
Updated look at possible All-Stars
About a month ago I blogged about potential All-Star selections for the Dodgers. With a little over three weeks to go until the game, here's my updated look at who I think has a chance to represent the Dodgers:
Definitely
Yasiel Puig, OF. He's currently leading the National League in outfield voting, and rightfully so. A rough stretch in June has dipped his average to .317, but there's no denying he's the complete package this season and deserves to start. I just hope he doesn't tear some arm ligaments trying to make some crazy throw.
Clayton Kershaw, SP. The last time I discussed this subject, he was just coming back from his shoulder injury. Then he reminded everyone just how good he is with a no-hitter against the Rockies in one of the most dominating pitching performances ever. Currently at 7-2 with a 2.52 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, he's earned his way back in.
Dee Gordon, 2B. While he's slipped to third in NL voting, he should be a backup to Chase Utley at second. He's still tops in baseball with 39 steals, besting Billy Hamilton by 8. And if you're beating Hamilton in that category, you must be doing something right. His defense has been much-improved of late as well, so he'll be fine.
Josh Beckett, SP. As if throwing a no-hitter against the Phillies wasn't convincing enough, then the fact that he's only getting better as the season wears on should be. His 5-4 record doesn't come close to telling an accurate story of how good he's been. Being third in the NL with a 2.28 ERA does, and his 1.02 WHIP is fourth.
Possibly
Zack Greinke, SP. I bumped him down a notch from last time for a couple of reasons. One, he's been a little bit off in June with a 3.60 ERA in four starts. Two, he's more victimized by Kershaw and Beckett, who've been better. There's nothing against the rules of having three starting pitchers from the same team, and it can definitely happen here. I think he will get in, as he's 9-3 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. Those are All-Star numbers when it's all said and done.
Kenley Jansen, RP. The good news is that he's tied for second in the NL with 22 saves, three behind Francisco Rodriguez for the lead. The bad news is that he's done that with a 4.26 ERA and 1.39 WHIP, hardly All-Star numbers. And as you saw on Friday night against the lowly Padres, he gets hit around too much. What could convince those making the choices are his saves and his NL-leading 53 strikeouts among relievers. This one could go either way.
J.P. Howell, RP. Since the All-Star "counts" now, I'll throw his name out there as a situational lefty. He's tied for third in the NL with 17 holds, and owns a 1.61 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. It's not uncommon anymore for middle relievers to get some All-Star love, just like Hong-Chih Kuo did back in 2010. The only roadblock is Tony Watson of the Pirates has better numbers and is also a lefty, so we'll see what happens.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, SP. A pure darkhorse candidate at this point since the NL is loaded with quality starting pitching. He is 9-3 with a 3.06 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, so if some pitchers are hurt or ineligible because of not enough rest, Ryu's name could be floated out there as a replacement.
Names Added: Howell, Ryu
Names Bumped: Adrian Gonzalez, Juan Uribe
Definitely
Yasiel Puig, OF. He's currently leading the National League in outfield voting, and rightfully so. A rough stretch in June has dipped his average to .317, but there's no denying he's the complete package this season and deserves to start. I just hope he doesn't tear some arm ligaments trying to make some crazy throw.
Clayton Kershaw, SP. The last time I discussed this subject, he was just coming back from his shoulder injury. Then he reminded everyone just how good he is with a no-hitter against the Rockies in one of the most dominating pitching performances ever. Currently at 7-2 with a 2.52 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, he's earned his way back in.
Dee Gordon, 2B. While he's slipped to third in NL voting, he should be a backup to Chase Utley at second. He's still tops in baseball with 39 steals, besting Billy Hamilton by 8. And if you're beating Hamilton in that category, you must be doing something right. His defense has been much-improved of late as well, so he'll be fine.
Josh Beckett, SP. As if throwing a no-hitter against the Phillies wasn't convincing enough, then the fact that he's only getting better as the season wears on should be. His 5-4 record doesn't come close to telling an accurate story of how good he's been. Being third in the NL with a 2.28 ERA does, and his 1.02 WHIP is fourth.
Possibly
Zack Greinke, SP. I bumped him down a notch from last time for a couple of reasons. One, he's been a little bit off in June with a 3.60 ERA in four starts. Two, he's more victimized by Kershaw and Beckett, who've been better. There's nothing against the rules of having three starting pitchers from the same team, and it can definitely happen here. I think he will get in, as he's 9-3 with a 2.57 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. Those are All-Star numbers when it's all said and done.
Kenley Jansen, RP. The good news is that he's tied for second in the NL with 22 saves, three behind Francisco Rodriguez for the lead. The bad news is that he's done that with a 4.26 ERA and 1.39 WHIP, hardly All-Star numbers. And as you saw on Friday night against the lowly Padres, he gets hit around too much. What could convince those making the choices are his saves and his NL-leading 53 strikeouts among relievers. This one could go either way.
J.P. Howell, RP. Since the All-Star "counts" now, I'll throw his name out there as a situational lefty. He's tied for third in the NL with 17 holds, and owns a 1.61 ERA and 1.07 WHIP. It's not uncommon anymore for middle relievers to get some All-Star love, just like Hong-Chih Kuo did back in 2010. The only roadblock is Tony Watson of the Pirates has better numbers and is also a lefty, so we'll see what happens.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, SP. A pure darkhorse candidate at this point since the NL is loaded with quality starting pitching. He is 9-3 with a 3.06 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, so if some pitchers are hurt or ineligible because of not enough rest, Ryu's name could be floated out there as a replacement.
Names Added: Howell, Ryu
Names Bumped: Adrian Gonzalez, Juan Uribe
Sunday, June 22, 2014
It all could come down to the bullpen for the Dodgers
One night after Kenley Jansen's horrific blown save against the Padres, the Dodgers bounced right back behind seven shutout innings from Josh Beckett. Saturday was a solid night, as Dee Gordon scored twice and stole his 39th base, Hanley Ramirez drove in two, and Justin Turner had two hits. Jansen even got the save, regaining some momentum from the night before.
The Dodgers have been better in June with an 11-8 record, but one issue remains that could hold them back: the bullpen has got to get better.
The last two games in San Diego are the perfect example. Friday night was just brutal to watch. Dan Haren was pretty good, giving the Dodgers 5 2/3 innings for three runs. J.P. Howell and Brandon League both got a couple of outs to get into the eighth up 5-3.
Before the season, if you were to be told that the Dodgers have a two-run lead heading into the eighth, you would've been happy since Brian Wilson and Jansen were coming in. But reality has been much different than on paper, and both have underachieved.
Wilson was very fortunate to escape the eighth unharmed, as Scott Van Slyke, subbing for an injured Yasiel Puig, made a great running catch in right to prevent a run from being scored.
Then Jansen blew the save in the ninth, getting knocked all over the place, and raising his ERA from 3.72 to 4.55 in the process.
On Saturday night, the Dodgers found themselves up 4-0 heading into the bottom of the eighth. Don Mattingly rightfully didn't put Wilson back in there, but Paul Maholm gave up a leadoff triple to Cameron Maybin, and a two-out walk to Seth Smith. League came in and immediately let both runs score on two singles. Thankfully Jansen was much better in closing it out the next inning.
Right now, the bullpen is clearly sticking out as the weak link. The offense looks better with guys like Gordon, Hanley, and Matt Kemp swinging the bats better. The defense has settled in, save for Hanley's error during Clayton Kershaw's (almost) perfect game. The starting rotation has been superb all along.
Then there's the bullpen, which still can't seem to figure things out. Ideally, Wilson should've been one of the top setup men in baseball, but that certainly hasn't been the case. His ERA has actually gone way down to 5.33, but an enormous 1.89 WHIP shows that way too many men reach base against him. He looks like he's ready to implode at any point again.
The guys behind him have been a mixed bag as well. The best has been Howell with a 1.89 ERA and 16 holds. League had a good stretch to lower his ERA to 2.21, but still doesn't look comfortable in tight situations late in games. Chris Perez has been awful with a 5.61 ERA, and doesn't deserve any big innings at all.
Jamey Wright has been good with a 2.43 ERA, although his role is hard to figure out since he was supposed to be a long reliever. Does Donny strictly keep him for that role, or use him as a setup man occasionally? It's a tough call. The other long reliever, Maholm, looks lost with a 5.04 ERA. I wonder if he'll be sent packing.
Two guys relied upon for most of last year were Chris Withrow and Paco Rodriguez. Well, Withrow is done for the year with Tommy John surgery, and Paco is in Triple-A.
Jansen is going through some tough times for the first time in his career. He used to just show up, blow everyone away, then leave. Now, it looks as if hitters are more comfortable against him, and know what to expect. Supposedly there was a mechanical flaw that was being worked on after Friday's meltdown, so maybe that will work. I still think he needs to mix his pitches up more as I've said for awhile now. Mariano Rivera he is not, so throwing the same cutter over and over won't work all the time. It's time to accept some change.
I definitely expect Ned Colletti to be active over the next month-and-a-half in acquiring relief help. I can't imagine they can continue to watch games like these last two nights where the offense and starting pitching gets a lead, and they have to scratch and claw to hold on. That's pretty frustrating.
For in-house replacements, there's guys down at Triple-A like Paco, Jose Dominguez, and Pedro Baez who could get another shot in LA. Don't forget about those names.
The bottom line is that the Dodgers need to try something new with the 'pen. Most guys haven't pulled their weight, so some fresh arms will only do them good. We all know Colletti isn't afraid to pull the trigger on trades and roster moves, so keep an eye out for what happens. It should be interesting.
The Dodgers have been better in June with an 11-8 record, but one issue remains that could hold them back: the bullpen has got to get better.
The last two games in San Diego are the perfect example. Friday night was just brutal to watch. Dan Haren was pretty good, giving the Dodgers 5 2/3 innings for three runs. J.P. Howell and Brandon League both got a couple of outs to get into the eighth up 5-3.
Before the season, if you were to be told that the Dodgers have a two-run lead heading into the eighth, you would've been happy since Brian Wilson and Jansen were coming in. But reality has been much different than on paper, and both have underachieved.
Wilson was very fortunate to escape the eighth unharmed, as Scott Van Slyke, subbing for an injured Yasiel Puig, made a great running catch in right to prevent a run from being scored.
Then Jansen blew the save in the ninth, getting knocked all over the place, and raising his ERA from 3.72 to 4.55 in the process.
On Saturday night, the Dodgers found themselves up 4-0 heading into the bottom of the eighth. Don Mattingly rightfully didn't put Wilson back in there, but Paul Maholm gave up a leadoff triple to Cameron Maybin, and a two-out walk to Seth Smith. League came in and immediately let both runs score on two singles. Thankfully Jansen was much better in closing it out the next inning.
Right now, the bullpen is clearly sticking out as the weak link. The offense looks better with guys like Gordon, Hanley, and Matt Kemp swinging the bats better. The defense has settled in, save for Hanley's error during Clayton Kershaw's (almost) perfect game. The starting rotation has been superb all along.
Then there's the bullpen, which still can't seem to figure things out. Ideally, Wilson should've been one of the top setup men in baseball, but that certainly hasn't been the case. His ERA has actually gone way down to 5.33, but an enormous 1.89 WHIP shows that way too many men reach base against him. He looks like he's ready to implode at any point again.
The guys behind him have been a mixed bag as well. The best has been Howell with a 1.89 ERA and 16 holds. League had a good stretch to lower his ERA to 2.21, but still doesn't look comfortable in tight situations late in games. Chris Perez has been awful with a 5.61 ERA, and doesn't deserve any big innings at all.
Jamey Wright has been good with a 2.43 ERA, although his role is hard to figure out since he was supposed to be a long reliever. Does Donny strictly keep him for that role, or use him as a setup man occasionally? It's a tough call. The other long reliever, Maholm, looks lost with a 5.04 ERA. I wonder if he'll be sent packing.
Two guys relied upon for most of last year were Chris Withrow and Paco Rodriguez. Well, Withrow is done for the year with Tommy John surgery, and Paco is in Triple-A.
Jansen is going through some tough times for the first time in his career. He used to just show up, blow everyone away, then leave. Now, it looks as if hitters are more comfortable against him, and know what to expect. Supposedly there was a mechanical flaw that was being worked on after Friday's meltdown, so maybe that will work. I still think he needs to mix his pitches up more as I've said for awhile now. Mariano Rivera he is not, so throwing the same cutter over and over won't work all the time. It's time to accept some change.
I definitely expect Ned Colletti to be active over the next month-and-a-half in acquiring relief help. I can't imagine they can continue to watch games like these last two nights where the offense and starting pitching gets a lead, and they have to scratch and claw to hold on. That's pretty frustrating.
For in-house replacements, there's guys down at Triple-A like Paco, Jose Dominguez, and Pedro Baez who could get another shot in LA. Don't forget about those names.
The bottom line is that the Dodgers need to try something new with the 'pen. Most guys haven't pulled their weight, so some fresh arms will only do them good. We all know Colletti isn't afraid to pull the trigger on trades and roster moves, so keep an eye out for what happens. It should be interesting.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Extra innings have been unkind, but why?
After another extra-innings loss on Thursday night to the Giants 3-1, the Dodgers dropped to 3-6 in such games. It's actually pretty amazing that of the 36 games played so far, nine have gone into "overtime."
So the simple question is, Why?
Here's why: the bullpen ERA is 3.92 overall, but shoots up to 5.40 after the ninth inning. The breakdown goes something like this:
Brandon League - 4 1/3 IP, 2.08 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, .333 AVG
Jamey Wright - 6 IP, 3.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .286 AVG
Chris Perez - 2 IP, 9.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .333 AVG
J.P. Howell - 2 2/3 IP, 10.12 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .231 AVG
Kenley Jansen - 1 2/3 IP, 10.80 ERA, 3.60 WHIP, .500 AVG
Simply put, those numbers range from a little taste of good to a whole lot of bad.
Even more surprising is the order in which this list appears. I would think if you had these five guys as your choices before the season started, you would've had it flipped completely, as there's no way anyone would think League would have a better ERA than Jansen when the pressure is on. But, that's certainly been the reality.
Look, the Dodgers just have to play better on both sides of the field if they want to breakout and stop treading water. Better pitching in extra innings is just one part of it. It's not like the offense lights it up either, as their .266 AVG is about in the middle of the pack. That's not that great, but it's better than the poor pitching at least.
Then again, the Dodgers just need to go on a 42-8 run again. That would solve plenty of problems.
So the simple question is, Why?
Here's why: the bullpen ERA is 3.92 overall, but shoots up to 5.40 after the ninth inning. The breakdown goes something like this:
Brandon League - 4 1/3 IP, 2.08 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, .333 AVG
Jamey Wright - 6 IP, 3.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .286 AVG
Chris Perez - 2 IP, 9.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .333 AVG
J.P. Howell - 2 2/3 IP, 10.12 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, .231 AVG
Kenley Jansen - 1 2/3 IP, 10.80 ERA, 3.60 WHIP, .500 AVG
Simply put, those numbers range from a little taste of good to a whole lot of bad.
Even more surprising is the order in which this list appears. I would think if you had these five guys as your choices before the season started, you would've had it flipped completely, as there's no way anyone would think League would have a better ERA than Jansen when the pressure is on. But, that's certainly been the reality.
Look, the Dodgers just have to play better on both sides of the field if they want to breakout and stop treading water. Better pitching in extra innings is just one part of it. It's not like the offense lights it up either, as their .266 AVG is about in the middle of the pack. That's not that great, but it's better than the poor pitching at least.
Then again, the Dodgers just need to go on a 42-8 run again. That would solve plenty of problems.
Friday, April 25, 2014
The "dominant" Dodgers' bullpen... is pretty average
Oh boy. One night after Brian Wilson completely melted down against the Phillies in a 7-3 loss, getting burned for four runs and only one out in the ninth, it's time we take a look at how exactly the Dodgers' bullpen is doing.
Let's break it down, starting with team stats, and then looking at some individual arms in the 'pen.
Team Stats:
2-7, 83 1/3 IP, 3.56 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 8 saves, 4 blown saves, 40 BB, 92 K, .235 BAA
NL Averages:
4-3, 69 IP, 3.54 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 6 saves, 3 blown saves, 28 BB, 68 K, .236 BAA
Analysis:
Like the headline says, all things considered, the bullpen is pretty average. Not terrible by any means, but not exactly the shutdown group of arms Ned Colletti thought he was getting. The number that jumped out to me the most is the innings pitched, as only Arizona at 92 has more. No surprise, both teams lost their aces (Patrick Corbin for the year, Clayton Kershaw for over a month). The amount of walks is third in baseball. Even with more innings, that's still way too high. Blowing one out of every three saves isn't great, either.
Individual Stats:
Chris Withrow - 0-0, 11 1/3 IP, 0.79 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 7 BB, 16 K
J.P. Howell - 1-2, 10 IP, 0.90 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 6 BB, 11 K
Chris Perez - 0-1, 10 2/3 IP, 1.69 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 3 BB, 7 K
Jamey Wright - 1-1, 11 1/3 IP, 3.18 ERA, 1.85 WHIP, 8 BB, 10 K
Paco Rodriguez - 0-0, 5 2/3 IP, 3.18 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 2 BB, 5 K
Kenley Jansen - 0-1, 13 IP, 3.46 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 5 BB, 24 K, 8 SV
Brandon League - 0-1, 10 IP, 3.60 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3 BB, 7 K
Paul Maholm - 0-0, 2 1/3 IP, 3.86 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 0 BB, 1 K
Jose Dominguez - 0-0, 5 IP, 10.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2 BB, 7 K
Brian Wilson - 0-2, 4 IP, 15.75 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 4 BB, 4 K
Analysis:
Who would've thought Wilson's name would be dead last in ERA? He could not have possibly been any better last season, with only one run allowed in 13 2/3 innings. Now he's just getting hit all over the place, and his location has been abysmal. He's already spent time on the DL this season, so don't be surprised if it's right back to that soon.
Don Mattingly has recently stated that he wants to give Jansen more time off. That's a smart thing since he leads the bullpen in innings. But, Thursday night it was Wilson in the closer's role of keeping the scored tied in the ninth, and he flunked with flying colors. This is why Mattingly rides his horse so much. Even with an ERA higher than normal, with nearly twice the amount of strikeouts as innings, it's easy to see why he's used to much.
The top three names on that list should be getting more cracks in the late innings as Wilson works through whatever mechanical or physical issues he has. Withrow has emerged as a legit power arm. Howell continues to get batters out on both sides of the plate. Perez looks more like the All-Star closer he was with the Indians, and not the guy who fell apart last year.
Final Verdict:
All in all, the bullpen isn't quite as bad as people may think. It's completely understandable to be disappointed that a group of relievers making around $35 million this season are in the middle of the pack. That type of money is dished out to ensure zeros late in games, not blown saves and big hits.
Jansen is still the clear-cut closer, as he has four straight shutout appearances of late, including seven strikeouts and no walks. Mixing up his pitches a little more has really paid off. Even if he was still throwing cutter after cutter, he's the best closer they have, especially with Wilson being so bad.
Instead of Wilson as the primary setup guy, I'd move Perez up to that spot, with Withrow and Howell right behind. Perez has only given up runs in one of his 12 appearances. If there's a big lefty to get out, then of course send in Howell.
I'd also like to see is the return of Rodriguez from Triple-A. Right now the Dodgers have only one left-handed reliever in Howell, which is way too few. At least give Mattingly one more option from the left side.
Once Kershaw comes back, then Maholm can be moved to the long relief role, as Wright doesn't look like he's really in that role right now. Unless Maholm is sent packing, which wouldn't be a bad thing, quite honestly. I just think that if anything, he can be brought in for multiple innings if necessary.
Finally, I would address League, but if the Dodgers haven't canned him yet, I doubt they ever will. He's been better than Wilson, at least.
Let's break it down, starting with team stats, and then looking at some individual arms in the 'pen.
Team Stats:
2-7, 83 1/3 IP, 3.56 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 8 saves, 4 blown saves, 40 BB, 92 K, .235 BAA
NL Averages:
4-3, 69 IP, 3.54 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 6 saves, 3 blown saves, 28 BB, 68 K, .236 BAA
Analysis:
Like the headline says, all things considered, the bullpen is pretty average. Not terrible by any means, but not exactly the shutdown group of arms Ned Colletti thought he was getting. The number that jumped out to me the most is the innings pitched, as only Arizona at 92 has more. No surprise, both teams lost their aces (Patrick Corbin for the year, Clayton Kershaw for over a month). The amount of walks is third in baseball. Even with more innings, that's still way too high. Blowing one out of every three saves isn't great, either.
Individual Stats:
Chris Withrow - 0-0, 11 1/3 IP, 0.79 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 7 BB, 16 K
J.P. Howell - 1-2, 10 IP, 0.90 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 6 BB, 11 K
Chris Perez - 0-1, 10 2/3 IP, 1.69 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 3 BB, 7 K
Jamey Wright - 1-1, 11 1/3 IP, 3.18 ERA, 1.85 WHIP, 8 BB, 10 K
Paco Rodriguez - 0-0, 5 2/3 IP, 3.18 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 2 BB, 5 K
Kenley Jansen - 0-1, 13 IP, 3.46 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 5 BB, 24 K, 8 SV
Brandon League - 0-1, 10 IP, 3.60 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3 BB, 7 K
Paul Maholm - 0-0, 2 1/3 IP, 3.86 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 0 BB, 1 K
Jose Dominguez - 0-0, 5 IP, 10.80 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2 BB, 7 K
Brian Wilson - 0-2, 4 IP, 15.75 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 4 BB, 4 K
Analysis:
Who would've thought Wilson's name would be dead last in ERA? He could not have possibly been any better last season, with only one run allowed in 13 2/3 innings. Now he's just getting hit all over the place, and his location has been abysmal. He's already spent time on the DL this season, so don't be surprised if it's right back to that soon.
Don Mattingly has recently stated that he wants to give Jansen more time off. That's a smart thing since he leads the bullpen in innings. But, Thursday night it was Wilson in the closer's role of keeping the scored tied in the ninth, and he flunked with flying colors. This is why Mattingly rides his horse so much. Even with an ERA higher than normal, with nearly twice the amount of strikeouts as innings, it's easy to see why he's used to much.
The top three names on that list should be getting more cracks in the late innings as Wilson works through whatever mechanical or physical issues he has. Withrow has emerged as a legit power arm. Howell continues to get batters out on both sides of the plate. Perez looks more like the All-Star closer he was with the Indians, and not the guy who fell apart last year.
Final Verdict:
All in all, the bullpen isn't quite as bad as people may think. It's completely understandable to be disappointed that a group of relievers making around $35 million this season are in the middle of the pack. That type of money is dished out to ensure zeros late in games, not blown saves and big hits.
Jansen is still the clear-cut closer, as he has four straight shutout appearances of late, including seven strikeouts and no walks. Mixing up his pitches a little more has really paid off. Even if he was still throwing cutter after cutter, he's the best closer they have, especially with Wilson being so bad.
Instead of Wilson as the primary setup guy, I'd move Perez up to that spot, with Withrow and Howell right behind. Perez has only given up runs in one of his 12 appearances. If there's a big lefty to get out, then of course send in Howell.
I'd also like to see is the return of Rodriguez from Triple-A. Right now the Dodgers have only one left-handed reliever in Howell, which is way too few. At least give Mattingly one more option from the left side.
Once Kershaw comes back, then Maholm can be moved to the long relief role, as Wright doesn't look like he's really in that role right now. Unless Maholm is sent packing, which wouldn't be a bad thing, quite honestly. I just think that if anything, he can be brought in for multiple innings if necessary.
Finally, I would address League, but if the Dodgers haven't canned him yet, I doubt they ever will. He's been better than Wilson, at least.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Taking a look at the loaded Dodgers' bullpen
If you're a Dodger fan looking for quality arms, then Christmas was very kind. Ned Colletti announced the signings of Chris Perez, Jamey Wright, and J.P. Howell on Tuesday, giving the Dodgers one of the deepest, and hopefully best, bullpens in all of baseball.
To go along with the signings of those three is the return of Brian Wilson, who was re-signed about three weeks ago. With that in mind, let's take a look at the arms that could form the 'pen in April, with their 2013 stats in parenthesis.
Shoo-Ins:
Closer - RHP Kenley Jansen (28 saves, 16 holds, 1.88 ERA, 0.86 WHIP)
Enters the season as the clear-cut closer, and there's little reason to believe that will change. Then again, in a crazy spot like closer, anything can happen. Didn't Brandon League enter 2013 as the closer? And wasn't Jonathan Broxton once a "shutdown" closer? You get the point. Still, with a great fastball and cutter, it's hard to believe Jansen will flop.
Setup - RHP Brian Wilson (3 holds, 0.66 ERA, 0.88 WHIP)
In a great move by Colletti, was brought back as both the primary eighth inning guy, and a fallback option in case Jansen has some troubles. Was everything the Dodgers could have hoped for and more in 2013, and with more time ticking away since his Tommy John surgery in 2012, should have even stronger stuff for 2014.
LHP J.P. Howell (11 holds, 2.03 ERA, 1.05 WHIP)
Got the multi-year deal he was searching for, and with a .164 average against left-handed hitters, will find himself in plenty of big situations once again. Two straight seasons of great numbers with the Rays and Dodgers shows he's up for the challenge.
LHP Paco Rodriguez (20 holds, 2 saves, 2.32 ERA, 0.90 WHIP)
About the only thing that went wrong for him in an incredible rookie year was the nosedive he took at the end of last year, as he was actually left off of the NLCS roster. But with a fresh arm and deceptive delivery, showed what he could do for many months. The hope, of course, is that his arm strength can last during the rigors of a full season.
RHP Chris Perez (25 saves, 1 hold, 4.33 ERA, 1.43 WHIP with Indians)
He's a two-time All-Star, so he certainly knows how to get the big outs. Last season was a disaster in every way for him, whether he was getting hurt, blowing saves, or getting busted by the law. The best thing for him could very well be pitching in friendly Dodger Stadium against weaker offenses and away from the closing spotlight. I like the addition, as I'll take a chance on him over a bum like Ronald Belisario any day of the week.
Long Relief - RHP Jamey Wright (6 holds, 3.09 ERA, 1.20 WHIP with Rays)
As Colletti recently admitted, he wished he was more aggressive in re-signing him after the 2012 season. A year of long relief success later, that's exactly what he did in bringing him back to LA for the same role. There really aren't a whole heck of a lot of pitchers who actually embrace the role of getting ready quickly to pitch multiple innings at a moment's notice, and he's one of the best, so it's a good move.
Battling it Out:
RHP - Chris Withrow (4 holds, 1 save, 2.60 ERA, 0.90 WHIP)
Like Rodriguez, is another young arm who got plenty of big outs. I bet people will look at those numbers above and be pleasantly surprised. I can see him teaming with Perez and Rodriguez in the middle innings to bridge the gap to Wilson and Jansen. He's got the hard stuff to do it.
RHP Jose Dominguez (1 hold, 2.16 ERA, 1.68 WHIP)
A young man with electric stuff, as he can reach 100 MPH at any point. He's very fortunately to have such a low ERA, as opponents hit .314 off of him, albeit in a small sample size with 8 1/3 innings. Still, there's something about power arms out of the bullpen that is so intriguing, and if he can learn to pitch to corners and mix in some soft stuff, he can be a huge weapon.
RHP Brandon League (14 saves, 2 holds, 5.30 ERA, 1.55 WHIP)
Ahhh, good old League, the guy who won't go anywhere thanks to two years left on a three-year, $22.5 million contract. What a shame it would be if he beats out better arms like Withrow and Dominguez, but that's a definite possibility. Maybe Rick Honeycutt found something in his delivery that will improve him? I'm searching for something here, because it's hard to get even a little bit excited to see him pitch again.
Don't Forget About:
LHP Scott Elbert (Did not pitch in 2013)
Still recovering from Tommy John surgery, he will be out until around the All-Star break at best guess. Pitched mostly in 2011 and 2012, and with ERA's of 2.43 and 2.20, respectively, it's easy to see why a lefty with hard stuff like him sticks around. Suppose Rodriguez gets worn down again, then possibly Elbert steps in down the stretch. It might not be entirely realistic to count on him for any of 2014, but like it says above, don't forget about him.
Bottom Line:
By my count, that's nine guys duking it out for between 7-8 spots in the bullpen (taking out an injured Elbert). Plus, you have to remember that when fully healthy, the starting rotation sports six guys in Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Dan Haren, Chad Billingsley, and Josh Beckett. You know those first three names won't be anywhere near the bullpen, so one of Haren, Billingsley, or Beckett may have to be do the Chris Capuano act of bouncing between starter and reliever.
With the way this team gets hurt, Don Mattingly might not need to make many tough decisions on who stays and who goes, much like the outfield situation from last season. But of the three names on the "Battling it Out" list, I'd say as of right now Withrow gets the nod, with League and then Dominguez. League is awful, but has that damn contract, so he can't be ignored. Dominguez has to show more consistency before getting a permanent stay in LA.
Colletti has stated that he's all but done with roster moves, so it would be a surprise to see another reliever signed. Then again, if the Dodgers bid and are successful in getting Masahiro Tanaka, then that throws a wrench into all of these plans, not that that's a bad thing if this kid is the real deal. We shall see.
To go along with the signings of those three is the return of Brian Wilson, who was re-signed about three weeks ago. With that in mind, let's take a look at the arms that could form the 'pen in April, with their 2013 stats in parenthesis.
Shoo-Ins:
Closer - RHP Kenley Jansen (28 saves, 16 holds, 1.88 ERA, 0.86 WHIP)
Enters the season as the clear-cut closer, and there's little reason to believe that will change. Then again, in a crazy spot like closer, anything can happen. Didn't Brandon League enter 2013 as the closer? And wasn't Jonathan Broxton once a "shutdown" closer? You get the point. Still, with a great fastball and cutter, it's hard to believe Jansen will flop.
Setup - RHP Brian Wilson (3 holds, 0.66 ERA, 0.88 WHIP)
In a great move by Colletti, was brought back as both the primary eighth inning guy, and a fallback option in case Jansen has some troubles. Was everything the Dodgers could have hoped for and more in 2013, and with more time ticking away since his Tommy John surgery in 2012, should have even stronger stuff for 2014.
LHP J.P. Howell (11 holds, 2.03 ERA, 1.05 WHIP)
Got the multi-year deal he was searching for, and with a .164 average against left-handed hitters, will find himself in plenty of big situations once again. Two straight seasons of great numbers with the Rays and Dodgers shows he's up for the challenge.
LHP Paco Rodriguez (20 holds, 2 saves, 2.32 ERA, 0.90 WHIP)
About the only thing that went wrong for him in an incredible rookie year was the nosedive he took at the end of last year, as he was actually left off of the NLCS roster. But with a fresh arm and deceptive delivery, showed what he could do for many months. The hope, of course, is that his arm strength can last during the rigors of a full season.
RHP Chris Perez (25 saves, 1 hold, 4.33 ERA, 1.43 WHIP with Indians)
He's a two-time All-Star, so he certainly knows how to get the big outs. Last season was a disaster in every way for him, whether he was getting hurt, blowing saves, or getting busted by the law. The best thing for him could very well be pitching in friendly Dodger Stadium against weaker offenses and away from the closing spotlight. I like the addition, as I'll take a chance on him over a bum like Ronald Belisario any day of the week.
Long Relief - RHP Jamey Wright (6 holds, 3.09 ERA, 1.20 WHIP with Rays)
As Colletti recently admitted, he wished he was more aggressive in re-signing him after the 2012 season. A year of long relief success later, that's exactly what he did in bringing him back to LA for the same role. There really aren't a whole heck of a lot of pitchers who actually embrace the role of getting ready quickly to pitch multiple innings at a moment's notice, and he's one of the best, so it's a good move.
Battling it Out:
RHP - Chris Withrow (4 holds, 1 save, 2.60 ERA, 0.90 WHIP)
Like Rodriguez, is another young arm who got plenty of big outs. I bet people will look at those numbers above and be pleasantly surprised. I can see him teaming with Perez and Rodriguez in the middle innings to bridge the gap to Wilson and Jansen. He's got the hard stuff to do it.
RHP Jose Dominguez (1 hold, 2.16 ERA, 1.68 WHIP)
A young man with electric stuff, as he can reach 100 MPH at any point. He's very fortunately to have such a low ERA, as opponents hit .314 off of him, albeit in a small sample size with 8 1/3 innings. Still, there's something about power arms out of the bullpen that is so intriguing, and if he can learn to pitch to corners and mix in some soft stuff, he can be a huge weapon.
RHP Brandon League (14 saves, 2 holds, 5.30 ERA, 1.55 WHIP)
Ahhh, good old League, the guy who won't go anywhere thanks to two years left on a three-year, $22.5 million contract. What a shame it would be if he beats out better arms like Withrow and Dominguez, but that's a definite possibility. Maybe Rick Honeycutt found something in his delivery that will improve him? I'm searching for something here, because it's hard to get even a little bit excited to see him pitch again.
Don't Forget About:
LHP Scott Elbert (Did not pitch in 2013)
Still recovering from Tommy John surgery, he will be out until around the All-Star break at best guess. Pitched mostly in 2011 and 2012, and with ERA's of 2.43 and 2.20, respectively, it's easy to see why a lefty with hard stuff like him sticks around. Suppose Rodriguez gets worn down again, then possibly Elbert steps in down the stretch. It might not be entirely realistic to count on him for any of 2014, but like it says above, don't forget about him.
Bottom Line:
By my count, that's nine guys duking it out for between 7-8 spots in the bullpen (taking out an injured Elbert). Plus, you have to remember that when fully healthy, the starting rotation sports six guys in Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Dan Haren, Chad Billingsley, and Josh Beckett. You know those first three names won't be anywhere near the bullpen, so one of Haren, Billingsley, or Beckett may have to be do the Chris Capuano act of bouncing between starter and reliever.
With the way this team gets hurt, Don Mattingly might not need to make many tough decisions on who stays and who goes, much like the outfield situation from last season. But of the three names on the "Battling it Out" list, I'd say as of right now Withrow gets the nod, with League and then Dominguez. League is awful, but has that damn contract, so he can't be ignored. Dominguez has to show more consistency before getting a permanent stay in LA.
Colletti has stated that he's all but done with roster moves, so it would be a surprise to see another reliever signed. Then again, if the Dodgers bid and are successful in getting Masahiro Tanaka, then that throws a wrench into all of these plans, not that that's a bad thing if this kid is the real deal. We shall see.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Another bullpen boost as Howell re-signs
More good news for the Dodgers' bullpen, as J.P. Howell has signed for two years and $11.25 million, with a vesting option for 2016.
The option would be triggered if he makes 120 appearances in the next two seasons. Will that happen? It's possible, as 55 appearances with the Rays in 2011 led to 67 with the Dodgers last season, which adds up to 122. He's made 60+ appearances two other times with the Rays in 2008 and 2009.
Last season was his first in LA, and it was a good one. He pitched in 67 games, which was good for fourth on the club behind Paco Rodriguez, Kenley Jansen, and the legendary Ronald Belisario (not). Primarily as a middle-late inning reliever, he collected 11 holds while going 4-1 with a sparkling 2.03 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.
In addition, left-handed batters hit a mere .164 against him, and right-handed ones weren't much better at .222. He only surrendered two home runs in 62 innings, and struck out 54.
All in all, he was more than effective in getting the job done, and teamed with Rodriguez to form a pretty deadly duo from the left side. Now that same combination will be back to get the ball to Brian Wilson and Jansen in the late innings. It's a win-win.
Not surprisingly, Howell was originally seeking a three-year deal after his big season. Ned Colletti was reluctant to do so, and Howell can blame the awful Matt Guerrier and Brandon League for that. Much like Juan Uribe, Colletti was able to find a common ground by settling at two years. The only difference is that Howell got a $6.25 million option for a third year, and Uribe only has two years.
There's still more work to be done if you're Colletti, as a bullpen that relies on guys like Chris Withrow, Javy Guerra, Jose Dominguez, and League are either inexperience, bad, or both. There's four good relievers in Rodriguez, Howell, Wilson, and Jansen, no doubt, but putting in a right-handed pitcher to get out of a sticky situation in the earlier innings is still important.
The option would be triggered if he makes 120 appearances in the next two seasons. Will that happen? It's possible, as 55 appearances with the Rays in 2011 led to 67 with the Dodgers last season, which adds up to 122. He's made 60+ appearances two other times with the Rays in 2008 and 2009.
Last season was his first in LA, and it was a good one. He pitched in 67 games, which was good for fourth on the club behind Paco Rodriguez, Kenley Jansen, and the legendary Ronald Belisario (not). Primarily as a middle-late inning reliever, he collected 11 holds while going 4-1 with a sparkling 2.03 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.
In addition, left-handed batters hit a mere .164 against him, and right-handed ones weren't much better at .222. He only surrendered two home runs in 62 innings, and struck out 54.
All in all, he was more than effective in getting the job done, and teamed with Rodriguez to form a pretty deadly duo from the left side. Now that same combination will be back to get the ball to Brian Wilson and Jansen in the late innings. It's a win-win.
Not surprisingly, Howell was originally seeking a three-year deal after his big season. Ned Colletti was reluctant to do so, and Howell can blame the awful Matt Guerrier and Brandon League for that. Much like Juan Uribe, Colletti was able to find a common ground by settling at two years. The only difference is that Howell got a $6.25 million option for a third year, and Uribe only has two years.
There's still more work to be done if you're Colletti, as a bullpen that relies on guys like Chris Withrow, Javy Guerra, Jose Dominguez, and League are either inexperience, bad, or both. There's four good relievers in Rodriguez, Howell, Wilson, and Jansen, no doubt, but putting in a right-handed pitcher to get out of a sticky situation in the earlier innings is still important.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Dodgers enter Winter Meetings looking to get younger, fill some gaps
Mark Saxon over at ESPNLosAngeles.com wrote his latest blog about the Dodgers' intentions as they head to Lake Buena Vista, Florida for the Winter Meetings. In a nutshell, don't expect a huge splash like they had last year in signing Zack Greinke and Hyun-Jin Ryu.
What we should expect to see is a focus on adding a third baseman (which could mean re-signing Juan Uribe), and a focus on restoring bench depth and relievers.
It's not exactly the most exciting news in the world, but keep in mind the Dodgers have already done some work in November. They signed Alexander Guerrero with the hope that he can anchor second base the next four years, or even play some short and shift Hanley Ramirez to third. Dan Haren was chosen for one year over Ricky Nolasco for four, which was a smart move. They also brought back Brian Wilson to continue one of the best late inning combinations with Kenley Jansen, a fantastic move.
As I pointed out during the year, the timing for Uribe's resurgence could not have been any better for him. The free agent market for third basemen is basically zilch. Uribe went from hitting .191 with 2 homers and 17 RBIs in 2012 to .278/12/50 this past year. His OBP shot up from .258 to .331, and his games played from 66 to 132. There's always a risk that he could regress again, but a similar contract to Wilson's (one year, with an option for another) would make sense.
On the relief side, there's a bunch of guys with closing experience like Grant Balfour, Joaquin Benoit, Fernando Rodney, and Kevin Gregg (who was actually released by the Dodgers last Spring Training). Those guys will probably require longer contracts than one or two years the Dodgers will offer, so I'd be surprised if any of those guys sign.
For middle relief, names like Mitchell Boggs, Jesse Crain, and Kyle Farnsworth pop up from the right side, and J.P. Howell and Matt Thornton from the left side. The Dodgers would like to bring back Howell, but again, he wants a three-year deal, and the Dodgers appear to have learned their lesson from the horrible Matt Guerrier and Brandon League deals, and don't want to go above to. Good for them.
None of these names will blow you away, but then again, the Dodgers have their core in place, especially if Clayton Kershaw and Hanley Ramirez get extended before next season. Right now it's all about plugging in holes, so stay tuned for small signings here and there.
What's about the only news that could blow you away? If Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier get traded. Buster Olney takes a look at that possibility (Insider only).
What we should expect to see is a focus on adding a third baseman (which could mean re-signing Juan Uribe), and a focus on restoring bench depth and relievers.
It's not exactly the most exciting news in the world, but keep in mind the Dodgers have already done some work in November. They signed Alexander Guerrero with the hope that he can anchor second base the next four years, or even play some short and shift Hanley Ramirez to third. Dan Haren was chosen for one year over Ricky Nolasco for four, which was a smart move. They also brought back Brian Wilson to continue one of the best late inning combinations with Kenley Jansen, a fantastic move.
As I pointed out during the year, the timing for Uribe's resurgence could not have been any better for him. The free agent market for third basemen is basically zilch. Uribe went from hitting .191 with 2 homers and 17 RBIs in 2012 to .278/12/50 this past year. His OBP shot up from .258 to .331, and his games played from 66 to 132. There's always a risk that he could regress again, but a similar contract to Wilson's (one year, with an option for another) would make sense.
On the relief side, there's a bunch of guys with closing experience like Grant Balfour, Joaquin Benoit, Fernando Rodney, and Kevin Gregg (who was actually released by the Dodgers last Spring Training). Those guys will probably require longer contracts than one or two years the Dodgers will offer, so I'd be surprised if any of those guys sign.
For middle relief, names like Mitchell Boggs, Jesse Crain, and Kyle Farnsworth pop up from the right side, and J.P. Howell and Matt Thornton from the left side. The Dodgers would like to bring back Howell, but again, he wants a three-year deal, and the Dodgers appear to have learned their lesson from the horrible Matt Guerrier and Brandon League deals, and don't want to go above to. Good for them.
None of these names will blow you away, but then again, the Dodgers have their core in place, especially if Clayton Kershaw and Hanley Ramirez get extended before next season. Right now it's all about plugging in holes, so stay tuned for small signings here and there.
What's about the only news that could blow you away? If Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier get traded. Buster Olney takes a look at that possibility (Insider only).
Monday, August 12, 2013
Dodgers by the numbers
I haven't done this in awhile, but it's always fun to look at exactly where the boys in blue rank in certain categories. Today I'll focus on the bullpen, which has been a huge part of turning things around.
ERA: 3.57 (15th best)
Saves: 34 (7th)
Save %: 68 (19th - still feeling the effects of Brandon League)
Walks: 122 (22nd)
BAA: .244 (15th)
OPS: .669 (7th)
Total Bases: 451 (25th)
K/9: 8.29 (12th)
Trust me, these numbers listed above were not pretty back in April, May, and June. The League experiment as closer was a colossal flop, which mercifully ended after four blown saves and a 6.00 ERA in early June. Then Kenley Jansen was inserted as closer, and after blowing his first save in Pittsburgh, has gone 14-15 since.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the numbers for the boys in the 'pen right now:
Kenley Jansen: 58 1/3 IP, 4-3, 17 SV, 16 HLD, 2.01 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 84 K
J.P. Howell: 48 1/3 IP, 2-0, 10 HLD, 2.05 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 42 K
Paco Rodriguez: 42 IP, 2-2, 2 SV, 14 HLD, 2.14 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 45 K
Chris Withrow: 18 1/3 IP, 1-0, 3 HLD, 2.45 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 21 K
Ronald Belisario: 51 1/3 IP, 5-6, 1 SV, 13 HLD, 3.33 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 41 K
Carlos Marmol: 7 IP, 0-0, 5.14 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, 4 K
Brandon League: 42 2/3, 6-3, 14 SV, 1 HLD, 5.27 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 22 K
The top four in that list are as good as it gets. Jansen's success in the closer's role has made everything else fall into place. Howell and Rodriguez are fantastic from the left side, and Withrow has forced the Dodgers to keep him with the big club. They get big outs whenever necessary.
Belisario is his typical streaky self, but he's been on a hot one the last couple of months. He had an 8.31 ERA in June, lowered it all the way to 1.42 in July, and hasn't surrendered a run in August. When he's on, he's tough to catch up to. The Dodgers will ride this hot streak as long as they can.
The numbers for Marmol and League obviously aren't pretty, but there is a silver lining for both. League has put up blanks in nine of last 12 appearances since the beginning of July, lowering his ERA by over a run. Marmol doesn't have a large sample size, but is scoreless in his last five trips to the mound.
Keep in mind that Brian Wilson will soon be coming, as his rehab is just about done. Don't be surprised to see him move right into a setup role. He's been scoreless in three innings of work, and if reports are true that he's more than recovered from Tommy John surgery last year, then look out. He's another big chip to be added to this great team in the postseason push.
ERA: 3.57 (15th best)
Saves: 34 (7th)
Save %: 68 (19th - still feeling the effects of Brandon League)
Walks: 122 (22nd)
BAA: .244 (15th)
OPS: .669 (7th)
Total Bases: 451 (25th)
K/9: 8.29 (12th)
Trust me, these numbers listed above were not pretty back in April, May, and June. The League experiment as closer was a colossal flop, which mercifully ended after four blown saves and a 6.00 ERA in early June. Then Kenley Jansen was inserted as closer, and after blowing his first save in Pittsburgh, has gone 14-15 since.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the numbers for the boys in the 'pen right now:
Kenley Jansen: 58 1/3 IP, 4-3, 17 SV, 16 HLD, 2.01 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 84 K
J.P. Howell: 48 1/3 IP, 2-0, 10 HLD, 2.05 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 42 K
Paco Rodriguez: 42 IP, 2-2, 2 SV, 14 HLD, 2.14 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, 45 K
Chris Withrow: 18 1/3 IP, 1-0, 3 HLD, 2.45 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 21 K
Ronald Belisario: 51 1/3 IP, 5-6, 1 SV, 13 HLD, 3.33 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 41 K
Carlos Marmol: 7 IP, 0-0, 5.14 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, 4 K
Brandon League: 42 2/3, 6-3, 14 SV, 1 HLD, 5.27 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 22 K
The top four in that list are as good as it gets. Jansen's success in the closer's role has made everything else fall into place. Howell and Rodriguez are fantastic from the left side, and Withrow has forced the Dodgers to keep him with the big club. They get big outs whenever necessary.
Belisario is his typical streaky self, but he's been on a hot one the last couple of months. He had an 8.31 ERA in June, lowered it all the way to 1.42 in July, and hasn't surrendered a run in August. When he's on, he's tough to catch up to. The Dodgers will ride this hot streak as long as they can.
The numbers for Marmol and League obviously aren't pretty, but there is a silver lining for both. League has put up blanks in nine of last 12 appearances since the beginning of July, lowering his ERA by over a run. Marmol doesn't have a large sample size, but is scoreless in his last five trips to the mound.
Keep in mind that Brian Wilson will soon be coming, as his rehab is just about done. Don't be surprised to see him move right into a setup role. He's been scoreless in three innings of work, and if reports are true that he's more than recovered from Tommy John surgery last year, then look out. He's another big chip to be added to this great team in the postseason push.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
What's wrong with the Dodgers? Start with the bullpen
After the Dodgers blew a lead for the second consecutive game, this time resulting in a loss to the Rockies on Saturday, Don Mattingly is once again searching for answers. If the middle relief does well, the closer stinks. If the middle relief stinks, the closer doesn't get a chance. It's been that ugly.
Let's take a look at some key stats for the team and individually for the 'pen.
Team Bullpen Stats:
ERA: 4.24 (23rd)
Losses: 14 (1st)
Saves: 14 (14th)
Blown Saves: 11 (tied for 2nd)
Save %: 56 (27th)
Earned Runs: 75 (tied for 8th)
Batting Average Against: .262 (26th)
It's hard to put any sort of positive spin on these numbers. The loses could be inflated a bit because the offense doesn't score enough runs. But still, a 56% save percentage is really bad.
Brandon League
20 1/3 IP, 1-2, 5.31 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 11 SV, 3 BS, 10 K
Things have gotten a little worse and worse for League, as he continues to give shaky performances when they count the most in the ninth. He's certainly not blowing anyone away, which suggests that he'll have a tough time turning things around. I just don't see him as a reliable closer anymore, which is a shame considering he was signed for three years before the season. I'm guessing Ned Colletti would like to take that contract back.
Kenley Jansen
26 2/3 IP, 1-3, 3.04 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 2 SV, 1 BS, 11 HLD (Holds), 37 K
While Jansen may not be quite as dominant as previous seasons, it's hard to ask him to continually match that success. He still has nearly 12.5 K/9, which is outstanding. I still wish he had another pitch other than a cut fastball, but at this point, it's time he gets save opportunities.
Ronald Belisario
27 1/3 IP, 3-4, 3.62 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 1 SV, 3 BS, 5 HLD, 21 K
Belisario emerged last year as a very good reliever, but once again has fallen off. This has been his MO during his career: one good year, then one bad. His ERA is pretty high, but his WHIP is very high, which obviously means way too many baserunners allowed. He shouldn't be handed the ball late in the game with a lead anymore. You never know what you're going to get with him.
J.P. Howell
24 1/3 IP, 1-0, 2.22 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 0 SV, 0 BS, 3 HLD, 23 K
I know Howell is looked at as more of a situational left-handed pitcher, but that needs to change. Think about it - would you rather see Howell pitch late, or Belisario or Matt Guerrier? Exactly. Howell doesn't allow many baserunners and has a good strikeout rate. That's a great sign.
Matt Guerrier
20 2/3 IP, 1-2, 3.92 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 0 SV, 1 BS, 3 HLD, 10 K
Much like League, here's another guy with a three-year deal who has underwhelmed, to say the least. His numbers are just OK. He'll look good one day, then bad the next. A good way to sum him up is Saturday's game. He relieved with one out in he 10th, got the next batter with ease, then three straight hits led to the a Dodgers' loss. I trust him a little more than Belisario, but that's not saying much.
Paco Rodriguez
18 2/3 IP, 1-2, 2.89 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 0 SV, 2 BS, 7 HLD, 20 K
Not only are Paco's numbers very good, but they've only gotten better as the season has progressed. After posting a 4.32 ERA in April, he lowered it to 1.93 in May. He knows how to strike people out, and opponents are only hitting .133 against him. Like Howell, I'd like to see him get the ball later in the game, as he's earned the opportunity.
To sum it all up, here's how I would like to see the pecking order in the bullpen:
Closer: Jansen
Setup: Howell, Rodriguez
Middle Relief: League, Belisario, Guerrier
The wild card in all of this is Peter Moylan, a righty who pitched sparingly with the Braves the last couple of seasons. He was once one of their most reliable relievers, gathering 25 and 21 holds in 2009 and 2010, respectively. If Mattingly insists on using a righty in the eighth, why not give him a shot? Better than watching guys like League, Belisario, and Guerrier flop again.
Let's take a look at some key stats for the team and individually for the 'pen.
Team Bullpen Stats:
ERA: 4.24 (23rd)
Losses: 14 (1st)
Saves: 14 (14th)
Blown Saves: 11 (tied for 2nd)
Save %: 56 (27th)
Earned Runs: 75 (tied for 8th)
Batting Average Against: .262 (26th)
It's hard to put any sort of positive spin on these numbers. The loses could be inflated a bit because the offense doesn't score enough runs. But still, a 56% save percentage is really bad.
Brandon League
20 1/3 IP, 1-2, 5.31 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 11 SV, 3 BS, 10 K
Things have gotten a little worse and worse for League, as he continues to give shaky performances when they count the most in the ninth. He's certainly not blowing anyone away, which suggests that he'll have a tough time turning things around. I just don't see him as a reliable closer anymore, which is a shame considering he was signed for three years before the season. I'm guessing Ned Colletti would like to take that contract back.
Kenley Jansen
26 2/3 IP, 1-3, 3.04 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 2 SV, 1 BS, 11 HLD (Holds), 37 K
While Jansen may not be quite as dominant as previous seasons, it's hard to ask him to continually match that success. He still has nearly 12.5 K/9, which is outstanding. I still wish he had another pitch other than a cut fastball, but at this point, it's time he gets save opportunities.
Ronald Belisario
27 1/3 IP, 3-4, 3.62 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 1 SV, 3 BS, 5 HLD, 21 K
Belisario emerged last year as a very good reliever, but once again has fallen off. This has been his MO during his career: one good year, then one bad. His ERA is pretty high, but his WHIP is very high, which obviously means way too many baserunners allowed. He shouldn't be handed the ball late in the game with a lead anymore. You never know what you're going to get with him.
J.P. Howell
24 1/3 IP, 1-0, 2.22 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 0 SV, 0 BS, 3 HLD, 23 K
I know Howell is looked at as more of a situational left-handed pitcher, but that needs to change. Think about it - would you rather see Howell pitch late, or Belisario or Matt Guerrier? Exactly. Howell doesn't allow many baserunners and has a good strikeout rate. That's a great sign.
Matt Guerrier
20 2/3 IP, 1-2, 3.92 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 0 SV, 1 BS, 3 HLD, 10 K
Much like League, here's another guy with a three-year deal who has underwhelmed, to say the least. His numbers are just OK. He'll look good one day, then bad the next. A good way to sum him up is Saturday's game. He relieved with one out in he 10th, got the next batter with ease, then three straight hits led to the a Dodgers' loss. I trust him a little more than Belisario, but that's not saying much.
Paco Rodriguez
18 2/3 IP, 1-2, 2.89 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 0 SV, 2 BS, 7 HLD, 20 K
Not only are Paco's numbers very good, but they've only gotten better as the season has progressed. After posting a 4.32 ERA in April, he lowered it to 1.93 in May. He knows how to strike people out, and opponents are only hitting .133 against him. Like Howell, I'd like to see him get the ball later in the game, as he's earned the opportunity.
To sum it all up, here's how I would like to see the pecking order in the bullpen:
Closer: Jansen
Setup: Howell, Rodriguez
Middle Relief: League, Belisario, Guerrier
The wild card in all of this is Peter Moylan, a righty who pitched sparingly with the Braves the last couple of seasons. He was once one of their most reliable relievers, gathering 25 and 21 holds in 2009 and 2010, respectively. If Mattingly insists on using a righty in the eighth, why not give him a shot? Better than watching guys like League, Belisario, and Guerrier flop again.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
At this rate, it's going to be a long year with this bullpen
Matt Magill had everything going for him on Saturday night. The emergency starter who arrived at Dodger Stadium all of a few hours before the game went 6 1/3 innings for four hits, two runs, two walks, and seven strikeouts. He left in the seventh with a 3-2 lead and in line for a win.
Did he get that win? Nope. Thank you, bullpen.
Paco Rodriguez gave up a single to his only batter, Matt Guerrier was atrocious in giving up a couple of two-run homers, and the Brewers once again exposed that horrible bullpen in getting a 6-4 victory.
If you're a Dodger fan, you're both frustrated and not at all surprised by this. Plus you're probably mad at Don Mattingly for pulling Magill in the first place. I know Magill was over 100 pitches, but the last batter he faced was a strikeout of Jean Segura, then Rodriguez and Guerrier completely blew all that hard work. That damn pitch count excuse... UGH.
Here are some interesting numbers for the bullpen this season:
ERA: 4.41 (24th)
WHIP: 1.39 (26th)
ER: 32 (10th highest)
BB: 31 (8th highest)
Plus, you can factor in they have 65 1/3 innings pitched, which is only 25th in the majors. So it's not like numbers such as earned runs and walks are inflated because they pitch much more than other teams. It's actually just the opposite.
It's hard to like much of anything about this group. Kenley Jansen has a 1.50 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 12 innings, so he's been good. Brandon League is 7-8 in saves, but his ERA is high at 4.50. Ronald Belisario has a 3.09 ERA, but a high WHIP at 1.46.
Everybody else has been flat out horrendous. Here are the ERAs for the rest of this crew: Paco Rodriguez (4.93), Matt Guerrier (5.40), J.P. Howell (5.40), Josh Wall (12.60). Shawn Tolleson doesn't have an ERA, but he walked the only two batters he's faced. So his WHIP is infinity!
Considering that Zack Greinke, Chad Billingsley, Chris Capuano, and Stephen Fife are all on the DL, this problem is magnified even more. And Saturday night was the perfect example that even when a starter is effective and goes pretty deep into the game, the late innings are a huge advantage for the opposing team.
You want another interesting stat? Over the last seven days, the Dodgers are fourth in the majors (first the NL) in runs scored at 37. Yes, seriously. They've actually been pushing runs across the plate, but then guys like Guerrier and Rodriguez completely flush it down the toilet. It's hard to watch.
At this point, the Dodgers have to be thinking about making some moves to improve this unit. How much longer can they accept watching most of these guys stumble late in the game? For a team with an astronomical payroll and expectations, patience has to be very thin. And rightfully so.
Did he get that win? Nope. Thank you, bullpen.
Paco Rodriguez gave up a single to his only batter, Matt Guerrier was atrocious in giving up a couple of two-run homers, and the Brewers once again exposed that horrible bullpen in getting a 6-4 victory.
If you're a Dodger fan, you're both frustrated and not at all surprised by this. Plus you're probably mad at Don Mattingly for pulling Magill in the first place. I know Magill was over 100 pitches, but the last batter he faced was a strikeout of Jean Segura, then Rodriguez and Guerrier completely blew all that hard work. That damn pitch count excuse... UGH.
Here are some interesting numbers for the bullpen this season:
ERA: 4.41 (24th)
WHIP: 1.39 (26th)
ER: 32 (10th highest)
BB: 31 (8th highest)
Plus, you can factor in they have 65 1/3 innings pitched, which is only 25th in the majors. So it's not like numbers such as earned runs and walks are inflated because they pitch much more than other teams. It's actually just the opposite.
It's hard to like much of anything about this group. Kenley Jansen has a 1.50 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 12 innings, so he's been good. Brandon League is 7-8 in saves, but his ERA is high at 4.50. Ronald Belisario has a 3.09 ERA, but a high WHIP at 1.46.
Everybody else has been flat out horrendous. Here are the ERAs for the rest of this crew: Paco Rodriguez (4.93), Matt Guerrier (5.40), J.P. Howell (5.40), Josh Wall (12.60). Shawn Tolleson doesn't have an ERA, but he walked the only two batters he's faced. So his WHIP is infinity!
Considering that Zack Greinke, Chad Billingsley, Chris Capuano, and Stephen Fife are all on the DL, this problem is magnified even more. And Saturday night was the perfect example that even when a starter is effective and goes pretty deep into the game, the late innings are a huge advantage for the opposing team.
You want another interesting stat? Over the last seven days, the Dodgers are fourth in the majors (first the NL) in runs scored at 37. Yes, seriously. They've actually been pushing runs across the plate, but then guys like Guerrier and Rodriguez completely flush it down the toilet. It's hard to watch.
At this point, the Dodgers have to be thinking about making some moves to improve this unit. How much longer can they accept watching most of these guys stumble late in the game? For a team with an astronomical payroll and expectations, patience has to be very thin. And rightfully so.
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