20
2012
Who Will Be The Most Important Piece To The 2012 Bullpen?
An article by 
The biggest and most notable additions to the 2012 Mets roster were added to the bullpen this off season by GM Sandy Alderson. The void Krod left was much larger than Sandy originally anticipated, especially when players like Jason Isringhausen and Bobby Parnell failed to get the job done with any type of consistency what so ever.
The big additions were to back end of the Pen. Frank Francisco was added on a two year deal worth $12 million, John Rauch was signed for 1 year and a shade under $4 million, and Ramon Ramirez was acquired in the Angel Pagan deal. So of the 3 mentioned, who will be the most valuable to the team this season?
I like Rauch, but to me he is more of a 7th inning guy, and the real battle will be between Ramirez and Francisco.
I like Frank Francisco a lot; I think he is going to do a very good job for us as our closer. He was a solid closer for both Texas and Toronto, although he only really closed games for 1 season with each team. Even though he has never saved more than 30 games in a season, I believe he will succeed here in New York as well. What makes him a good closing candidate is his ability to miss bats and not give up hits. Since he came into the Majors back in 2004, he has not had a season in which he gave up more hits and did not strikeout out more batters than innings pitched. He has a career 3.72 ERA and 1.29 WHIP, and he has 49 saves, but has blown 21. He also pitched a few seasons as a set up man and has racked up an impressive 66 holds, showing that he is good in pressure situations.
Ramon Ramirez is coming over from the Giants who have had one of the best bullpens in the league over the past few seasons. Ramirez was a bit overshadowed by some of his teammates in San Fran, Jeremy Affeldt, Sergio Romo and I’m sure you heard of a guy by the name of Brian Wilson. As a result he became expendable as the Giants who have been public about their need for offense, decided Pagan was a good enough fit to trade away one of their assets.
Ramirez initially broke in with Colorado, and Kansas City before moving on to Boston were he began to make a name for himself. He has bounced around a bit for a guy who has been so good, but that just the nature of the game today.
His numbers over the past few seasons speak loudly for themselves as he just began to dominate for the Giants. He came over mid-season from Boston in 2010, and in 27 innings sported a 0.67 ERA and 0.89 WHIP. In 2011 he pitched to a very impressive 2.62 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, with 11 holds, just 54 hits allowed and 66 strikeouts in his 68 innings of work.
At just 30 years old he is young and has a power arm. He may end up starting the season as the 7th inning guy, but for my money he should be the opening day set up man. Should Francisco struggle at any point, don’t be surprised if you see Ramirez get his first real shot at closing games.
Who do you think is the most important piece?
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About the Author: Dan Valis
I am a staff writer for Mets Merized Online. I am a Mets team analyst with a focus on the minor league system, as well as the major league club. I am a lifelong New Yorker who was born and raised to be a Mets fan. The ups and downs of being a Mets fan is what makes following this team so much fun, but at times so frustrating. You can follow me on Twitter @BgAppleMetsTalk.
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Most important piece?
The pitcher who steps up to the plate early and nails down the closer spot as his own.
Agree that Francisco is a reasonable option at closer, with Ramirez a good 8th-inning guy. Rauch should do well in the 7th, most of the time—along with Parnell and Acosta at times.
I think the Mets’ bullpen should be fine, overall—at least in the first 1/3 of the season—but I’m worried about it being burned out after that by a weak starting rotation.
OK, I’m gonna cheet with this one…the most important part of the pen this year (and every year) is innings pitched by the starting rotation. Other than RAD, nobody is the rotation can be counted on to get past the 5th inning.
Pelf is the master of 5.1 innings pitched with leaving two runners on, That’s gotta stop.
Niese is better, but he needs to finish up strong, both in games and the season. I’m a big fan of his, but this is the year he really needs to take a step forward.
Santana is just a big question mark.
Gee is young and learning, so I give him a pass, but he does need to improve.
Add on top that there is no depth and some health questions, we got some problems. If the pen has to pitch 4innings five times a week, they are going to get very tired and worn down very quickly,
“the most important part of the pen this year (and every year) is innings pitched by the starting rotation. Other than RAD, nobody is the rotation can be counted on to get past the 5th inning.”
Very well said!
You don’t need a great pen to win games, you need a good closer and two or three good situational guys (set up and long relief) to succeed!
If you need more than that the problem isn’t the pen it’s the Rotation!
Too much emphasis on Lefty Right specialists even setup man is over rated!
Get pitchers who can get LH and RH guys out and you don’t need a guy who can only get one or the other out!
You should never build your team based on SPECIALIZED situations because who knows if that situation will even occurr?
A guy who has a .250 BA against everyone is much better than a guy who has a .210 BA against lefties but a .290 BA against righties!
All you will do is burn through your pen that much quicker as the coaches pinch hit your specialist out of the game!
I’m with you on most of it…your situation guys can be nice, but you shouldn’t have more than one (maybe two) in the pen. They will quickly wear down the pen and themselves. Guys like Pedro Feliciano don’t come around very often, and even he broke down.
I myself am a big believer in having a stud 8th inning setup guy. If you have a solid closer and a dependable setup guy, you shorten the game two 7 innings. Everyone on both teams knows it, you hitters feel more conferrable and their hitters start to press.
I also believe that having defined rolls in the pen in important. You got a guy who knows he pitches the 9th, the other pitches the 8th, another pitches long relief…then the rest know that they will be coming in in the 6th or 7th inning.
Let’s face it, 99% of the time, you’re a relief pitcher because you’re a failed starting pitcher. A reliever needs any advantage he can get, and knowing his roll and when to get ready is a great advantage.
Maybe I wasn’t expressing myself enough…
I have no problem with the ROLES themselves, Just the notion you should draft or aquire a player to fit one!
Having a guy in the 8th is important, Drafting or trading for a guy who is only suited for the 8th or with the intention that is ALL you need is where I have issues.
Assigning the roles is based on what you have. I was talking more about what you get!
Personally I think you go to aquire two Closer types. The best one closes the second best is your 8th Inning guy!
On days when the closer needs rest or is unavailable then the 8th inning guy becomes the closer!
I think what I don’t like the most about the 8th inning specialist is too many teams put that guy in no matter what the situation, If he is available to pitch that day he does in regardless even if it is not really neccesary!
It’s more important to cover the closer role on a daily basis than to have someone who can come in for the 8th on a daily basis!
But that doesn’t mean you don’t need two guys who can come into late innings!
We had Orosco and McDowell. Orosco was almost always the closer but McDowell could close out when he wasn’t available!
So yes I have no issues with the roles themselves just the targeting of players based on roles!
You get the best pitchers you can and once you have them you can decide where to pitch them!
It goes more to the lefty righty thing than the 8th and 9th because both those roles are dependent on having a guy who can get anyone out!
I would only assign a guy to the lefty righty sepecialist if he is here but can’t get one or the other out! Sort of find a purpose that suits what you have!
But if I could I would make sure to get guys who didn’t need to be used in such a limited fashion!
If I do I don’t have any problems filling a role in a situation because the guys are good for ANY purpose!
Too many times I see teams trade for a guy just to be a lefty specialist!
Great if you face a ton of lefties but not much else!
So that is kind of what I was opposed to regarding specialization and ROLE hunting!
I should add however that there is one situation that you MUST plan ahead for but maybe not acquire for…The Long Relief!
That player not only has to be stretched out to be effective but he also has to be able to spot start when injury bites!
What your looking for there isn’t really a reliever but more of a guy who would be a good starting pitcher if not for the fact he tires easily and can’t go more than 4 or 5 innings!
In that case I can see targeting a guy in FA or trade, Just not in the draft. If you do use a draft pick for that role it is more about salavaging a bad pick than wasting a pick for the role itself!
I’m with ya…and I completely agree. I think one of the most important (and difficult) roles of the modern day manager is managing the pen. It’s easy to 2nd guess the moves, especially if they don’t work out. Most of the time, us fans and media don’t know the whole picture when we try to evaluate the moves, but that won’t stop us from tearing apart the moves.
But a manager needs to judge how well the current pitcher is doing an how much he has “left in the tank”. They have to know the health of the relievers and know they fit in the situation. Plus, they have to know not to over use them from game to game and can’t have them warm up several times a game.
My biggest complaint about our previous managers have been their inability to properly manage the pen. So far, I’ve been pretty happy with how TC manages the pen…that will be a huge boost if he can keep them strong and keep putting them in the best position to have success.
Every pitcher justlike every poker player has a tell!
With Pelfrey it is the licking his fingers!
Thats the sign the manager has to look for and start thinking about a hook!
With Beato it was he would throw 4 balls in a row and you knew he just didn’t have it that day and wouldn’t get it!
If you build you pen to be the best in all circumstances then it doesn’t take a lot to manage your pen wisely.
You can even go by pure statistical analysis, Past performance and Batter holes to pick the right guy!
The more you specialize your acquisitions the less choice you give yourself when it comes time to make a move…
Nope can’t use him he is only for lefties. Nope can’t use him I need him in the 8th etc etc…
Get guys who can get people out and you don’t have that issue because there is always someone else to go to for those other situations when they come up!
Sadly, as easy as it should be managing the pen, there are a ton of managers who struggle with it. In 2006, when the Pen was fantastic and there was the Closer, Setup guy and long relief guy positions locked down, Willie did a good job running it, but it kinda managed it’s self.
Once Sanchez went down in 2006 and the following years, the pen wasn’t as deep and he burned guys out…the same thing happened to Fusilli Jerry.
The start of last year, the pen was great…roles were set and everyone did their job. Once K-Rod was traded, things became a mess…no closer, the 7th and 8th innings suffered and the 2nd half they completely fell apart.
This years pen looks to be solid, but not fantastic. I like Ramirez, but Francisco and Rauch are question marks…neither have proven to be consistent and Francisco does not have a solid closers resume. I worry about Parnell, he failed as a closer and I worry about him have a “hangover” effect because of it. The one nice thing about it is, it does seem to be pretty deep.
NBC Sports prediction… 62 – 100. Uff da.
USMF hit the head right on the nail. Our bullpen will only be as good as our starting pitching.
One aspect not brought up is that the pitch count virtually assures use of the bullpen on a daily basis. How often have we seen a pen blow a great performance by the starter who was taken out despite having great stuff and still feeling strong? That’s why I feel relievers should be used as needed, not as an automatic.
A few years ago in the seventh game of the Japan World Series the starter had a perfect game through eight and leading 1-0 but the closer came in to pitch the ninth because it would have been deemed “dishonorable” not to use him. We’re not so far away from that ourselves, minus the “dishonorable” aspect.
LOL Joey! I almost LONG for the days where we actually took a pitcher out due to hitting his pitch count and not because he has bases loaded in the 5th after already giving up 3 Runs and the lead!
Hi Metsi,
Do you mean that if it’s the fifth with the bases loaded and nobody out and the oppposing team has already scored three runs the manager should keep his pitcher in because he has yet to reach his pitch count? If that’s the case, it means the bullpen Sandy built up isn’t doing the job at all!
Even more crazy is the thought of it being two outs in the bottom of the seventh, his team ahead by three runs and the pitcher being ahead in the count 0-2 and then being removed due to reaching his you know what. Jaba Rules!
Oh No Joey not at all!
What I meant is that I wish we had a Starting Rotation who pitched so well and deep into games the only reason to pull him would be pitch count!
I’m right there with you and Nolan Ryan on the Pitch count thing!
I was being whimsical about the possibilities of having a starting rotation that didn’t hit thier pitch count by the 5th or 6th or that didn’t need to get pulled before they hit thier pitch count because they sucked!
Metsi,
LOL, thought there was something I was missing.
Hope in the future that just like it is now, that managers must announce their starting pitcher in advance, they will also be required to annouce their pitchcount as well. Right now we see pitch counts as they accumlate on the scoreboard. and imagine them being replaced by a countdown instead?
Meant “hope it’s not in the future” LOL.
LOL sorry no sarcasm Emoticons here!
The problem since 2006 has been that we have only had one guy in the rotation who has a reasonable chance to go 7 or 8 innings on a regular basis.
2006 was probably the best rotation we have had since 86. but thats say more about the years inbetween than the 2006ers.
If you have two guys who take you deep into games then thats fewer pitches and fewer pitchers the opposition gets to see to get a bead on!
A lot of the strategy of managing your pen (and starting rotation as well) is about giving the batter different looks!
An Ace can get through a lineup 3-4 times before they start hitting him.
A decent pitcher maybe only 3 times and then he has to have a good day to get that 4th time around!
By the same token if you use your pen 2 or 3 times in a series by the last game they have seen those guy so often they get a handle on how to deal with what they throw and hit him!
Having those starters go deep into games allows the Pen to STAY rested and it also denies the opposition from seeing them as often which means they have less time to adjust!
While the success of a team is always game to game the strategy is really about the 3 game series!
What you do in the first game of a series will have a ripple affect across the remaining games of that series!
And even more so in your division where you might have just come back from playing that team on the road only to host them at home!
The more they see of the pitcher the easier it gets to hit them!
That has always been true in the MLB!
Aces fix that because they are aces and are so difficult to hit due to their ability to keep changing the look, but your average reliver is what he is, throws what he throws and once you have seen it three games in a row it’s easy to hit him!
Thats WHY they are in the pen and not a starter!
Hi Metsi,
As you say, once batters get to know a pitcher it doesn’t matter if he is a starter or reliever. Mariano Rivera’s stuff is no stranger to American League batters – they know exactly what’s coming and they just can’t hit it. Roy Halladay is now well known to his counterparts in the senior circut yet has 17 complete games with the Phillies because batters can’t hit him any better in their last at bats than they could their first or second.
Keith Hernadez has stated he would have rather faced a Steve Carlton with no hitter stuff four times than a series of relievers due to his timing being thrown off. Now I’m no professional but it does seem that starters easily mess up the timing of a hitter as the game progresses just as well as a reliever coming in to accomplish that very same thing. Early on, the pitcher might rely more on fastballs, sliders and changeups and then later begin mixing those pitches with more curves and sinkers or vice versa. He also adjusts in other ways during the game depending upon the playing conditions, his own arm strength or how hitters might be getting around on certain pitches. Granted, the one consistant would be his pitching motion but, as you pointed out, once batters are familiar with a pitcher the good ones are able to adjust accordingly within the game itself. And with the weaker hitters, it probably makes no difference who he faces unless he happens to own a particular one.
Strategy should thus depend upon the starter’s tendancies to get tired in general and how it effects his pitches plus how one might be throwing in one particular game. The front end of the rotation most likely could carry games further into the late innings more often than the back end and so theoretically it’s those games when the bullpen has to be counted on much more often.
But pitch counts and relief roles that have to adhered to…, well, I don’t know if evidence has shown a pitcher remains stronger at the end of the season by doing it that way or if it’s just a matter of economics and babying them.
Am sure there are stats showing how many games were lost in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings when starters were expected to throw nine compared to the way the game has evolved today with late inning relief being a given. Anybody got this?
Yes Joey your correct his stuff is no stranger but knowing and seeing are two differnt things!
A typical Series is three games long! On occassion 4!
He is an above average closer you have to admit so he can get through that lineup a third time just like an Ace does!
But more often than not he doesn’t have to because with their solid SPs and big bats there isn’t always a save opportunity for him to be needed!
It’s about seeing the same guy per series, sure each time they see him they learn something but he can change his presentation as well it’s about seeing the guy three times in a series which are back to back days I was referring to!