Phillies Focusing On Fixing Bullpen
Even the least dedicated baseball fan most likely knows that the Phillies’ bullpen struggled (to put it nicely) in 2016. Leads were rarely safe, and games without at least one run given up by the relievers were few and far between. For the Phils to become the contender that both the organization and the fans hope that they can be, a reliable bullpen is a necessity. It is not a coincidence that the four teams playing in the 2016 championship series had lights-out arms who would enter the game in the 8th inning and secure the win. Much of the Indians’ success throughout the playoffs could very well be attributed to Andrew Miller, the southpaw who was acquired by the team at the deadline. He often came into the game as a middle reliever and pitched 2-3 scoreless innings before handing over the ball to Closer Brandon Allen, who finished off the opponent.
The Indians would not have found themselves anywhere near an opportunity to play Game 7 of the World Series without their dominant bullpen.
On the other end of the spectrum, where the teams who had no chance to even make the playoffs lingered, the Phillies and their weak bullpen struggled mightily. In 2016 the ‘pen finished 28th in the majors in ERA with a 5.05. Four of the top-five teams in that category advanced to the postseason. Of the 17 relievers used by the Fightins this season, only 5 had an ERA under 4.80. Only 3 of those 5 pitchers appeared in more than 12 games. Simply put, those numbers aren’t good enough. Jeanmar Gomez, who occupied the closer role for much of the season, had a 4.85.
Fans and other spectators aren’t the only ones who noticed that a change had to be made in this aspect of the team. So far, the rebuilding of the ‘pen has been the front office’s top priority in the 2016 offseason. It began with the acquisition of right-handed reliever Pat Neshek from the Houston Astros. Neshek, a 2014 all-star, completed his 2016 campaign with a 3.06 earned run average. His sidearm delivery makes him quite the strikeout threat, and he has averaged just under a strikeout per inning for his MLB career. The 36 year-old veteran is a significant upgrade over just about every other middle reliever used last season.
After the Neshek deal, Matt Klentak went out and made another upgrade to the middle relief spot. He signed 39 year-old right hander Joaquin Benoit to a one year deal worth $7.5 million. The veteran Dominican brings yet another upgrade to the rapidly improving bullpen. After constantly throwing out relievers who should not be major league players to get destroyed by big league lineups, Pete Mackanin will have plenty of effective options to call upon out of the right-center field ‘pen.
A left-handed pitcher is still needed to complete the Phillies relief core. However, Matt Klentak made a low risk, medium reward move that could provide a solid lefty arm. After releasing Cody Asche after an underwhelming career in Philly, the Phils claimed David Rollins off waivers. Rollins, 26, has not yet had an opportunity to prove himself at the big league level. Of course, there is probably a reason for that; the chances of him becoming an effective piece of this year’s team are low, but time was out on Asche’s stint at Citizens Bank Park. As of right now there has been no move made for this missing left-handed piece of the relief pitching puzzle, but here are some of the potential candidates.
There are still about 3 and a half months until the beginning of spring training, so we are most likely in for many more moves concerning the 2017 bullpen as well as the roster. However, based on moves that have been made so far, there will be far less games lost in the 8th inning by a Double A-caliber reliever. An improvement on this front of the roster could result in a significant win improvement. Exciting times are coming.
Photo by Jim Epler (via Wikimedia Commons)
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Categorized:Phillies