by Valerie Davies
The Yellow Springs Nine went for a safe, popular choice today, signing swingman pitcher Richard Bullock to a 2 year, 7.5 million dollar deal that was announced today.
Bullock, late of the San Fernando Bears, with stops in Charm City (one of GM Rob McMonigal's go-to franchises, it seems, for player history) and Chicago before that, is 34 and brings twelve years of BBA experience to a pitching staff that remains in flux due to what seems to be a yearly reshuffling of the deck to find quality and consistency.
Bullock may not be of significantly high quality (a 4.09 ERA, 15 WAR, exactly 100 FIP-), but he's reliable. Only his 2056 with Chicago was a truly bad season (1-7, career highs in ERA of 4.82, FIP- of 122, and WHIP of 1.63). Every other year ranges from excellent (2054's 16-5, league leading 3.09 ERA, league leading WHIP of 1.16, FIP- of 92) to not bad at all, including last season's 1 WAR in relief for the Bears, where he went 2-3 with one save, a 3.92 ERA, and a FIP- of 88.
It's that measure of "manager Bill Inkster can put this guy in and he won't immediately blow the game" that I think McMonigal was looking for here in picking up Bullock to either be a 4/5 starter for the team or to provide strong middle relief, as he did for San Fernando. McMonigal confirmed this when we spoke about the signing.
"Look, Valerie, we used 20 pitchers last year, 8 of whom are no longer members of this team. It's no secret that we struggled on the mound with both our starters and our relievers. When I went into the market this year, I looked for two things people our fans knew and people that could credibly pitch all season for us, barring an attractive trade. That's Bullock to a T, or should I say to a B?
"There's also the winning team experience to consider. Bullock won back to back Championships with Charm City, then he moved on to San Fernando and won there, too, though not to the same level, of course. Those are two teams I look to as models of what can be done here in the BBA. Clearly, they liked Richard and so do we."
They may have liked Bullock, but neither did so enough to keep him. Charm City sent Bullock to Chicago for first baseman Harun al Rachid bin Jamal, who looked promising at the time (above average contact, power, and eye) but who was so little thought about, the Jimmies lost him to Charlotte in that winter's Rule 5 draft. The Flyers didn't like him much he only batted .184 in 267 at bats in one single season with them and now he's trying to hang on in the GBC. Doesn't say a lot.
Meanwhile, the Bears did enjoy what Bullock did for them, but he was likely deemed too expensive, given his career-high $4,625,000 salary in 2062. With San Fernando very money conscious, they figured taking the comp pick that a likely signing would bring was the better path. Still, if he was as good as McMonigal is hoping he'll be, they'd have found the money.
So now it will be time to see what Bullock can do. He's definitely set up to be a starter, but his work with the Bears shows his best skill might be in eating innings in relief to bridge to the closer. McMonigal isn't tipping his hand, of course, but I'd bet that Bullock ends up a swing man who gets a chance to start once one of the original 5 starters inevitably gets hurt or plays poorly.
These aren't the decisions of a playoff team, but we all know the Nine aren't a playoff team. But can they stop losing ninety games with Bullock in tow? I'm skeptical, but we'll see.
