2058.04: Rummaging Bears - Relief Pitchers

[BaseClogger]

2/25/2058


As they rummage a campsite some Bears find picnic baskets while others are shooed away.

Sure-Fire Locks
RP Jim Achbar, RP You-cheng Hang, RP Rolf Reinhardt

Achbar was a stopper at times for the Bears in 2057 who accumulated 1.4 WAR. Hang and Reinhardt have better ratings but spent their entire careers in the GBC before getting moderate-sized free agent contracts this past off-season.

Near Locks
RP Luis Peña, RP Mitchell Radnal

Lefties Pena and Radnall seemingly overperformed in 2057 with 3.50 and 3.56 ERAs, respectively. As lefties they’ll have to pitch poorly for a long stretch before I pull the plug and they’re both out of options.

Trying to Break-In
RP Bob Butler, RP Terence Harris, RP Perry Wallace

Add these three to the five listed above and you have an eight-man bullpen but I expect at least one of the guys I write-up in the starting pitcher article will need a place in the bullpen so somebody’s getting cut. I traded for Butler over the offseason. He’s never pitched above A ball thanks to Phoenix and their Toledo ways but his ratings look like a guy ready for the BBA. The only thing working against Butler is his three options. Harris, too, has an option left. I expect Harris to be a classic AAA shuttle pitcher this season. Wallace, on the other hand, doesn’t have any options left after spending the past several years trying to crack the San Fernando rotation. It’s unlikely to happen at this point so lets hope he can harness his control in the bullpen. Note, the ratings listed for him still reflect Wallace as a starting pitcher.

Breaking in the Back Door
RP Joe Hulton, RP Todd Jones, RP Abban Layar

Joe Hulton is a young pitcher who just pitched better and better as the season wore on last year at AAA Brooks. I even threw him in the rotation towards the end of the season and he was still excellent. Jones also pitched out of the Brooks bullpen in 2057 and had a 4.88 ERA. The veteran has some BBA experience but will have to perform better to get another shot. Layar cleared waivers over the offseason when I needed to make room for the free agent acquisitions. I expected Layar to be in the Opening Day bullpen but now he can’t even join Spring camp lest I risk having to expose him to waivers again.