44.11 Checking the Locks: Bullpen

[crobillard]

This is a series where I will evaluate the options in each position leading into Spring Training. This is the tenth of eleven parts. I will be taking a look into the bullpen in this post.

Sure fire locks:
Jorge Huerta
Jose Torres
Luis Ortega
Ryosei Akiyama
Alexandre Renard
Vicente Ventura

Trying to get in the door:
Jorge Limon
Freddy Diaz
Albert Love
Ramon Ruiz
Shinsaku Sato

That is a lot of sure fire locks, but not much has changed in a season. The bullpen is one of the strongest parts of this team and it's led by Huerta. The last four seasons, manager Juan Carlos Gonzales, has used him as an innings eater to pretty good success. He threw in 169.1 innings last season with a 3.19 ERA, a 1.00 WHIP for a 1.8 WAR. Not too shabby. I imagine we'll continue to see him in the same role this season. Ortega, Akiyama and Ventura are the lefties in the group with Ortega and Akiyama being some strong power lefties that were used to shutdown opposing teams in a similar spot as Huerta. Akiyama was injured for three weeks, but he still collected 64 innings pitched with a 2.53 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP and 98 Ks for a 2.7 WAR. Ortega was similar with 56.2 innings pitched, a 2.70 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and striking out 71 for a 1.7 WAR. Ventura was used mostly as a southpaw innings eater similar to how Huerta was used. He was 14-1 in 125.2 innings with a 2.15 ERA, 0.88 WHIP for a 1.5 WAR. Torres was used to fill in gaps with a 1.76 ERA in 30.2 innings. Renard ate a ton of innings too with 127.2 innings pitched with a 2.89 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP for a 2.0 WAR.

Impressive numbers from a bullpen of misfits and hasbeens. There are a few guys trying to join them too. I like both Limon and Diaz, but they're probably on the outside looking in. I just have some better options that are more likely to make it and my bullpen is too strong. Love, Ruiz and Sato have a stronger chance. The team tried to work Love in late in the season, but when he got rocked they sent him back down quickly. He's a 6/9/6 pitcher with a 9 sinker and 8 slider. He might be a true ROOGY though with 7/11/7 ratings against RHPs. Sato is the direct opposite of Love with 6/8/7 potentials, an 8 sinker and 8 slider and as a LHP, he has better ratings against LHB at 6/10/7. It'll be interesting if two spots can be carved out for these two to see if they are able to complete a L/R OOGY platoon in high pressure situations. Sato could use a little more time though. He's almost 23 years old and he's still missing a point in all three categories. On paper, Ruiz doesn't look like a great option with 7/5/5 ratings and 7/10/2 pitches, but he was rock solid in AAA with 113 innings with an ERA of 3.19. He even started 12 games which I definitely wouldn't say is normally in his repertoire. If he makes it as a 27th man, that would be quite the story.