1 Apr 2057
Boise, Idaho
**********************************
by Tony Toney
Welcome back, everyone! 2057 offers a clean slate and the place with the most moving parts, the bullpen, will be having a lot of names being counted on to hold down the middle of games which was a problem in 2056. As usual, there are no locks in the pen though GM Ben Teague may have to go grab new faces as the season progresses.
Middle/Long Relief
LHP Robin "Coop" Cooper
2056: 41 G, 3-3, 4 SV, 82.1 IP, 3.83 ERA, +0.6 WAR
Coop returns to the Spuds bullpen with some new tools and an offseason of focused prep. He should be the cornerstone in middle relief for the club and may do time in a setup/CL role. In other words, he ain't going nowhere!
LHP Toshikuni Kubo
2056: 55 G, 7 GS, 6-4, 1 SV, 130.2 IP, 3.31 ERA, +2.0 WAR
As mentioned in the rotation preview, Kubo would be a starter if not for having 2 LHP there already. But Kubo proved himself in middle relief last season and is expected to do the same in 2057.
RHP Bill Keefe
2056: 19 G, 1-0, 32.0 IP, 2.53 ERA, +0.4 WAR
Keefe made 15 starts at AAA Salt Lake City last year so he has the capability of filling that spot role, but he will be mostly relied upon to shore up the middle innings. With a sub-3.00 ERA in MLB, he will be a key piece this season.
RHP Kent Johnson
2056: 32 G, 1 GS, 3-2, 1 SV, 63.0 IP, 3.57 ERA, +0.9 WAR
Johnson will be expected to take the next step in his young career and, hopefully, be a rock in bridging games from middle innings to the late frames. He could also have a turn or 4 in the rotation as the season progresses which is the main reason he doesn't get many setup duties.
Setup/Closer
RHP Jeff Doane
2056: 42 G, 8-5, 6 SV, 59.1 IP, 2.58 ERA, +1.2 WAR
Doane had an extended stay in the closer role last season when the main man was scuffling and proved he could hold down the job if called on. As it is, he really is an outstanding setup man from the right side of the mound.
RHP Pete Banaddio
2056: 30 G, 5-3, 2 SV, 43.2 IP, 2.27 ERA, +0.7 WAR
Banaddio has been in the Spuds bullpen for going on 5 seasons now. He is solid and reliable as the righty complement to his lefty partner...whomever that may be. Pretty much plug and play with Pete.
RHP Harold Nothard
2056: 60 G, 5-4, 22 SV, 67.1 IP, 3.74 ERA, +1.1 WAR
As you can tell from last season's ERA, Nothard is surprisingly erratic in the closer role. We say "surprisingly" because there is no reason for him not to be one of the best closers in the game. A groundball pitcher hitting 101 on the gun and tossing a wicked curveball, the plan is for him to siege the closer role for the entire year. Of course, that was the plan last year, too, until having bad stretches where Doane or someone else steps in.
RHP Adrián Fox
2056: 35 G, 4-2, 1 SV, 50.2 IP, 4.26 ERA, -0.1 WAR
One of those "someone elses" could be, should be, Fox. But he has yet to prove himself as a reliable late-inning arm. Why? No one knows as he has all the tools and skills to fill the closer or setup role. In fact, he already has 2 saves in AAA. Now is the time to prove himself.