Off Topic
What's To Come for the Bikini Bullpen?
September 25, 2062 | Marshall Islands > In a similar story as with the rotation, it feels like the Bikini bullpen underperformed this season. Discounting a few random appearances by starters, Bikini manager Kate Fiscus deployed a total of 10 different relievers this year, which basically means it was a fairly healthy season and injury really can't account for the regression.
The team's bullpen ERA came in at a tepid 3.76,"good" for 7th in the FL.
This is not what the doctor ordered, especially with a collective headed by the righty/lefty combo of Winston Morris and Enrique Villarreal. Here are their collective numbers, with FIP- numbers for this year and last in the final two columns:
One would be tempted to look at Morris (58 FIP-) and Villarreal (57 FIP-) and exempt them from the conversation of sources of regression. But it may be valuable to note that between the pair, they account for 11 losses. That's a lot of losses for your back-end relievers. Each one means that the club brought them a winnable game, and Morris and Villarreal did not win them. Then there's the question of how many of those 9 victories they split between them were vultured.
This is what happens when your staff doesn't really gel. Everyone gets checked.
Don't worry, neither Morris or Villarreal are going anywhere soon, but one wonders if they are being told to ponder their behaviors going forward.
Looking at the others is a bit of a mind-crunch, however. But FIP- only Enrique Aguilar and Michael Dixon took major steps backward, Dixon being eventually traded to Vancouver in a move meant to staunch the bleeding as well as the cashflow. John Hurry and Felix Vidaca's raw numbers actually improved, Vidaca's especially in the role of a reliver (FIP-82). Rookie Antonio Salazar was a touch above league average, but fellow rookie Brain Capps had a debut so volatile he was returned to AAA for a stint. The rest (Munce, Kichida, and Sommerville) mostly just took small, but cohesive steps backward.
Add it together and you get a weak-sauce casserole when the order was for something a bit more stout.
So, What's Going to Happen Next?
As noted, barring something extreme, Morris and Villareal will be back for their third seasons with the team in 2063. One expects that rookies Salazer and Capps will return, too, hopefully more stable after having tasted more than a cup of coffee in the BBA this year. Munce, Hurry, and Kichida are veteran placeholders, who will be the default guys in the middle innings unless others step up.
At question are Vidaca and Aguilar.
Vidaca's mutual option has been discussed before. Some assume that his stint as a starter last year was a double-headed beast that was first and foremost done to appease Vidaca's desire to be a part of the rotation (hence make him more inclined to stay with the team), as well as to see how his numbers would stack up if her were utilized as a short inning starter. Those numbers (1.95 ERA) were eye-popping enough that some think (assuming he is retained) he may be used as a fulltime starter in 2063 despite his 60-70 pitch limitation.
Aguilar is most likely to find another team. He made $2.5 million this year, and was rumored to want multiple years at something higher than that to stay with the team. His 6.44 ERA is a little misleading, since it was bloated by two unfortunate starts. Still, the numbers are probably not going to cut it, especially with young Tony Vasquez down in AAA now, and looking like he might be available come April. In addition, there is some interest in sending lefty Steve Truss to Pain Island this off season to focus on limiting his pitches and throwing out of the bullpen next year.
Time will tell.
With luck, though, this season's regression will bounce back toward mean.
And The Longer Term?
Vasquez (and really, Capps and Salazar) represent the first of what appears to be a long wave of solid young bullpen arms that the Krill have been developing. There's every chance that the Hurry/Munce/Sommerville group are going to be transitioned out soon.
Most insiders suspect that the bullpen should be very good and very cheap for several seasons to come.
That said, they also thought the 2062 bullpen was going to dominate opponents.
So, whatever.
September 25, 2062 | Marshall Islands > In a similar story as with the rotation, it feels like the Bikini bullpen underperformed this season. Discounting a few random appearances by starters, Bikini manager Kate Fiscus deployed a total of 10 different relievers this year, which basically means it was a fairly healthy season and injury really can't account for the regression.
The team's bullpen ERA came in at a tepid 3.76,"good" for 7th in the FL.
This is not what the doctor ordered, especially with a collective headed by the righty/lefty combo of Winston Morris and Enrique Villarreal. Here are their collective numbers, with FIP- numbers for this year and last in the final two columns:
| Name | W | L | SV | ERA | G | IP | HR | BB | K | BABIP | WAR | FIP- | FIP- LY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winston Morris | 3 | 5 | 33 | 2.14 | 59 | 63 | 3 | 16 | 63 | 0.306 | 2.4 | 58 | 75 |
| Dana Munce | 8 | 3 | 4 | 3.23 | 57 | 111.1 | 13 | 41 | 73 | 0.249 | 0.2 | 102 | 99 |
| Enrique Villarreal | 6 | 6 | 3 | 2.41 | 56 | 74.2 | 3 | 16 | 68 | 0.296 | 2.2 | 57 | 66 |
| Felix Vidaca | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3.31 | 50 | 81.2 | 7 | 29 | 65 | 0.275 | 1.1 | 88 | 97 |
| John Hurry | 4 | 3 | 1 | 3.86 | 48 | 70 | 8 | 30 | 60 | 0.317 | 0.3 | 97 | 103 |
| Masami Kichida | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3.95 | 46 | 54.2 | 6 | 9 | 46 | 0.319 | 0.7 | 81 | 77 |
| Enrique Aguilar | 2 | 4 | 3 | 6.44 | 43 | 50.1 | 11 | 14 | 42 | 0.32 | -0.3 | 120 | 99 |
| Antonio Salazar | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4.88 | 25 | 31.1 | 3 | 10 | 21 | 0.291 | 0.2 | 93 | NA |
| Brain Capps | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4.91 | 22 | 25.2 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 0.306 | -0.2 | 120 | NA |
| Micheal Dixon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7.48 | 14 | 21.2 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 0.324 | 0 | 106 | 33 |
| Roger Sommerville | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.57 | 6 | 17.2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 0.365 | 0.2 | 96 | 86 |
This is what happens when your staff doesn't really gel. Everyone gets checked.
Don't worry, neither Morris or Villarreal are going anywhere soon, but one wonders if they are being told to ponder their behaviors going forward.
Looking at the others is a bit of a mind-crunch, however. But FIP- only Enrique Aguilar and Michael Dixon took major steps backward, Dixon being eventually traded to Vancouver in a move meant to staunch the bleeding as well as the cashflow. John Hurry and Felix Vidaca's raw numbers actually improved, Vidaca's especially in the role of a reliver (FIP-82). Rookie Antonio Salazar was a touch above league average, but fellow rookie Brain Capps had a debut so volatile he was returned to AAA for a stint. The rest (Munce, Kichida, and Sommerville) mostly just took small, but cohesive steps backward.
Add it together and you get a weak-sauce casserole when the order was for something a bit more stout.
So, What's Going to Happen Next?
As noted, barring something extreme, Morris and Villareal will be back for their third seasons with the team in 2063. One expects that rookies Salazer and Capps will return, too, hopefully more stable after having tasted more than a cup of coffee in the BBA this year. Munce, Hurry, and Kichida are veteran placeholders, who will be the default guys in the middle innings unless others step up.
At question are Vidaca and Aguilar.
Vidaca's mutual option has been discussed before. Some assume that his stint as a starter last year was a double-headed beast that was first and foremost done to appease Vidaca's desire to be a part of the rotation (hence make him more inclined to stay with the team), as well as to see how his numbers would stack up if her were utilized as a short inning starter. Those numbers (1.95 ERA) were eye-popping enough that some think (assuming he is retained) he may be used as a fulltime starter in 2063 despite his 60-70 pitch limitation.
Aguilar is most likely to find another team. He made $2.5 million this year, and was rumored to want multiple years at something higher than that to stay with the team. His 6.44 ERA is a little misleading, since it was bloated by two unfortunate starts. Still, the numbers are probably not going to cut it, especially with young Tony Vasquez down in AAA now, and looking like he might be available come April. In addition, there is some interest in sending lefty Steve Truss to Pain Island this off season to focus on limiting his pitches and throwing out of the bullpen next year.
Time will tell.
With luck, though, this season's regression will bounce back toward mean.
And The Longer Term?
Vasquez (and really, Capps and Salazar) represent the first of what appears to be a long wave of solid young bullpen arms that the Krill have been developing. There's every chance that the Hurry/Munce/Sommerville group are going to be transitioned out soon.
Most insiders suspect that the bullpen should be very good and very cheap for several seasons to come.
That said, they also thought the 2062 bullpen was going to dominate opponents.
So, whatever.
