Author Topic: Bullpen 2021  (Read 3894 times)

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Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Bullpen 2021
« Topic Start: March 24, 2021, 02:08:34 PM »
Sooooo . . .  we have a batting order thread, we have a rotation thread, so that leaves the bullpen and the bench.

With Fedde being out of options, there's now a possibility that he and Voth occupy 2 spots as multi-inning / long men.

You would have thought that, at the start of the spring, there were 6 locks and 2 open spots:

Hand (L) / Hudson (R) / Harris (R) / Rainey (R) for high leverage and closing.
Suero (R) / Finnegan (R) for middle innings and lower leverage initially. Suero being used v. lefties.

Unless they are willing to risk exposing Voth or Fedde to waivers, it looks like guys like Braymer, Guerra, Clay, McGowin, end up squeezed out.  A 9 man bullpen is a possibility.

Offline aspenbubba

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #1: March 24, 2021, 02:20:03 PM »
Sooooo . . .  we have a batting order thread, we have a rotation thread, so that leaves the bullpen and the bench.

With Fedde being out of options, there's now a possibility that he and Voth occupy 2 spots as multi-inning / long men.

You would have thought that, at the start of the spring, there were 6 locks and 2 open spots:

Hand (L) / Hudson (R) / Harris (R) / Rainey (R) for high leverage and closing.
Suero (R) / Finnegan (R) for middle innings and lower leverage initially. Suero being used v. lefties.

Unless they are willing to risk exposing Voth or Fedde to waivers, it looks like guys like Braymer, Guerra, Clay, McGowin, end up squeezed out.  A 9 man bullpen is a possibility.

I think that because of the blood clots in Harris's arm that they put hin on the IR ( or whatever the new designation is) and keep both Fedde and Voth and go with a 9 man BP by adding McGowin until Harris is rehabbed .

Offline Slateman

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #2: March 24, 2021, 08:43:17 PM »
Time to be concerned about Brad Hand?

Offline aspenbubba

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #3: March 25, 2021, 08:14:56 AM »
Time to be concerned about Brad Hand?
Probaqbly more so than Soto and Turner

Offline hotshot

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #4: March 25, 2021, 08:29:39 AM »
Time to be concerned about Brad Hand?
Has pitched a lot of innings over his career. Just turned 31. Yeah, I'm concerned about the wear and tear.

Offline NatsAllThe Way

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #5: March 25, 2021, 09:31:29 PM »
Rizzo has assembled another stellar bullpen I see.

Offline imref

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #6: March 26, 2021, 12:26:45 AM »
Hudson has been a hot mess this spring.

Offline imref

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #7: March 28, 2021, 11:23:06 AM »
Avilan makes the team per Kolko

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #8: March 28, 2021, 12:24:27 PM »
Avilan makes the team per Kolko
Dougherty suggests Armenteros may be headed to the 60 day DL to make room for Avilan.  Also notes that Romero has yet to appear in a game this spring but is still in the major league camp. 

I wonder if a deal may happen with Fedde.  They are going to need a slot for Harris when he is ready, so I don't see both Fedde and Voth lasting in the pen. A 9 man bullpen is conceivable, and Perez could perhaps go at that point, but they are getting towards a pretty inflexible roster in terms of guys with options you'd think of sending down. 

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #9: March 28, 2021, 12:27:23 PM »
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/03/nationals-select-luis-avilans-contract-designate-dakota-bacus.html

And door #3, designating for assignment Dakota Bacus, reassigning Romero and Armenteros to the minors, is what Mr. Rizzo does to make room for Avilan and finalize the roster.

Offline Slateman

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #10: April 12, 2021, 11:00:35 PM »
This was a game we would have lost in 2019

Offline varoadking

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #11: April 12, 2021, 11:03:25 PM »
This was a game we would have lost in 2019

It's early...

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #12: April 13, 2021, 08:50:11 AM »
Rainey is making me nervous, and Finnegan is fine except when somebody guesses fastball and actually makes contact, but yes, they are quite serviceable.  Hand pushes Hudson back into a better role, so he improves both the 8th and the 9th.

I'll be really curious what happens when Lester is activated. My guess is they send down Clay because they can (which reminds me of the saying about dogs ...), but he's looked good even in the inning he was charged with 3  runs.  Fedde probably keeps a roster spot after yesterday. 

Offline nfotiu

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #13: April 13, 2021, 09:02:57 AM »
Rainey is making me nervous, and Finnegan is fine except when somebody guesses fastball and actually makes contact, but yes, they are quite serviceable.  Hand pushes Hudson back into a better role, so he improves both the 8th and the 9th.

I'll be really curious what happens when Lester is activated. My guess is they send down Clay because they can (which reminds me of the saying about dogs ...), but he's looked good even in the inning he was charged with 3  runs.  Fedde probably keeps a roster spot after yesterday. 
Wouldn't Voth be the guys sent down?   He's not even really pitching.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #14: April 13, 2021, 09:10:22 AM »
Wouldn't Voth be the guys sent down?   He's not even really pitching.
Voth doesn't have options, so you would have to expose him. my guess is they will go with the "roster management" option rather than "who are my best 8 relievers right now."  It would take a little guts to say, "you know, we've got Guerra in the minors, might sign Sanchez, and we have the whole group of 6' 5" righthanders who throw 95 in the minors, so why do we need Voth?"

Offline nfotiu

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #15: April 13, 2021, 09:44:19 AM »
Voth doesn't have options, so you would have to expose him. my guess is they will go with the "roster management" option rather than "who are my best 8 relievers right now."  It would take a little guts to say, "you know, we've got Guerra in the minors, might sign Sanchez, and we have the whole group of 6' 5" righthanders who throw 95 in the minors, so why do we need Voth?"
They need to make some kind of move I think.  I don't see how they can carry Voth, Ross and Fedde on the roster all year unless a starter is out for a while.

Offline Elvir Ovcina

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #16: April 13, 2021, 10:00:13 AM »
They need to make some kind of move I think.  I don't see how they can carry Voth, Ross and Fedde on the roster all year unless a starter is out for a while.

Well, it's only 2 extra starters even if nobody gets hurt, as one of those guys needs to fill the 5 slot at any time.

 In a year in which Strasburg is coming off missing almost an entire year and nobody had a full season last year, it seems rational to me.  There's virtually zero chance one of the four primary starters doesn't miss substantial time, and the other three of those guys combined have exactly one season of 100 MLB inning pitched (Ross in 2016, since when he has been pretty banged up).  So you figure you'll need at least two of them to fill just the 5 slot.  It's annoying to carry Voth when he's not really being used, but you really do need the other two and neither has options, with Voth - also out of options - as the injury insurance if one of the 4 starters gets hurt.  And Strasburg alone has missed 8+ starts in 4 of the last 6 seasons.

I guess that where I end up is that I don't love it either but think it's an unfortunate must-do.

Offline nfotiu

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #17: April 13, 2021, 10:48:18 AM »
Well, it's only 2 extra starters even if nobody gets hurt, as one of those guys needs to fill the 5 slot at any time.

 In a year in which Strasburg is coming off missing almost an entire year and nobody had a full season last year, it seems rational to me.  There's virtually zero chance one of the four primary starters doesn't miss substantial time, and the other three of those guys combined have exactly one season of 100 MLB inning pitched (Ross in 2016, since when he has been pretty banged up).  So you figure you'll need at least two of them to fill just the 5 slot.  It's annoying to carry Voth when he's not really being used, but you really do need the other two and neither has options, with Voth - also out of options - as the injury insurance if one of the 4 starters gets hurt.  And Strasburg alone has missed 8+ starts in 4 of the last 6 seasons.

I guess that where I end up is that I don't love it either but think it's an unfortunate must-do.

They need to figure out a #7 guy with options both for the roster spot, and to get regular work in AAA.   If Voth just eats a couple mop up innings hers and there for a few weeks, he's not going to be ready to step in for a start anyway.   

Offline aspenbubba

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #18: April 13, 2021, 10:50:19 AM »
And we keep forgetting about who gets sent down when Harris returns. I always felt it would be Mercer .

Offline imref

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #19: April 13, 2021, 10:53:16 AM »
And we keep forgetting about who gets sent down when Harris returns. I always felt it would be Mercer .

Lester's return will mean someone is going down as well. I imagine Clay.

Offline Natsinpwc

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #20: April 13, 2021, 10:53:54 AM »
And we keep forgetting about who gets sent down when Harris returns. I always felt it would be Mercer .
I lost track. Has Hernan Perez already been sent down?

Offline Slateman

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #21: April 13, 2021, 11:11:54 AM »
And we keep forgetting about who gets sent down when Harris returns. I always felt it would be Mercer .
Not really a decision we'll have to make for a while. If ever.

Offline imref

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #22: April 13, 2021, 01:00:25 PM »
I lost track. Has Hernan Perez already been sent down?
No, he won the Wilmer Difo job out of camp as the backup utility IF (along with Mercer).

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #23: April 13, 2021, 01:44:08 PM »
And we keep forgetting about who gets sent down when Harris returns. I always felt it would be Mercer .
yes, that's where it gets even more interesting.  If Clay is sent down when Lester is activated, then I think that's job security for Avilan and means either Fedde /  Voth gets waived or they go with a 9 man bullpen and a short bench (releasing Perez or maybe Mercer).  IF they were to DFA Voth when Lester is back, then it could be Avilan rather than Clay sent out when Harris is ready.

My guess is the first move is Clay to the minors because it gives them a bit more flexibility. 

Offline GataNats

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Re: Bullpen 2021
« Reply #24: April 14, 2021, 01:38:47 AM »
Availan is the epitome of trash.   Get him off the roster ASAP