Zach Britton - No need for a closer

Today, he was everything you want from a closer. Throwing a 99 mph fastball and unhittable sinkers. We could have signed Rodney but didn't. Great decision. Rodney looked like a Britton wanna be. If we are to add to the bullpen, it should be someone who comes very cheaply. Another setup man. We have our closer imo.

Based on the Rays and A's paying for closers, it may be smart to pay for a closer. Britton will become expensive in arbitration once he racks up a bunch of saves. If you pay for a closer, you have that guy in the 9th, you keep Britton in the 8th, and you push back everyone else, essentially for the same price after a few years.

I thought the best thing today about Britton was that he used his curve so effectively, including two of the K's.

Based on the Rays and A's paying for closers, it may be smart to pay for a closer. Britton will become expensive in arbitration once he racks up a bunch of saves. If you pay for a closer, you have that guy in the 9th, you keep Britton in the 8th, and you push back everyone else, essentially for the same price after a few years.

So you look at Jim Johnson and Grant Balfour's seasons and come to a conclusion that we should pay for a closer like them too?? I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul.

This entire season he's been everything you could ask for in a closer

Shutdown % leaders for 2014:

1. Huston Street - 96%

2. Glen Perkins - 89%

3. Joaquin Benoit - 88%

4. Joe Smith - 88%

5. Zach Britton - 87%

He's been one of the most reliable relievers in high pressure situations in baseball this year.

I've rarely seen Britton as dominant as he was today. Just pounded the strike zone and his breaking stuff was nasty.

Britton was throwing 98 mph bowling balls to day. I will say my one reservation is the dependency on the sinker. Sinker ballers tend to lose that pitch from time to time and become very hittable. Like JJ, like Britton, like Wang, like the SP formerly known as Fausto, like Erickson.

Based on the Rays and A's paying for closers, it may be smart to pay for a closer. Britton will become expensive in arbitration once he racks up a bunch of saves. If you pay for a closer, you have that guy in the 9th, you keep Britton in the 8th, and you push back everyone else, essentially for the same price after a few years.

This is really bad logic. If Britton does the job then you have a cheap closer, when he becomes too expensive then you trade him away for assets and name another cheap closer.

Britton was throwing 98 mph bowling balls to day. I will say my one reservation is the dependency on the sinker. Sinker ballers tend to lose that pitch from time to time and become very hittable. Like JJ, like Britton, like Wang, like the SP formerly known as Fausto, like Erickson.

This. Zach has lost his sinker before. You can blame it on injury if you want, but sinker ballers do lose them from time to time. Look at JJ. Even when a pitcher doesn't lose a pitch, overuse gets hit, and if I recall that has also happened to Zach this year. Mariano Rivera was just nasty, and threw his pitch at an incredibly high percentage, but Zach is nowhere near that territory.

Man, if we could only have a closer who strikes people out.

So you look at Jim Johnson and Grant Balfour's seasons and come to a conclusion that we should pay for a closer like them too?? I award you no points and may God have mercy on your soul.

Someone has enjoyed Billy Madison on TV recently!

Man, if we could only have a closer who strikes people out.

He was great today. When we REALLY needed him to be.

Pure and utter filth today.

Someone has enjoyed Billy Madison on TV recently!

One of Sandler's greatest

I agree with most the stuff being said here.. however, I think using hindsight, we have to say not getting Rodney at least for this year was a mistake. At this point, I'd rather have Britton. On the whole (Hunter included), we have 15 blown saves on the year vs Seattle who has 6 total (only 3 have been from Britton). Not signing Rodney, at least concerning 2014, was a msitake in my opinion.