We seriously need to consider another closer at this point

[Jonesy10]

I have no doubt that we will figure this out and be competing for the AL East when all is said and done, but right now this is a major concern. There are really 3 options IMO:

1. Stick with JJ - most likely to happen... He will probably turn it around soon but the only question is, at what cost?

2. Go with O'Day - you could easily go with O'Day (whether that be now or in a week or in a month)... The question then would be does JJ get his old setup role back? Or does he get Strop/Gregg treatment? If so, Matusz and Hunter can split time in the set up role.

3. Go with Matusz/Hunter - Matusz is dominant against lefties (and really righties too) and Hunter is dominant against righties. It would be a great platoon-like scenario for the closers role. I also wouldn't be opposed to Matusz being the full time closer. He's been a really dominant pitcher and I have no clue how his ERA is so high (relatively speaking) compared to his other stats right now.

[Jonesy10]

Another thing that I think is glaringly obvious right now and makes me want to remove JJ from the closers role (although I'd like him to work it out and stay there), is the fact that he has been completely unraveling once a baserunner or two gets on. It seems he either throws a clean inning, or gets lit up it seems, which can't happen as he desperately NEEDS to be able to get out of jams and stop the bleeding. I compare that to a guy like O'Day, who even when he doesn't have his best stuff, seems to always be able to bear down and make a good pitch to get himself out of a jam, and it really makes me wanna try O'Day in the closer role.

[Dr. FLK]

What we need is an improved bullpen, period.

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[AlbionHero]

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/36355/wrap-big-problems-for-os-indians-rays

There you have it, the National Media is now questioning whether Johnson should lose his job.

Johnson might not be your classic closer but he gets the job done. At least he did last year. He went through something similar last July and snapped out of it. Hopefully that happens again.

The thing with Jim Johnson is that from a sabermetric perspective, he's actually not pitching much worse than last year... he had a 3.63 xFIP last year, and a 3.91 xFIP this year. What this tells us is that he got incredibly lucky last year, and it was going to be very tough to replicate that success. It just wasn't sustainable, and now we're kinda seeing all the luck he had last year turn into bad luck all at once.

[callahan09]

Over the last 30, JJ has a 10.64 ERA in 11.0 IP. There have been 249 other pitchers with at least that many innings pitched, and among them only Phil Humber of Houston has a worse ERA over the last 30 (12.75 ERA in 12.0 IP). That's how awful JJ has been lately. Even without excluding pitchers with fewer innings pitched, JJ's ERA is still ranked 422 out of 457.

[crissfan172]

http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/36355/wrap-big-problems-for-os-indians-rays

There you have it, the National Media is now questioning whether Johnson should lose his job.

The thing with Jim Johnson is that from a sabermetric perspective, he's actually not pitching much worse than last year... he had a 3.63 xFIP last year, and a 3.91 xFIP this year. What this tells us is that he got incredibly lucky last year, and it was going to be very tough to replicate that success. It just wasn't sustainable, and now we're kinda seeing all the luck he had last year turn into bad luck all at once.

When people talk about how lucky he was last season, they always seem to neglect the 91 IP from 2011 that where he had similar K/9 and BB/9 rates with about the same ERA. The fact is, he's not commanding his fastball, and that's why he's struggling. It's not bad luck, it's bad pitching.

[El Gordo]

Over the last 30, JJ has a 10.64 ERA in 11.0 IP. There have been 249 other pitchers with at least that many innings pitched, and among them only Phil Humber of Houston has a worse ERA over the last 30 (12.75 ERA in 12.0 IP). That's how awful JJ has been lately. Even without excluding pitchers with fewer innings pitched, JJ's ERA is still ranked 422 out of 457.

Comparing a RP ERA with SP's is pointless. We are talking about 4 poor innings out of 24.

[callahan09]

Comparing a RP ERA with SP's is pointless. We are talking about 4 poor innings out of 24.

Well I compared him with *every* pitcher. If I could compare him to relievers over the past 30 using MLB.com I would but they don't let you select a split when you pick a timeframe other than Year to Date. 422nd out of 457 among every player who has thrown at least 1 pitch is very, very bad, and it has nothing to do with comparing him to starting pitchers.

[El Gordo]

Try going to BR and click on game logs. You'll see that from April 2 through May 10th he had a 0.95 ERA, in 19 IP. Then from May 14-26th he has a 21.60 ERA in 5IP. That doesn't tell me he is one of the worst pitchers in the ML, it tells me he has had some sudden command issues in the last 12 days. Given his track record I have no doubt he'll work things out. I'm not sure what your fun with numbers point is.

[callahan09]

Try going to BR and click on game logs. You'll see that from April 2 through May 10th he had a 0.95 ERA, in 19 IP. Then from May 14-26th he has a 21.60 ERA in 5IP. That doesn't tell me he is one of the worst pitchers in the ML, it tells me he has had some sudden command issues in the last 12 days. Given his track record I have no doubt he'll work things out. I'm not sure what your fun with numbers point is.

I'm not sure why you're arguing with me. My point was exactly what my post stated: JJ has been very bad lately. Nothing more, nothing less. If I had a point besides the statement of that fact, I would have said it.

[PaulFolk]

Actually while he started the season 14/14, he blew two tie games and took the losses. Adding in the 4 of 5 blown saves and 2/4 against the Yankees, he's 17 for his last 25.

That's 68%. And several of those have been epic losses.

Now please, explain to me why I should be more interested in the 50/50 from last year than I should be in the trend from the playoffs last year and so far this year?

Wait, you're going to include LAST YEAR'S playoffs -- which happened six months before this season even started -- as part of this year's struggles? Well then, since we're apparently allowed to pick completely arbitrary end points, how about including the 20 consecutive saves he had at the end of last year's regular season?

[JLee2027]

Actually while he started the season 14/14, he blew two tie games and took the losses. Adding in the 4 of 5 blown saves and 2/4 against the Yankees, he's 17 for his last 25.

That's 68%. And several of those have been epic losses.

Now please, explain to me why I should be more interested in the 50/50 from last year than I should be in the trend from the playoffs last year and so far this year?

Check his average over his career. And I don't have any obligation to "explain" to you.

[Three Run Homer]

Today's game is in the bottom of the 8th. In the top of the 8th, the O's scored once to increase their lead from 5-2 to 6-2.

How many of you had the reaction I did, which was to say "Thank God, they have a 4 run lead, so Buck won't have to bring in JJ"?

[MikeAD]

I don't like to give up on a closer but you need to look at Matusz in the 8th and O'Day in the 9th.

The question in these situations is what the heck do you do with your closer. He's making a lot of money, sort of way too much to be pitching in the 6th inning.

[Ripken]

Hopefully DOD has a lot more 9th innings like he did today.