Fangraphs: Sunday, Relievers, O'Day

[weams]

Talking to Burke Badenhop about bullpen usage and leverage is a lot like talking to Glen Perkins about bullpen usage and leverage. The latter is an all-star closer and the former is a journeyman with four career saves, but they share the same mentality. Both recognize that the biggest outs often come before the ninth inning.

Another thing they have in common is their pitching backgrounds. Like most relievers, they didn?t begin in the bullpen.

"Relievers are basically broken starters," said Badenhop. "There's a reason we?re not starters anymore: We don?t do everything well. If we did, we'd still be starters. So there aren't very many guys in your pen that are lights out against both sides. Most of us are either good at getting righties out, or at getting lefties out."

Darren O'Day is especially good at getting righties out, and he's about to get paid handsomely to do so. The sidewinder recently re-signed with the Orioles for $31 million over four years, one year after Andrew Miller inked a four-year, $36 million deal with the Yankees - heretofore exorbitant contracts for non-closers. As a matter of comparison, Perkins will be paid $19.3 million over the next three.

"Darren O'Day has never been a closer, but he consistently comes in and gets out of jams, in high-leverage situations," said Badenhop. "He was a free agent this year and even though they won't be looking for him to close, the pay is commensurate with his ability. Teams are starting to spend money on high-leverage relievers, and for good reason. Having a good closer in the ninth doesn't do you any good if you blow the lead in the eighth."

Badenhop can't speak for O'Day, but he assumes the fellow righty is more concerned with getting important outs than he is with sexy job descriptions.

"Being older and wiser, he probably realizes that isn't as important," said Badenhop. "If he was younger and greener, it might be more - I want to be the closer."

The reason - Badenhop called it a conundrum - is greenbacks. While teams have begun rewarding non-closers, they're largely doing so when they hit free-agency.

"Stats matter for guys going into arbitration," explained Badenhop. "Saves make you money. Until the save becomes less important, and some sort of leverage-index statistic starts getting emphasized, that's going to be an issue."

...

"As the wheels keep turning - as baseball evolves - teams are going to start using their best relievers to get the biggest outs," said Badenhop. "They're not going to keep putting them in a box where they only pitch the ninth. And the teams that are early adopters are going to reap the most benefits, because everyone is probably going to start doing it. At the same time, guys are going to get paid for being the best reliever, not for getting the 6-7-8 hitters out with a three-run lead in the ninth inning."

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/sunday-notes-christin-chi-chi-collins-decision-reliever-value-more/

[srock]

So once again Earl Weaver is proven correct. Ace relievers are important.

Posters have been beating this drum for years as well.

I like the win rule. -Buck

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[Frobby]

Badenhop sounds like a pretty smart guy.

[Crazysilver03]

Badenhop sounds like a pretty smart guy.

Definitely sounds like someone that will have a FO job the minute he decides to stop pitching.

Great read.

[weams]

Definitely sounds like someone that will have a FO job the minute he decides to stop pitching.

Great read.

Thanks. I thought so too.