Big Picture

[eddie83]

I have thought the last couple of days we have really been fortunate to have the record we have. Tonight really hurts but some of the issues we had before blowing it came back to bite us tonight. We are still 14-7 and it isn't as it it has been like the whole team is on fire.

Biggest issues/concerns to me in no order.

-Need Gausman to step up. He was one pitch away from a 6 inning, 2 run outing and then the Judge homer. He can be better and I expect him to be . Games like tonight need to be locked down.

-Britton out. Our pen is great but with this team we have to be. Buck usually is wary of letting teams back in the game. With a healthy Britton the pen usage is different and maybe Hart is the game. 

-Lack of rotation depth. We really need Tillman. The off days early and Asher and Aquino starts have helped to mask this so far. Now we are in a stretch of 17 straight. Teams get exposed over the course of time. We have done well to get by without him so far. I mean we should not push him but he can't be out for an extended period of time. I know he is close. 

-5 man bench. Dan has managed the roster well up to this point but we are getting close to where they are going to have to make a tough decision. 17 games straight isn't easy to handle. At some point they are going to have to go a 4 man bench. There is only so much roster juggling they can do. They won't have to decide on this until Tillman is back. They can try to keep a 6 man pen for awhile but I don't see how it will last. I would send out Mancini/ Rickard depending on the schedule. If the team has a stretch of games -2 weeks or so vs RH pitching send out Mancini. Rickard is the better bench player. If the schedule is like it has been early send Rickard out and play Mancini. So far I like Smith in the OF. He isn't great but compares to Trumbo he is a GG. 

This team was going to be tested at some point and you can say they already have been. Bottom line is we weren't going to keep playing this well with some of the issues we have over the long haul. 

[eddie83]

One more thing about the pen. If you go back to 2012 for big chunks that year we never really had a long man. 

JJ

O'Day

Strop

Ayala 

Patton

Lindstrom 

Gregg

Now I know down the stretch Hunter and Matsuz played a big role in the pen but we got by for a good chunk that year without a true long man. Brian and Tommy I know weren't used in that role either  I hope we can find another arm with plus stuff down there. Zach, Brach, O'Day, Givens and Hart is a great 5 and anyone would take them but at this point you can question not just the results but stuff of the other options. Injuries happen but I hope we can get by with only one of the Nuno types in the pen.