Any thoughts on Mike Bauman going to the bullpen role?

[oriolediehard]

https://www.mlb.com/news/mike-baumann-moving-to-orioles-bullpen?game_pk=719086

He will make our bullpen stronger.  Any thoughts on this latest move?

[wildcard]

He was not going to make the rotation so giving him a shot in the pen seems like a good idea to me.

[SilverRocket]

Baumann is already 27 and not even one of the top backup starter candidates at this point. It makes sense to use him where he can help immediately. His fastball velocity last year was a tick or two higher in relief and he really needs to maximize velocity to be effective.

I imagine he'll be a down-and-up guy unless we trade someone or someone really struggles.

[interloper]

Long overdue. Wise move. 

And I know they used him out of the bullpen for multiple innings and such before, but specifically moving him to 1 inning is something I've been waiting for. I think he has a chance to be successful in that role. 

[RZNJ]

I agree with all of the above.   I think he was going to get squeezed out of the Norfolk rotation as well.   Let's see if he can turn into something for 1-2 innings.  

I'm not sure Baumann or Cano have a chance to make the team but I'm encouraged by Cano's last two outings and we could use some hard thrower/strikeout pitchers leading up to Bautista.    Baker continues to look shaky.   

Baumann seems like a guy who could do 97-98 in short stints.   Cano is throwing 96-97.  Gillaspie is 95-96.    

[SilverRocket]

This also makes me wonder if the Orioles are shopping Bautista or anyone else to the Mets.

[Moose Milligan]

Not really.  I mean, he's not a rotation contender so the bullpen is the obvious landing spot for him.

[Aristotelian]

I honestly thought he was already targeted for bullpen. 

[wildcard]

15 minutes ago, SilverRocket said:

This also makes me wonder if the Orioles are shopping Bautista or anyone else to the Mets.

This is a joke, isn't it?

[maybenxtyr]

10 minutes ago, wildcard said:

This is a joke, isn't it?

I would hope so. This kind of thinking will have the team in a perpetual rebuild.

[oriole]

I can’t help but get Mike Baumann mixed up with Mike Wright. For Baumann’s sake I hope things go better 

[SilverRocket]

3 hours ago, wildcard said:

This is a joke, isn't it?

Yeah as far as it relates to Baumann but... the Mets do need a closer now, and last year's Orioles did just fine with a scrapheap bullpen.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, SilverRocket said:

Yeah as far as it relates to Baumann but... the Mets do need a closer now, and last year's Orioles did just fine with a scrapheap bullpen.

The Mets don't need a closer now.

They can probably wait until the trade deadline to make a move if one is needed.

With that roster I'm not panicking if I'm the GM.

[Ohfan67]

5 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

The Mets don't need a closer now.

They can probably wait until the trade deadline to make a move if one is needed.

With that roster I'm not panicking if I'm the GM.

And if they do trade for a closer, it’s likely to be for a “name” with postseason experience. 

[Jammer7]

My thoughts, it’s time. A good move for Mike. His FB/slider combo will be much better in the pen than as a starter. Never really had a third pitch, something off speed, he could command. Many here figured he’d end up in the pen, so not a surprise.