Bullpen 2024

[ArtVanDelay]

2 minutes ago, dystopia said:

I wouldn't call it elite, but it's good enough to keep them from being really terrible. 

I don't believe in the whole "1-run games are just luck" BS. If you have a bad back end of your bullpen it's going to negatively impact your record in 1-run games.

Their bullpen is 3rd in fWAR and 4th in WPA and that was before today’s game.  They have possibly the best reliever in baseball on the back end and a plethora of impressive guys like Erceg, Adams, Muller and Spence.  It’s a really good pen.

I agree with your other point.

[Sports Guy]

Erceg was one of the most offseason bullpen targets. Looked impressive today.

[dystopia]

7 minutes ago, ArtVanDelay said:

Their bullpen is 3rd in fWAR and 4th in WPA and that was before today’s game.  They have possibly the best reliever in baseball on the back end and a plethora of impressive guys like Erceg, Adams, Muller and Spence.  It’s a really good pen.

I agree with your other point.

It's April. 

[ArtVanDelay]

4 minutes ago, dystopia said:

It's April. 

I’m still using this meme 15 years later.

[ArtVanDelay]

13 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Erceg was one of the most offseason bullpen targets. Looked impressive today.

I know the A’s have been trash for a couple years (intentionally) but they’re not a White Sox or Rockies level dumb organization.

They’ve been winning a lot of games for a lot of years with no payroll.  It shouldn’t be a surprise that they’ve pieced together a really good bullpen. 

Edited April 29 by ArtVanDelay

[Spy Fox]

Vespi is on the 40 man, has been pitching well, and hasn't thrown since Thursday. I think there's a decent chance he's in Baltimore tomorrow. 

[eddie83]

34 minutes ago, rm5678 said:

But unlike last year, we have a losing record in 1-run games. And amazingly the A's have a winning record in 1-run games (according to the stats that Kevin Brown mentioned today).

I’ll keep taking a lead into the 9th, 63% of the time and take my chances. 17/27 so far. With 2 ties. Trailed 8 times. 
 

 

Very frustrating weekend. I’m just saying if this team leads the AL in runs scored will win a ton of games. 

[dystopia]

12 minutes ago, ArtVanDelay said:

I’m still using this meme 15 years later.

That's cute, but it just seems weird to make such proclamations after 1/6 of the season. We'll see where they are in June. I certainly expect Erceg and Miller will still be lights out. 

[ArtVanDelay]

11 minutes ago, dystopia said:

That's cute, but it just seems weird to make such proclamations after 1/6 of the season. We'll see where they are in June. I certainly expect Erceg and Miller will still be lights out. 

Well I’m going off my eyes in addition to the stats.  I just watched their bullpen dominate the best lineup in the AL for 3 days.  They have good lefties and righties, multiple guys that throw 99, a guy that throws 103, guys with funky deliveries.  They give you a bunch of different looks.

Maybe by July they’ll drop off once they trade a few of these guys.

[eddie83]

5 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

This is probably observational bias.

It's funny how often overachieving teams have really lock down bullpens and how often otherwise stacked teams are let down by weak bullpens.

It's April but I don't think any of us were not concerned about the bullpen going into the season. 

Perhaps also it stands out more on a good team. 

[Sports Guy]

As great as Elias is, it’s a little maddening that he didn’t address this issue in the offseason.  I know there was some Wells to the pen stuff that he likely felt would help and the injury to Bradish hurt that but still, you knew about that in January. There was plenty of time to make a move or 2.

We have a great farm system. It’s not going to be used solely for putting players on the field in Baltimore. Use these guys and get some relievers in here.

[Aristotelian]

1 minute ago, Sports Guy said:

As great as Elias is, it’s a little maddening that he didn’t address this issue in the offseason.  I know there was some Wells to the pen stuff that he likely felt would help and the injury to Bradish hurt that but still, you knew about that in January. There was plenty of time to make a move or 2.

We have a great farm system. It’s not going to be used solely for putting players on the field in Baltimore. Use these guys and get some relievers in here.

Agreed. A lot of this is personnel. The bullpen is stitched together with waiver claims and scrap heap guys. There is just only so much you can do with guys like that. We need one more high leverage guy, we all saw it. Kimbrel is really a downgrade from Bautista so we are at best trading water. I do think Wells could have been a good option to try but they put him in the rotation and messed him up *again*.

We also need a long man who can pitch 2-3 in innings in a blowout. Hopefully getting Means/Bradish back kind of forces us to stick a long man in the bullpen. 

We also need more guys with options who can be cycled in and out. I don't see how we fix that unless we start developing more pitching.

[waroriole]

9 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

As great as Elias is, it’s a little maddening that he didn’t address this issue in the offseason.  I know there was some Wells to the pen stuff that he likely felt would help and the injury to Bradish hurt that but still, you knew about that in January. There was plenty of time to make a move or 2.

We have a great farm system. It’s not going to be used solely for putting players on the field in Baltimore. Use these guys and get some relievers in here.

He obviously knew Means and Bradish weren’t going to be available to start the season and Wells and Irvin would have to start. Completely inexcusable to not do something to stabilize the bullpen which was already downgraded by going from Felix to Kimbrel. 

[wildcard]

10 hours ago, Spy Fox said:

Vespi is on the 40 man, has been pitching well, and hasn't thrown since Thursday. I think there's a decent chance he's in Baltimore tomorrow. 

I would think Vespi or Charles up and Ramirez DFA'd should happen today.

Akin (2 IP yesterday, Tate (pitched 2 days in a row) and Kimbrel are not available tonight.

So Cano, Coulombe. Webb, Baumann are available.   Ramirez is not someone I would think can help.

[wildcard]

22 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

As great as Elias is, it’s a little maddening that he didn’t address this issue in the offseason.  I know there was some Wells to the pen stuff that he likely felt would help and the injury to Bradish hurt that but still, you knew about that in January. There was plenty of time to make a move or 2.

We have a great farm system. It’s not going to be used solely for putting players on the field in Baltimore. Use these guys and get some relievers in here.

With Bradish and Means joining the team this week,  Irvin and Suarez are probably headed to the pen.  That should help the pen.  

Ramirez DFA'd and Tate or Akin optioned unless Elias is alright with DFAing Baumann.