Things are about to change - Bullpen usage

[wildcard]

Through April and the first half of May off days were plentiful.    Going forward the O's have 13 games in a row, followed by 18 games in a row, followed by 13 games in a row.   

That makes it a lot harder to  use 5 relievers in a game.    Hyde loves his matchups.  But using too many relievers in consecutive games leads to the pen working on fumes.   That makes me to believe that the way Hyde uses the pen will change in some ways going forward.

[RZNJ]

I think “A Developing Situation With The Bullpen” would be a catchier title. 

[Spy Fox]

I remember last year there was some well-earned angst early in the season about Hyde using too many relievers for not enough outs. Then as we got into the summer we saw more multi-inning appearances from the Akin/Baumann types.

[sportsfan8703]

The addition of Suarez should help.  Also, what are we doing when Grayson comes back?  Irvin or Means to the pen?  We could always fire up the Norfolk shuttle, but only Cano is optionable.  Kimbrel, Suarez, Akin, Coloumbe, Perez, Baumann, and Webb, are out of options.  

The 8 reliever max rule is hurting us.  A 9th reliever would be much more valuable than Stowers on this roster.  

[wildcard]

10 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

I think “A Developing Situation With The Bullpen” would be a catchier title. 

Well, it might get more comments about the thread title.

[wildcard]

1 minute ago, sportsfan8703 said:

The addition of Suarez should help.  Also, what are we doing when Grayson comes back?  Irvin or Means to the pen?  We could always fire up the Norfolk shuttle, but only Cano is optionable.  Kimbrel, Suarez, Akin, Coloumbe, Perez, Baumann, and Webb, are out of options.  

The 8 reliever max rule is hurting us.  A 9th reliever would be much more valuable than Stowers on this roster.  

Akin has an option.

[Roy Firestone]

16 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

The addition of Suarez should help.  Also, what are we doing when Grayson comes back?  Irvin or Means to the pen?  We could always fire up the Norfolk shuttle, but only Cano is optionable.  Kimbrel, Suarez, Akin, Coloumbe, Perez, Baumann, and Webb, are out of options.  

The 8 reliever max rule is hurting us.  A 9th reliever would be much more valuable than Stowers on this roster.  

 

16 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

The addition of Suarez should help.  Also, what are we doing when Grayson comes back?  Irvin or Means to the pen?  We could always fire up the Norfolk shuttle, but only Cano is optionable.  Kimbrel, Suarez, Akin, Coloumbe, Perez, Baumann, and Webb, are out of options.  

The 8 reliever max rule is hurting us.  A 9th reliever would be much more valuable than Stowers on this roster.  

Why in the hell have they not considered Vespi or Povich or Mc Dermott from Norfolk?..im not saying they are lights out, Im saying they could help with another arm in the pen....especially Povich.

[interloper]

1 minute ago, Roy Firestone said:

 

Why in the hell have they not considered Vespi or Povich or Mc Dermott from Norfolk?..im not saying they are lights out, Im saying they could help with another arm in the pen....especially Povich.

Bullpen is in pretty good shape - who exactly are you clamoring to replace Roy? 

The OP is suggesting that moves will probably be made to keep guys from getting overworked. So once they hit this stretch, guys like Vespi will probably get a look.

But I'm not replacing anyone in this bullpen currently with Vespi. Perez is on thin ice for me personally, but he looked good in his last outing. Baumann has looked pretty good his last few. 

 

[wildcard]

6 minutes ago, interloper said:

The OP is suggesting that moves will probably be made to keep guys from getting overworked.

I feel an injury coming when they want to add to the pitching staff.

[Frobby]

I agree with the premise that the busier schedule will make it harder for Hyde to ride certain guys in his bullpen the way he has.   Whether he actually will adjust remains to be seen.   

There are 54 pitchers in MLB who have made 19+ appearances (1.8 per team) and the Orioles have five of them: Webb, Coulombe and Cano all have 20, and Kimbrel and Akin have 19.   They’re all pitching slightly less than one inning per appearance.  Perez, recently activated, also averages less than one inning per appearance.  Only Baumann and Suarez throw more than an inning per appearance.  

The O’s rank 4th in IP per start, so we’d better hope that continues.  

 

[Frobby]

12 minutes ago, interloper said:

Bullpen is in pretty good shape - who exactly are you clamoring to replace Roy? 

Even Baumann has thrown well of late.  The bullpen has a 1.97 ERA this month.  Interestingly, in May they’ve given up as many walks (23) as hits, in 45.2 innings for a 1.007 WHIP.

[Aristotelian]

Right or wrong, Hyde seems very wedded to his approach. He appears to believe in using more guys for 1 inning. I don't think it is just about winning each game, but also keeping guys fresh and available. So if anything we may see even more use of this approach with fewer off days. 

Arguably he blew out Bautista but overall he has a pretty good track record regarding injuries and performance. So, I don't see the approach changing. I would guess we will see the shuttle and some DL moves in order to make the approach work. 

[sportsfan8703]

Is there anyway we can skirt around the only 8 reliever rule?  Even if that means possibly optioning Grayson/Kremer to AAA for 10 days in the future to get an extra arm up here?  

[sportsfan8703]

We need to find a two way player to be our 5th OF/9th reliever.  Is Brooks Kieschnek still a thing?

[Aristotelian]

19 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Is there anyway we can skirt around the only 8 reliever rule?  Even if that means possibly optioning Grayson/Kremer to AAA for 10 days in the future to get an extra arm up here?  

You could do a four man rotation. No way the O's are going for that though. We are more likely to see a six man rotation with seven bullpen like last year. I really hope we don't do that.