Post Trade Deadline Bullpen Hierarchy

[HowAboutThat]

PS: Vinnie Nittoli only pitched four innings, but was quite good. I’m very disappointed we didn’t keep him.

[Just Regular]

This is a good topic as if Elias/Hyde are ruthlessly Corleone about it Kimbrel might already have pitched his last 9th inning for the ball club.

A planned role reduction I could see the unit benefit for some time settling into the new pecking order.

Austin Hays adjacent, data how or if he does well enough in a less prominent role could help decide playoff roster status.

Seranthony is the one whose 2025 salary is today fixed via option.    Soto is the lefty you want for the Juan Soto, Austin Wells, Ben Rice section of the lineup.

6-7-8-9 - Kimbrel, Cano and the new guys...lot of scenarios in play.

[G54377]

I'm not fully comfortable Cano as the closer. Sinkers can live and die at any given moment. You want swing and miss. Even Britton would get stung sometimes simply because most balls are at least still going to be in play, and you can always get bad bounces or seeing eye singles. Dominguez and Soto are both more so matchup guys. Kimbrel is a blow up waiting to happen though, I think he's pitched his way out of a closer role. 

[mcneck]

Gotta see what they can do with some of these guys. They have a history of fixing relievers.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, mcneck said:

Gotta see what they can do with some of these guys. They have a history of fixing relievers.

Why couldn't they fix the ones they already had? 

[bpilktree67]

3 hours ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

Don't forget Coloumbe later in the season. Who goes then?

No one they will get extra pitcher for September.  

[bpilktree67]

14 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Why couldn't they fix the ones they already had? 

Who said they didn’t?  I think they did great with what they had to work with as they didn’t have lot of high velocity guys.  You can’t get Vespi throwing mid 90s and lot of the other guys have had no success in majors ever in career so you can’t fix what they don’t do.  Smith and Notilli were both guys let go by two of the worst teams in the league and both pitched well for us.  Neither one has great stuff though so there ceiling is limited.   The guys we got now have better arms and a track record so hopefully if they fix them we see return to a high leverage reliever type pitcher.  

[oriolediehard]

I'd rather have Burch Smith than Baker!!

[eddie83]

They will ride the hot hands and play analytical matchups.  

[eddie83]

Just now, eddie83 said:

They will ride the hot hands and play analytical matchups.  

That being said my pacing around watching the pen in the playoffs will be a good way to burn calories.  

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

They will ride the hot hands and play analytical matchups.  

Except when it interferes with the Save rule.

[OriolesMagic83]

4 hours ago, LookitsPuck said:

There’s no a single elite arm in this pen. They’re all flawed in some fairly big ways.

• Kimbrel can be dominant for weeks and then clueless for weeks
• Cano needs to pitch often for his sinker to work, but he doesn’t strike out enough people and needs a pristine defense behind him…and the O’s defense has been shoddy lately 
• Perez is incredibly inconsistent and command escapes him and he walks a bunch
• Webb can be dominant, but he also gets hit hard and then remembers how to pitch 
• Soto is great against lefties, mediocre against righties, command issues
• Dominguez is great against righties, mediocre against lefties
• Akin can’t be trusted with runners on, also doesn’t do well in high leverage situations
• Suarez is interesting, but no track record as a bullpen arm with the O’s. TBD.
• Burch Smith seems like a solid arm, but nothing terribly impressive and not enough of a track record here anyways

Honestly, this bullpen desperately needs Coulombe. But, it’s matchups and who is pitching best lately, tbh. 

 

I've been critical of Hyde's bullpen usage but looking at the group of relievers, this a nightmare to manage even with modern analytics.  Kimbrel is probably still the O's best reliever when he is on.  I would like the O's to use him more in the 8th inning.  I think he is not only a no more than 2 days in a row or 3 of 4 but then needs a couple of days off, imo.  Also, I think the O's would do best to avoid long inning of 20 or more pitches.  This is a bunch of parameters just for 1 pitcher!  Dominguez should probably take over most closing opportunities, but it seems a bad idea to use him as a closer against a lefty dominant lineup.  I'll say no one misses Bautista as much as Hyde does.

[Three Run Homer]

6 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

He probably has to be the move for Rogers. I believe Akin is the last guy with an option. 

I'm guessing that they will option Akin before DFA'ing Burch Smith.  Akin will come back when the rosters expand.  

[mcneck]

3 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

Why couldn't they fix the ones they already had? 

Good question.. Some things aren't fixable

[Three Run Homer]

I wouldn't be surprised if Soto winds up getting a shot to close.  He was Detroit's closer in 2021 and 2022 so he has more career saves than anyone on the staff besides Kimbrel.  

I think part of Elias' strategy in getting Dominguez and Soto was to get guys with good stuff and closer experience without having to pay closer prices.