Fix the bullpen 2025

[Rbiggs2525]

To take this team to the next level we need to fix the bullpen in 2025. Even with the mountain coming back I propose signing a minimum of 2 of these players. If that takes trading arbitration players like Mullins and Mountcastle then so be it. If that takes not signing Santander then so be it. The players are:

Clay Holmes

AJ Minter

Carlos Estevez

Tanner Scott

Yimi Garcia depending on health

Then there is another tier that I would accept if the others declined.

Andrew Kittredge

Jose Leclrec 

Nick Martinez

Keynan Middleton

Tommy Khanle

 

 

[Aristotelian]

Felix Bautista and pick up Seranthony's option.

Spend the savings on starting pitching or Santander

[RZNJ]

Just now, Aristotelian said:

Felix Bautista and pick up Seranthony's option.

Spend the savings on starting pitching or Santander

This.  Pick up Seranthony option and decline Gregory Soto option.   Forget spending FA dollars on relievers.   We need to find one really good LHP for the bullpen.
 

[waroriole]

You don’t sign RP who enter FA. That’s just a bad way to hamstring a team’s payroll. We have enough coming back next year that you just augment with lottery tickets. Spending on SP is a better way to help the bullpen. 

[LGOrioles]

Bautista, Coulombe, Dominguez, Cano, Perez, Webb, Akin, LRP

Is pretty good and probably better than their pen last year with Bautista. I wouldn’t mind them signing a good middle relief guy and then having Akin be the long man but I don’t think they need to sign someone that’s gonna cost more than $10M per year. That would be better used on a starter. 

[orioles22]

No way you put that much money into the bullpen. LGOrioles list looks great to me. You could have Tate or someone else we pick up in the 8th spot.

[LGOrioles]

There’s a number of good relievers that would be cheaper than say Scott or Holmes. Robertson, Sewald, Treinen, Yates, Martin, Barlow, Raley, Ottavino, Smith, Floro are all varying degrees of good but would fit anywhere from the 6th-8th innings.

[Aristotelian]

1 hour ago, RZNJ said:

This.  Pick up Seranthony option and decline Gregory Soto option.   Forget spending FA dollars on relievers.   We need to find one really good LHP for the bullpen.
 

I'd like to see what Soto does down the stretch. He throws 99 and is just two years removed from a 30 save season. I can see keeping him but it will be tricky having so many guys out of options. 

[RZNJ]

31 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

I'd like to see what Soto does down the stretch. He throws 99 and is just two years removed from a 30 save season. I can see keeping him but it will be tricky having so many guys out of options. 

If you look at Soto’s history he’s always had control issues and even at his best, wasn’t a huge strikeout guy.   In short, despite the velocity, he’s never been anything special nor should we expect anything more than mediocre.    

[HowAboutThat]

The single, worst characteristic of a reliever is inconsistency. Nobody worried about Jim Johnson or Britton or Rivera because they were consistent.

I disagree with the idea of doing little but dumpster diving and expecting our injured personnel to come back strong.

But spending a lot of money in free agency is also unwise.

I would very much like to see targeted minor leaguers from other teams, especially teams with mediocre track records on pitching development.

The best thing we can get are solid K guys, or guys with very large ground ball rates, and targeting some AA guys with potential is best path forward.

[Aristotelian]

42 minutes ago, HowAboutThat said:

The single, worst characteristic of a reliever is inconsistency. Nobody worried about Jim Johnson or Britton or Rivera because they were consistent.

I disagree with the idea of doing little but dumpster diving and expecting our injured personnel to come back strong.

But spending a lot of money in free agency is also unwise.

I would very much like to see targeted minor leaguers from other teams, especially teams with mediocre track records on pitching development.

The best thing we can get are solid K guys, or guys with very large ground ball rates, and targeting some AA guys with potential is best path forward.

Let's say we have $40M to spend. How do you allocate it between starting pitching, Santander, extensions, and bullpen? I'm not even sure we have that much.

[dystopia]

56 minutes ago, HowAboutThat said:

The single, worst characteristic of a reliever is inconsistency. Nobody worried about Jim Johnson or Britton or Rivera because they were consistent.

I disagree with the idea of doing little but dumpster diving and expecting our injured personnel to come back strong.

But spending a lot of money in free agency is also unwise.

I would very much like to see targeted minor leaguers from other teams, especially teams with mediocre track records on pitching development.

The best thing we can get are solid K guys, or guys with very large ground ball rates, and targeting some AA guys with potential is best path forward.

Johnson blew like 8 or 9 saves in 2013. 

[bpilktree67]

4 hours ago, LGOrioles said:

Bautista, Coulombe, Dominguez, Cano, Perez, Webb, Akin, LRP

Is pretty good and probably better than their pen last year with Bautista. I wouldn’t mind them signing a good middle relief guy and then having Akin be the long man but I don’t think they need to sign someone that’s gonna cost more than $10M per year. That would be better used on a starter. 

I think they go those 7 and the 8th spot is the option guy so they can do the Norfolk shuttle.   

[HowAboutThat]

27 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Let's say we have $40M to spend. How do you allocate it between starting pitching, Santander, extensions, and bullpen? I'm not even sure we have that much.

There was a wonderful orioles website that had an annual challenge exactly as you suggested: how to spend the expected offseason budget? The answers were always fascinating. I wish I could remember the name, but it shut down at the end of 2015 I think. Brilliant site.

I’m not re-signing Santander. I can’t afford any of the major FA starters, but I’m going to try to retain John Means, even though he won’t be back till about August. He won’t be expensive, and when he’s healthy, he’s excellent.

I can’t comment on specific players, but I’m not signing any long term FA contracts, and I’m going to avoid Twilight guys like Kimbrel(who gets his one million payout and a goodbye card)

Im going to do my best to extend AR and Gunnar, but I can’t guess how long or how much they’d each need. That will be a priority, though.

We don’t know how much Rubinstein will be willing to spend, nor what the priorities will be, so this expertise is literally impossible now,  it I’d look for solid MLB starters and three High minors pitching prospects with a focus on ground balls(three ground balls is better than nine strikes) and an ability to throw multiple innings.

And nobody in the minors, including Holliday and Mayo, is off limits in trade talks.

 

 

[SemperFi]

If you don't draft and develop pitching then you have to spend on pitching, it's that simple.