Clubhouse Mix

[arch stanton]

If Pena outcompete a certain player what then?

Your contempt for a certain player always amuses me. Did he kick your puppy or something?

[JAHV76]

Having depth with veteran experience cannot be and thing.

[Hubs]

I think the bench is going to have Green on it, as he is out of options, I believe. Romine too, but he'd clear waivers.

 

Pena isn't going to start the season with the club. Tracy might. Or they might carry three catchers. 

 

One has to think the regulars are Trout, Hamilton, Calhoun, Pujols, Kendrick, Aybar, Freese, Ibanez & Conger/Iannetta are basically a platoon. That's 10 guys.

 

The pitching staff is likely: Weaver, Wilson, Richards, Santiago/Mulder/Shoemaker, Skaggs/Mulder/LeBlanc, Frieri, Smith, Burnett, DeLaRosa, Jepsen, Kohn.

 

That's only 11, but those back end BP and rotation spots are in flux. 

 

Bench then is likely to include a backup OF (Shuck, Cowgill, Long, etc.), a backup MINF (Romine, Green, Field, McDonald), a corner INF (Tracy, Pena, Jimenez), and either the third catcher, or a second MINF. That's 14. 

 

IF they go with 12 pitchers, that means that the second INF/third catcher spot/ or the corner INF spot is likely cut from the bench, and they hope Calhoun and Ibanez can fill in at first if needed, and Romine, Field, or Green can fill in at third if needed.

 

As the regulars are three lefties, five righties and a switch hitter (or three, four, and two depending on the catcher) I'd think that the bench will favor lefties in Shuck, Pena, Tracy, Romine, etc. 

 

My picks for the four bench spots though are Green, Romine, Tracy, & Shuck.

[arch stanton]

I would guess Cowgill over Shuck with 2 lefties as everyday starters in the OF.

[Jeff Fletcher]

Green is not out of options.

Only Romine and Hester.

[YouthofToday]

I hope this team doesn't carry more than 11 pitchers.

[Jeff Fletcher]

I hope this team doesn't carry more than 11 pitchers.

Teams have almost all been carrying 12 pitchers for at least 6-7 years now. It's more common to have 13 than 11.

With the angels young rotation they will definitely need 7 relievers.

[YouthofToday]

No they don't. Just because teams carry more than 11 pitchers doesn't mean it makes sense. Teams would be far better off having RPs prepped to throw more than an inning in an outing. This way there is less strain on the body with warm up pitches every other game. That + relievers could probably average more than 60 innings a year.

Bad use of resources and a waste of a roster spot.

[Jeff Fletcher]

I think you can maybe make that case in the NL, but not the AL. Last year the Angels had stretches where their 4th guy on the bench (Cowgill) didn't play for weeks. Why do they need 5? Bench guys don't play in the AL.

If your starters give you 6-7 innings almost every night you can probably have 6 relievers but with a rotation like the Angels have the reality is they'll probably go less than 6 about 1/3 of the time.

[Docwaukee]

the other reason I like having the extra pitcher is uncertainty with bullpen performance and our pen being filled with guys that a in the mediocre range yet could have one of those 'good' seasons.  I'd like to see the extra safety net for guys like kohn, jep, salas etc. Makes the guys feel like they have to win high leverage innings.  I don't want some of these guys throwing two innings.