Newsflash!

[mtangelsfan]

The pen is still absolutely horrible.  We need at least 3 arms better than anyone in there right now to be competitive next season.

[Stradling]

Cue AO.

[tdawg87]

The problem is we'd still have 3-4 shitty arms.

 

I have never seen a bullpen this bad. Perhaps my memory is too short.

[Stradling]

Last years bullpen had Hawkins and Isringhausen.

[Docwaukee]

The problem is we'd still have 3-4 shitty arms.

 

I have never seen a bullpen this bad. Perhaps my memory is too short.

it is.  Last years was worse. 

[mtangelsfan]

I'm still not sure what people see in Kohn, but some of these other losers are even worse.  

[tdawg87]

it is.  Last years was worse. 

 

Last year's pen had a better ERA and WHIP, by quite a significant amount actually. This year's team has fewer blown saves but there is still plenty of time for them to catch up.

[jshep]

I'm still not sure what people see in Kohn, but some of these other losers are even worse.

He throws kinda hard.

Of course that's all he has going for him, so...

[tdawg87]

He throws kinda hard.

Of course that's all he has going for him, so...

 

He is Jepsen the gritty redux.

[Docwaukee]

there is a stat called RE24 which gives either a pitcher or batter positive or negative values relative to the run expectancy prior to the play.

 

the halos pen is -23.16.  Fourth worst in baseball

 

the braves are the best at 75.33. 

 

so if my calculations are correct, the halos pen sucks. 

[Angel Oracle]

Does Dipoto even understand that you need one great reliever for the others to feed off of.

He seems to only be interested in dumpster diving.

[Stradling]

Yes he understands much better than we do what it takes to build a bullpen. He probably also understands that year to year bullpen arms are the least predictable results in baseball.

[Docwaukee]

Yes he understands much better than we do what it takes to build a bullpen. He probably also understands that year to year bullpen arms are the least predictable results in baseball.

meaning that there is a great degree of variability for a player from year to year.  so a guy might go from a 2era one year to a 3.2 era the next. 

We have guys that might vary between 3.5 to 4.5. 

 

Off years from good relievers will be better than average or even good years from the guys we have. 

 

Frieri has had a poor year but clearly it's because the word is out about him having one pitch.  If his second pitch develops a think it's safe to predict improvement. 

Joaquin Benoit isn't likely to have a 1.54 era again next year, but a 2.8 era would help this team tremendously next year. 

[YouthofToday]

Good relievers are usually failed minor league starters. Considering we have no pitching prospects and the worst farm system in baseball it is rather tough to build an organic.

[FireThemAll]

2.47 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 52/13 K/BB in 43.2 innings pitched.

 

Those are the numbers of Jordan Walden.

 

Dipoto let a damn good young, cheap reliever get away. Granted he wouldn't be doing that good here because Butcher, but...

[tomsred]

Given the state of the farm system, then he's going to have to take the approach of importing some more seriously.  The impact of surrendering leads becomes  an enormous  burden on the remainder of the team.

[Docwaukee]

Good relievers are usually failed minor league starters. Considering we have no pitching prospects and the worst farm system in baseball it is rather tough to build an organic.

yes.  the best bullpen we have had were built via the farm system as are most bullpens.  As we don't really have a major league pitching prospect that started the year in AA or above it is essentially impossible to build it the right way.  As what little pitching the halos have in the minors are at least 1-2 years away and likely more with the exception of maybe 2 guys, they will need to tap the major and minor league FA pool to make the pen better. 

 

Most reliever contracts are short term so 2-3 FA pickups or perhaps a trade could bridge the gap until the farm system starts to contribute again. 

 

It's not gonna take a lot to improve upon what we have now.  Pretty much any solid reliever would be an upgrade to displace innings from the current bottom of the pen. 

[Mark68]

yes.  the best bullpen we have had were built via the farm system as are most bullpens.  As we don't really have a major league pitching prospect that started the year in AA or above it is essentially impossible to build it the right way.  As what little pitching the halos have in the minors are at least 1-2 years away and likely more with the exception of maybe 2 guys, they will need to tap the major and minor league FA pool to make the pen better. 

 

Most reliever contracts are short term so 2-3 FA pickups or perhaps a trade could bridge the gap until the farm system starts to contribute again. 

 

It's not gonna take a lot to improve upon what we have now.  Pretty much any solid reliever would be an upgrade to displace innings from the current bottom of the pen. 

What is Jeremy Berg? Chopped liver?

 

Honestly, though, we probably just need a couple good bullpen arms, assuming Burnett comes back (don't see why he wouldn't be able to), Berg shows he can handle The Show, DDLR, Frieri improves his second pitch, and Kohn gets the ball within the same ZIP code as home plate (becomes "effectively wild"), next year's bully might be sneaky good.

Edited September 1, 2013 by Mark68

[YouthofToday]

Berg is a 27-year-old "prospect"...

[nate]

2.47 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 52/13 K/BB in 43.2 innings pitched.

 

Those are the numbers of Jordan Walden.

 

Dipoto let a damn good young, cheap reliever get away. Granted he wouldn't be doing that good here because Butcher, but...

 

Except he was damn awful when he pitched for the Angels.

[Splint7438]

Walden pitched decent his rookie year when he was our closer. He struggled last year and became expendable. We traded a seventh or eighth inning guy for guy that we expected to pitch he first six innings. A role we thought would be filled by downs, Burnett, frieri , jepson or madsen. It was a good risk/reward type move. Unfortunately the reward didn't pan out. But at the time it looked like a solid move. And who knows what strides a motivated Hanson might make coming back next year.

[Angel Oracle]

Berg is a 27-year-old "prospect"...

Who has had solid numbers throughout the minors, and was drafted as a 23 year-old due to being in college for 5 years (transferred and pitched all 4 eligible seasons). He's only been in the minors for 4 seasons. It's time to pitch up here, and show the Bradford, Ziegler, and O'Day that he may have in him.

Edited September 1, 2013 by Angel Oracle

[Angelsjunky]

Same story, different year. After having a truly great bullpen in the early-to-mid-Aughties, the bullpen has been mediocre to bad for, what, the last five years now?

[wopphil]

What about Jeppy, would you guys tender him a contract?

[tdawg87]

What about Jeppy, would you guys tender him a contract?

 

No way. Jepsen is awful and I am sick of seeing him in an Angels uniform. I'm sure he'll go somewhere else and find success but he obviously won't find it here.