Jays look internally to bolster 'pen
10/19/2005TORONTO -- Finally, the Blue Jays can get some much-needed relief from their bullpen.
After years of playing Russian roulette with their relievers, the Jays are in a position to do things gracefully this winter. J.P. Ricciardi, Toronto's general manager, insists that a growing number of arms within his organization will keep him from spending money on the bullpen -- which is one of the trickiest areas of a big-league roster to fill out.
"That's the place everyone will tell you. That's where you roll the dice," said Ricciardi at his season-ending press conference. "That's where I've made my mistakes. [Kerry] Ligtenberg, three years in a row, the guy pitched great. We got him, and he was not very good. [Terry] Adams was good [before] we got him -- wasn't brutal and wasn't great [for us], but we ended up getting a good prospect for him and we got a half-year out of him.
"It's always a roll of the dice. What's happened, because of the farm system, is we don't have to sign the Jeff Tams of the world -- bottom-fishing, hoping you catch lightning in a bottle. Guys like [Dustin] McGowan and [Shaun] Marcum are starting to come out and give us some more thump."
Ligtenberg, Tam and Adams were all unsuccessful acquisitions for Toronto, but Ricciardi's also had his share of success stories. He signed Scott Schoeneweis and Miguel Batista and traded for both Jason Frasor and Justin Speier, setting up the staff's key relief arms. Add in further development from homegrown arms like Vinnie Chulk, and you have a solid nucleus.
Ricciardi doesn't see things ending there, though. There are more power arms in the organization -- guys like McGowan and Brandon League, who are stalled in their development as starting pitchers. Ricciardi sees McGowan, a potential staff ace, breaking into the big leagues as a long man and spot starter.
"I could see him pitching out of the 'pen, getting a lot of innings that way and then eventually going into the rotation. I don't know that what we saw as a starter is the same stuff we saw as a reliever," he said. "You guys saw the same thing. I think he's a lot more relaxed coming out of the 'pen. The stuff was electric. ... Maybe that's a way to ease him in."
That strategy didn't bear immediate results for League, but the team's coaching staff got to work with him for most of the year. Another erstwhile starter, Dave Bush, might be in jeopardy of the same transition. The Jays are considering using Bush out of the bullpen next year, which would give them even more depth in the middle innings.
The right-hander's career history plays into that decision. Bush was a closer in college but has pitched almost exclusively as a starter professionally. Next year, his role will likely depend on whether the Jays are able to sign another starting pitcher.
"His first time through, he was a little hesitant to use his stuff and trust his stuff," said Ricciardi, speaking of Bush's early-season struggles in 2005. "He went down, straightened himself out, came back. ... He may be a guy that ends up being a long guy for us."
Scott Downs is another guy who will be competing for that spot. The Jays can also use Downs to lessen the workload on Schoeneweis, who was second in the American League with 80 appearances. Ricciardi said his situational southpaw was overworked at times in 2005, but he didn't have any buyer's remorse from signing him to lucrative a two-year deal.
"Schoeneweis, to me, that's some of the best money we've spent," he said. "I know we were a little high in what we gave him, but to have the comfort of that left-hander coming out of the bullpen and knowing that he can shut down some guys, it was well worth it."
One definite question mark comes in the staff's most important role -- relief ace, where Batista put up some erratic numbers. The closer saved 30 games, but he also blew nine saves. He was one of the most heavily worked relievers in the league and held up under the strain, leaving room for Ricciardi to hope he'll improve next year.
"I think he had a real good year. I think it's easy to have a vision of what you think a closer should be, and I know you probably don't think he's a closer," he said, addressing the local media. "He's resilient. He takes the ball. He just hit one bad stretch there, no different than a guy going 2-for-45 as a hitter. I think he's only going to get better in the role.
"You guys have seen him really good. You've seen him really bad, so that makes him an official closer."
And what if he's not up to the task? Where do the Jays go then? Simply put, they choose from one of their eighth-inning arms -- Speier, Chulk and Frasor. After all, Frasor saved 17 games as a rookie in 2004, but the Jays think their depth has allowed them to put him in a better role. That's the moral of the story for most of their arms, but Frasor fits as the face of the project.
"This year, he's a lot better with his command, and I think it's because he's a lot more comfortable with his role," said Ricciardi. "If we can keep them in roles they're comfortable in, we might have the makings of a power bullpen."
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
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