Around the Horn: Bullpen
01/11/2006Toronto's bullpen may not be the most talked about around the league, but it might be the one unit ready to contend in the American League East. And that was before the Blue Jays added All-Star closer B.J. Ryan into the mix.
Consider the progress the Blue Jays relievers made in 2005. As a group, Toronto's 'pen had a 3.81 ERA last season -- a drastic improvement over the 5.08 ERA that ranked third-worst in the AL in '04. While the 2005 group finished eighth in ERA in the AL, it was the best showing within their division. No other AL East team finished with a bullpen ERA lower than four.
The Jays relievers were tied atop the division in opponents on-base percentage (.324) and their groundball-to-flyball ratio (1.30) was second only to Minnesota in the league.
The only real area of question remained at the closer spot. Miguel Batista held that role for most of the season and finished with 31 saves. That was a small victory in itself for Toronto, which went through four different closers in 2004. Batista proved inconsistent down the stretch, though -- blowing six saves and posting a 5.35 ERA after the All-Star break -- and he fell out of favor for the job.
Enter Ryan.
Baltimore's former closer was Toronto's first offseason upgrade when he signed a five-year deal worth $47 million in late November. Ryan, 30, converted 36 of his 41 save opportunities and finished with a 2.43 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 69 games a year ago. A late-season performance similar to that of '05 by the lefty would be a valuable asset for a Toronto team that's trying to make a push in the East. In Ryan's last 26 games, he converted all 15 of his save chances and had a 1.65 ERA with 37 Ks.
Batista could have been a candidate for the setup role for the upcoming season, but Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi opted to use the right-hander in the trade that brought slugger Troy Glaus to the Blue Jays on Dec. 27.
As it stands right now, it appears that Toronto will begin the season with seven relievers. Jason Frasor, Vinnie Chulk, Justin Speier and Pete Walker are the right-handers and Ryan, Scott Schoeneweis and Scott Downs are lefties. Youngsters Brandon League and Dustin McGowan -- both right-handers -- could be on the bubble. The Jays signed right-hander Ben Weber to a Minor League deal with an invite to Spring Training, and the three could earn a spot on the Opening Day roster depending on what happens during Spring Training.
Manager John Gibbons has a couple of options to fill the setup man job. There's Frasor, who led the team with 17 saves in 2004. The 28-year-old had a 3.25 ERA in '05 -- 2.89 at home -- and struck out 62 in 74 2/3 innings.
Then there is Speier, 32, who could be the favorite for the job. He notched seven saves in '04 and had a 2.57 ERA out of the bullpen in '05. Speier was especially tough on left-handed batters -- posting a 1.65 ERA against them. He showed good command of the strike zone by fanning 56 batters, walking just 15 in 66 2/3 innings and holding batters to a .254 average.
The pitchers most likely to serve as long relievers are Walker and Downs. Both helped fill the often-depleted starting rotation a year ago and both found some success out of the 'pen. Walker had a 2.98 ERA as a reliever, but he'll be turning 37 in April. Downs, 29, had a 2.76 ERA against lefties, but was inconsistent throughout 2005. Having them on board helps provide some insurance if a starter gets injured and they both seem likely to break camp as members of the bullpen.
McGowan lurks as an interesting possibility, though.
McGowan, who turns 24 in March, was shaky as a starter. When he moved to the 'pen late in the season, though, he was nearly lights out. He had a 0.85 ERA as a reliever and his confidence seemed to rise -- along with the velocity on his pitches. Toronto still views him as a future starter, but inching him along as a long reliever isn't out of the question. In all reality, he'll probably begin the season with Triple-A Syracuse, but that's not to say he can't win a job in Toronto's 'pen during Spring Training.
That leaves Schoeneweis and Chulk to help fill the gaps.
Schoeneweis pitched 80 games, which was a team-high and ranked second in the American League. He got progressively better as the season wore on -- posting a 1.98 ERA after May. Schoeneweis, 32, will be used as a situational pitcher again due to his ability to force groundouts. His 2.53 groundball-to-flyball ratio equaled that of ace Roy Halladay.
Similarly, Chulk, 27, will probably be used primarily against right-handers. He held righties to a .286 average in 2005. In his second full season with Toronto, Chulk finished with a 3.88 ERA -- 2.74 at home -- and logged appearances in 62 games.
The only other question mark is League. The 22-year-old right-hander struggled in his stint as a reliever in '05 and will probably begin 2006 with Triple-A Syracuse. He walked more batters than he struck out and finished with a 6.56 ERA for the Jays. League is still young, though, so Toronto hasn't lost faith that he can be successful. But he probably won't fit into the plans for Opening Day.
Not a lot is different from the 2005 squad -- a unit that ranked first in more than one area in the AL East. Add in an All-Star closer with the hopes of finding consistency in the ninth inning and the Blue Jays bullpen could be one the best in the league.
Source: http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/
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