Around the Horn: Bullpen
01/11/2006
ST. LOUIS -- Turnover doesn't necessarily mean drop-off. But it at least raises the question.
After swapping out more than half of the National League's best bullpen from 2005, the Cardinals don't know whether their relief corps will be good enough in 2006. The new faces have ability, but they also have question marks.
Will Braden Looper be healthy? If so, was his subpar 2005 season purely a result of injuries? Can Ricardo Rincon be more than a one-batter specialist? Is rookie Juan Mateo ready to be a big leaguer? And who in the world will take the last spot or two on the right side?
The Cards are still looking at possibly adding another right-hander. Felix Rodriguez was reportedly on the radar, but nothing is in the immediate offing. But simply by granting that there's room for improvement, St. Louis management indicates that this is one aspect of the team that could be a little sticky.
"Where we are in January and leading up to Spring Training, there are still some opportunities for us to maybe look to improve it," said assistant general manager John Mozeliak. "We're assessing where that is right now. There are a couple of things Walt [Jocketty, general manager] and I are working on. Nothing close, nothing imminent.
"I think when you look at our bullpen overall, we're very pleased with where we are today given the subtractions we had this offseason. As we move forward, if we have the ability to find a way to get better, we will. We never stop looking."
Still, from the perspective of manager Tony La Russa, even with all that turnover, the key man is the guy at the back of the 'pen. And the guy at the back of the 'pen is just fine. Ninth-inning man Jason Isringhausen is coming off a strong and healthy year, and though his strikeout rate dipped, he remains one of the game's better game-closing relievers.
The primary questions will come in the seventh and eighth inning, after Julian Tavarez departed via free agency and Ray King was traded. Stepping in for Tavarez is Looper, who closed games in New York but suffered a frustrating '05. Taking King's place on the left side will be Rincon, who has had difficulty getting right-handed hitters out, but remains tough on lefties.
Looper is recuperating from shoulder surgery, but is expected to be ready to go at the start of the year. If he can pitch like he did in 2003 and 2004, however, he'll make a fine setup man for Isringhausen. Like Tavarez, Looper is a ground-ball specialist, and like Tavarez, he's racked up some hefty innings and games pitched totals.
"We can approach this slowly," Mozeliak said, "but in the end, we're viewing him as someone that's going to have a big impact on our bullpen and be right there in the eighth inning."
Brad Thompson will likely reprise his role as a sixth- and seventh-inning grounder-getter, but may find himself in some higher-leverage situations. As for who will take over from Al Reyes and Cal Eldred as a power righty, someone who can get a strikeout, that's the one truly open question in the Cards bullpen. Prospect Adam Wainwright could get a look.
The situation may actually be a little brighter on the left side, where Randy Flores emerged as a fine and dependable hurler in his first full year. He will be counted on to take some of the big situations that were once given to King, with other chances going to Rincon.
The 35-year-old native of Mexico averaged fewer than two outs per appearance in 2005, and he looks more and more like a specialist. But to fill in for King and even Steve Kline before him, Rincon will need to get some right-handed hitters out as well.
"I think he can be viewed as a full-inning guy, but knowing what I know about Tony and [pitching coach Dave Duncan], I think they'll try to maximize his worth as best they can in the situations they feel strongest with," said Mozeliak. "But he wasn't signed as just a specialist."
Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/
ST. LOUIS -- Turnover doesn't necessarily mean drop-off. But it at least raises the question.
After swapping out more than half of the National League's best bullpen from 2005, the Cardinals don't know whether their relief corps will be good enough in 2006. The new faces have ability, but they also have question marks.
Will Braden Looper be healthy? If so, was his subpar 2005 season purely a result of injuries? Can Ricardo Rincon be more than a one-batter specialist? Is rookie Juan Mateo ready to be a big leaguer? And who in the world will take the last spot or two on the right side?
The Cards are still looking at possibly adding another right-hander. Felix Rodriguez was reportedly on the radar, but nothing is in the immediate offing. But simply by granting that there's room for improvement, St. Louis management indicates that this is one aspect of the team that could be a little sticky.
"Where we are in January and leading up to Spring Training, there are still some opportunities for us to maybe look to improve it," said assistant general manager John Mozeliak. "We're assessing where that is right now. There are a couple of things Walt [Jocketty, general manager] and I are working on. Nothing close, nothing imminent.
"I think when you look at our bullpen overall, we're very pleased with where we are today given the subtractions we had this offseason. As we move forward, if we have the ability to find a way to get better, we will. We never stop looking."
Still, from the perspective of manager Tony La Russa, even with all that turnover, the key man is the guy at the back of the 'pen. And the guy at the back of the 'pen is just fine. Ninth-inning man Jason Isringhausen is coming off a strong and healthy year, and though his strikeout rate dipped, he remains one of the game's better game-closing relievers.
The primary questions will come in the seventh and eighth inning, after Julian Tavarez departed via free agency and Ray King was traded. Stepping in for Tavarez is Looper, who closed games in New York but suffered a frustrating '05. Taking King's place on the left side will be Rincon, who has had difficulty getting right-handed hitters out, but remains tough on lefties.
Looper is recuperating from shoulder surgery, but is expected to be ready to go at the start of the year. If he can pitch like he did in 2003 and 2004, however, he'll make a fine setup man for Isringhausen. Like Tavarez, Looper is a ground-ball specialist, and like Tavarez, he's racked up some hefty innings and games pitched totals.
"We can approach this slowly," Mozeliak said, "but in the end, we're viewing him as someone that's going to have a big impact on our bullpen and be right there in the eighth inning."
Brad Thompson will likely reprise his role as a sixth- and seventh-inning grounder-getter, but may find himself in some higher-leverage situations. As for who will take over from Al Reyes and Cal Eldred as a power righty, someone who can get a strikeout, that's the one truly open question in the Cards bullpen. Prospect Adam Wainwright could get a look.
The situation may actually be a little brighter on the left side, where Randy Flores emerged as a fine and dependable hurler in his first full year. He will be counted on to take some of the big situations that were once given to King, with other chances going to Rincon.
The 35-year-old native of Mexico averaged fewer than two outs per appearance in 2005, and he looks more and more like a specialist. But to fill in for King and even Steve Kline before him, Rincon will need to get some right-handed hitters out as well.
"I think he can be viewed as a full-inning guy, but knowing what I know about Tony and [pitching coach Dave Duncan], I think they'll try to maximize his worth as best they can in the situations they feel strongest with," said Mozeliak. "But he wasn't signed as just a specialist."
Source: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/
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