2012 Jays Bullpen Discussion Thread

[satyr9]

That all sounds great, except what happens when things have to get all moved around, as they inevitably will? When Farrell rides the hot hand in the 7th instead of going to the designated guy on his day who maybe didn't do so great the last two times he was called on? Or when the starter comes out in the 4th for the 3rd straight day and it's just about who's still got a live arm, the effects of which linger for a week or two?

Hopefully, they're all professional enough to have all that in there too, but I'd like to see just one quote or something in stories and interviews about this that points to the awareness their carefully laid out roles are going to get shot to hell on pretty much a weekly basis. Having an open dialogue and plan for roles is fantastic and I love that they're doing it, but the plan never lasts beyond the second series and that's why other teams don't often have these conversations, 'cause they know they be forced to mix and match and use guys all over the place during a 162 game grind.

[LittleOzzy]

Blue Jays have revamped their weakest link, the bullpen

Last season Blue Jays’ fans could be forgiven for thinking “relief pitcher” was a misnomer, what with all the anxiety wrought by the team’s bullpen.

Their 25 blown saves, tied for third-worst in the league, is a stat players and pundits alike recite by memory.

“We just get a quarter or a third of those back and we’re right there in the hunt for the playoffs,” says right-fielder Jose Bautista.

So of all the areas Jays’ brass could have targeted to improve this off-season, the bullpen was the obvious choice. Another established starting pitcher to fill out the rotation would have been nice, but upgrading the ’pen was a necessity. So GM Alex Anthopoulos traded promising pitching prospect Nestor Molina to acquire 28-year-old closer Sergio Santos from the Chicago White Sox, and dipped into the free-agent market to sign veteran relievers Francisco “Coco” Cordero and 41-year-old Darren Oliver.

The team also reacquired Jason Frasor, and converted starters Carlos Villanueva and Luis Perez to full-time bullpen duty.

Gone are erratic closers Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco, though the pair have reunited with the New York Mets.

Reliable Casey Janssen — who enjoyed a career year in 2011 — was one of the few survivors of the offseason bullpen overhaul.

The 30-year-old right-hander sighs audibly when asked to explain the bullpen’s lack of success last year.

“The bullpen is not always as easy as it looks,” Janssen said. “When things are going good, sometimes it’s easier to throw up a zero. When things are going bad, three outs are the hardest thing to get.”

Bullpens are streaky. They carry a team’s momentum unlike any other part of the club. When a lead is lost late in the game, they wear it. The past tense of “blew it” is literally part of their statistical legacy.

http://www.guelphmercury.com/sports/bas ... he-bullpen