What the Washington Nationals can learn from the Red Sox

Written by William Yoder

Wednesday, 24 June 2009 12:10

bullpen

Following the embarrassing performance from the bullpen last night, the news came out that yet again the Nationals are looking to shake-up their bullpen.

Manny Acta let on in his post-game press conference that he was particularly upset that he could only confidently pitch four relievers, Biemel, Villone, Macdougal, and Tavarez.

Specifically the guys causing the current bullpen woes are Kip Wells (0-2, 6.49 ERA), Joel Hanrahan (0-3, 6.68 ERA), and Jesus Colome (1-0, 8.25 ERA). The Nationals would just as easily send them packing but as this is something like their sixth bullpen shake up, they have run out of bullpen options both in free-agency and in their farm system.

The problem is that the only talented pitchers we have left in Syracuse, and even below, are starting pitchers. If you have been reading The Nats Blog you know that we are currently log-jammed in that position, and the situation will just get worse when Scott Olsen comes back from the disabled list.

One way that the Red Sox have been successful in the past with a very similar problem is to take their young minor league starting pitching talent and convert them to relievers for the short term.

The most recent man they have used to utilize this role is Justin Masterson. Masterson was almost exclusively a starting pitcher in the minors, and a good one at that. But as the strong rotation of the Red Sox plugged into the playoffs, the only place to fit Masterson in the pitching staff was as a reliever. He has become a major contributor.

539w

In 2008 he pitched in 36 games, and started nine. In 88.1 innings he had an ERA of 3.16, and was a major bullpen help down the Red Sox stretch run. This year Masterson has pitched in 19 games, started six, and has an ERA of 3.65.

This arrangement has given Masterson Major League pitching practice but not at the cost of wasting a rotation spot. He has learned how to get Major League batters out while still contributing positively.

If the Nationals are lucky they may even find their closer of the future. After all, the Red Sox had Jonathon Papelbon pitching in the bullpen in a similar role to Masterson in 2005. The Sox actually still almost converted him back to a starter until both Papelbon and the Red Sox realized he had the heart and the brain of a closer.

Since the 2005 move Papelbon has been one of the best closers in baseball, earning 129 saves in four years, with an ERA of 1.83. He also has an outstanding 302 strikeouts in 260 IP.

The Nationals have the starting pitchers in Triple-A to make this work.

J.D Martin is chomping at the bit to get his chance in the majors. At 8-2 with a 2.31 ERA he has more than deserved his shot, and his measly seven walks in 70 innings pitched is the kind of control I’m sure Manny Acta would love to have in the bullpen.

martin

Collin Balester seems to be wasting time in Syracuse. While he has been up and down while in Triple-A we all have seen that he has Major League credentials, he just needs seasoning. Besides, does Balester really have a spot in this teams rotation going into the future? It looks far too crowded; maybe he should be reincarnated as a reliever.

Speaking of reincarnation, Tyler Clippard has already proved in Syracuse that he is far more effective as a reliever than a starter. Throwing out of the bullpen this year Clippard has been nasty, posting a 0.92 ERA in 39 innings pitched.

I think the Nationals have the their answer right under their noses. At worst, its worth a shot.

Comments (3) Add Comment

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written by Dave at Nats News Network, June 24, 2009

hear, hear.

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written by Cheryl Nichols, June 24, 2009

Clippard was called up and Wells DFA'd.

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written by Poppayoder, June 25, 2009

One of the things that Earl Weaver did so brilliantly when he managed the Orioles was tp use the bullpen as a training ground for young pitchers. If you look back at the Orioles great pitching staffs in the 70s, you will discover that most of their great pitchers started in bullpen roles and only moved into starting as they matured and became ready. Weaver called it "putting them in a position to succeed" but it also provided him with a constant supply of good middle relievers, and sometimes closers.
It is an odd side-effect of the increasing specialization among pitching staffs that teams don't seem to do this as much anymore. It almost seems like pitchers are groomed for very narrow roles from college and stay in that role. Today, putting young starters in the pen, either to fill a role or to groom them for a larger role later, seems to have become an abberation. When the Sox put Masterson in the pen, or the Yankees put Hughes or Chamberlain in the pen, it is treated as a big deal. But it just makes sense to do this to address the team's needs, AND it is probably good for the players' development. Contrary to current thought, putting a young pitcher in the pen should not be a career-limiting move. I completely agree that the Nats should follow this lead. Now that we finally have a surplus of starters, let's put some of these guys into bullpen roles where we can really use them.