2016 Regular season thread

[jeffro151]

:47pm: Free agent right-hander Kyle Lohse is drawing interest from the Tigers, Reds and Orioles, and Baltimore has made an offer to the Scott Boras client, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). It’s not known whether the 37-year-old has received any other contract offers.

Gotta do something. Our bullpen is going to be toast by the AS break at the current rate.

 

[tedman2012]

Gotta do something. Our bullpen is going to be toast by the AS break at the current rate.

pedro needs to sit and play nolan in right with trumbo dh .

 

[HammerDown]

 

[jeffro151]

pedro needs to sit and play nolan in right with trumbo dh .

But how is that going to help our current starting pitching?

 

[tedman2012]

But how is that going to help our current starting pitching?

trumbo doesn't cover much ground . we would put more runs up on the board . plus gausman and tilly will be ok .

 

[hattersgonnahate]

pedro needs to sit and play nolan in right with trumbo dh .

With Rickard starting to cool down as well, you could almost make an argument for "Reimold in RF / Kim in LF" as a "can't hurt to try something different" move.

But how is that going to help our current starting pitching?

Indeed, tweaking the lineup doesn't help with starting pitching at all... but since we don't have any (the rotation's ERA has ballooned to 5.08, versus the bullpen ERA of 2.09), the solution for Buck is obvious: Switch to the "rotation of relay teams" strategy, NOW.

 

[mikeytheman247]

But how is that going to help our current starting pitching?

That's why I was saying since spring training carry only 3 bench players and a extra pitcher. Kim only has 8 plate appearances in 12 games wasting a spot on the roster. Alvarez hasn't looked good either.

 

[mikeytheman247]

Buck is sticking with the same line up for some reason.

LF Rickard, Manny, Jones, Davis, Trumbo RF, Hardy, Schoop, DH Alvarez, Joseph.

What's the point of keeping Kim if he's never going to play?

 

[UVA_Guy81]

Buck is sticking with the same line up for some reason.

LF Rickard, Manny, Jones, Davis, Trumbo RF, Hardy, Schoop, DH Alvarez, Joseph.

What's the point of keeping Kim if he's never going to play?

Probably one of those things that "we don't really want him up here but we don't want you to have him either."

 

[UVA_Guy81]

Ubaldo needs to stop nibbling around the plate when he gets two strikes on the batter. He got into way too many of these full counts because he kept hoping that they were going to swing at balls and they weren't. Just continue on and if they hit it, they hit it. I'd rather have guys that pitch to contact that can last longer in the game instead of guys that want that high strike out total but don't last nearly as long in games.

 

[all4ripken]

Well that's one way to win

 

[UVA_Guy81]

Gotta do something. Our bullpen is going to be toast by the AS break at the current rate.

Right now, the first thing that I can think of is going with a 3 man bench and an 8 man bullpen to help alleviate things a little bit. Gausman and Matusz can't get back soon enough.

Well that's one way to win

It's also the first game since opening day that we didn't hit a home run.

 

[mikeytheman247]

Well I guess the good news is we got the W. Bad news had to use 5 revilers since Jimenez threw way to many balls. Alvarez hit-less again.

 

[mikeytheman247]

"Matusz, who threw four innings on Monday for Class A Advanced Frederick, is slated to be activated off the disabled list on Saturday. Gausman, who started in Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, could be added early next week."
Mike Wright, Mychal Givens, Tyler Wilson and T.J. McFarland all have Minor League options remaining

 

[UVA_Guy81]

I really feel bad for these bullpen guys because we don't have one starter that can routinely get past the 5th inning.

"Matusz, who threw four innings on Monday for Class A Advanced Frederick, is slated to be activated off the disabled list on Saturday. Gausman, who started in Triple-A Norfolk on Wednesday, could be added early next week."
Mike Wright, Mychal Givens, Tyler Wilson and T.J. McFarland all have Minor League options remaining

I can definitely seen Givens and McFarland going down when Matusz and Gausman come up.

 

[hattersgonnahate]

I really feel bad for these bullpen guys because we don't have one starter that can routinely get past the 5th inning. .

ERA by inning as of yesterday:
1st: 5.54 (20th in the MLB)
2nd: 3.46 (16th)
3rd: 4.85 (22nd)
4th: 3.46 (T-15th)
5th: 3.46 (T-16th)
6th: 4.85 (T-20th)
7th: 6.23 (26th)
8th: 0.69 (1st)
9th: 0.90 (1st)

If Buck really doesn't like the "rotation of relay teams" idea, maybe he should consider the following tactic instead:

• Use a short reliever to cover the 1st inning;
• Insert the "real" starter in the 2nd inning;
• Consider removing the starter after the 5th inning, and definitely after the 6th inning.

 

[UVA_Guy81]

ERA by inning as of yesterday:
1st: 5.54 (20th in the MLB)
2nd: 3.46 (16th)
3rd: 4.85 (22nd)
4th: 3.46 (T-15th)
5th: 3.46 (T-16th)
6th: 4.85 (T-20th)
7th: 6.23 (26th)
8th: 0.69 (1st)
9th: 0.90 (1st)

Seems that the solution is to start a short reliever, insert the starter in the 2nd inning, then remove him in the 6th inning?

With this team, it wouldn't be the worst strategy in the world because I don't have a clue on how to get our bullpen more rest.

Innings 1-3 middle-long reliever
4-5 starter
6-7 short-middle reliever
8-9 starter

 

[hattersgonnahate]

With this team, it wouldn't be the worst strategy in the world because I don't have a clue on how to get our bullpen more rest.

That's why--as much as I hate to beat a dead horse--I suggested the "rotation of relay teams" idea:

• While allocating two players to do the job of one starter is less efficient, you might actually end up using fewer pitchers overall (e.g. 5 + 4 vs. 6 + 1 + 1 + 1).
  
  
• The result is the ability to live with a smaller bullpen without having to carry extra pitchers; you just need a pitching staff that consists almost entirely of starter / long reliever types.

Here's a hypothetical example using a pitching staff of 8 players in the "rotation of relay teams" (in bold) + 4 short relievers. No one is overworked:

• Tillman (5) + Wright (3) + Britton (1)
• Gallardo (5) + Brach (1) + Matusz (1) + O'Day
• Jimenez (5) + Wilson (4)
  
• Gausman (5) + Brach (1) + O'Day (1)
• Worley (5) + Bundy (2) + Brach (1) + Britton (1)

 

[hattersgonnahate]

Addendum:

Obviously, a notable disadvantage of this system is that there is less room for error: You're essentially operating on the pitching version of "short bench." To make it work, everyone needs to be flexible:

• If the 1st person on a relay team is doing well, it's still okay to leave him in for the 6th or even 7th inning. That would change the game plan from 5+4 to 6+3 or 7+2, which still allows you to save the short relievers for another game while also allowing the 2nd member of the relay team to pitch again fewer than 5 days into the future.
  
  
• Likewise, if the starter has to leave the game early, 5+4 could turn into 4+5, or 3+4+2, or even 2+5+1+1, etc. In that scenario, the 1st starter might have to be asked to pitch again in fewer than 5 days if he was knocked out early due to poor performance as opposed to hitting the pitch count.

 

[hattersgonnahate]

Here's a hypothetical example using a pitching staff of 8 players in the "rotation of relay teams" (in bold) + 4 short relievers. No one is overworked:

• Tillman (5) + Wright (3) + Britton (1)
• Gallardo (5) + Brach (1) + Matusz (1) + O'Day
• Jimenez (5) + Wilson (4)
  
• Gausman (5) + Brach (1) + O'Day (1)
• Worley (5) + Bundy (2) + Brach (1) + Britton (1)

Looks like 1 inning is missing from the 2nd game, and 2 from the 4th game. Here's a possible revised version:

• Tillman (5) + Wright (4)
  
• Gallardo (5) + Brach (2) + Matusz (1) + Britton (1)
  
• Jimenez (5) + Bundy (3) + O'Day (1)
  
• Gausman (5) + Wilson (4)
• Worley (5) + Brach (1) + Matusz (1) + O'Day (1) + Britton (1)