Pen for 2016

nsacpi

nsacpi

Expects Yuge Games
In house, we currently have:

1) Vizcaino

2) Three guys who have been effective in the majors but are currently injured: Withrow, Paco Rodriguez (lefty) and Shae Simmons

3) A Rule 5 pick who will have to be on the roster for a while if we want to keep him: Winkler

4) Guys who have not done much if anything in the majors.

I'm not counting Grilli who won't be available for at least the first couple months of the season.

I think we will need to acquire two relievers this off-season. One lefty and one righty.

Righty free agents I have some interest in: Jim Johnson, O'Day, Ziegler, Shawn Kelley, Clippard, David Hernandez, Soria

Lefties I have interest in: Wesley Wright, EOF, Thornton, Bastardo

I think it is important to bring in at least two guys with a track record given that three of the guys we are counting on are coming off injuries and one of the guys on the roster might be a Rule 5 pick who is also coming off an injury and who would otherwise be in the minors. We have guys like McKirahan, Cunniff, Marksberry and others who have some promise, but what we've seen this year is that players like that need to establish a baseline of success in AAA before being brought up to the majors. Same goes for the guys who have so far been starters but might have a future in the pen. For the most part, I want them starting the year in AAA and providing depth over the course of the season rather than relying on them from opening day. On opening day I would like a pen that overwhelmingly is composed of guys who have shown they can get major league hitters out.
 
Braves have some lefties on the farm that are close and that should be good to very good. One name we shouldn't forget is Brady Feigl IMO. He was very close to making the team this year out of Spring Training despite his experience. And if not for injury he would've likely been recalled from AAA Gwinnett early on this season. If he returns from injury well maybe he'll be another good lefty to add with Paco as long as Paco returns with no trouble. Further, I also like Kyle Kinman who finished the year with AA Mississippi after starting out in A-ball with Rome.

That said, I am not against adding lefty depth this off-season. I am just saying if both Paco and Feigl return from their injuries okay. Then I like our lefty options going into next year a lot better than our current options.
 
Sometimes promoting a player to the majors without him proving himself in AAA works. But I think getting tested at that level would have been beneficial for someone like Marksberry and I hope it happens next year before promotion. Ditto for Feigl and Kinman. Some of these guys will help the major league team at some point in their careers. I just don't want to pencil them onto the opening day roster.
 
Biggest priority for me is a legit LH setup guy. I haven't researched all the options yet, but if the right guy is out there, I'd be okay if we offered a multi-year deal. Things look better on the RH side, but I agree that we'll add at least one decent vet on a guaranteed deal and surely some guys on minor-league deals.

I'm curious to see how many of our AAAA relievers are dumped from the 40-man this Fall. I'm assuming Sugar Ray, Ryan Kelly, Michael Kohn, and Jake Brigham will be removed. Mauricio Cabrera is likely pitching for his roster spot in the AFL. I'd guess that Burawa and Marksberry are safe, but I'd still be plenty nervous if I was them.
 
dak said:
Biggest priority for me is a legit LH setup guy. I haven't researched all the options yet, but if the right guy is out there, I'd be okay if we offered a multi-year deal. Things look better on the RH side, but I agree that we'll add at least one decent vet on a guaranteed deal and surely some guys on minor-league deals.

I'm curious to see how many of our AAAA relievers are dumped from the 40-man this Fall. I'm assuming Sugar Ray, Ryan Kelly, Michael Kohn, and Jake Brigham will be removed. Mauricio Cabrera is likely pitching for his roster spot in the AFL. I'd guess that Burawa and Marksberry are safe, but I'd still be plenty nervous if I was them.
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I would keep Marksberry on the 40 man. I think he's going to be a useful ML pitcher.
 
Not as worried about the pen going forward. We have a ton of arms that should be able to cobble together an above average pen with relative ease.

That is, unless you want to scuttle it for another high pick next year but I don't think the brass is buying that ticket again.
 
Tapate50 said:
Not as worried about the pen going forward. We have a ton of arms that should be able to cobble together an above average pen with relative ease.

That is, unless you want to scuttle it for another high pick next year but I don't think the brass is buying that ticket again.
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The question is how much you rely on what you currently have in house and how much you add from the outside. I like some of the young arms we have, but want them to get some more time in AAA. I would add two veteran relievers to what we currently have in house for the start of the 2016 season.
 
I personally think it's going to be really interesting to watch the RP market develop this winter. The biggest spenders are set (the Dodgers and Yankees have their guys), leaving the Cubs, Red Sox, and Tigers as the only teams likely to spend big for a Closer. Greg Holland becomes a *elluva trading chip for the Royals - if they let Alex Gordon walk and try to re-sign Ben Zobrist to play in his place, Kansas City and Boston line up pretty nicely given the Sox' OF depth. Unless Mr. Glass ups the Royals' payroll, it's hard to see them keeping all three of Gordon, Zobrist, and Holland. Even if they could, they lose Cueto and get no pick. An OF and Brian Johnson for Holland would seem to make a lot of sense for both sides there. The Royals are going to be in a really tight spot financially - Medlen gets a $3.5 million raise, they can keep Wade Davis if they trade Holland but Davis will get a $3.2 million raise, Eric Hosmer gets a $2.6 million raise, Kendrys Morales gets a $2.5 million raise, Alcides Escobar gets a $2.25 million raise ($500 K buyout), Edinson Volquez gets a $2 million raise, Luke Hochevar gets a $1.5 million raise, and Kelvin Herrera gets a $955,000 raise BEFORE accounting for big arbitration paydays for Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas.

DMGM is going to have one *elluva busy offseason and the 2016 Royals are liable to look a LOT different if they don't give him more money to spend at some point.
 
You can squint really, really hard and see the beginnings of a good bullpen- Vizcaino, Simmons, Withrow and Paco is a pretty good start, and filling in around that core shouldn't be too terribly taxing.

Of course, that means you're relying on three set-up guys coming back from major injuries and a closer with an extensive injury history of his own, so there's major downside as well.
 
MadduxFanII said:
You can squint really, really hard and see the beginnings of a good bullpen- Vizcaino, Simmons, Withrow and Paco is a pretty good start, and filling in around that core shouldn't be too terribly taxing.

Of course, that means you're relying on three set-up guys coming back from major injuries and a closer with an extensive injury history of his own, so there's major downside as well.
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It is a potentially good foursome to build around. But you can't be complacent given their injury history. To me this implies supplementing them with some solid major leaguers rather than guys who have not even built up a record of getting AAA hitters out.
 
nsacpi said:
Sometimes promoting a player to the majors without him proving himself in AAA works. But I think getting tested at that level would have been beneficial for someone like Marksberry and I hope it happens next year before promotion. Ditto for Feigl and Kinman. Some of these guys will help the major league team at some point in their careers. I just don't want to pencil them onto the opening day roster.
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Marksberry has been OK vs lefties and terrible vs righties. Which is about what I expected since I see him more likely a lefty specialist type going forward. I like both Feigl and Kinman better than Marksberry going forward.
 
dak said:
Biggest priority for me is a legit LH setup guy. I haven't researched all the options yet, but if the right guy is out there, I'd be okay if we offered a multi-year deal. Things look better on the RH side, but I agree that we'll add at least one decent vet on a guaranteed deal and surely some guys on minor-league deals.

I'm curious to see how many of our AAAA relievers are dumped from the 40-man this Fall. I'm assuming Sugar Ray, Ryan Kelly, Michael Kohn, and Jake Brigham will be removed. Mauricio Cabrera is likely pitching for his roster spot in the AFL. I'd guess that Burawa and Marksberry are safe, but I'd still be plenty nervous if I was them.
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If Kohn is dropped I hope we work out a minor league deal to re-sign him as I still like him. We never got to see much of him due to him being out with injury. But he has good stuff and can help us if healthy IMO. Further, I am not sold on Burawa and Marksberry is probably nothing more than a lefty specialist IMO. So if we drop either one of them it's no big deal IMO.
 
MadduxFanII said:
You can squint really, really hard and see the beginnings of a good bullpen- Vizcaino, Simmons, Withrow and Paco is a pretty good start, and filling in around that core shouldn't be too terribly taxing.

Of course, that means you're relying on three set-up guys coming back from major injuries and a closer with an extensive injury history of his own, so there's major downside as well.
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Those four are not a bad start. If you add a few other good relievers with them you could have at least a decent to possibly solid bullpen.
 
Horsehide Harry said:
Maybe if you expected next year to be a pennant competitive team. But it won't be.

Therefore you park Folty in AAA to learn to be a starter if it is at all possible. His value as a power starter is far, FAR greater than a middle reliever. His control isn't good enough right now to be a closer.
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THANK you.
 
The Rule 5 draft should be in play for us more this year than in past seasons. And knowing the Braves they'll likely select a pitcher with their pick. But I hope not as I'm hoping for a pick along the lines of Odubel Herrera (Phillies), Delino DeShields Jr. (Rangers). Deshields as y'all may recall nsacpi suggested just before this past Rule 5 Draft and the Rangers were wise to take him. I'd argue that he and Herrera were the two best picks and if a similar calibre player is available again, then we should take him instead of a pitcher (esp. since the pitchers taken are almost always relievers).

To sum it up, I will expect a reliever with high end potential taken by us in the Rule 5 Draft since we're all about pitching. But I will hope for a position player with solid potential instead.
 
MadduxFanII said:
You can squint really, really hard and see the beginnings of a good bullpen- Vizcaino, Simmons, Withrow and Paco is a pretty good start, and filling in around that core shouldn't be too terribly taxing.

Of course, that means you're relying on three set-up guys coming back from major injuries and a closer with an extensive injury history of his own, so there's major downside as well.
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Squinting's not working for me. I am resorting to a white cane.

I think there are some possibilities. Vizcaino should contribute, but I don't anyone else currently in the pen is a lock for next season. Marksberry was rushed through the system and he's Exhibit A on why the minors are in a different galaxy than the majors. McKirahan was a Rule 5 guy, so he can stay on the 40-man (which I believe Marksberry will as well), but not have to be on the big league roster at the start of the season. Withrow and Rodriguez, if healthy, should also contribute. When is Shae Simmons due back? He's another guy who would help. We are going to need some depth and that's not usually too difficult to find, although we'll probably need to look harder than we did last off-season. I wouldn't be averse to bringing Jim Johnson back.
 
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