We are going to regret not doing more with the pen...

[floplag]

Its going to be our Achilles heel this season and the difference between a legitimate run, and early tee times 

[Stradling]

4 minutes ago, floplag said:

Its going to be our Achilles heel this season and the difference between a legitimate run, and early tee times 

I agree although it can be solved at the deadline.  We can’t expect to win a game against the Yankees scoring three runs.  

[JustATroutFan]

That and the starting pitcher worries me about the team. But the starters need to go deeper into games because the bullpen has been getting used way too much and that will tired them out.

But hey, if the Angels make the postseason, you just never know. There have been a lot of unexpected heroes in postseason history. Maybe the Angels will have a couple of unexpected heroes in the bullpen and the starting rotation because baseball is a funny sport.

[Angel Oracle]

Stay close enough until July, and then someone solid should become available.

The starters should be stretching innings out as the season progresses.   The command should be improving more each month.

It’s not normal that every one of your starters missed significant time in the past couple of years.

[floplag]

6 minutes ago, SuperTroopers said:

I agree although it can be solved at the deadline.  We can’t expect to win a game against the Yankees scoring three runs.  

Sure we can, we should have last night.  
Whether or not it can be solved is debatable, well see who is available.   
We knew we had more than enough SP, but that none of them were going to win any durability awards,  i do not get why it wasnt deemed more important.

[Vlad27Trout27]

The BP has been one of our best resources! its 5th in the AL and 11 in the entire Mlb. What, has hurt us is the overuse of the BP!!! If we need to we can easily add a arm by the trade deadline. 

[Chuck]

Our bullpen really has been good outside of a couple games recently. Fortunately we ended up winning the game that Jose Alvarez blew in Ohtani's start. 

As critical as I have been of Middleton, it was his first blown save. 

Anderson looks like he's got the stuff to be a closer. Knockout slider and 99 mph fastball. 

[Troll Daddy]

I like Anderson ... a 7th or 8th inning guy at best. He seems a little nervous in tight situations. Middleton is our guy until further notice. 

[Lou]

I ask this not knowing which players were available....

Keeping in mind that we weren't going to go over the luxury tax threshold, especially for a pitcher, who should we have acquired?

[Stradling]

14 minutes ago, floplag said:

Sure we can, we should have last night.  
Whether or not it can be solved is debatable, well see who is available.   
We knew we had more than enough SP, but that none of them were going to win any durability awards,  i do not get why it wasnt deemed more important.

Because of the cost and the opportunity cost.  

[floplag]

4 minutes ago, SuperTroopers said:

Because of the cost and the opportunity cost.  

Easy to say in hindsight, but what bothers me is that there wasnt little more than token effort.  We didnt even try for an impactful bullpen piece according to the reports we all read so you cant blame costs when you didnt even walk into the store.  
Bottom line we werent involved in that market at any higher level, and its going to bite us more than a couple times this season. 

[Stradling]

1 minute ago, floplag said:

Easy to say in hindsight, but what bothers me is that there wasnt little more than token effort.  We didnt even try for an impactful bullpen piece according to the reports we all read so you cant blame costs when you didnt even walk into the store.  
Bottom line we werent involved in that market at any higher level, and its going to bite us more than a couple times this season. 

This thread is hindsight.   We did check on the price of Holland, by those same reports.   Eppler found pieces last year and looks like he found a piece this year.   He has several months to improve the pen.   I think at some point he will, the Yankees always spent money on the pen.  

[UndertheHalo]

There are so few truly consistent bullpen guys.  It’s something that can be assembled successfully year by year.  The Angels problem is a a bunch of guys who can’t hit.  The bullpen actually has been quite good this year.  We need another reliable starter and we need our guys that we count on...Upton, Cozart , Calhoun to hit.  The bullpen is fine.  Especially if Bedrosian has got it together and Andersen sticks.

[Angel Oracle]

14 minutes ago, SuperTroopers said:

This thread is hindsight.   We did check on the price of Holland, by those same reports.   Eppler found pieces last year and looks like he found a piece this year.   He has several months to improve the pen.   I think at some point he will, the Yankees always spent money on the pen.  

This is a good point.   He understudied one of the better MLB GMs in Cashman.

[Dick B Back]

I think the pen will be fine and its starting to take shape as we all saw last night when Sosh used Johnson, Bedrosian, Anderson, Middleton for 6-9. Along with Alvarez, this mix looks good when ahead or close. They are not going to be perfect everytime, but no reliever is.

When they have to rely on the others like Parker, that’s when it gets sticky. As others have stated, the starters have to start throwing strikes, keep the pitch count down and get deeper into games to help the pen out.

As far as the current hitting goes, those issues should be saved for another thread.

[Lou]

1 hour ago, Lou said:

I ask this not knowing which players were available....

Keeping in mind that we weren't going to go over the luxury tax threshold, especially for a pitcher, who should we have acquired?

Anyone?

[Lou]

55 minutes ago, floplag said:

you cant blame costs when you didnt even walk into the store

Sure you can. I don't shop at Whole Foods, Burberry or Tesla dealerships for those exact reasons.

[Glen]

I think our bullpen will improve when our hitters start hitting again, and our starters start going more than four or five innings on a regular basis.

[Angel Oracle]

Parker is the one I’m wondering about.   Too up and down so far, even for a reliever.

Bedrock Jr. seems to be righting the ship these past 4 appearances.

[UndertheHalo]

24 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Parker is the one I’m wondering about.   Too up and down so far, even for a reliever.

Bedrock Jr. seems to be righting the ship these past 4 appearances.

I truly don’t get what Parker’s deal is.  Last year seemed like he had really put it together.  Didn’t really see a reason to not believe it was sustainable.  Just another example of relievers being extremely volatile. 

[Docwaukee]

3 hours ago, SuperTroopers said:

I agree although it can be solved at the deadline.  We can’t expect to win a game against the Yankees scoring three runs.  

agree we can't expect to, but when you've got the chance, you have to.  Middleton isn't going to convert every save so I'll cut him some slack.  It didn't help that Maldonado had a bad game calling pitches.  

[Docwaukee]

2 hours ago, Lou said:

Sure you can. I don't shop at Whole Foods, Burberry or Tesla dealerships for those exact reasons.

so you don't like to smell BO when food shopping, you're not a woman, and you don't like to be set on fire.  good to know.  

[Taylor]

3 hours ago, Lou said:

I ask this not knowing which players were available....

Keeping in mind that we weren't going to go over the luxury tax threshold, especially for a pitcher, who should we have acquired?

Eppler should have convinced teams to cough up their best relievers for next to nothing.

[Docwaukee]

2 hours ago, Lou said:

Anyone?

run on relievers was early actually.  AAV's were pretty hearty.  I felt like the Twins stole Addison Reed later on with an 8m aav.  Tony Watson was also a good pick up but that third year kinda killed it for me.  I also liked Cahill as a swing man.  But that adds about 12mil to payroll right there and even though those guys are doing well, does it really add that much above what we have?  

I was really hoping for Davis, but 17 mil per for him is a joke.  

[Dick B Back]

39 minutes ago, Dochalo said:

It didn't help that Maldonado had a bad game calling pitches.  

^

Bet he wished he’d called something different on that 0-2 pitch.