Eppler's New BP Guys

[Angel Oracle]

Cole has been unhittable, aside from the 1st inning 3 runs blowup against the A’th.   Not used to pitching at the beginning of the game?

With the way increased pitching health volatility, will that finally sway MLB to increase both the 25 man and 40 man roster limits?

[totdprods]

16 minutes ago, Angel Oracle said:

Cole has been unhittable, aside from the 1st inning 3 runs blowup against the A’th.   Not used to pitching at the beginning of the game?

With the way increased pitching health volatility, will that finally sway MLB to increase both the 25 man and 40 man roster limits?

I think some sort of eventual roster expansion should occur. It could help address the lack of jobs for declining, older players in addition to the need of more pitching depth. 
It would never be mandated as such, but some sort of backroom negotiating between owners and player union to expand the 25-man with the notion that it allows guys like Suzuki, Beltre, Werth, Pujols, Utley to ease out without eating up a roster spot will allow the 'game' to see these guys off a little easier and spur a little bit of interest in FA vet role players, at least initially.

Cut the Sept. rosters to a round number like 30, with certain players active and inactive after expansion.
Maybe even bump the year-round roster to a 27-man to keep it a little more 'baseball'y; divisible by three, number of outs in a game. Baseball likes numbers like that.
One spot to offer bench/pen depth, and one spot as an unwritten 'vet' spot to spur FA interst.

We're going to see more hybrid UT IF/OFs who can pitch in a pinch happening too. It's going to happen fast. 

[totdprods]

Passing along another update...
While I would still like to see Eppler add another solid vet RP in the offseason (and yes, a David Robertson type would be nice) I don't think the bullpen needs as much work as many would think. 

Cam Bedrosian: since allowing 4 ER in Detroit on May 30th...
3.18 ERA in 39.2 IP,  with 13 BB, 38 K, 3 HR

Blake Parker: since allowing runs in three straight games in June....
2.97 ERA in 30.1 IP, with 6 BB, 26 K but also 6 HR

Hansel Robles: since July 4th...
2.61 ERA in 31 IP, with 25 hits allowed, only 1 HR allowed, and 14 BB to 28 K

Justin Anderson:
First 28 IP: 3 HR, 20 BB, 36 K, .257 BAA, 3.86 ERA
Last 27.1 IP: 0 HR, 20 BB, 31 K, .165 BAA, 4.28 ERA

Jose Alvarez: since July 23rd...
1.71 ERA in 21 IP, .181 BAA, 7 BB, 21 K, 0 HR allowed
He made 50 appearances in our first 99 games, only 25 in our last 58.

Taylor Cole: taking away his two 'starts'...
1.44 ERA in 31.1 IP (in 15 G) with a 0.70 WHIP, .140 BAA, 1 HR allowed, and 8 BB to 30 K

Noe Ramirez:
April - May: 3.34 ERA in 28 G, 32.1 IP with 39 K, 1 HR allowed
6.03 - 7.28: 6.84 ERA in 21 G, 26.1 IP with 32 K, 11 HR allowed
7.31 - now: 3.91 ERA in 19 G, 23 IP with 23 K, 3 HR allowed

Jim Johnson: 
First 40.2 IP - 34 strikeouts, .253 BAA, 4 HR allowed, and 14 BB
Last 20.2 IP - only 8 strikeouts, .308 BAA, 4 HR allowed, and 8 walks

Deck McGuire: since Aug. 17...
3.86 ERA in 11.2 IP, .231 BAA, 9 BB, 9 K

Williams Jerez: a little rebound after his stretch following the Arizona game...last 4 games:
0.00 ERA in 4 G, 2.1 IP, H, BB, 4 K

Ty Buttrey: even with his 'struggles'...
3.31 ERA (and a 1.62 FIP!) in 16.1 IP, with 5 BB to 20 K, and 0 HR allowed
 

[totdprods]

Theoretical 2019 bullpen, all internal candidates:
Parker, Anderson, and Robles in late-innings. 
Bedrosian and Buttrey as mid-relief. 
Alvarez as the lefty. Cole as the long-reliever. 

No mas Noe or Jim Johnson, with Buttrey, Cole, and Robles taking up more of their innings. Middleton probably enters the picture mid-season. 
Pena could get bumped to pen if the rotation stays healthy as well.

Their cumulative 2018 numbers (as Angels, as relievers):
329.2 IP, 3.22 ERA, 134 BB (3.7 BB/9), 336 K (9.2 K/9) , only 28 HR allowed (0.76 HR/9) 

As a reference, here's the Houston Astros 2018 bullpen numbers: 
476.2 IP, 3.02 ERA, 130 BB (2.5 BB/9), 565 K (10.7 K/9), 50 HR allowed (0.95 HR/9) 
 

[mulwin444]

22 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Passing along another update...
While I would still like to see Eppler add another solid vet RP in the offseason (and yes, a David Robertson type would be nice) I don't think the bullpen needs as much work as many would think. 

Cam Bedrosian: since allowing 4 ER in Detroit on May 30th...
3.18 ERA in 39.2 IP,  with 13 BB, 38 K, 3 HR

Blake Parker: since allowing runs in three straight games in June....
2.97 ERA in 30.1 IP, with 6 BB, 26 K but also 6 HR

Hansel Robles: since July 4th...
2.61 ERA in 31 IP, with 25 hits allowed, only 1 HR allowed, and 14 BB to 28 K

Justin Anderson:
First 28 IP: 3 HR, 20 BB, 36 K, .257 BAA, 3.86 ERA
Last 27.1 IP: 0 HR, 20 BB, 31 K, .165 BAA, 4.28 ERA

Jose Alvarez: since July 23rd...
1.71 ERA in 21 IP, .181 BAA, 7 BB, 21 K, 0 HR allowed
He made 50 appearances in our first 99 games, only 25 in our last 58.

Taylor Cole: taking away his two 'starts'...
1.44 ERA in 31.1 IP (in 15 G) with a 0.70 WHIP, .140 BAA, 1 HR allowed, and 8 BB to 30 K

Noe Ramirez:
April - May: 3.34 ERA in 28 G, 32.1 IP with 39 K, 1 HR allowed
6.03 - 7.28: 6.84 ERA in 21 G, 26.1 IP with 32 K, 11 HR allowed
7.31 - now: 3.91 ERA in 19 G, 23 IP with 23 K, 3 HR allowed

Jim Johnson: 
First 40.2 IP - 34 strikeouts, .253 BAA, 4 HR allowed, and 14 BB
Last 20.2 IP - only 8 strikeouts, .308 BAA, 4 HR allowed, and 8 walks

Deck McGuire: since Aug. 17...
3.86 ERA in 11.2 IP, .231 BAA, 9 BB, 9 K

Williams Jerez: a little rebound after his stretch following the Arizona game...last 4 games:
0.00 ERA in 4 G, 2.1 IP, H, BB, 4 K

Ty Buttrey: even with his 'struggles'...
3.31 ERA (and a 1.62 FIP!) in 16.1 IP, with 5 BB to 20 K, and 0 HR allowed
 

Cam Bedrosian: He'll be back for next season but hard to see him as more than an average middle reliever at this point which is a tad disappointing considering how he used to dominate at different times in his career.  I know he's saying he'll spend the off-season looking for his lost velocity but hopefully he spends more time on locating and finding a solid secondary pitch.

Blake Parker: Not dominant but still valuable as a 7th inning option if you already have your set-up man and closer set.  If Eppler can find something for him, like another Patrick Sandoval, you'd definitely want to move him but he'll good BP piece next season if not.

Hansel Robles:  Seemed like a stretch bringing this guy in but he's been solid with the Angels.  Nice middle reliever for next season.

Justin Anderson:  Watching this guy pitch will drive you nuts.  He has the "stuff" but his 6.5 BB/9 is not going to fly in the long run.  He needs to take a step forward in his control if he wants to be a viable BP option going forward but he'll likely be counted on just due to lack of better options.

Jose Alvarez: Unsung hero of the pen who has come in to fill different "roles" as needed with career bests in ERA, WHIP, ERA+, and K/9.

Taylor Cole:  Bit of an afterthought as a minor league free agent, the dude has been great while being asked to fill different roles in the BP (obviously less effective as a starter). Looks to be a consideration for next year's BP.

Noe Ramirez:  Got hammered this season and yet Mike seemed to choose him as the default "long man" for some reason.  He can put decent stretches of innings but has to be on the bubble for BP next season.

Deck McGuire:  Strictly depth but not bad to have stashed in AAA.  

Williams Jerez:  Lost it for a bit there in both the MLB and AAA after a solid start but he'll be counted on at some point.  May start the season at AAA.

Ty Buttrey: Despite some recent struggles, he's shown to be solid for the most part and is likely being viewed as a future closer with little competition right now in the organization.

 

So, going into 2019, a bullpen of Parker, Bedrosian, Robles, Anderson, Alvarez, Cole, Ramirez, and Buttrey, with McGuire and Jerez perhaps starting the season in AAA, gives you 8 options with room for a signed quality vet.

[mulwin444]

36 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Their cumulative 2018 numbers (as Angels, as relievers):
329.2 IP, 3.22 ERA, 134 BB (3.7 BB/9), 336 K (9.2 K/9) , only 28 HR allowed (0.76 HR/9) 

As a reference, here's the Houston Astros 2018 bullpen numbers: 
476.2 IP, 3.02 ERA, 130 BB (2.5 BB/9), 565 K (10.7 K/9), 50 HR allowed (0.95 HR/9) 
 

We're closer than we have been in years to a solid BP...just a tweak or two and it could be upper tier.  Still need to work on offense and SP to help meet it somewhere in the middle.

[totdprods]

16 minutes ago, mulwin444 said:

So, going into 2019, a bullpen of Parker, Bedrosian, Robles, Anderson, Alvarez, Cole, Ramirez, and Buttrey, with McGuire and Jerez perhaps starting the season in AAA, gives you 8 options with room for a signed quality vet.

One of the best things Eppler has done this season, rather quietly and beautifully, is line up a new wave of talent to replace the out-of-option guys that we were either stuck relying on, or had too much potential to give up on with our limited depth. 

This year, we pretty much had to rely on guys like Cron, Marte, J.C. and Noe Ramirez, Wood, Bedrosian, Alvarez, and Parker making the (or in Cron's case, someone's) Opening Day roster. 

Next year, Bedrosian, Parker, and Alvarez will be in the same position (Robles joins them), but we've got a much greater expectation of what they'll provide, and also much less of a reliance on them that we needed going into this season. Starting '18, they were the only 3 guys we could count on. 

Anderson, Cole, Buttrey, Jerez, Jewell, Middleton, and McGuire all have options next year. Even though some of them have earned a spot on the Opening Day roster, for depth's sake, Eppler might want to try and repeat the Petit and Norris ST invite deals and stash some of those guys at AAA and shuttle them back and forth, replacing the guys we used earlier this year like Morris and Paredes. 

The same thing has happened in the infield...Marte next year is likely pushed out and his spot is replaced either by someone with options (Fernandez, Fletcher, Ward, Thaiss, Walsh) or Cowart sticks around as the out-of-options guy they hang onto.
 

[mulwin444]

7 minutes ago, totdprods said:

Anderson, Cole, Buttrey, Jerez, Jewell, Middleton, and McGuire all have options next year. Even though some of them have earned a spot on the Opening Day roster, for depth's sake, Eppler might want to try and repeat the Petit and Norris ST invite deals and stash some of those guys at AAA and shuttle them back and forth, replacing the guys we used earlier this year like Morris and Paredes. 

The same thing has happened in the infield...Marte next year is likely pushed out and his spot is replaced either by someone with options (Fernandez, Fletcher, Ward, Thaiss, Walsh) or Cowart sticks around as the out-of-options guy they hang onto.
 

Yeah the options are key to keeping a BP fresh it seems.  As you said, Eppler has done a great job of "lengthening" the BP depth with options and almost  creating a meta-bullpen between AAA and MLB with 3 or 4 "fixtures" and the rest moving parts to be used as needed, all at minimal cost.  Looking forward to see what he can pluck off rosters in the offseason...

[totdprods]

48 minutes ago, mulwin444 said:

Yeah the options are key to keeping a BP fresh it seems.  As you said, Eppler has done a great job of "lengthening" the BP depth with options and almost  creating a meta-bullpen between AAA and MLB with 3 or 4 "fixtures" and the rest moving parts to be used as needed, all at minimal cost.  Looking forward to see what he can pluck off rosters in the offseason...

Precisely. And honestly, I think that's the best way to build a bullpen this point. 

All of the FA relievers last year blew this season, the high-priced closers of a couple offseasons ago have injury issues, etc. There is just no formula that works. Having 10-12 guys, half of which can shuttle as needed, is as good as any. And it's cheap.

[Angel Oracle]

It has been fun to watch Eppler slowly build a pen.    The main issue is Anderson's control, that won't fly in the long run.