Porter declares Qualls the Astros’ closer, Motte close to returning

May 17, 2014

Houston Astros — It sounds like manager Bo Porter is tired of having a different guy blow each of the Astros’ save opportunities so he has finally chosen one guy.  Porter said yesterday that Chad Qualls will be their closer moving forward.  Qualls has not allowed an earned run in his last 9 outings.

Hierarchy remains: Qualls | Sipp | Zeid.

Tampa Bay Rays – Grant Balfour picked up his 8th save by pitching a perfect 9th inning last night, just one night after being removed from a save opportunity without recording an out.  Manager Joe Maddon said that Balfour is still his closer.  Balfour may have given himself a little more leeway with his outing yesterday, but we still think Maddon will have to think about changing things up if Balfour has another outing like Thursday.

Hierarchy remains: Balfour | Peralta | McGee.

St. Louis Cardinals – Jason Motte is close to returning to the Cardinals bullpen.   He has pitched well so far on his rehab assignments, throwing 6.2 scoreless innings.  Trevor Rosenthal picked up the save last night and is 12 for 13 in save opportunities so far this season.  However, his ERA is 4.5 and he has allowed 12 walks in 20 innings so he has not been dominant.  Motte will likely be eased back into high leverage situations but could be a guy to keep an eye on in deeper leagues.

Hierarchy remains: Rosenthal | Martinez | Siegrist.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Carlos Martinez, St. Louis Cardinals – Trevor Rosenthal has pitched in 2 straight and 3 of the past 4, including 1.2 innings on Thursday.
2. Darren O’Day, Baltimore Orioles – The Orioles are using a committee and, while we think Britton is the better option, O’Day could be used as well.
3. Jeurys Familia/Jose Valverde, New York Mets – The Mets could use pretty much anybody in their bullpen at this point.
4. Brad Boxberger/Juan Carlos Oviedo, Tampa Bay Rays – Balfour, Peralta, and Mcgee have all pitched three days in a row.
5. Cody Allen, Cleveland Indians – Cody Allen could get the call in the 9th on any given night, if the Indians don’t have to use him earlier in the game in a high leverage situation.

Zach Britton, Jenrry Mejia climb to the top of their committees

May 16, 2014

Baltimore Orioles – Two days after Tommy Hunter blew his second straight save chance, Buck Showalter summoned lefty Zach Britton to get the final three outs of a 2-1 game.  Britton needed only 12 pitches to convert, registering his first career save.  After the game, Showalter was noncommittal about the closer role going forward, complimenting Britton’s work but also offering high praise to Darren O’Day.  It looks like this could develop into a committee, but for now, we’ll take the guy with the 95 mph sinker.

Updated hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Hunter.

New York Mets – After several beat writers suggested that his repertoire would be perfect for the 9th inning, Jenrry Mejia was moved to the bullpen last week. But when the Mets transitioned to a closer by committee, Terry Collins named nearly everyone in the bullpen except Mejia as potential 9th inning options. However, an impressive appearance in Yankee Stadium seems to have changed Collins’s mind, and before Thursday’s game, he declared that Mejia would be his closer for the evening, emphasizing that the role would change on a nightly basis. (Someone different will likely be the closer tonight, as Mejia isn’t conditioned to pitch in back to back games yet, said Collins.) Still, this is a good development for the New York bullpen, as Mejia is one of the few pitchers back there — along with Jeurys Familia — who has good enough raw stuff to seize the 9th inning role for himself. On the merits of Collins’s comments yesterday, we’ll bump Mejia to the top of the hierarchy, with the understanding that this is still very much a committee.

Updated hierarchy: Mejia | Familia | Valverde

Chicago Cubs – The Cubs were trying to stay close to the Cardinals on Thursday afternoon, and sent Neil Ramirez to the mound in the 8th inning down by 2 runs. Ramirez responded by doing the same thing he’s done since being called up in late April — overwhelm hitters with 96 mph fastballs and hard sliders — and with the scoreless inning, the righty lowered his ERA to 1.08. Through 8.1 innings so far, Ramirez now has 13 strikeouts against just 2 walks, and seems poised to start collecting a few late-inning holds if the Cubs can ever manage to get a lead. (In less relevant Cubs news on Thursday, Jose Veras returned from the DL. Yippee.)

Updated hierarchy: Rondon | Grimm | Ramirez

Tampa Bay Rays – Summoned to protect a three-run lead, Grant Balfour walked the first two batters he faced (the 8 and 9 hitters) before allowing an RBI single.  Balfour was then yanked by Joe Maddon, and watched from the clubhouse as Brad Boxberger gave up a walk off 3-run HR to Mike Trout.  Balfour wasn’t happy about being removed, but the quick hook shows how little trust Maddon has in him at this point.  Already on our Hot Seat, Balfour (15.1 IPs, 6.46 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 11 Ks, 14 BBs) is probably just one more blown save from losing his job — if he hasn’t done so already.

Hierarchy remains: Balfour | Peralta | McGee.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Darren O’Day, Baltimore Orioles – See above.
2. Jeurys Familia/Jose Valverde, New York Mets – See above.
3. Joel Peralta, Tampa Bay Rays – If Grant Balfour has indeed lost his job, Joel Peralta would likely take over.
4. Cody Allen, Cleveland Indians – Cody Allen is likely sharing save chances with our listed closer, Bryan Shaw.

Zach Britton picks up first save, looks like new Orioles closer

May 15, 2014

Baltimore Orioles – Two days after Tommy Hunter blew his second straight save chance, Buck Showalter summoned lefty Zach Britton to get the final three outs of a 2-1 game.  Britton needed only 12 pitches to convert, registering his first career save.  After the game, Showalter was noncommittal about the closer role going forward, complimenting Britton’s work but also offering high praise to Darren O’Day.  It looks like this could develop into a committee, but for now, we’ll take the guy with the 95 mph sinker.

Updated hierarchy: Britton | O’Day | Hunter.

Jeurys Familia ascending; Frieri and Smith swap save opps

May 15, 2014

New York Mets — As we reported late Wednesday night, Kyle Farnsworth was released by the Mets in a bizarre, cost-cutting move, two days after he picked up a save against the Yankees. Collins promised a closer committee, and we think Jeurys Familia is the best-positioned of that bunch, followed by Jose Valverde. We’ll leave Jenrry Mejia ahead of Daisuke Matsuzaka for now, as his potential is much higher.

Hierarchy change: Familia | Valverde | Mejia.

Los Angeles Angels — This time it was Ernesto Frieri’s turn to set up Joe Smith for the save, and Mike Scioscia explained after the game that LA’s three-run lead freed him to use Frieri against the top of Philadelphia’s order. He clearly trusts Smith more, but he also wants Frieri to win the closer job permanently — and for that reason, Ernie keeps our top spot.

Hierarchy remains: Frieri | Smith | Kohn.

Houston Astros — Last September, we called the Houston bullpen a “hellscape.” It’s somehow worse now. Jesse Crain won’t be added to any roster for another two weeks. Matt Albers is out until mid-June. And now Anthony Bass is on the DL with a strained oblique. To make matters worse, Josh Fields — who has somehow allowed 14 runs in his last 3 IP — is replacing him on the roster. This hierarchy looks a lot like Cerberus.

Hierarchy change: Qualls | Sipp | Zeid.

Oakland A’s — Although the A’s blew a one-run lead in the eighth, Bob Melvin helpfully announced after the game that Sean Doolittle would have pitched the ninth in a save situation. The committee lives.

Hierarchy remains: Johnson | Doolittle | Gregerson.

Pittsburgh Pirates — After throwing 24 pitches in a simulated game on Wednesday afternoon, Jason Grilli pronounced himself “ready” to return to the Pirates. But given the description of his new book — by a Pirates blog, no less — as “a tour de force of delusional narcissism,” you may wish to take this news with a grain of salt.

Hierarchy remains: Melancon | Watson | Wilson.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Joe Smith, Los Angeles Angels — See above.
2. Brandon Kintzler, Milwaukee Brewers — The Brewers went to K-Rod one too many times, and Kintzler is much better rested than the Fresh Prince.
3. Jonathan Broxton, Cincinnati Reds — The Reds have a doubleheader on Thursday and may not wish to use Aroldis Chapman in both games.