Ernesto Frieri, Jason Grilli on verge of losing their jobs

June 20, 2014

Pittsburgh Pirates – Jason Grilli blew his fourth save of the season on Thursday. Four blown saves — and an accompanying 4.34 ERA — isn’t exactly horrendous, but it’s obviously not what you want to see out of your closer, especially when your bullpen has been stellar otherwise. So after the game, Clint Hurdle wasn’t exactly giving Grilli a ringing endorsement, and Mark Melancon might be on the verge of a promotion.

Hierarchy remains: Grilli | Melancon | Watson.
Jason Grilli to Hot Seat.

Detroit Tigers – Before Thursday’s game, Joe Nathan adjusted his arm slot, and proceeded to strike out all three hitters he faced. Might that be all it takes for the once-dominant closer to return to his old self?

Hierarchy remains: Nathan | Chamberlain | Alburquerque.

Los Angeles Angels – A baffling 10th inning in Cleveland saw the Angels take a 2-run lead and then summon youngster Cam Bedrosian while Ernesto Frieri stood idle in the bullpen. Bedrosian struggled and allowed three base runners (jeez, who would’ve expected a guy with a 10.13 ERA to struggle?!?!), before Mike Scioscia finally went to his closer, but Frieri would only be able to retire David Murphy before allowing a walk off grand slam to Nick Swisher. We’ve said previously that Scioscia’s recent decision to limit Frieri’s save chances seemed unnecessarily harsh, and Thursday’s usage just seemed cruel — like he wanted the righty to fail. But either way, after the game, Frieri was pissed and Scioscia offered no real explanation for using Bedrosian (whose ERA is now 14.29, by the way). Frieri is still probably the best Angel reliever to own, but with the way he’s been treated, we wouldn’t be surprised if Joe Smith got the next save chance.

Hierarchy remains: Frieri | Smith | Jepsen.

Toronto Blue Jays – We might now have an explanation for why Brett Cecil went from one of the best relievers in baseball over the first month into a kinda-crappy situational lefty in recent weeks: he’s been trying to pitch through a groin injury. That effort is now over, as Cecil was placed on the DL on Thursday. Look for Sergio Santos — just back from his own DL stint — and Dustin McGowan to get save chances on nights when Casey Janssen is unavailable.

Updated hierarchy: Janssen | McGowan | Santos.

Tampa Bay Rays – The best thing Grant Balfour has going for him is a manager hellbent on getting him back to the 9th inning.  But he’s also put together a modest line since being demoted two weeks ago (4.2 IPs, 1 ER, 3 H, 5 Ks, and 1 BB), and for a guy who spent much of the year with a 6+ ERA and more walks than strikeouts, this constitutes tremendous progress.  Last night, he got the 9th inning in a 5-run game (pitching behind Joel Peralta, who got the 8th), and struck out the side.

Updated hierarchy: McGee | Balfour | Peralta.

Oakland Athletics – Sean Doolittle, he of the most ridiculous K/BB ratio since 1900, got the night off Thursday after pitching in two games in a row. Righty Dan Otero picked up the save in his place.

Updated hierarchy: Doolittle | Gregerson | Otero.

New York Yankees – With most of New York’s top relievers needing a night off, Adam Warren picked up a 2-out save on Thursday.

Hierarchy remains: Robertson | Betances | Warren.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Joe Smith, Los Angeles Angels – This is a committee now; see above.

Jenrry Mejia snaked out of a Mets save

June 19, 2014

New York Mets — Terry Collins pulled closer Jenrry Mejia with two outs and a man on in the ninth to gain a platoon advantage against streaking lefthander Matt Adams. Journeyman Dana Eveland induced a groundout and earned his first save in nine years. This is the sort of flexible, open-minded, matchup-based approach to the ninth that should be celebrated from a manager. Unless you’re a Mejia owner, in which case Terry Collins is a real jobbernowl.

Hierarchy remains: Mejia | Familia | Black.

Minnesota Twins — With Glen Perkins sidelined with a bad back, Casey Fien got the call for a save opportunity in the tenth in Boston, only to give up consecutive home runs to lose the game. Perkins, who blamed himself for the loss, expects to be available on Thursday.

Hierarchy remains: Perkins | Fien | Duensing.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Edward Mujica/Andrew Miller, Boston Red Sox — Koji Uehara has pitched on four of the last five days.
2. Daniel Webb/Zach Putnam, Chicago White Sox — Ronald Belisario was used for a five-out save on Wednesday and Daniel Webb is the best rested of the team’s high-end relievers.
3. Drew Storen, Washington Nationals — Rafael Soriano and Tyler Clippard have been used a lot recently.
4. Shawn Kelley, New York Yankees — A longshot, but David Robertson and Dellin Betances have gone in two straight, and Adam Warren pitched two innings on Wednesday.

Edward Mujica still trusted, somehow, in Boston

June 18, 2014

Boston Red Sox — With Koji Uehara and Andrew Miller unavailable after heavy recent use, John Farrell elected to keep Junichi Tazawa in a set-up role and go to Edward Mujica, who hadn’t pitched in six days, for the vulture save. After the game, Farrell explained that he would ideally like to go to Mujica on nights when Uehara is unavailable, so although recent usage and statistics don’t support it, we’ve got to put Mujica back in the hierarchy. In non-hierarchy news, Burke Badenhop has now pitched 30.1 straight innings without surrendering an earned run.

Updated hierarchy: Uehara | Miller | Mujica.

St. Louis Cardinals — Trevor Rosenthal was given a second straight night off, and the Cardinals went with Jason Motte with a four-run lead in the ninth. But after Motte gave up a home run and a ground-rule double, Pat Neshek got three straight outs to nail down the victory. Although we still believe Motte would close if Rosenthal went down with an injury, Neshek is making a strong case as well.

Hierarchy remains: Rosenthal | Motte | Neshek.

Atlanta Braves — After a period of very heavy use (59 pitches in three days), David Carpenter was placed on the disabled list Tuesday with a strained right biceps. Jordan Walden will take on a bigger role in Carpenter’s absence.

Updated hierarchy: Kimbrel | Simmons | Walden.

Los Angeles Dodgers — With solid performances over the past three weeks, Brian Wilson has earned his job back, supplanting Brandon League as next in line behind Kenley Jansen.

Updated hierarchy: Jansen | Wilson | League.

Philadelphia Phillies — Jacob Diekman and his 100 MPH fastball have been seeing some high-leverage innings lately, including Tuesday’s eighth. Although Antonio Bastardo would probably be the next choice for saves in the Philly bullpen, Diekman and Ken Giles could play larger roles as the season progresses.

Updated hierarchy: Papelbon | Bastardo | Diekman.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. A.J. Ramos, Miami Marlins — Steve Cishek threw 23 pitches Tuesday on his third straight day of work.

Rays committee continues to baffle; DL moves aplenty across majors

June 17, 2014

Tampa Bay Rays – Committees can be maddening for fantasy owners, and Joe Maddon hasn’t helped matters by the way he has gone about the late innings. Joel Peralta pitched the seventh before giving way to Grant Balfour, who struggled through one out of the eighth. Jake McGee, who appeared to be the leading candidate for saves, was called upon to bail him out and instead allowed an inherited runner to score, tying the game. The Rays regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning and it was Juan Carlos Oviedo who picked up his first save since he was Leo Nunez in 2011. After the game, Maddon insisted that there’s “no need” to settle on one closer, and that it’ll be the opponents’ batting order that dictates who enters the game. We still think McGee is at the head of the committee, but at this point it really could be anyone who gets the call at any particular moment.

Hierarchy remains: McGee | Peralta | Balfour.

San Francisco Giants — Santiago Casilla will rejoin the Giants beginning with their two-game series against the White Sox that opens tonight. Jean Machi, who sports a tremendous 0.29 ERA in 31 innings pitched this season, will cede the 8th-inning role to Casilla and become the go-to guy in the sixth and seventh innings.

Updated hierarchy: Romo | Casilla | Machi.

San Diego Padres — Nick Vincent was placed on the 15-day DL due to right shoulder fatigue. Dale Thayer will be the likely replacement for Vincent.

Updated hierarchy: Street | Benoit | Thayer.

Houston Astros – Josh Fields became the latest Astros arm to hit the disabled list with soreness in his throwing forearm. Kyle Farnsworth should see time in Fields’ stead. In addition, Houston signed former closer Jose Veras to a minor-league deal and he will be worth keeping an eye on as he continues rehabbing an oblique strain.

Updated hierarchy: Qualls | Sipp | Farnsworth.

Cleveland Indians — The usual suspects in the Indians’ bullpen were tuckered out – Cody Allen and Bryan Shaw had pitched in three straight games and John Axford was used in consecutive contests – which allowed an opportunity for Carlos Carrasco to pick up his first career save on Monday night. Carrasco certainly earned it, striking out four and allowing just one hit in 2.1 innings of work.

Hierarchy remains: Allen | Shaw | Axford.

Chicago Cubs – Hector Rondon returned on Monday night against the Marlins and needed 26 pitches to strike out the side in the bottom of the ninth inning, keeping the game tied. The Cubs took the lead in the top half of the 13th before James Russell breezed through the final three outs to record his first save of the season and just the third of his career.

Hierarchy remains: Rondon | Ramirez | Strop.

St. Louis Cardinals — Seth Maness got the Cardinals out of a minor jam in the eighth inning and stayed on to complete the ninth and collect his first save of the season in a 6-2 victory over the Mets.

Hierarchy remains: Rosenthal | Motte | Neshek.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Junichi Tazawa, Boston Red Sox – Koji Uehara has pitched in three straight while Andrew Miller has appeared in four consecutive contests.
2. Neil Ramirez, Chicago Cubs – Hector Rondon threw 26 pitches in his return last night and might get a breather.

Is it finally Jake McGee’s time?

June 16, 2014

New York Mets – Prior to Sunday’s game, there was talk of a disabled list stint for Jenrry Mejia.  But when the late innings rolled around, Mejia proved himself healthy, picking up a rare 2-inning save in a 2-run game.  Jeurys Familia’s two-day stint at closer is at an end.

Hierarchy remains: Mejia | Familia | Black.

Chicago Cubs – With Hector Rondon still apparently unavailable, Neil Ramirez picked up his third save of the year on Sunday.  Rondon is due to return in short order.

Hierarchy remains: Rondon | Ramirez | Strop.

Tampa Bay Rays – It’s been obvious that Jake McGee has been the best arm in the Rays bullpen this year.  But even when Grant Balfour began to struggle, there were various reasons — arbitration considerations, usage, his left-handedness — to think that he wasn’t going to be the first man to get a save chance in Tampa’s new committee.  (And, he wasn’t.)  But despite the lack of save chances, the stars have been aligning for McGee ever since the Rays made the switch.  He pitched the 9th inning of a 1-run loss — behind Joel Peralta — in the first day after the Rays declared a committee last week.  Grant Balfour picked up that weird, 7-out save on Wednesday, but Joe Maddon went out of his way after the game to point out that McGee was unavailable.  Two nights ago, he likely would’ve gotten a save chance, except that the Rays scored a bunch of runs in the 9th.  And yesterday, after David Price turned in 8 solid innings, it was McGee who closed the door in the 9th.  There are still way too many dynamics in play to anoint McGee the new full time closer, and after all, this was just his first save.  But with that finally out of the way, we’re inching him to the head of the Tampa committee.

Updated hierarchy: McGee | Peralta | Balfour.

Los Angeles Angels – Ernesto Frieri had a disastrous outing on Saturday, allowing five hits and four runs without recording an out, and on Sunday, Mike Scioscia said that the Angels would remain the same, with Frieri closing on some nights, and Joe Smith closing on other nights.  This struck us as a bit puzzling, as Frieri has been entrenched as the closer after a strong May while Smith had only gotten one save opp in the past month.  If it’s true that the Angels are going back to a committee, it also seems a bit of an overreaction to one bad outing, as Frieri had converted his previous 9 save chances.  But time will tell whether this was just bluster, or whether Smith truly is going to start getting 9th inning chances again.

Ernesto Frieri to Hot Seat.

VULTURE SAVE WATCH
1. Shae Simmons, Atlanta Braves – Craig Kimbrel has pitched in three straight.
2. Jason Motte, St. Louis Cardinals – Trevor Rosenthal has pitched in three straight.
3. Adam Ottavino/Rex Brothers, Colorado Rockies – LaTroy Hawkins has pitched in three straight.
4. Will Smith/Brandon Kintzler, Milwaukee Brewers – K-Rod didn’t pitch yesterday, but he’d gone four straight just beforehand, so another day off isn’t out of the question.