Bullpen Predictions?
Im new here to McCovey Chronicles and I like what I see.
I have read a ton about how our offense will suck, how our starters have the potential to be great, but what I have not heard a ton about is our bullpen?
Who is slated to be our closer?
Do we need any improvements?
How does our bullpen compare to other NL West teams?
Can our pitching staff really keep this team afloat?

Thanks for listening.
Hit me up if you like jerky.
This FanPost is reader-generated, and it does not necessarily reflect the views of McCovey Chronicles. If the author uses filler to achieve the minimum word requirement, a moderator may edit the FanPost for his or her own amusement.
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40 comments
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
by Moggeee on
Feb 17, 2008 10:21 PM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
by victor frankenstein on
Feb 18, 2008 12:46 PM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
Brian Wilson will be the closer until proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he shouldn't be.
The rest of the bullpen is a total crapshoot. In fact, it's my understanding that relief pitchers as a breed are highly unpredictable from year to year to begin with (with Steve Kline and his pretty okayness being the lone exception), which is why high profile relief signings are usually not very good things. So as long as you don't just have awful pitchers in the bullpen, then you're probably going to have either a bad or an average or a good season coming out of your relief corps. I know, it's not very specific, but that's just the fickle nature of the average relief pitcher. They can be good, average, or bad in any given year. You just have to hope that your guys all decide to have the good year at the same time.
Last year was obviously not that year for us, but our relievers don't just plain suck on the whole, so this year COULD be different. They could be great. Maybe. They could be terrible again. Or something in between. Maybe.
Somebody else will make a better case. This is just how I understand it.
by howtheyscored on
Feb 17, 2008 10:26 PM PST
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Howhedoit?
I would applaud, but I am afraid my hands could not make contact -- I am still a little woozy from E.
by Moggeee on
Feb 17, 2008 10:46 PM PST
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Re: Howhedoit?
Important comma there.
by howtheyscored on
Feb 17, 2008 11:28 PM PST
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Re: Howhedoit?
by GreenLightJerky on
Feb 17, 2008 11:40 PM PST
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Re: Howhedoit?
"We, like sheep."
Without the comma that sentence has a WHOLE different meaning. Sure, it still describes the human condition... just in a different, more humorous way.
by howtheyscored on
Feb 17, 2008 11:44 PM PST
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Re: Howhedoit?
by GreenLightJerky on
Feb 17, 2008 11:50 PM PST
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Re: Howhedoit?
by howtheyscored on
Feb 17, 2008 11:56 PM PST
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Re: Howhedoit?
Unless he's really into that kind of thing, but I don't think he is.
by JRPhillips on
Feb 19, 2008 3:11 PM PST
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Re: Howhedoit?
by SloIsLonelyForTheOrange on
Feb 20, 2008 4:23 PM PST
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Pick of the lint first
by Moggeee on
Feb 17, 2008 11:45 PM PST
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That reminds me of some poetry I've written lately
My giant feet, like clumps of stone
by Moggeee on
Feb 17, 2008 11:43 PM PST
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Re: Howhedoit?
Oh , hell..."Jerk it , Bengie!"
by victor frankenstein on
Feb 18, 2008 12:50 PM PST
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Learn the new Bengie Chant
by Moggeee on
Feb 18, 2008 11:29 PM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
Brian Wilson (insert your favorite Beach Boys pun here)
Do we need any improvements?
There's always room for improvement, especially in a Giants bullpen. So far Brian Wilson, Brad Hennessey and Tyler Walker appear to be locks and will likely respectively tackle the 9th, 8th and 7th innings. If they remain as effective as they were last season, we could have a decent group for late inning relief. The rest of the spots range from meh to sorta meh.
How does our bullpen compare to other NL West teams?
I think it'll be average at best, depending on who ends up there. San Diego will somehow have a good pen again even if it consists of a litter of kittens and a jar of mayonnaise. Arizona and Colorado had surprisingly good pens last season that are relatively intact, although I don't expect CO's to be as good this season. LA's is fueled by the wailing of damned souls and beating of devils' wings, so it'll be decent.
Can our pitching staff really keep this team afloat?
It has potential, but I doubt this will be the year that it will actually be realized. I fully expect Cain to continue to kick booty though.
by Natto on
Feb 17, 2008 11:07 PM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
by raisingcain on
Feb 18, 2008 12:17 AM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
by Natto on
Feb 18, 2008 12:23 AM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
by howtheyscored on
Feb 18, 2008 12:31 AM PST
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Use it next time, no charge
by Moggeee on
Feb 18, 2008 12:37 AM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
by Goofus on
Feb 18, 2008 10:11 AM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
Oh , you wanted decent...
by victor frankenstein on
Feb 18, 2008 12:54 PM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
Hennessey and Walker make a setup combo with Kline as the LOOGY. With Henny's starting experience, I'd like to see him used less often, but in more 2 and 3 inning situations, but that's not the way bullpens are used these days, I guess.
I know they are talking about possibly carrying only 11 pitchers, but I don't see how they get away with that the way Bochy uses his pen. I'll assume that leaves 3 bullpen slots open.
Randy Messenger, Vinnie Chulk and Jack Taschner are the incumbents. There should be plenty of competition and some very interesting stories here:
Merkin Valdez is back from TJ and is out of options. If he flashes his 98 MPH heater in spring training, the Giants aren't going to want to DFA him. He could start the season on a rehab assignment in Fresno, but that is for a limited time.
Jose Cappellan is a rule 5 draftee who hasn't pitched above A ball. He is a lefty though and Taschner is shaky. We have to offer him back to Toronto if he doesn't make the 25 man roster, so if he impresses in camp, he could stay.
Keichii Yabu(or whatever his name is) seems to ooze the kind of veteran savvy Bochy is looking for so he could land a spot even if he sucks in spring training.
Then there's Jonathan Sanchez. Does he come to camp and blow everybody away thus winning a late-inning role, or does he go to Fresno as a starter in training/waiting? I personally favor the latter.
Pat Misch is another lefty who pitched well in both Fresno and SF last year. I think his stuff is more suited to starting, but he's pitched as well or better out of the bullpen. Here's a guy who would make a perfect innings eater with his starter's experience and repertoire. I think he still has options, so he will probably go back to Fresno if he isn't included in a trade.
Bartolome Fortunato is a non-roster invitee who has been injured two of the last 3 years. He reportedly was throwing mid-90's gas in winter ball. His minor league career K/9 >10, with 9+ in 18 innings of MLB with the Mets in 2004. I'm guessing he goes to Fresno to polish his game and be an emergency callup option.
Last and probably least is Erick Threets. Threets once again tries to harness his awesome fastball which isn't quite what is used to be. Amazingly enough, BA listed him as having the best changeup in the organization! Is Threets out of options? He's been around forever, so I would think that's a possibility. If so, I would think he is a prime candidate to either get traded or picked up by another team off waivers.
by DrBGiantsfan on
Feb 18, 2008 6:27 AM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
by Goofus on
Feb 18, 2008 10:15 AM PST
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Boch on Keiichi
Uh oh.
by Natto on
Feb 18, 2008 11:59 AM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
I have been overly optimistic about the Giants' bullpen each of the past two years, so I am hesitant to make a very positive prediction. Pitchers -- and relievers in particular -- are subject to such changes year-to-year that the bullpen could be one of the best all the way down to (and perhaps more likely) one of the worst.
I look for Billy Sadler to reinsert himself into the mix soon, and I liked your mention of Perkin' Merkin Valdez, who has been easy to forget given his surgery. I also share your admiration for the possible breakthrough of Waldis Joaquin, although he is of course much further away than the players you mentioned here.
The return of Tyler Walker throwning over 93 mph was impressive last September, and Brian Wilson finally emerged from his room to have fun, fun, fun till his daddy takes his control away. Each could be important parts of the bullpen -- or fade away into relative obscurity.
Brad Hennessey made the greatest improvement in his K/BB ratio of any Giants pitcher, so the question naturally arises, can he sustain it?
Perhaps we should give a time-tried name to the Giants' bullpen -- Question Mark and the Mysterians.
by sharksrog on
Feb 18, 2008 12:50 PM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
by MidKnight on
Feb 18, 2008 2:51 PM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
by Cainer on
Feb 20, 2008 12:41 AM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on
Feb 18, 2008 9:00 AM PST
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Brian Anderson?
by DrBGiantsfan on
Feb 18, 2008 10:28 AM PST
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Re: Brian Anderson?
Romo doesn't have stuff that jumps out at you either but he also makes it work by throwing 109879697676 different arm angles. As long as it works, I don't complain.
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on
Feb 18, 2008 12:12 PM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
by BuffyLaCoss on
Feb 18, 2008 11:11 AM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
by tk on
Feb 19, 2008 1:49 PM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
by thehavenot on
Feb 18, 2008 12:51 PM PST
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Also
by BaronVonCurrentEvents on
Feb 18, 2008 1:05 PM PST
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Re: Also
Flavor #18 Jamaican Jerk Style is coming soon.
Imported Jamaican Allspice, Thyme and Habaneros!
by GreenLightJerky on
Feb 18, 2008 1:06 PM PST
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Re: Bullpen Predictions?
Although Taschner seemed to have good movement on his pitches, it appears Jack suffered from:
. Poor command of his fastball, leading to far too many foul balls and too much contact.
. Very poor control of his slider.
IMO Jack, as seems to be the case with several Giants pitchers, should use his change up more. But as long as batters are able to foul off Jack's fastball half the time they swing at it, I think he will have a hard time keeping his strikeout level up. Without Jack's having a dominant fastball, it would seem that batters would be able to look for Jack's change up if he started using it more often.
by sharksrog on
Feb 18, 2008 1:14 PM PST
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A failure we can all embrace
Maybe Jack Everyman should give up pissing us off, retire, and join the blog.
by Moggeee on
Feb 18, 2008 11:42 PM PST
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Re: A failure we can all embrace
by sharksrog on
Feb 19, 2008 7:17 AM PST
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