Bullpen Report, Week 6: Pitching Awful Makes Me See-Sheck

Last week I went into what in the heck was wrong with Cody Allen.  That Situation is still a little foggy, like everyone’s memory of your buddy’s bachelor party.  This week, it’s time to look at the side-flinging Steve Cishek.  Because when it gets down to it, closers are more interesting and they are basically that key piece in Jenga.  It starts with them and everything trickles downhill.  He has looked god awful and the Marlins are in full BBC, no not that BBC, the one that is bullpen-by-committee.  Mike Dunn, A.J. Ramos, and Bryan Morris are all the names being bantered around as in the mix.  None of those guys, minus Ramos, has the repertoire to be a closer. I am just calling it like I see it.  If you want my honest opinion, I think they should just let them all do a round-robin thumb wrestling tournament.  But seriously, who are they going to trust?  Mike Dunn has 4 career saves, Morris is a re-tread reclamation project, and Ramos has been touted as the next guy for two years and hasn’t even gotten serious late-inning high pressure looks.  So stay right there and hit that little red bar thingy for more holds and closers and bullpens… oh my.

So Cishek was drafted as everyone’s 1-2 RP, if I am wrong tell me so.  Carry over closers like him usually show signs of sucktitude or wearing down this early in the season by ending awfully the year previous.  That didn’t happen here.  He was unscored upon in 11 straight appearances and that basically lasted a calender month.  This year, he appears to me to just be mechanically screwed up, and this is causing his velocity to dip by 2-3 MPH on all his pitches.  He has also gone from being a 40%/30% GB/FB pitcher to the exact opposite, because he is falling behind in counts.  Listen, none of those things are fantastic for anyone who chucks a baseball with any consistency. You don’t just drastically change from a GB type pitcher to a FB pitcher without some horid results in between.  I think he needs to get some quality innings under him in no-pressure stitches. Let guys try who will probably blow up games just like he could have done, and then have Cishek look to reassert himself in the closer role down the line.  My vote of confidence for now is on A.J. Ramos.  My sleeper is Nick Masset, who seems to get overlooked, but hey he has the same career saves as Mike Dunn.

• Jared Hughes is the new co-leader in holds and the Pirates should go look at what the Cardinals are going through after Jordan Walden pitched a ton early.  Pirates 33 games, Hughes 19 appearances.  Pirates 17 wins, Hughes 17 appearances with game tied or winning.  He is being overused.  Enjoy the stats now I hope he sustains his 100 games appeared pace.
• I freaking love LOOGy’s their stats are always awkwardly awesome.  They usually have the best inherited run/inherited run scored rates.  Well the good ones.   They don’y get the holds love very often though and that to me is sad.  Randy Choate is getting a mention this week because of this very thing.  In 5 and 1/3 innings he has inherited 15 runners already.
• The Twins are getting it done with spit shine and grit.  It’s like how my grandma’s recipe book reads to make grill cheese.   Looking for a under the notice type look at Aaron Thompson.  Four holds in last 14 and seeing some decent burn in the quality set-up situations with 9 appearances when the Twins are prevailing.
• In previous posts I have been praising the Rockies bullpen and they were leading the MLB in Holds up til Tuesday.  Well guess what, they haven’t had a Hold in two weeks as of me writing this.  Hooray for snow and losing.

In case you’re sick of baseball already, come on over and join me for some Fantasy Premier league action, it so easy all you have to do is click a tab located at the top that says Soccer.  Read and enjoy.  It’s like a good book that you play with your feet.