Article: We Can Rebuild It: Creative Bullpen Fixes

[Mike Sixel]

These are the RPs this FO keeps picking, over other options. 

[Shaitan]

Yesterday is on Molitor more than Belisle. At this point, he should only be pitching in mopup until he shows something.

 

It's a curious bullpen this year in that they don't seem to blow many games. It's more than when they blow them, it's a spectacular failure.

[drjim]

 

Yesterday is on Molitor more than Belisle. At this point, he should only be pitching in mopup until he shows something.

 

It's a curious bullpen this year in that they don't seem to blow many games. It's more than when they blow them, it's a spectacular failure.

 

Assuming he didn't want to go with Duffey again, who would you propose Molitor should have pitched in that inning? His options were Boshers for a second inning, Belisle, Breslow or Wimmers. I suppose he could have pushed Rogers and/or Kintzler for more than an inning.

[Mike Sixel]

 

Yesterday is on Molitor more than Belisle. At this point, he should only be pitching in mopup until he shows something.

 

It's a curious bullpen this year in that they don't seem to blow many games. It's more than when they blow them, it's a spectacular failure.

 

Nope. It's all on the FO insisting on signing old, bad, pitchers (and injuries). Molitor can only pitch the guys he's given. He doesn't always us them they way I would, but you can't pitch the same 3-4 guys every single day. But, right now, they have legit prospects that are healthy thru June. How about calling up even 1 of them....

[MangLitch]

Im just failing to see how some of these guys are benefiting us over seeing what we have in the minors with these prospects. It's not like the B-squad yesterday is setting the bar all that high. Seems like a no lose situation to bring some of these guys up at this point. 

[drjim]

 

Nope. It's all on the FO insisting on signing old, bad, pitchers (and injuries). Molitor can only pitch the guys he's given. He doesn't always us them they way I would, but you can't pitch the same 3-4 guys every single day. But, right now, they have legit prospects that are healthy thru June. How about calling up even 1 of them....

 

They did and he flopped. Another one will get a shot soon enough.

[Vanimal46]

 

They did and he flopped. Another one will get a shot soon enough.

 

Maybe that other person is Jake Reed. He's been pitching pretty consistently lately in AA. 

[Doomtints]

I was advocating patience with both Molitor's bullpen management and the pitching staff. Things are becoming far too predictable now, however. This type of mismanagement is unfair to the Twins players who are playing hard and winning in spite of it.

 

if Molitor can't manage a pitching staff, he needs to fall on his sword, admit he sucks at it, and let the pitching coach make the decisions during games.

 

It's clear that there are a couple of pitchers on this team who can't pitch. let them go. Replace them with anybody who can keep an ERA around 5, which would be a huge improvement. Recent retirees, minor leaguers, converted starters, whoever. When you have a position player pitching as often as this team has, that's a screaming flashing red alarm that needs to be addressed.

[Taildragger8791]

 

Maybe that other person is Jake Reed. He's been pitching pretty consistently lately in AA. 

 

He's only had 4 appearances this year, each spaced 3 days apart, with his first and fourth outings being fairly rough. I don't think he'll be considered for MLB call-up until he at least pitches effectively on short rest. I could see him going to AAA soon though. He finished last season strong there.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Assuming he didn't want to go with Duffey again, who would you propose Molitor should have pitched in that inning? His options were Boshers for a second inning, Belisle, Breslow or Wimmers. I suppose he could have pushed Rogers and/or Kintzler for more than an inning.

First, while Duffey got 5 outs Saturday, he only needed 16 pitches to do it. And he hadn't pitched at all the two days before that.  If Duffey is in your bullpen, he should be available to pitch in that situation at this point in the season -- he's going to have to work consecutive days eventually, might as well be now.

 

If not Duffey, then I guess I don't care if you go with Belisle to start the inning, but I think you have to have a quicker hook.  Either Duffey or a rested Rogers.

 

Bigger picture, if Wimmers can't pitch there and isn't the long man anymore either, then he probably shouldn't be on the team.  Replace him with someone else who has the potential to be useful in that situation.  I know you frequently dismiss such notions as re-arranging deck chairs, but seriously, there's no point in having Wimmers, Heston, Boshers, and Breslow (and maybe even Belisle at this point) all together, with no trust/future but a lot of overlapping roles.  Maybe Hildenberger or Busenitz don't work out either, but they should be worth a shot over the status quo.

[beckmt]

Yes, Belisle needs to be DFA'ed.  We need to get the rotation going between Rochester, Chattanooga and here until we find pieces that work. If it takes this year fine,  we just can't keep blowing games with the same old tired pitchers. 

[Vanimal46]

 

He's only had 4 appearances this year, each spaced 3 days apart, with his first and fourth outings being fairly rough. I don't think he'll be considered for MLB call-up until he at least pitches effectively on short rest. I could see him going to AAA soon though. He finished last season strong there.

 

Yeah that's fair. Hopefully we do see him make the move to AAA soon and pitch on back to back days. 

[drjim]

 

Maybe that other person is Jake Reed. He's been pitching pretty consistently lately in AA. 

 

Could be Curtiss too. 

 

Hildenberger or Bursewitz perhaps, but I don't think of them as highly as Reed or Curtiss.

[drjim]

 

First, while Duffey got 5 outs Saturday, he only needed 16 pitches to do it. And he hadn't pitched at all the two days before that.  If Duffey is in your bullpen, he should be available to pitch in that situation at this point in the season -- he's going to have to work consecutive days eventually, might as well be now.

 

If not Duffey, then I guess I don't care if you go with Belisle to start the inning, but I think you have to have a quicker hook.  Either Duffey or a rested Rogers.

 

Bigger picture, if Wimmers can't pitch there and isn't the long man anymore either, then he probably shouldn't be on the team.  Replace him with someone else who has the potential to be useful in that situation.  I know you frequently dismiss such notions as re-arranging deck chairs, but seriously, there's no point in having Wimmers, Heston, Boshers, and Breslow (and maybe even Belisle at this point) all together, with no trust/future but a lot of overlapping roles.  Maybe Hildenberger or Busenitz don't work out either, but they should be worth a shot over the status quo.

 

I would absolutely make some bullpen changes. But that doesn't have much to do with what Molitor could do yesterday.

 

Maybe could have pushed Duffey and/or Rogers, but that will burn you hard over the long term. No chance I would start Belisle and relieve with Duffey though.

[drjim]

 

I was advocating patience with both Molitor's bullpen management and the pitching staff. Things are becoming far too predictable now, however. This type of mismanagement is unfair to the Twins players who are playing hard and winning in spite of it.

 

if Molitor can't manage a pitching staff, he needs to fall on his sword, admit he sucks at it, and let the pitching coach make the decisions during games.

 

It's clear that there are a couple of pitchers on this team who can't pitch. let them go. Replace them with anybody who can keep an ERA around 5, which would be a huge improvement. Recent retirees, minor leaguers, converted starters, whoever. When you have a position player pitching as often as this team has, that's a screaming flashing red alarm that needs to be addressed.

 

I'm very curious how you think a different manager would handle this bullpen much better. And do you really know the process of how they determine which pitchers to use in which situations? I would assume it is mostly the job of the pitching coach, with plenty of input from the front office.

[USAFChief]

Assuming he didn't want to go with Duffey again, who would you propose Molitor should have pitched in that inning? His options were Boshers for a second inning, Belisle, Breslow or Wimmers. I suppose he could have pushed Rogers and/or Kintzler for more than an inning.

You listed six options.

[drjim]

 

You listed six options.

 

And they were all bad (or not ideal). That's kind of the point.

[Vanimal46]

I don't know who this is, but hey, it's a creative idea! 

Jim

3:30 Any pitchers that could come up and help in the bullpen later this season, like Sale did in his draft year?

 

Keith Law
3:30 Lange.