In part 3 of our 4 part review of the San Francisco Giants
2007 season, we noted how the team’s starting pitching was not to blame for the
club’s dismal 71-91 record. Where the Giants did struggle this season – aside
from an overall lack of hitting - was in the bullpen. The Giants relievers were
inconsistent and often fallible with their 33 losses leading the NL (3rd
most in MLB). They also racked up 23 blown saves (9th most) and
recorded a 62% save ratio (7th worst) while allowing over a third of
all inherited runners to score (38%). The pen’s 4.10 ERA ranked them in the
bottom half of baseball (18th) as did their cumulative 1.41 WHIP (19th)
and .265 BAA (23rd). For the year, the Giants played in a
league-high 94 games decided by 1 or 2 runs and won just 39 of them (.414).
While September may have uncovered the Giants' future closer, the pen as a whole
simply disintegrated as the team limped to the finish line in the final month,
posting a 5.56 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and .306 BAA with 7 losses and a league-high 8
blown saves while allowing almost half (44%) of all inherited runners to cross
home plate.
Manager Bruce Bochy tried three different pitchers in the
closer role (Armando Benitez, Brad Hennessey and Brian Wilson). Certainly,
the Giants will need to upgrade their anemic offense, as acknowledged by GM
Brian Sabean in a recent web chat where he told Giants fans, “we will need to
address the need for a middle-of-the-order presence,” but nevertheless he told
reporters that the club would try to add at least one proven reliever to the
bullpen, as well as citing the need for another left hander.
Left Handers – Steve Kline, Jack Taschner, Jonathan Sanchez, Patrick Misch
Steve Kline, for the second consecutive year, played the role
of primary left handed specialist out of the Giants' bullpen. For the third
consecutive season overall, his numbers continued to decline from their peak 2004
levels. In most ways, Kline was absolutely terrible in 2007. In 46.0
innings covering 68 appearances, the veteran southpaw allowed 58 hits and walked
18 while striking out just 17. His ERA was 4.70, his WHIP a whopping 1.65, and
his BAA was .301, including .302 versus the first batter faced (19-for-63). He
allowed over 11 hits per 9 IP. Worse still, left handed batters hit .318
against him. He particularly fizzled in the second half of the year when he
posted a 5.95 ERA, including a 10.12 mark in August and 7.20 in September. He
also induced just two double plays after averaging nine per year over the previous
eight
seasons, by far his lowest total since he induced only one in 1998.
|
Year |
WHIP |
H/9 |
BB/9 |
K/9 |
BAA |
OBP |
GO/AO |
|
2004 |
1.07 |
6.62 |
3.04 |
6.26 |
.209 |
.291 |
1.88 |
|
2005 |
1.46 |
8.70 |
4.43 |
5.31 |
.257 |
.340 |
1.80 |
|
2006 |
1.53 |
9.23 |
4.53 |
5.75 |
.275 |
.362 |
1.63 |
|
2007 |
1.65 |
11.35 |
3.52 |
3.33 |
.301 |
.366 |
1.09 |
To be fair to Kline, it should also be noted that he
stranded 81% (26 of 32) of his inherited runners, easily the highest mark among
all relievers with at least 15 IR, and he is well liked and respected within the
Giants clubhouse. Still, the club would be wise to simply part ways with the
35-year old lefty and the $1.75 M owed to him in 2008.
Jack Taschner appeared 63 times in 2007, second only to
Kline among lefties. In 50 innings he posted some very Jeckyll and Hyde like
numbers.
|
ERA |
WHIP |
BB/9 |
BAA |
K/9 |
H/9 |
|
5.40 |
1.46 |
5.22 |
.235 |
9.18 |
7.92 |
Even more oddly, left handed batters hit .316 and slugged
.494 against Taschner in ’07 versus the .176 and .287 he recorded facing right
handed hitters. He also led the team with 7 walks to the first batter faced,
although his 68% success ratio in stranding inherited runners (30 of 44) was
second to Kline’s mark (min 15 IR). Taschner clearly has the kind of stuff that
can get major league hitters out, but he will have to improve his command (29 BB
in 50 IP) in order to make the roster next season.
25-year old left hander Jonathan Sanchez’ future appears to
lie in the Giants starting rotation, but in 2007 the second year southpaw made 29
relief appearances. Control was his biggest issue with 23 walks and 3 hit
batsmen in 35.2 innings as a reliever. But he also struck out 43, and held
hitters to a .248 batting average, including a .197 mark versus lefties (the flip
side of that being that right handers hit him at a .321 clip). Additionally, he
stranded 11 of 13 inherited runners (85%), held the first batter faced to a .200
BA (6-for-30) and posted a .211 BAA with runners in scoring position
(12-for-57).
Sanchez had a rough start to the season in which he walked 13 batters in
his first 14.2 IP before the club sent him down to AAA Fresno. He was
then recalled a few weeks later when Russ Ortiz went on the DL and had a very
strong month (10.1 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 13 K – 1.74 ERA) before injuring his rib cage
on June 25. He then struggled badly upon his return in late July (10.2 IP, 14
H, 6 BB, 9 K – 8.13 ERA) and was optioned back down to Fresno in early August.
He returned in September to make four starts before a left oblique
strain shut him down for good over the final 10 days of the season. Despite his
struggles as a starter (7.27 career ERA), the Giants still see him in that role.
He has the stuff to fit it, but if he continues to slide and he were able to
harness his control, he could also make a very nasty lefty specialist.
26-year old rookie lefty Pat Misch made 18 appearances for
the Giants in ’07, 14 of them as a reliever, where he was clearly more
effective. As a starter, Misch went 0-4 with a 6.41 ERA, and hitters batted .345
against him. Out of the bullpen, his ERA was 2.18, and opponents hit just
.240. He held lefties to a .238 clip, although he allowed 7 of
12 inherited runners to score (58%) and gave up 6 hits to the 14 first batters
he faced (.429). Perhaps a change in approach might be in order for Misch, who
also gave up 12 hits in 23 at bats (.522) when opposing batters hit the first
pitch.
He struck out 26 and walked 12 in 40.1 innings at
the big league level. At Fresno, he struck out 74 and walked just 19 in 66.2
innings, mostly in relief, while holding opposing batters in the hitter-friendly PCL to a .227 mark, including just .199 as a reliever. Misch will receive strong
consideration for a role with the big league club in 2008 in some capacity,
although he seems better suited to relief.
Right Handers – Brad Hennessey, Tyler Walker, Vinnie Chulk, Randy Messenger, Scott Munter, Scott Atchison, Kevin Correia
Brad Hennessey led the Giants with 69 appearances in 2007,
as the erstwhile starter spent time setting up Armando Benitez before ascending
to the closers role when Benitez got dealt to Florida. On the whole,
he had respectable numbers, posting a pitching line of 3.42/1.30/.257
(ERA/WHIP/BAA) and saving 19 games, including 14 straight from June 30 through
August 31.
However, for the year, he allowed 47% of all inherited
runners to score (15 of 32), and the first batter he faced batted a composite
.308 against him (20-for-65 w/4 BB). That and 3 blown saves in his last five
chances (and five overall) along with the emergence of Brian Wilson put
Hennessey back in the set up role where he’s expected to toil again in 2008. On
the other hand, his relative youth (28 next February), status as a former top
pick (#21 overall in 2001) and versatility (starter, reliever, closer) give him
perhaps the best marketability he’ll likely ever have, and the team ought to
think seriously about packaging him in a deal for some offense.
Just food for thought: with the Giants stated desire to get
younger, the Reds need for bullpen help, and the emergence this past season of
Jeff Keppinger (28 in ‘08, who nevertheless faces a logjam with Alex Gonzalez,
Brandon Phillips and Edwin Encarnacion in front of him), perhaps Brian Sabean and
Wayne Krivsky ought to get together this winter and make something mutually
beneficial happen.
One reason to let Hennessey go is the re-emergence of Tyler
Walker, who returned in late August after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery only
the previous July. The San Francisco native was traded by the club to Tampa Bay
in April of ‘06, where he rebounded from an awful start (15.19 ERA in 6 games for
SF) to save 10 games in 12 chances with the Rays before injuring his elbow. The
Giants signed him to a minor league deal in the off-season and reaped the
unexpected benefits during that rough final month as Walker appeared 15 times
and was unscored upon in 14 of them, while recording 7 holds. In 14.2 innings,
he had a pitching line of 1.26/1.12/.250, and he even held left handers to just 4
hits in 22 at bats (.182). The Giants will hope he can replicate those numbers
next season and help plug some of the late inning holes that plagued the team
all year long.
After doctors initially had feared that Vinnie Chulk – a
smokeless tobacco user – had a blood clot and would need surgery, he was
diagnosed with a rare circulatory disease, and the club expects him to return
healthy in
2008. The hope is that they will see the same production he gave them in a
stellar stretch from mid-May through the end of July. In 26 outings during that
stretch, he posted a line of 2.38/1.01/.210. Toss out 1 really bad outing in
which he gave up 5 runs in 1/3 of an inning, and Chulk allowed just 1 run in 25
appearances. He also stranded 15 of 19 inherited runners during that span, and
posted a remarkable pitching line of 0.40/0.80/.160.
That stretch, however, followed a terrible start for Chulk,
who in the first month and a half put up an ERA of 4.34 while opposing hitters
batted .301 against him. He also allowed 8 of 12 inherited runners to score.
Buerger’s Disease – which led to numbness and a chilly sensation in Chulk’s
right middle finger – then affected him in August, when he struggled again
before missing the final month of the season.
Randy Messenger came to San Francisco on May 31st, when the
team shed itself of the cancerous Benitez following a two-balk blown save
against the Mets. Messenger immediately impressed fans by failing to give up a run in
his first 7 appearances and 17 of his first 20, as he posted a 1.07 ERA in his
first 25.1 innings with San Fran. His ERA with the Giants was 2.60
when he broke a bone in his non-pitching hand punching a plastic equipment cart
in frustration on August 14th, forcing him to miss a month. When he returned, he
was simply awful, pitching seven times down the stretch and giving up 13 runs on
19 hits in 6 innings.
Even before the injury, though, his ERA was somewhat
deceptive. In his first 30 outings before breaking his hand, hitters were
batting .291 against him and 13 of his 22 inherited runners had scored (including 8
of his first 10). Further, there isn’t much in his career numbers to hang your
hat on.
|
Year |
ERA |
WHIP |
BAA |
|
2005 |
5.35 |
1.87 |
.273 |
|
2006 |
5.67 |
1.59 |
.296 |
|
2007 |
4.20 |
1.65 |
.329 |
|
Career |
5.01 |
1.68 |
.304 |
The 6’6” hard throwing right hander would seem to have
tremendous potential, with Bochy at one point even suggesting he could be a
closer someday. But thus far in his short major league career, Messenger has
lacked consistent success and should need to have a big spring in order to earn
a spot in the Giants pen.
In 2005, Scott Munter’s super sinker helped the lanky 6’6”
righty post an ERA of 2.56 while inducing3.46 ground balls for every fly ball.
Then in ’06, he imploded, posting an 8.47 ERA and a 2.12 WHIP even though he
still managed 2.73 GB/FB. Munter spent most of this season in the minors, but
in 10.2 innings for San Francisco, he had a 4.22 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP and
delivered 2.63
GB to every FB. The sinker remains effective, yet hitters have increasingly feasted on him,
and he rarely strikes batters out.
|
Year |
BAA |
OPS |
IP |
K |
|
2005 |
.280 |
.683 |
38.2 |
11 |
|
2006 |
.366 |
.942 |
22.2 |
7 |
|
2007 |
.368 |
.865 |
10.2 |
4 |
The Giants feel that the 27-year old can be a
contributing part of the pen, and as proof point to the 18 double play balls his
super sinker has induced in his 72 big league innings, but the reality is that Munter will need to start missing a few more bats if he wants to return to San
Francisco next year. He will work on improving his game this winter as a member
of the Scottsdale Scorpions of the Arizona Fall League.
Scott Atchison made his debut for the Mariners in 2004 at
age 28 and threw well, posting a 3.52 ERA in 25 games. He missed much of the
2005 season with an elbow injury, and spent all of ’06 at Tacoma. Seattle
released him following that season, and the Giants signed him to a minor league
deal last November.
At Fresno this year, the well-traveled Atchison posted a
2.01 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP while striking out 51 and walking only 8 batters in
53.2 innings to earn another shot. In 22 outings for the Giants covering 30.2 innings,
he was at times effective, but generally inconsistent. In a July recall, he
pitched 4 scoreless innings, but in August, he had a 6.75 mark and a .321 BAA
before rebounding to put up a 3.07 and a.240 in 14.2 innings in September.
With 2 outs and runners in scoring position, he held hitters to just 1
hit in 16 at bats (.062) this year and gave up just 4 hits to the 20 first
batters he faced (.200). He showed enough this year to be given another look in
the spring.
Kevin Correia made 51 relief appearances for the Giants
before being moved to the rotation in the final month. As a reliever, he
embodied the inconsistency that plagued the bullpen in ’07.
|
Month |
IP |
ERA |
|
April |
9.2 |
5.59 |
|
May |
14.1 |
1.88 |
|
June |
10.1 |
2.61 |
|
July |
14.0 |
6.43 |
|
August |
7.1 |
4.91 |
For Correia, a strong showing as a starter in September
combined with his struggles in the pen make it "rotation or bust" in 2008.
Closer – Armando Benitez, Hennessey, Brian Wilson
In his final 8 appearances in a Giants uniform, beleaguered
closer Armando Benitez surrendered 7 runs on 9 hits with 4 walks in just 7.1
innings, while losing two games and blowing two saves. The final straw came on
May 29 against his former Met teammates, when two balks coupled with a massive
Carlos Delgado home run to result in a heartbreaking walk-off loss in the bottom
of the 12th. Benitez was shipped out to Florida just
a day later.
Hennessey took over the closer role after his departure,
doing an adequate job, but he eventually surrendered the role to second year man
Brian Wilson down the stretch. Wilson was, for the most part, impressive for San
Francisco. In 24 appearances, he had a line of 2.28/0.97/.188, while striking
out 18 in 23.2 innings. He was unscored upon in his first 11 games (with a
.128 BAA) before giving up single runs in back-to-back outings. He then put up
another 9 consecutive scoreless appearances (.133 BAA) before he was shelled in
his second to last outing of the year; a failed attempt at a 5-out save in which
he went over 30 pitches for the only time and gave up 4 of the 6 runs he allowed
in 2007 (including a 3-run go ahead home run to Brian Giles). It was a
rare blemish in his two months with the club and his only blown save in 7
chances.
Blessed with a Rivera-like cutter and a fastball that can
reach the upper 90’s, Wilson proved most difficult to hit, holding right handed
batters to a meager .145 batting average (9-for-62), giving up just 3 hits to
the 24 first batters he faced (.125 BA with 0 walks), only allowing 4 hits in 24
AB leading off an inning (.167 again with 0 walks), and surrendering just 3 hits
in 22 AB in his 6 converted saves (.136). While he wasn’t tested with many
inherited runners in ’07, he nevertheless stranded all three runners he was left
with after successfully stranding 17 of 19 in 2006.
The most encouraging sign for Wilson was a dramatic
turn around in control. In 2006, he walked 15 batters in 29 minor league innings
and another 21 in 30 IP at the big league level. Despite that high walk total, he
entered spring training as the odds-on favorite to take the closer role away
from Benitez. However, seven more walks in 11.2 spring innings cost him a spot on
the 25-man roster, and he opened the year at Fresno, where he walked 22 more in
his first 24.1 innings through mid-July (interrupted by two stints on the DL for
right triceps tendonitis and a 3 inning rehab stint in San Jose in June). It
was then that he seemed to turn things around. He walked just 2 more batters in his
final 10 minor league outings (10 IP). With 6 saves during that span to go
with a 0.90 ERA and his suddenly improved command, Wilson earned his recall to
San Francisco, where he walked only 7 more and ultimately finished the season as the Giants
closer.
Whether or not Wilson remains in that role in 2008 remains
to be seen, but the team has made clear its intention to improve the bullpen.
Wilson shows a lot of promise, but his control issues are not far removed. The
idea of acquiring a top level closer such as Joe Nathan to mentor Wilson
for a year or two while he proves his control issues are behind him and provides
the team with a dominant setup man in the 8th is at the very least
intriguing, and may be prudent when considering that batters hit .140 against
Wilson
in the 8th inning this year but almost 100 points higher (.238) in
the 9th. On the other hand, equally intriguing is the idea of
beginning the ’08 season with a possibly dominant 26-year old Wilson at the back
end of the pen.
Looking Ahead – 10 Pitchers to Watch
Sergio Romo – Romo is a control specialist who has
walked just 43 batters in 238 minor league innings. This year at Class-A San
Jose, he allowed only 35 hits and issued just 15 walks while striking out 106 in
66.1 innings (14.38 / 9IP) and posting a 1.36 ERA with a 0.75 WHIP. He also held
opponents to a .155 batting average and saved 9 games while on his way to
becoming the second consecutive San Jose Giant to win the Class-A Advanced Relief
Pitcher of the Year Award (see Brian Anderson below). He was particularly
effective in the second half, when he allowed just 30 baserunners in 42.1 innings,
while striking out nearly 2 batters per frame and stranding 18 of 20 inherited
runners. At one point, Romo threw 23 straight scoreless innings before allowing
an unearned run. He then followed that up with another 11 consecutive
scoreless innings in which he allowed just one hit and no walks, while striking out 19.
He finished the year in style, collecting 3 post-season saves in leading San
Jose to the Cal League Championship. In the playoffs, he allowed just 2 hits and
no walks in 5.1 IP without allowing a run and striking out 9. The sidearming,
aggressive 24-year old right hander keeps hitters off balance with an assortment
of high 80’s fastballs, slurves, and changeups thrown with pinpoint control. He
will likely begin next year in the high minors, but considering his success, he
has an outside shot to make the big league club. He is currently pitching for
Scottsdale in the AFL.
Osiris Matos – Matos earned a spot on the Giants'
40-man roster with an impressive 2006 season in which he struck out 81 and
walked 12 in 61 innings at Augusta. Boasting a mid-90’s fastball and a hard
biting slider, the 22-year old righty posted a 2.89 ERA and a .239 BAA in 56.0
innings for AA Connecticut before beginning a late season rehab assignment at Low Class-A
Augusta, where he threw 9 scoreless innings (9K, 1H, 0 BB). From there, he finished up in the playoffs with San Jose,
tossing 5.2 innings and giving up 1 run on 5 hits (again, no walks) and striking
out 11. He is expected to begin the year as the closer in Connecticut, but could
see a September recall if he has a strong year. He is currently pitching in the
Dominican Winter League.
Merkin Valdez – Acquired from Atlanta in December of
2002 for Russ Ortiz, Valdez has never lived up to his tremendous potential,
pitching just twice at the big league level in 2004 and getting shelled. He was
moved to the bullpen for the 2006 season, but missed all of 2007 after undergoing
reconstructive surgery on his elbow. He remains on the 40-man roster however
and recently told Phillip Ramirez that he is 100% healthy and throwing in the
mid-90’s. If Valdez (26 next month) can regain both his command and his slider,
he could be a serious sleeper pick in 2008. Valdez, too, is pitching in the
winter leagues.
Billy Sadler – This 26-year old right hander works a
two-seamer in the low 90’s, but can reach 96 mph, and compliments that with a
solid curve. The 6th round pick in the 2003 draft earned a September
recall and a spot on the 40-man roster in 2006 by allowing just 28 hits in 55.2
combined innings between Connecticut and Fresno, holding hitters to a collective
.148 batting average. Control issues set him back in ’07. He walked 35
batters in 42.1 innings at Fresno and 6 more in 12.1 innings for Connecticut to
give him a two-year total of 72 BB in 110 IP and a total of 176 in 297 career
minor league innings. Still, he allowed only 39 hits in 54.1 innings this year,
and opposing batters hit just .202 against him. Don’t count him out, but he’ll
need show better command or he won’t remain on the 40-man past March.
Brian Anderson – After blowing just 1 save in 20
chances in a stellar 2005 campaign in which he posted a 42:3 strikeout to walk
ratio and a 0.69 WHIP, the 14th round pick of the ’05 draft converted
his first 31saves in ’06 for San Jose before setting a franchise record with 37.
He was the California League Pitcher of the Year as he struck out 85, walked 17, and held hitters to a
.183 BA in 67.2 innings. He struggled a bit this season for Connecticut – 3.93
ERA, .275 BAA in 50.1 IP – but still managed to save 29 games. He’s walked
just 40 batters in 146 minor league inning, and accuracy is the key for Anderson,
who lives in the high 80’s with a cutting fastball and slider. Also currently
pitching for Scottsdale, he is likely to begin next season in Fresno, then earn a September recall. He’s not a future closer, but could
become a valuable member of the pen in a setup role.
Justin Hedrick – A 6th round pick in
2004, this right hander came on strong in 2006, posting a 2.00 ERA and a .182
BAA along with a 0.97 WHIP for San Jose. He also struck out 110 while walking
just 30 in 85.2 innings. This year for Connecticut in 71.1 IP, he struck out 72
and walked 37, recording a 2.14 ERA and holding opponents to a .215 batting
average. He had a mid-season blip but finished strong with a 0.84 ERA over his
last 21.1 innings. He is lanky with long arms and throws four pitches; a
fastball, slurve, slider and a splitter that is his strikeout pitch. He’s
Fresno bound, but he’s another likely September recall, if not sooner.
Steve Edlefsen – A former all-state hitter as a
shortstop in high school who set a Nebraska school record with six hits in a
game, Edlefsen was a 16th-round pick for San Francisco in 2007, and
thrived in his first professional season as a pitcher. In 33.1 innings for
Salem-Kaizer, he allowed just 14 hits and held hitters to a .131 average. He
didn’t discriminate either, holding lefties to a .139 mark and right-handers to
.127 average. He throws a power sinker and a short breaking ball that prompted
his manager Steve Decker to say that he might have the best stuff on the team. Salem-Kaizer, for the record, finished the year 57-19 with an
SAL-best 3.40 team ERA. Edlefsen had Tommy John surgery while in junior college.
While he isn’t expected in the big leagues anytime soon, he’ll be watched very closely
the next couple of seasons.
Alex Hinshaw – This 24-year old southpaw (15th
round – 2005) had a breakout year for Connecticut, allowing just 22 hits and
striking out 50 in 41.1 innings. Opposing batters hit just .155 as a whole
against him with lefties batting just .119. He had a 1.96 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, and
walked just 19 this season after walking 78 in his first 92 professional innings
over the previous two.
Waldis Joaquin – Signed as an undrafted free agent
in 2004, Joaquin showed initial promise in an his pro debut in ’05 (37 K and 10
BB in 29.2 IP). He then missed all of 2006 after Tommy John surgery, but bounced
back with a strong ’07 campaign for Salem-Kaizer in which he had a 2.84 ERA and
a .176 BAA. What makes him special is arguably the most explosive fastball in
the Giants' minor league system. He works it in the high 90’s, and has topped 100
this fall in the Instructional League. He compliments that with a hard, low
90’s slider. 21-years old this Christmas Day, Joaquin needs to learn a bit more
about the art of pitching, but he is a name for Giants fans to put on their
collective radar. He is likely to begin the year in Augusta with a mid-season
promotion to San Jose in order.
Daniel Otero – When it comes to control specialists,
this kid tops the list. Otero earned the MiLB.com Class-A Short Season Relief
Pitcher of the Year Award in his first pro season by putting up some remarkable
numbers. He recorded saves in his first 17 consecutive appearances, and finished
the year a perfect 19-for-19 over his 22 outings. Additionally, he went
unscored upon in 19 of his first 20 games, finishing all 22 he entered. In
22.1 innings, he allowed just 3 runs and 12 hits while striking out 15.
Opponents
batted just .154 against him, and he had absolutely silly 0.54 WHIP on the
strength of his zero walks issued. At one point, he even retired 22 straight
batters. On top of all that, he recorded saves in the last two games of the
Northwest League Championship series, tossing two more scoreless innings,
again without walking a batter. A 21st round pick in ’07 and
lifelong starter, Otero throws much like the man he modeled himself after, Greg Maddux. His fastball sits in the high 80’s, and he compliments that pitch with a
slider and changeup, not to mention impeccable control. A strong spring could
earn him a spot in San Jose and a fast track to the majors.
Read more from Richard Van Zandt at
BaseballEvolution.com
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