» Bullpen

Patton Making a Name

The Chicago Cubs rule 5 draft pick up David Patton has never pitched above single A ball, in 2008 he had a W/L record of 4-5 and a ERA of 3.54 and a WHIP of 1.38. So why is this player holding a 1.04 ERA this spring, and why is this single A pitcher confusing major league hitters?

It seems that David Patton has a great shot of making the major league team out of Spring training, many suggest that it is between him and Jeff Samardzija, and with the prospect of keeping Samardzija stretched out at AAA for emergency starts, it seems that Patton has every chance of breaking camp with the big league team.

“I was in the Rockies’ organization for four, five years, and to get some movement and see that another organization was interested in me really boosts your confidence a little bit and shows there are always people are watching,” Patton said. “There’s always an opportunity that someone’s going to see what you have. Maybe one organization doesn’t like you, but another might. It’s a really good opportunity.“

Patton throws a fastball a curveball and a change up and is a agressive pitcher, he struck out 87 batters in just 73 2/3 innings last season in Single A.

“He’s got a great arm, he’s got three plus-pitches,” Cubs player development director Oneri Fleita said. “He’s pitched out of the bullpen and gives us another guy who gives us some depth. He’s got a plus arm, threw up to 94 miles an hour and throws strikes.

Cubs fans might be hearing the name a lot this season!

Sean Marshall Secures 5th spot

I have been quite busy over the past 24-48 hours with work and some cricket, a great game that should be more popular in the US if you ask me. However i did hear that Sean Marshall will be the Cubs 5th starter this season. I am absolutely delighted about this, Sean has done a great job over the past couple years doing whatever he was asked, leftie relief, some spot starts and he did a commendable job every time.

This means that Aaron Helman will move into the bullpen and Jeff Samardzija will either move with Heilman to the bullpen or move down to AAA as a starter to stay stretched out.

The Cubs will carry 12 pitchers this season, this includes the five starters, Zambrano/Dempster/Harden/Lilly and Marshall. Lou commented that 5 spots in the bullpen have already been secured, likely Marmol/Gregg/Cotts/Heilman and Vizcaino, which means there are two spots still up for grabs, Samardzija/Gaudin and David Patton who has done well this spring with a 1.17 ERA as well as Randy Wells.

David Patton has never pitched above A ball, so to think that he will start the season with the Cubs is a long shot, however the way that he is pitching has led Lou Piniella to say that he is in the mix, and if he continues to impress then why not give him a go.

Yesterday I went over Houston’s suspect rotation, so today I’m going to focus on the bullpen.  It’s no secret that games are won and lost in late innings, and having solid relief pitching, especially with just a so-so starting rotation, is crucial.

Jose Valverde is an electric closer.  He has an excellent fastball. a good strikeout rate,  and has saved over 40 games each of the last two years. His ERA last year was a little high for a closer, but playing in Houston, a hitters’ park, certainly played a factor.

Setting up Valverde, the Astros have options with Hawkins, currently playing for Team USA in the WBC, Brocail, Byrdak, Geary, and Wright, a rookie last season.  Brocail is solid, earning almost 1 strikeout per inning last year, and Wright showed a lot of promise last year, but posted a poor ERA, as many rookie relievers do. Hawkins was lights out last year after coming over from the Yankies, posting a ridiculous .43 ERA through 21 innings with the Stros. Look for him to establish himself as the premiere set up man for Valverde.

All in all, the bullpen will have  high WHIP and above average ERA, but with most having a good fastball and good strike out rates, we should be able to give Valverde a chance to close out the win more often than not.

Finally, finally….I am quite comfortable with the tail end of the Mets Bullpen. After the last two seasons, Mets fans were left with nothing more than shattered hopes and dreams. One of the core reasons for this was clearly the lack of stablity in the bullpen.

You know the numbers: the 2008 Mets had the best record in the major leagues if games ended, as they do in Little League, after six innings.

Looking at it now we pick up K-Rod and Putz. Two guys who clearly can make a serious difference when the game is on the line in the late innings.

So the Mets signed Rodriguez, a free agent, to a three-year, $36 million contract, and they traded with Seattle for Putz. Last year, Rodriguez set the major league record for saves in a season with 62.

Rodriguez has saved at least 40 games four years in a row, tied for the longest streak in history. He is the first pitcher ever to lead the American League in saves, then switch leagues the following year. A switch of leagues doesn’t appear to be an issue for him, nor is the pressure he might feel as being one of the saviors of the bullpen, if not the team. 

Again, I want to see K-Rod step up when it counts as he has in the past. In those big Mets and Phillies showdowns, I want to see the lights go out on the Phils offense in the later innings!

I can;t wait to see this revamped bullpen in action.