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Building a Bullpen, Part II
By Dan | March 22, 2008
In Part I, we looked at the locks for the Mets’ pen: Wagner, Heilman, Feliciano, and Schoeneweis. In Part II, we will go over the remaining field of contenders, including Duaner Sanchez, Matt Wise, and Jorge Sosa, for the final spots. Assuming the Mets use 7 relievers as they have in the past, that leaves 3 spots left to fill the back end of the pen.
Duaner Sanchez
Statistics
2007: Did Not Pitch (Injured)
2006: 55.1 IP, 2.60 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 44 SO, 24 BB, 3 HR
Splits: Vs. Left: .273/.325/.425, Vs. Right: .179/.255/.226
Stuff: Sanchez’s fastball sits in the 92-93 MPH range, but it’s not known how hard he will throw now after several surgeries on his shoulder. He also features a slider which he throws mostly against righties, and a changeup which is thrown mostly against lefties. He will also occasionally mix in a curveball.
Chance of Making Pen: 75%. It’s possible Sanchez may start the season on the disabled list as he recovers from his injuries, but he will be given every chance to succeed after that. The Mets are said to be very pleased with his work ethic this Spring Training. It’s not likely his velocity will ever return to the level of 2006, but if he can just reach 89-90 MPH consistently, it’s possible Sanchez could still be effective.
Matt Wise
Statistics
2007: 53.7 IP, 4.19 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 17 BB, 43 SO, 5 HR
2006: 44.3 IP, 3.86 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 14 BB, 27 SO, 6 HR
Splits: Vs. Left: .260/.341/.425, Vs. Right: .298/.333/.440
Stuff: Wise, like Heilman, is mostly a fastball/change up guy. His fastball mostly sits in the 86-88 MPH range, and he will mix in his changeup to keep hitters off balance. He throws his changeup even more than his fastball against lefties.
Chance of Making Pen: 90%. Barring Sanchez proving to the Mets that he can pitch regularly, it’s likely Wise will break camp with the team. Wise has been masterful this spring, and while Spring Training is relatively meaningless, he has certainly upped his stock in the eyes of the Mets’ brass.
Jorge Sosa
Statistics:
2007: 112.7 IP, 4.47 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 41 BB, 69 SO, 10 HR
2006: 118.0 IP, 5.42 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 40 BB, 75 SO, 30 HR
Splits: Vs. Left: .326/.400/.538, Vs. Right: .202/.253/.296
Stuff: Sosa features a 90-91 MPH fastball with little movement, and an 85 MPH slider that is without question his best pitch. He also mixed in a changeup more often in 2007 in an attempt to be more effective against lefties, but looking at his numbers, it wasn’t very successful.
Chance of Making Team: 90%. Sosa is likely to break camp with the team, as the Mets rewarded him with a $2 million dollar contract earlier in the offseason. If used properly by Willie, Sosa could be a big weapon for the Mets against right handers.
Steven Register
Statistics
2007: (AA) 58 IP, 4.03 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 16 BB, 48 SO, 3 HR
Splits: Vs. Left: .269/.307/.366, Vs. Right: .286/.336/.421
Stuff: Register has a 91-93 MPH fastball with decent sink, and a pretty average slider.
Chance of Making Team: 50%. Register must be on the 25-man roster for the entire season, or he will have to be offered back to the Rockies. It’s possible the Mets could take Register up with them to start the year, as they won’t need a 5th starter until Mid-April. This would allow them to get a better look at him as they decide if it’s worth using a roster spot for him.
Joe Smith
Statistics
2007: 44.3 IP, 3.45 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 21 BB, 45 SO, 3 HR
Splits: Vs. Left: .298/.411/.447, Vs. Right: .266/.361/.359
Stuff: Using a sidearm delivery, Smith’s fastball sits at 87-89 MPH with nice movement. He also throws a nasty 79 MPH slider that dives out of the strike zone against right-handers. Like most pitchers with his type of delivery, Smith will likely never be that effective against lefties.
Chance of Making Team: 25%. Since his run in early 2006 as one of the Mets’ best relievers, Smith’s stock has fallen in the organization. He will likely have to start the year out in AAA, and hope for his chance later in the year.
Ruddy Lugo
Statistics
2007: 48.3 IP, 5.40 ERA, 1.75 WHIP, 37 BB, 34 SO, 3 HR
2006: 85.0 IP, 3.81 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 37 BB, 48 SO, 4 HR
Splits: Vs. Left: .244/.388/.462, Vs. Right: .274/.386/.377
Stuff: For a reliever, Lugo features a surprising amount of pitches. His fastball sits in the 90-91 MPH ranger, and he will also mix in a slider, changeup, and curveball. Lugo struggled with his control in 2007, but he was quite effective for the Devil Rays in 2006.
Chance of Making Team: 0%. Lugo has already been sent to minor league camp. If any relievers struggle or get injured early on, it’s likely Lugo will be one of the first options on line.
That does it for the contenders. In Part III of our look at building a bullpen, Jason E. will take over with a look at Willie’s controversial bullpen usage.
Topics: Bullpen, HireDePodesta |
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