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The Bullpen


KrankinSox
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The offense gets a ton of credit as the strength of this team, rightfully so, as it has been excellent this season.

However, the bullpen has quietly been the unsung hero of this team so far. They've pitched a lot of innings as the starters haven't gone deep in many games. Outside of the Minnesota series, they've kept every game close.

Heuer looks filthy and may be a late inning guy on this team for years to come. Bummer continues his dominance. Detwiler has been unhittable. Evan Marshall looks like a new pitcher. Matt Foster and Jimmy Cordero have looked good. Colomé has made things interesting but continues to get the job done and close out games.

The one guy I've been disappointed in is Steve Cishek but if he lives up to his track record, there should be improvement from him.

This is also a bullpen that lost Jimmy Lambert and started with Gio Gonzalez as a long man before being forced into the rotation due to injury. Can't forget that depending on how the Sox want to handle him and how he looks in Schaumburg, we could see Garrett Crochet coming out of the pen this season.

With the battle of bullpens being a major factor in postseason play, I think the Sox bullpen could prove to be a major asset this season.

Edited by KrankinSox
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The bullpen is going to get worked this year. They have been awesome so far. Hopefully they can keep it up.

I like Heuer as the future "closer". Bummer is filthy and should stay as the #1 reliever/high leverage reliever on the team. 

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Agreed.

Bummer has made anyone questioning the extension foolish.

Heuer looks good.

Marshall surprised me last year and is carrying it over.

Cordero/Det look good.

Colome, like last year, is making it happen although at times w/ more work than ideally you'd want from a closer.

Once Cishek gets it together I like our pen. Which is needed considering what's happening to the rotation and what is needed to compete in the play-offs.

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I don't wish to be a wet blanket, but I've watched Colome pitch and I'm not sure that he's the closer if this team is to win a title.

He just seems so under-powered and precarious out there.

Are the Sox in a place to trade for another power arm at the deadline?

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19 minutes ago, knightni said:

I don't wish to be a wet blanket, but I've watched Colome pitch and I'm not sure that he's the closer if this team is to win a title.

He just seems so under-powered and precarious out there.

Are the Sox in a place to trade for another power arm at the deadline?

Not sure there is going to be a lot of trading given the deadline is in 3 1/2 weeks and over half the league will make the playoffs.  I really only see the handful of legit tankers trading away pieces and probably not a ton of big name princes.  Maybe someone like Mychal Givens on the Orioles could be had for a somewhat reasonable price.

Also, I really don’t want to be that guy, but bullpens are highly volatile.  I’n ecstatic with how guys have been performing so far, but outside of Bummer and Heuer, I need to see much more before I start believing this is sustainable.  Marshall in particular seems to be pitching way above his ability level and will certainly regress, but perhaps he’s made some changes that are helping him K a lot more batters.  We’ll obviously find out with more time.

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1 hour ago, knightni said:

I don't wish to be a wet blanket, but I've watched Colome pitch and I'm not sure that he's the closer if this team is to win a title.

He just seems so under-powered and precarious out there.

Are the Sox in a place to trade for another power arm at the deadline?

If Colome struggles, I think you give Heuer a shot at closing before trading for anybody.  I'm not anticipating any major trades this season for the Sox. 

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Every time I watch Colome I think "There is no way he can continue being successful like this." And then he continues being successful like this.

So credit where credit is due, when it comes to the only stat that matters (leaving the 9th with a win), Colome has been nails for us.

But there is no way he can continue being successful like this........

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If Bummer is to be kept out of the closer role for high leverage situations I would have no problem with Marshall getting a shot if Colome were to fail. His stuff is NASTY, which I never thought I’d say 2 years ago when he was acquired
 

6th/7th inning- Colome, Heuer, Cordero, Cisheck

Matchup Lefty- Detweiler 

8th- Bummer

9th- Marshall 

I don’t hate that at all.

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Heuer stuff is very reminiscent of Nate Jones. 97-98 with a wrinkle and a very good slide piece. Foster has impressed me, and to not to keep the "sox-like" comps flowing but he looks like vintage Jesse Crain.

Going into next year could look something like this.
 

Bullpen and control after this year

Bummer* - CL - 6 years
Heuer - SU - 5 years 
Foster - SU - 5 years
Marshall - MR - 2 years
Fry* - MR - 3 years
Cordero - MR - 5 years
Burdi - MR - 6 years
Lopez - LR - 2 years

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4 hours ago, gusguyman said:

Every time I watch Colome I think "There is no way he can continue being successful like this." And then he continues being successful like this.

So credit where credit is due, when it comes to the only stat that matters (leaving the 9th with a win), Colome has been nails for us.

But there is no way he can continue being successful like this........

Colome has been successful like this since 2015 though. At least we know he doesn't fold when the going gets tough.

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The Sox have done a great job during the rebuild of adding high ceiling arms from just about every source possible.  They traded some of their unusable international money for them, picked them up on waivers, brought them in on MiLB deals, and drafted many.  Obviously not everyone turned out successful (before someone decides to list every unsuccessful player acquisition in this category), but they have put together a very young and potentially top notch collection of bullpen arms.  Once you add back more of the starters , you might even see some of the guys who are "starters" now drop into that pen as well.

Pens are inherently unstable from year to year, but the Sox have done a good job of having talented guys lined up in waves so that if/when guys fail, they have solid depth ready for replacing those problems.

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2 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

The Sox have done a great job during the rebuild of adding high ceiling arms from just about every source possible.  They traded some of their unusable international money for them, picked them up on waivers, brought them in on MiLB deals, and drafted many.  Obviously not everyone turned out successful (before someone decides to list every unsuccessful player acquisition in this category), but they have put together a very young and potentially top notch collection of bullpen arms.  Once you add back more of the starters , you might even see some of the guys who are "starters" now drop into that pen as well.

Pens are inherently unstable from year to year, but the Sox have done a good job of having talented guys lined up in waves so that if/when guys fail, they have solid depth ready for replacing those problems.

You sound like a Rick Hahn shill.  Are you?

And, why not list some unsuccessful player acquisitions in this category?  It would be an interesting thread.  I can give you one right now, if you wish.

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