We’ve gone over how the five worst offenses and rotations of last season now look with the offseason nearing completion. We’ll do the same here with the quintet of bullpens that had the most difficulty preventing runs in 2019. Judging a bullpen just by ERA is an admittedly crude method, though each of the relief units in question here also posted subpar fielding-independent metrics. The bottom line is that they struggled. Let’s see how they stack up now…
Baltimore Orioles (5.79 ERA/5.38 FIP; current depth chart)
- No surprise to see the Orioles at the bottom, considering the rebuilding outfit’s myriad difficulties last season. The Orioles didn’t get particularly impressive production from any of their relievers. Even their No. 1 option, Mychal Givens, had trouble at times, though he did strike out better than 12 batters per nine. Givens is on track to open the season with the Orioles, but he could certainly be an in-season trade candidate. If they move him, it would further weaken a bullpen that hasn’t added anyone of note this offseason.
Washington Nationals (5.68 ERA/4.94 FIP; current depth chart)
- The Nationals proved last season that you can have a bottom-of-the-barrel bullpen from a statistical standpoint and still win the World Series. However, general manager Mike Rizzo’s in-season tinkering with the group proved effective, especially the acquisition of flamethrowing closer Daniel Hudson at the trade deadline. Hudson remains in the fold, having re-signed in free agency for two years and $11MM. In an even bigger move, the Nationals signed Will Harris – a former Astro whom they upended in the Fall Classic – to a three-year, $24MM pact. With those two and the returning Sean Doolittle, Washington appears to be in nice shape late in games, but it’ll need more from Hunter Strickland, Roenis Elias, Wander Suero and Tanner Rainey.
Colorado Rockies (5.18 ERA/5.12 FIP; current depth chart)
- There were few oft-used bright spots last season in Colorado’s bullpen, which didn’t get much from anyone but Scott Oberg and Carlos Estevez. The good news is that it’s hard to imagine Wade Davis, Bryan Shaw and Jake McGee pitching much worse in 2020 than they did last season. And even if they do, they’re all entering the final guaranteed season of their onerous contracts, so they shouldn’t be the Rockies’ problem for much longer. In the meantime, the Rockies are going to need bounce-back efforts from them because they haven’t meaningfully addressed their late-game setup this offseason.
Kansas City Royals (5.07 ERA/4.55 FIP; current depth chart)
- Kansas City’s another team that has been quiet in the past few months, despite its less-than-stellar output a year ago. There are a couple bullpen trade candidates on hand in Ian Kennedy and Tim Hill, arguably the Royals’ two best relievers, but nothing has materialized on those fronts thus far. Kennedy was terrific last season in his first year as a reliever, though the fact that he’s due $16.5MM in 2020 has likely scared off interested teams.
New York Mets (4.99 ERA/4.71 FIP; current depth chart)
- The Mets were extremely busy in trying to repair their bullpen last offseason, when they traded for ex-Mariners star Edwin Diaz and signed Jeurys Familia and Justin Wilson. The latter pitched well during an injury-shortened campaign, but Diaz and Familia fell off a cliff, which is why the Mets are on this list a year later. At least in Diaz’s case, though, it would be reasonable to expect a much better performance in 2020. He struck out over 15 batters per nine and maintained his 97 mph velocity last year, after all, and isn’t going to surrender home runs on 27 percent of fly balls again this season. Regardless of how he does, the Mets have added some notable support to their relief unit in the past several weeks. They signed former Yankee Dellin Betances, one of the elite relievers in recent memory (albeit one coming off an injury-ruined year), as well as the accomplished Brad Brach. They also have the newly signed Michael Wacha as a potential long relief option, not to mention holdovers Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman.
Look at the Mets’ bullpen on paper and they should be really good, as long as the relievers don’t have similar issues as last year. If their SPs and bullpen come together, that’s a scary staff. They’re getting all the right pieces into place, it’ll be interesting to see what happens this season.
You right they just hired their second manager of the offseason all the pieces are coming together just as planned
I’m guessing you’re a Phillies fan… how’s Kapler doing? Enjoy the next decade plus of the Harper contract hanging around your necks.
A.) Kapler is doing just fine in San Fran. So far he is undefeated. I don’t know if he can keep that pace long term, but he has yet to lose a game.
B.) Harper’s contract may be long, but the AAV is manageable and the Mets will still be paying Bonilla after Harper’s contract expires. Lol!
I’m thinking Beltran was the weak-minded, pr/media move bvw felt they needed. Ironically, I think he did s great job putting three “better” candidates on staff around him and fully expect a true veteran manager type to be hired as bench coach like a Riggleman, Gibbons or Baker, someone like that. I’d love to see a return to the dugout from a former Met who has coaching experience like Ray Knight or John Stearns or even Bowa or Buddy Harrelson to offer old school experience and insight. I think Collins will be in camp to groom, but my gut says he’s done with all the travel and headaches.
I think the Bonilla deal expires in 2026 so you are wrong. And if you understood Time-value, you would know the Mets got the better of that deal. $6 million in year 2000 is far more valuable that $2/year for 20 years.
Jim stem you apparently aren’t aware that Buddy Harrelson is suffering from dementia. Very sad for a great guy and a true Met
Oh no, that’s terrible (Harrelson). You are correct in that I was not aware, thank you for sharing.
Do you understand accounting/finances/inflation? Obviously not, because you are one of thousands that say Bobby Bonilla. Let me try to help:
When you defer millions of dollars in order to sign an impact player, you end up paying significantly less money overall. The reason is simple – $1 million dollars today. Here is a link to an inflation calculator tool: in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1992?amount=1000000
So you don’t have to do anything tough like click that link, $1M in 1992 is $1.8316M today. Therefore, the Mets SAVED $831.6k by deferring. That’s one year of the 25 years of deferrals. Adds up to a lot and actually is a sound business decision.
Now, if you wish to say Bonilla was a bad signing, I can respect that point of view. I happen to disagree as he was an Allstar in 1993 and in 1995, when he was traded midseason to the Orioles. No, he never made the impact the team hoped for, but he was no dud either. Did the signing help them win? no. Did the deferment save a ton of cash? yes. So please, learn something about inflation and finance and find a new hobby other than regurgitating the old diatribe of ha ha, you still pay BB. Harper is owed $330M in TODAY’s money and performed about as well as Bobby Bo did in 1993. Compare that one.
I didn’t know that either. Best to him and his family.
Bonilla was a bad signing based mostly off of his personality and clashes with the New York media (there’s a video on you tube demonstrating this) but his numbers based solely on early 1990’s baseball stats were solid.
Bobby wasnt all bad though he was the one who pushed Cal Ripken out of the dugout to take his lap around the stadium the night he broke Lou Gehrig’s record
Harrelson has dementia
Bonilla’s contract expires in 2035. Harper’s expires in 2031. Based on AAV, it is not as horrible as it is made out to be. Bonilla, however small annually, is dead money that is paid annually for three decades after his last appearance. $36M+ on ZERO production is lost money. That’s fantastic that there is millions saved on inflation, but lost money is still lost money. The best part of this is that someone is telling a Philadelphia fan about regurgitating an old diatribe. lol.
I’m guessing you’re a Phillies fan… how’s Kapler doing? Enjoy the next decade plus of the Harper contract hanging around your necks.
Right, they just made a better hire then the initial hire
The Mets just made a better hire than the initial hire? Interesting.
So what does it say about the Mets organization if they chose the “lesser” hire in the first place and only went to the “better” hire after a scandal that forced them to fire the initial hire when they saw that there was no way they could keep him?
BTW…my over/under for Mets fans to turn on Rojas is June 1st.
What does it say about the marlins organization that the team is always a dumpster fire?
@MetsFan22
Hmmmm…Good point. But it then cycles back to the Mets. What does it say about the Mets that the Marlins (team that is always a dumpster fire) has just as many championships won in far far far far less years and 3 less decades than the Mets. And the Mets have the longest championship drought in the NL East – a drought so long that the Marlins didn’t exist until 7 years after that championship; the Nationals didn’t move from Montreal until 29 years after; the current NL East structure didn’t come around until 8 years after; and all of the NL East teams have built new parks (the Braves have built 2) since then?
What’s worse than a dumpster fire? Hmmmm…oh yeah…the NY Mess…I mean Mets.
Marlins fans looking at the past just like yankee fans… at your two lucky championships where you made it in as a WC team… and it’s the marlins. Everybody knows your prospects will be bust. Just like Diaz and brinson lol. Marlins will be in the basement for the next 5 year… look at the most recent 5 years. Mets have made the playoffs twice.( about to be 3 times) Marlins 0. The Mets have made the WS in that span too… marlins are a clown organization that never gets anything. Right…
Yeah, we’re the joke organization with prospects that are surely guaranteed busts. Every team wishes they had the success with prospects like the Mets have had with Steve Chilcott, Ike Davis, Reese Havens, Gregg Jefferies, Tim Foli, Butch Huskey, Lastings Milledge, Shawn Abner, Fernando Martinez, Billy Beane, Paul Wilson, Bill Pulsipher, David West, Ed Lynch, Mike Pelfrey, Matt Harvey, Aaron Heilman, Doug Sisk, etc. etc. etc.
Yeah, clown organizations never have success like that. We have sucky prospects in our history like Giancarlo Stanton, Miguel Cabrera, Christian Yelich, etc. But we know the Mets have had prospects and many players better than all three of these lousy players.
Yes and our previously highest paid player is still injured from a fight with a boar. The pieces are coming together something like that funny movie about the Cleveland Indians where Charlie Sheen played a professional athlete. Yeah that was a good movie – Angels in the Outfield.
Actually, it was “Major League”.
Makes you wonder if Cespedes drank JoBu’s rum. After all, we know “Iz berry berry bad to drink JoBu’s romb…berry berry bad.” I just don’t know if I’m quoting this from Pedro Cerrano or Yoenis Cespedes…and I’m half Latino (Afro-Latino) like them, and still can’t tell the difference in their “ashents”..
Thanks for clearing up your race to not be called a racist you loser
Ignore the troll – don’t feed it. Maybe it will go back in it’s hole again.
Dude comments incessantly with zero knowledge – just hate towards all the other NL East teams.
Meanwhile, the Marlins signed some dude the Phillies cut last year and this site celebrated it like that was making the team better. They win 65 games a year, do nothing to improve, have a lapdog in Mattingly that if he was soooooo great we may see some actual player development, and do nothing but make a mockery of the sport. I guess I understand why he is so mad at everything, but maybe be upset that the franchise you choose to support is the laughing stock of sports outside the Cleveland Browns.
I don’t post with hate towards ALL of the other NL East teams – just the one that has the longest championship drought in the NL East. Guess which team that is. Here’s a hint. It ain’t the Marlins, Braves, Phillies, or Nats.
and yeah, the Mets aren’t a laughing stock. They are a model franchise that every other fan base wish their teams would match…especially in historical accomplishments, history of leadership aptitude, long history of legendary prospects, excellence with September leads, taking care of players like Bobby Bonilla for their World Series championship accomplishments, etc. etc. etc.
Marlins are a joke. They are the last team that should be talking….
1986
All six of them!
Lol
2020
You like to look at the past. For the next 10 years you’ll wish you were a Mets fan. Better than being in the basement all the time
Oh, I’m saving this.
You’ll save it and won’t use it. Mets will a better team than marlins most of the time for the next 10 years
Marlins go from “being in the basement all the time” to “Mets will be a better team than Marlins most of the time the next 10 years”?
Already started backtracking. LOL!
The biggest surprise here is the red sox aren’t on this list and they will be for sure next season
In terms of era Boston’s bullpen ranked better than its starters.
The Sox actually had the 5th best cumulative WAR amongst bullpens and led the league in K/9
Good grief how are the Mariners not on any of these lists.
There were some pretty bad bullpens last year…
Are my glasses not working? Where are the RS in this group?
Was Colorado’s bullpen really that terrible, based on ERA and FIP? Shaw had an ERA+ of 97 despite having a 5.38 ERA, so if we apply the same standard to the ERA and FIP as a group, wouldn’t they be an average bullpen? Not saying their bullpen was good, but was it really close to being as bad as the rest of the list?
Why is it just assumed Diaz will be good again? “isn’t going to surrender home runs on 27 percent fly balls again”
Why isn’t he? I get the hope that he will bounceback to his former level, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he has a great year, but I don’t assume it as fact. Isn’t it just as possible that he simply lost it?
have fun with DeLlin Betances (it’s funny because he’ll be on the DL all year)
It’s not funny when you have to tell us why it is.
It’s also not called the DL anymore
Huh…the Marlins aren’t on this list. Listening to the media, you’d swear they were last in everything.
At least they decided to work on their bullpen before they ended up on this list.
They’re last in fan intelligence.
Hudson’s numbers with the Nationals were WAY above career norms, therefore a typical deviation back to average should be expected. Did he greatly underachieve for 8 1/2 years and figure it out with the Nats or did he just catch the momentum over a very small sample time?
I would expect Doolittle to carry the closer load with Hudson in the 7th or 8th with occasional save looks after Doolittle goes successive days.
By mid season, Doolittle, Harris and even Strickland should jump him in late inning pressure situations – at least until the water cooler catches Strickland on an off day. (Pun intended)
Worth noting with the Nats…the main culprits of those poor numbers were all jettisoned midseason. Once they moved on from Rosenthal, Barraclaugh, etc the pen steadily improved over their pretty historic 2nd half. Using their limited pen in the playoffs effectively (Doo, Hudson, Rainey, etc) helped them win the title.
I know that statistically the pen looked horrific but applying some context tells us that their pen turned into a pretty solid unit that contributed to a title by the end.
And Grace.