(Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)
The New York Mets had the best bullpen in the National League in 2006. Coincidentally (or not), that was the last time they reached the postseason. Then, the bullpen went into a tailspin, finally hitting rock bottom last season.
The 2008 Mets bullpen blew a whopping 29 save opportunities and posted an ugly 4.27 ERA.
New York's arch-nemesis for the last few seasons, the Philadelphia Phillies, had a completely different situation.
The Phillies bullpen ranked 24th in ERA in 2007. The Phils made a complete turnaround in 2008, jumping to 2nd in the majors with a 3.22 bullpen ERA. Philadelphia relievers blew just 15 saves in 2008, about half that of the New York bullpen.
A big part of that turnaround was closer Brade Lidge, who converted all 41 of his save opportunities.
Can the Mets bullpen make a similar turnaround in 2009?
I think General Manager Omar Minaya's work in the off-season gives them a good chance to do just that.
Phillies Community Leader Christian Karcole thinks that the Phillies depth in the bullpen will give them the upper hand. Check out his thoughts on the subject here: Division Debate: Phillies Bullpen Still Too Mighty For Mets
The Mets bullpen will be completely different in 2009. The actual bullpen itself, where these pitchers will call home for 81 games is even different.
The new bullpen at Citi Field will be free of the stress, troubles, and heartache experienced in the Shea bullpen. There will be a fresh start.
The Mets will return just two relievers who saw significant time in the bullpen last season. Pedro Feliciano (86 games) and Brian Stokes (24 games) are the holdovers who will be joined by five new faces when the season starts on April 6 in Cincinnati.
The Mets cut ties with several relievers who were a part of the misery of the last two seasons. Aaron Heilman, Scott Schoeneweis, and Joe Smith were shipped off via trade. Duaner Sanchez was cut during spring training, and closer Billy Wagner will miss significant time while recovering from elbow surgery.
Having new faces around who didn't have a part in the bullpen collapses will certainly help to change the atmosphere in the pen.
During the off-season, Minaya dismantled his bullpen and then rebuilt it. He started the rebuilding process on December 10th, 2008.
On that day, Minaya officially announced the signing of the Mets new closer, Francisco Rodriguez. Later that night, Minaya acquired former Mariners closer J.J. Putz in a three-team blockbuster trade, giving the Mets perhaps the best bullpen combo in the majors.
K-Rod will replace Wagner as closer. Considering that Wagner and Rodriguez are essentially equal in effectiveness (career—Wagner—2.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, K-Rod—2.35 ERA, 1.11 WHIP), this is not an upgrade. So, had Minaya rested after acquiring K-Rod, the Mets would have basically the same bullpen as last season. But, he didn't rest. He kept working.
We're going to send you the most entertaining Philadelphia Phillies articles, videos, and podcasts from around the web.
11 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete