MLB Trade Speculation: Bullpen Trade Suggestions for Every Contender

The importance of a good bullpen often gets lost in the shuffle when compared to starting pitching and offense.

The difference between a solid bullpen and a poor one can mean the difference between making the playoffs and watching them from home, however.

As nice as it is to score runs and lock down the opposition early in games, it’s very difficult to win without a reliable set of relievers.

The New York Yankees proved the importance of relief pitching when they won the World Series in 2009. Of the eight playoff teams that year, seven of them blew at least one save. The only team that didn’t was the Yankees.

Much of that, of course, had to do with the immortal Mariano Rivera, but it also meant that the auxiliary relievers held steady as well.  With nearly half of the MLB’s 30 teams still in contention, there are many possibilities with regards to reliever movement heading toward the July 31 trade deadline.

While most of the contenders have strong bullpens already, there is always room for improvement.

The following are suggestions for deadline acquisitions that each of the contending teams can make to strengthen their respective bullpens.

Boston Red Sox: John Grabow

Statistically, the Boston Red Sox bullpen is in the middle of the pack. When you look at each reliever individually, however, it’s tough to detect a legitimate weakness.

Jonathan Papelbon hasn’t been lights out as the closer, but he’s firmly entrenched in that role. Both Daniel Bard and Matt Albers possess miniscule ERAs, while Dan Wheeler has pitched much better since returning from the disabled list.

Additionally, Alfredo Aceves has done well as a long reliever.

Perhaps the main issue in Boston’s bullpen is the lack of a legitimate lefty specialist. Franklin Morales has had mixed results, but it remains to seen whether he can be trusted in a big situation.

With that in mind, John Grabow of the Chicago Cubs would be a sensible addition for the Sox. Grabow hasn’t exactly set the world ablaze over the past two seasons, but much of that has to do with his struggles against right-handed batters.

Grabow has a batting average against of just .238 against lefties this season, meaning he should be able to thrive in a limited role for the Red Sox. The most attractive part of Grabow is likely the fact that very little will have to go the other way in order to acquire him.

Detroit Tigers: Chad Qualls

With just a 1.5-game lead over the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central, the Detroit Tigers could certainly stand to make some moves if they hope to solidify their spot in the playoffs.

The bullpen is a particular area where the Tigers need to improve as they have the second-worst pen in the league, statistically speaking. It helps that Jose Valverde has been nearly flawless as the closer and Al Albuquerque has been a revelation as a setup man, but there has been little support behind them.

Joaquin Benoit has failed to bolster the Tiger bullpen and has been a huge disappointment since coming over from Tampa Bay this offseason. Phil Coke’s recent move back to the pen should be advantageous as he is capable of being an effective lefty specialist.

Overall, the best move for Detroit would be to pick up a reliever capable of pitching in the final three innings. That makes Chad Qualls of the San Diego Padres a fine option.

Qualls has bounced back nicely from a nightmarish 2010 season to the tune of a 2.61 ERA and 1.18 WHIP. He has plenty of experience pitching in late-game situations over the course of his eight-year career as well.

Outside of last season, he has never had an ERA over 3.76, meaning that he’s an extremely reliable arm to have at your disposal. With most of the focus on Heath Bell, the Tigers may be able to nab Qualls at a relatively bargain price.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Jason Frasor

The Los Angeles Angels completely dominated the AL West for much of the past decade due, in large part, to a fantastic bullpen. The likes of Scot Shields and Troy Percival were successful more often than not when it came to closing out games.

While the current incarnation of the Angels’ bullpen may not be as dominant, it has been a big reason why they have been able to keep pace with the Texas Rangers this season.

Jordan Walden has done a spectacular job in the closer’s role as a rookie, and he has been flanked nicely by a pair of effective lefties in Scott Downs and Hisanori Takahashi.

Rich Thompson has performed admirably as the main righty reliever in the pen, although the return of Fernando Rodney from the disabled list should take a bit of pressure off him.

With Rodney’s injury issues in mind, the Angels could definitely use another solid right hander in the bullpen.

The Toronto Blue Jays are ripe with good righties, and Jason Frasor is among them. Frasor has done a great job over the last few seasons and has answered the bell in a number of situations including closer, setup man and middle man.

In all likelihood, Frasor would be the yin to Scott Downs’ yang as a righty/lefty setup duo for the Angels. The Jays obviously won’t give Frasor away, but he should be had for a fair price when you consider his true value.

Cleveland Indians: Jason Isringhausen

As perhaps the American League’s most surprising team this season, the Cleveland Indians have been the beneficiary of a number of breakout performances. The bullpen in particular has seen quite a few of them and is one of the main reasons why the Tribe is just barely on the outside looking in with regards to the playoff picture.

Chris Perez officially became Cleveland’s closer in the middle of last season and has done well to carry his success over into 2011.

There may be no team in the majors with a better stable of lefties than the Indians as Rafael Perez, Tony Sipp and Joe Smith have all been sparkling this season. Also, Vinnie Pestano has come out of nowhere to be a reliable force in the late innings.

One thing that Cleveland’s bullpen lacks, though, is a veteran righty who can be trusted in big situations. Luckily for the Indians there are quite a few of that type of pitcher available on the trade market.

Jason Isringhausen of the New York Mets would seem to be a great fit. Isringhausen closed for the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals for nine years, and he has reprised that role this season as a Met.

After taking all of 2010 off, Isringhausen has been surprisingly good for the Mets as he has a 2.67 ERA in 39 outings. At his age, Isringhausen won’t cost the Indians much, and he could certainly round out their bullpen nicely for the stretch run.

Texas Rangers: Kevin Gregg

During their run to the World Series last season, the Texas Rangers got plenty of help from a very diverse and effective bullpen. For whatever reason this year, however, the Ranger pen has struggled to the tune of a 4.50 cumulative ERA.

Not much has changed in terms of the names from last season’s bullpen with the exception of Alexi Ogando. The addition of Ogando was an absolute coup for Texas’ pen last season, and although his move to the starting rotation has been mostly positive, it has certainly taking some of the bite out of the bullpen.

The Rangers are still equipped with Neftali Feliz who continues to impress as the closer, and veteran southpaws Arthur Rhodes and Darren Oliver seem to defy Father Time with each passing year.

Outside of that, there are plenty of question marks with Mark Lowe serving as the main right-handed setup man. With that said, the most obvious and pressing need for the Ranger bullpen is a righty reliever who can help serve as a bridge to Feliz.

Baltimore Orioles’ closer Kevin Gregg would work quite well in that role. Gregg has worn many hats during his career as a major league reliever so setting up for Feliz shouldn’t be an issue.

He’s been pretty successful over the past nine seasons, although he has been known to have some momentary lapses in concentration. Gregg has a 3.89 ERA this season, but his 1.62 WHIP suggests that number should be higher.

If nothing else, Gregg is a good battler and would be a big help to Texas’ bullpen.

New York Yankees: Matt Capps

Thanks to the additions of Rafael Soriano and Pedro Feliciano this offseason, the New York Yankees were expected to have one of the best bullpens in baseball this season.

Feliciano has been on the shelf for the entire season, as has Soriano for most of the season, however. Despite that, the Yankee bullpen is right where it was expected to be, atop the American League in terms of ERA.

Not only has Mariano Rivera been fantastic as usual, but so has David Robertson, who made his first All-Star appearance this season.

Luis Ayala has been surprisingly excellent as well, as have Hector Noesi and Cory Wade in more limited roles. Boone Logan has held his own as the lone southpaw in the Yankee bullpen, although he could certainly use some support.

The market in terms of lefty relievers is quite poor though, so one might expect the Yanks to pursue an experienced righty instead. One pitcher the Yankees have been linked to is Matt Capps of the Minnesota Twins.

With Soriano set to return soon, the Yanks could decide that a bullpen addition is unnecessary, but Soriano’s injury issues make him far from a sure thing. Capps has experience as a closer and a setup man, making him an ideal seventh-inning option.

His ERA of 4.71 this season is quite deceiving as his WHIP of 1.12 suggests he has had some bad luck to this point. A change of scenery would probably serve Capps quite well.

Philadelphia Phillies: Tim Byrdak

The Philadelphia Phillies’ bullpen has been ravaged by injuries this season, yet it is still in the upper half of the league statistically and has been good enough to make the Phillies the winningest team in baseball this season.

The most impressive stat related to the Phillie bullpen is that they have blown only three games this season, the fewest in the league. This is particularly surprising when you consider that closer Brad Lidge has been on the disabled list for the entire season.

Ryan Madson has filled in admirably as the closer, although it’s possible he could go back to his more familiar role as a setup man with the return of Lidge. It remains to be seen how Lidge will pitch coming off an injury, but he could certainly give the pen a boost.

Jose Contreras is on the DL at the moment but is expected to return at some point as well. Michael Stutes has done well as a rookie, and Antonio Bastardo has been practically unhittable as the lone reliable lefty in the pen.

Provided Lidge and Contreras can return to form, the Phils should be set in terms of right-handers.

A secondary lefty would be helpful though, and Tim Byrdak of the New York Mets should be able to fill that role. Byrdak would by no means be the sexiest addition, but with an ERA under 4.00 in each of the past five seasons, he is reliable if nothing else.

His career splits support the fact that he’s a lefty specialist as left-hander batters have hit just .207 off him during his career. The best part is that the Phillies will have to part with little more than a bucket of gently used baseballs if they want him.

Atlanta Braves: Mike MacDougal

The Atlanta Braves, without question, possess one of the most dominant bullpens in the major leagues, and that is a huge reason why they have a six-game lead in National League Wild Card standings.

The All-Star pairing of Craig Kimbrel and Johnny Venters is virtually untouchable in the eighth and ninth innings which allows Atlanta to shorten games by essentially making them seven-inning affairs.

Atlanta’s pen has a lot more to offer than just Kimbrel and Venters, however.

Perhaps the best feature of the Braves’ bullpen is their three-headed monster of left-handed pitchers. Both Venters and Eric O’Flaherty have been incredible this season with 1.34 and 0.99 ERAs respectively.

Also, George Sherrill has done a great job but is often overlooked due to the dominance of his teammates. Scott Linebrink has served as the primary right-handed setup man and he’s done quite well also with a sub-3.00 ERA.

Aside from Linebrink, the Braves are pretty short on righties though and could benefit from adding another.

That need could be ruled moot if both Peter Moylan and Kris Medlen return next month as expected, but if the Braves can find an effective righty at a reasonable price, they should pull the trigger.

Atlanta would do well to prey on the cash-strapped Los Angeles Dodgers in an attempt to pry away Mike MacDougal. MacDougal has certainly had an up-and-down career, but he has been at his best in Los Angeles this season to the tune of a 2.14 ERA.

Although it wouldn’t be the biggest addition, MacDougal would add a little diversity to the Atlanta pen.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Mike Gonzalez

I think it’s fair to say that nobody, not even Pittsburgh Pirates fans, would have predicted that the Pirates would be just one game out of first place in the NL Central at this point in the season.

Pittsburgh’s roster certainly doesn’t scream playoffs, but its bullpen has been a dominant force and is among the biggest reasons for the team’s success this season. The Pirates rank fourth in the National league this year with an aggregate bullpen ERA of 3.10.

The pen is anchored by Joel Hanrahan who may very well be the best closer in baseball this season thanks to his 1.24 ERA and 28 saves in 29 opportunities. A trio of righties in the form of Chris Resop, Jose Veras and Daniel McCutchen have been absolutely electric and made for a great bridge to Hanrahan.

Evan Meek, an All-Star last season, has been injured for much of this year. His return is in question, but if he were to come back, the Pirates might possess the best pen in the league.

One thing the Pirates have lacked is a reliable lefty reliever. Tony Watson has been decent, albeit in limited work, while Joe Beimel has struggled mightily. The addition of another southpaw would be quite helpful, and although the Pirates probably won’t go crazy at the deadline, there are a few lefties who can be had at a discounted price.

One of them is Mike Gonzalez of the Baltimore Orioles. Gonzalez began his career in Pittsburgh and had three excellent years for them. Since going to Baltimore from Atlanta, Gonzalez has been a shell of his former self.

It’s no guarantee that he’ll be able to resurrect his career in Pittsburgh, but a change in scenery is much needed.

Milwaukee Brewers: Randy Choate

Prior to a couple weeks ago, the Milwaukee Brewers’ bullpen was pretty underwhelming. With an ERA slightly over 4.00 overall, they are in the bottom third of the league in terms of effectiveness.

The return of Takashi Saito from the disabled list and the addition of Francisco Rodriguez through a trade with the New York Mets have strengthened Milwaukee’s bullpen immeasurably, however.

John Axford has done an excellent job as the closer and LaTroy Hawkins has practically risen from the dead to become a solid set-up man. The addition of K-Rod has given the Brew Crew a really nice endgame, with Saito also capable of handling late-inning work.

Outside of that Kameron Loe, Marco Estrada and Tim Dillard have all scuffled to some degree this season. There is no question that the biggest weakness in the Brewers’ bullpen is the total lack of a lefty.

Mitch Stetter is the lone southpaw on the roster, although he’s currently on the disabled list. With that in mind, Milwaukee is in dire need of a left-handed specialist.

Seeing as the Florida Marlins are far outside the NL East race, they would likely be willing to move Randy Choate. The sidewinder has been quite inconsistent over the course of his career, but he’s been spectacular this season complete with a 1.33 ERA and 0.98 WHIP.

Left-hander batters hit just .207 off him during his 11-year career, meaning he should be able to carve out a niche for himself on a contending team like the Brewers.

San Francisco Giants: Will Ohman

The defending world champion San Francisco Giants are all about pitching.

Behind the likes of Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner, the Giants were able to topple the likes of the Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Texas Rangers en route to winning the World Series.

With all of the accolades being heaped upon the Giant starters, the Giant bullpen was a bit unheralded. The bullpen was a huge piece to the championship puzzle, however, and it has been tremendous again this season.

The Giant bullpen is second in the majors with a cumulative 2.92 ERA and first with an opponent’s batting average of just .214. There is perhaps no more complete bullpen in the league than San Francisco’s.

The eccentric Brian Wilson continues his dominance over big league hitting as the closer, along with an incredible stable of righties including Sergio Romo, Santiago Casilla and Ramon Ramirez. If that wasn’t enough, the Giant bullpen also contains a pair of great lefties in Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez.

In all honesty, the Giant bullpen is essentially perfect.

If the Giants do decide to make a move to bolster their pen, though, they might look to add one more lefty. Will Ohman of the Chicago White Sox would be a solid, cheap option.

Ohman has been used more as a mop-up reliever than a lefty specialist by the White Sox, but he would be able to fill either role for the Giants.

Righties have hit just .204 against him during his career meaning he would form an excellent triumvirate with Affeldt and Lopez and give the Giants a myriad of options moving forward.

St. Louis Cardinals: Heath Bell

The St. Louis Cardinals’ bullpen is the definition of mediocre. Planted firmly in the middle of the pack in nearly every category of note, the Cards could certainly afford to make some improvements.

The absence of Brian Tallet leaves the Cardinals with a big hole in terms of lefties, but with so few quality ones on the market, they may just stick with Trever Miller as their primary southpaw. Jason Motte and Mitchell Boggs have done well in setup roles this season, but neither is particularly dominant.

Since the release of former closer Ryan Franklin, Fernando Salas has done a great job closing out games. In reality, though, he is probably better suited as a set-up man.

With no other contending team in dire need of a closer, the Cardinals are probably among the favorites to acquire San Diego Padres’ closer Heath Bell. With Bell’s impending free agency and the Padres’ penny-pinching ways, Bell has been rumored to be on the move for the past couple seasons.

Bell has made the All-Star game in each of the past three seasons and saved at least 40 games in each of the past two seasons. If he stays on pace, Bell should be able to cross that 40-save threshold again this year.

If the Cards can secure Bell, it would give them three relievers with fantastic stuff at the backend of their bullpen. Bell would obviously cost a lot more than any of the other relievers on this list, but he would be worth it for a St. Louis team that seems to be only a player or two away from being a legitimate World Series threat.