2K19: Closer and Bullpen

[revo]

Honestly, this has to be the worst crop of closers to enter a season in years, maybe decades. Just so much uncertainty with virtually all of them besides the top 2 or 3.

[cavebird]

I think the trend is going that way. Closers, except the elite ones, are fungible, so no job is safe.

[madducks]

Sergio Romo signs for 1 year, $2.5 million with the Marlins. So, it will be Romo vs. Steckenrider for the closer job during spring training. Romo would seem to be the favorite.

[onejayhawk]

I have been pre-ranking for a 20 team auto-draft league. My strategy is to do all the hitters except C and only SP for the first 200 slots. Since the league is (Sv + Hold) rather than Sv and Hold, closers are sharply devalued. OTOH I was able to get Ottavino off WW in preseason last year.

J

[Judge Jude]

Sergio Romo signs for 1 year, $2.5 million with the Marlins. So, it will be Romo vs. Steckenrider for the closer job during spring training. Romo would seem to be the favorite.

Will Romo pitch the 9th -or the 1st?

[Ken]

Will Romo pitch the 9th -or the 1st?

Yes...

[mgwiz22]

I don't recall the Marlin's using an opener and wouldn't expect them to do it this year.

[revo]

I don't recall the Marlin's using an opener and wouldn't expect them to do it this year.

JUPITER, Fla. - Marlins manager Don Mattingly is keeping an open mind heading into spring training.

As pitchers and catchers reported to Jupiter on Wednesday, Mattingly said he's open to the idea of using an "opener."

The Rays would start the game with a member of the bullpen and fill out the rest of the game using the whole staff.

This was to compensate for the Rays' lack of established starting pitchers.

"There hasn't been a ton of talk about using an opener-type situation," Mattingly said. "But, obviously, we've seen what Tampa was able to do last year. Oakland followed it up a bit. It worked."

https://www.local10.com/sports/mlb/marlins/mattingly-to-consider-using-an-opener-to-pitch-games

[cavebird]

This is the Marlins. Romo will close until the trade deadline; anything else would be stupid. They want him more marketable and Steckenrider cheaper. They might use openers, but most of their staff is interchangeable garbage, so how do you notice if they guy who pitched one inning and gave up four runs was an opener or just a shitty starter?

[Pauly]

This is the Marlins. Romo will close until the trade deadline; anything else would be stupid. They want him more marketable and Steckenrider cheaper. They might use openers, but most of their staff is interchangeable garbage, so how do you notice if they guy who pitched one inning and gave up four runs was an opener or just a shitty starter?

I agree Romo is more marketable if he does well, but Steckenrider is also on a one-year deal with no bonuses for saves as far as I can tell. I wonder if they will try to build up his value with saves since Romo already has his reputation regardless. Just a thought

[cavebird]

I agree Romo is more marketable if he does well, but Steckenrider is also on a one-year deal with no bonuses for saves as far as I can tell. I wonder if they will try to build up his value with saves since Romo already has his reputation regardless. Just a thought

Saves jack up arbitration salaries. He's got years of team control left.

[Pauly]

Saves jack up arbitration salaries. He's got years of team control left.

From what I see he wouldnt be arb eligible until after next season when he will be 30 years old. So they are grooming him for 3 years from now? Maybe I guess

[cavebird]

From what I see he wouldnt be arb eligible until after next season when he will be 30 years old. So they are grooming him for 3 years from now? Maybe I guess

It's the Marlins, I could see that, lol. Letting Romo be featured and get saves also might increase their return at the deadline, but probably only marginally.

[onejayhawk]

Closer Monkey is posting again. This is their updated AL grid.

Closer 1st in line 2nd in line
BAL Givens Bleier Fry
BOS Barnes Brasier Hembree
NYY Chapman Britton Ottavino
TB Alvarado Roe Castillo
TOR Giles Tepera Mayza

CHW Colome Jones Herrera
CLE Hand Cimber Edwards
DET Greene Jimenez Farmer
KC *Boxberger Peralta Hill
MIN *May Parker Hildenberger

HOU Osuna Rondon Devenski
LAA Allen Robles Buttrey
OAK Treinen Soria Rodney
SEA Strickland Swarzak Armstrong
TEX Leclerc Martin Chavez

A full write up is here: http://closermonkey.com/

J

[Judge Jude]

https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelph...artner=ya4nbcs
CLEARWATER, Fla. — Seranthony Dominguez made his major league debut five weeks into the season last year and quickly became manager Gabe Kapler’s favorite bullpen weapon.

“When Seranthony is at his best, there may not be a better reliever in baseball,” Kapler said after Dominguez made his spring debut with three quick outs against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday.

“He has no ceiling. He can be as good as anyone in the league.”

Keeping the hard-throwing, 24-year-old right-hander healthy was a priority last season and it remains so this year. Dominguez had a 1.59 ERA in his first 29 games last season but it rose to 4.88 over the next 24. That might have been attributable to fatigue and the Phils want to guard against that this season.

“We’ve had a player plan meeting with Dominguez and one of the things we want to do is definitely stay in close contact with him,” Kapler said. “Anything that crops up for him related to fatigue, we definitely want to back off."