Closer Watch: 2011

[Ryno84MVP]

Ken Rosenthal has mentioned a possible Span for Storen trade.

http://twitter.com/#!/Ken_Rosenthal/status/96312857964191744

If something like that happens, who closes in Washington...Clippard or Burnett?

[Sour Masher]

They seemed obsessed with keeping Clippard, their best reliever, in a more flexible set up role, and even though that might be a good idea, I cannot imagine how they could go back to Burnett. He's just not a closer-worthy reliever. If they did let Clippard close, I think he'd be a top 5 closer the rest of the way. He has the total stats package already, except for saves.

[Flyman]

When is Showalter going to get tired of all the batters Gregg puts on base and give Uehara a shot at closing?
(asks a Uehara owner, LOL)

[Judge Jude]

forget Rotoworld

The St Louis Post-Dispatch's Cardinals beat guy, Derrick Gould, tweeted today:

http://twitter.com/dgoold

McClellan moving to bullpen. La Russa says "important role". Could be used as closer, as a carrot for the move out of rotation. #STLcards

[Hornsby]

forget Rotoworld

The St Louis Post-Dispatch's Cardinals beat guy, Derrick Gould, tweeted today:

http://twitter.com/dgoold

McClellan moving to bullpen. La Russa says "important role". Could be used as closer, as a carrot for the move out of rotation. #STLcards

I think "set-up guy" would be an important role for McClellen. Putting him in at closer would be flirting with the bad Franklin days again. They're much better off with Salas in the role for the time being.

[BuckyBuckner]

I think "set-up guy" would be an important role for McClellen. Putting him in at closer would be flirting with the bad Franklin days again. They're much better off with Salas in the role for the time being.

I agree.

Pitcher A: .497 K/IP
Pitcher B: 1.02 K/IP

Who do you want as your closer? That's what I thought.

[Judge Jude]

lol

You are comparing strikeout rates for a one-inning reliever to a guy who just became a starter this year?
McClellan's problem was that he'd pitch 5 good innings, then tire while LaRussa snored on the bench.

If you think Salas can strike out a man per inning as a starter, you must be killing the Cardinals for wasting him in the bullpen.
Meanwhile McClellan had 60 K in 75 setup innings last year, which is a reasonable figure.

I realize that a guy who covers the team is no different than a guy blogging on his couch - wait, is that true?
He may have misread the comment, but I suspect he was standing in front of LaRussa when it was made. So it's just possible he's not just talking out of his arse.

[BuckyBuckner]

lol

You are comparing strikeout rates for a one-inning reliever to a guy who just became a starter this year?
McClellan's problem was that he'd pitch 5 good innings, then tire while LaRussa snored on the bench.

If you think Salas can strike out a man per inning as a starter, you must be killing the Cardinals for wasting him in the bullpen.
Meanwhile McClellan had 60 K in 75 setup innings last year, which is a reasonable figure.

I realize that a guy who covers the team is no different than a guy blogging on his couch - wait, is that true?
He may have misread the comment, but I suspect he was standing in front of LaRussa when it was made. So it's just possible he's not just talking out of his arse.

Last time I checked striking out a batter per inning is better than .8 per inning. Pretty simple math. Plus the way bullpens are sculpted the setup man is an important part of the pen. Ergo a setup man will have an important role in the bullpen. This sounds like a guy trying to "be the first" to claim something as it has become these days with that pathetic twitter. Everyone tries so hard to be the first that they throw facts out the window.

[Judge Jude]

"Last time I checked striking out a batter per inning is better than .8 per inning. Pretty simple math."

In a vacuum, yes.
But a good K per 9 vs a very good K per 9 is not a discussion-ender.
Salas has done a good job, but LaRussa may be more loyal to McClellan for his strong season last year and respectable fill-in this year as a converted starter.

We'll see. From my experience, guys in the clubhouse who hear something - but don't want to have to go to "a source said" because that causes problems - well, they just seem to wildly speculate and then sometimes wind up right somehow.

But to be fair, I have no idea about this guy. If he turned LaRussa's comments into his claim without any inkling, he's a dope.

There are plenty of those in all professions, though.

[Hornsby]

"Last time I checked striking out a batter per inning is better than .8 per inning. Pretty simple math."

In a vacuum, yes.
But a good K per 9 vs a very good K per 9 is not a discussion-ender.
Salas has done a good job, but LaRussa may be more loyal to McClellan for his strong season last year and respectable fill-in this year as a converted starter.

We'll see. From my experience, guys in the clubhouse who hear something - but don't want to have to go to "a source said" because that causes problems - well, they just seem to wildly speculate and then sometimes wind up right somehow.

But to be fair, I have no idea about this guy. If he turned LaRussa's comments into his claim without any inkling, he's a dope.

There are plenty of those in all professions, though.

Again, if what LaRussa said is true, and I have no doubt that it is...he said "important role", not "closer". If he's so all fired up to give McClellen his "reward" for being a good soldier, why not come right out and say that he's going to be the closer? I think that you're reading a lot more into some pretty innocent comments than might be there.

[Judge Jude]

Well, I didn't. I wouldn't take - from 1000 miles away - those comments to suggest McClellan sniffs a save.

So why did the beat guy think so? Is he so dumb that he speculates on a closing gig off "important role" and no other evidence?

I don't know. But usually guys in the clubhouse have better sense than that...

here's another apparently delusional guy in the room today:

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110727&content_id=22397388&vkey=news_stl&c_id=stl

ST. LOUIS -- The acquisition of Edwin Jackson provides an upgrade for the Cardinals in two areas, the club hopes. In addition to adding Jackson to the starting rotation, the move returns Kyle McClellan to the bullpen, and possibly even to the ninth inning. ...

"I think you can expect Kyle to have a very important role late in the game," La Russa said.

Pressed directly as to whether Fernando Salas is still his primary closer, La Russa did not commit.

"I'm just going to go with who's available," he said. "I have no problem picking either one of those guys [Salas or McClellan], because they both can get hitters from both sides of the plate out."

The opportunity to close certainly makes the move more palatable to McClellan, who pitched primarily as a setup man the past three seasons. He has six Major League saves and 39 games finished.

"I don't think there's anything that shows I can't do that," McClellan said. "I've done it when [former closer Ryan Franklin] needed days off. I feel confident I can do it. But it just depends on situations and all that kind of stuff that comes into play. But I definitely wouldn't shy away from it and would definitely welcome it."

[Hornsby]

Well, I didn't. I wouldn't take - from 1000 miles away - those comments to suggest McClellan sniffs a save.

So why did the beat guy think so? Is he so dumb that he speculates on a closing gig off "important role" and no other evidence?

I don't know. But usually guys in the clubhouse have better sense than that...

here's another apparently delusional guy in the room today:

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110727&content_id=22397388&vkey=news_stl&c_id=stl

ST. LOUIS -- The acquisition of Edwin Jackson provides an upgrade for the Cardinals in two areas, the club hopes. In addition to adding Jackson to the starting rotation, the move returns Kyle McClellan to the bullpen, and possibly even to the ninth inning. ...

"I think you can expect Kyle to have a very important role late in the game," La Russa said.

Pressed directly as to whether Fernando Salas is still his primary closer, La Russa did not commit.

"I'm just going to go with who's available," he said. "I have no problem picking either one of those guys [Salas or McClellan], because they both can get hitters from both sides of the plate out."

The opportunity to close certainly makes the move more palatable to McClellan, who pitched primarily as a setup man the past three seasons. He has six Major League saves and 39 games finished.

"I don't think there's anything that shows I can't do that," McClellan said. "I've done it when [former closer Ryan Franklin] needed days off. I feel confident I can do it. But it just depends on situations and all that kind of stuff that comes into play. But I definitely wouldn't shy away from it and would definitely welcome it."

Again, there's still NOTHING there that says that he'll be the closer, and nothing that says that he won't. You're the one who's reading things into this...

Can McClellen get some saves? Sure, and he probably will, considering that Salas hasn't been a total shut down closer. But as far as LaRussa handing him the role, it sure didn't happen in public.

[bweiser831]

i was relieved to see heath bell not traded to the cardinals. i own salas. i think he has to look over his shoulder at mcclellan, but i think he gets a few more saves down the line than mcclellan.

[Msaint]

i was relieved to see heath bell not traded to the cardinals.

I felt the exact opposite way, as in, homicidal after seeing Adams dealt from great park/closer-in-waiting status to terrible park/late-inning clusterf*ck w/ Uehara, Oliver, Feliz et al. On behalf of all Adams owners, I say, "Bite me, Jed Hoyer."

[Flyman]

I wouldn't be worried about McClellan at this point. He hasn't done anything in two BP appearances to remotely suggest that he should/would push Salas for saves.