Relievers Goin Fast

Landru <Landru77.DeleteThis@inbox.com> wrote:
> Maybe Scott Eyre's price tag was too high? Howry and BJ Ryan signed.
> Wonder if/when the Dbacks will join the frenzy and get a reliable
> reliever. Or are we doomed to watch another season watching
> injury-prone kids try to get the job done?

Building a reliable bullpen isn't just a matter of money, and it sure
isn't easy. If it was, the Red Sox would have had a decent bullpen last
season.

The problem is that relievers, more than any other category, seem to
really warrant the old, "Past performance is no indication of future
results" disclaimer. About the only team that seems to consistently get
better-than-expected performance out of relievers is the Braves, which
probably has more to do with their pitching coach (Leo Mazzone) than the
brilliance of their front office.

That said, at least injury-prone kids are inexpensive, as opposed to
injury-prone veterans.

And the bad luck with the kids can't last forever. At some point, their
established kids will get healthy, or a few new ones will come up from the
minors, perform well and *not* get hurt. Unless, of course, the team
abuses the youngsters or ignores unhealthy mechanics.

I'm guessing that Josh Byrnes has at least *some* Sabermetrics leanings,
and that probably means we'll see pitch counts decrease for younger
pitchers, especially in the minors. Will it result in fewer injuries?
It's tough to know, but the early indications are that baseball players'
bodies don't finish maturing until at least 24 or 25, so keeping the pitch
counts down for guys under that age is probably a good way to reduce the
risk of injury.

--Paul
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