What Should Padres Bullpen Be Today?

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Apr 5, 2014; Miami, FL, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Nick Vincent (50) holds the baseball on the pitching mound during a game against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Villanueva is the obvious long man. Perdomo is slotted in as a middle reliever until he proves he can really pitch in The Show. If he can adjust quickly, with his stuff, then there’s no reason he shouldn’t be tabbed for late inning work. But until then, it’s middle relief duties.

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Before getting to the later guys, it’s important to understand how Green might change up how the bullpen is operated. Analytics people argue that having a closer is not using one’s bullpen to the fullest. Why save your best reliever when the most important inning might be the seventh inning? What if the game really swings in the balance before the ninth? Why not use your best guy as they would have before Tony LaRussa put Dennis Eckersley into the closer role we are familiar with now? Green might very well harken back and sign a relief ace.

Edwards was great in AAA. But he doesn’t throw 98 mph. So, until he can prove he can translate that to the big leagues he should be put in for middle relief.

Vincent, though consistently good (2.63 ERA in 150.2 career innings), will not make it as this mock roster’s relief ace. He should be thrown in some of the tougher situations, whether they be against a tough part in the lineup or with men on base in the middle of the inning.

Quackenbush was a closer in the minors, had a good 2.48 ERA in 2014, but struggled in 2015. He threw 58.1 innings – four more than in his rookie year. But his ERA soared to 4.01 and his FIP to 3.56. Perhaps the Padre defense let him down a bit as his peripheries (other than HR/9 which jumped from 0.3 to 0.9) were very similar between the two years. But until he proves he can return to his 2014 form, Quackenbush should not be the relief ace.

Originally, I was thinking Maurer would by my relief ace. He had a 3.00 ERA and 3.31 FIP in his 51 innings last season. Brandon Maurer came over from Seattle and performed well in late relief until he went down with what really seemed to be fatigue more than an injury. In fact, before his struggles started on July 22, Maurer had an ERA of only 2.00 in 45 innings. He has lively stuff and a good, though limited, track record of over 100 innings out of the pen.

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It was a tough decision not to give the job to Maurer. But Pomeranz’s numbers convinced me otherwise. In his 63 career relief innings, Pomeranz has a 2.14 ERA, 1.016 WHIP, and 9.4 K/9. Pomeranz was a once highly-touted prospect in the Cleveland organization.

So, Pomeranz is slotted as the relief ace, with Maurer as the number two and Vincent as the number three. Quackenbush and Edwards are next, though their use should be more as a middle relievers when the Padres are leading. Perdomo would come in when the Padres are trailing as middle relief. And Villanueva is the long man.

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Padres Editorials: What Should Padres Bullpen Be Today?

By Keegan Tatum | Jan 16, 2016

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