Some more hope for our bullpen in 2007

[McCarroll21]

Over on that one board, that shall now remain nameless, I posted a link to an article about Bob Wickman wanting to re-sign after the season.

Here that is:
Wickman considers return to Atlanta (http://atlanta.braves.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060907&content_id=1650939&vkey=news_atl&fext=.jsp&c_id=atl)

"I'd like to play for Atlanta," Wickman said. "Before that period of free agency hits, yeah, definitely, I'd like to talk about a deal."

If you go read the article, you can see some of the pitchers feelings about Bob, which leads me to believe that him being on this team is helping this team get better in more ways than just nailing down the 9th inning. I think putting guys like Paronto, McBride, Devine and Boyer under his wing for another season would go a long way in helping them mature and understand what it takes to get the job done in the late innings.


Well now, this was written in the AJC yesterday...

Baez wants to return, too (http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/braves/stories/2006/09/16/0917bravesnotes.html)

Baez, whose salary is $4 million, becomes a free agent after the season and hopes the Braves will try to re-sign him. Of course, closer Bob Wickman is also a free agent and remains Atlanta's top priority.

"I definitely would like to stay here," said Baez, who is 5-6 with nine saves and a 4.53 ERA in 57 games with the Dodgers and Braves. "I've played on the West Coast. I don't want to do that again. I want to be closer to my family in Florida."

So, now we have our two mid-season acquisitions basically telling JS they want to come back. I'm not sure if we can re-sign Baez because he's arbitration eligible, which means he has to make at least $4 million because that's what he made this season. I don't see us signing a setup man for that much money ... but who knows.

Let's think about this for a minute ... okay, done.

Our bullpen in 2007 could conceivebly be ...

Wickman
Baez
McBride
Boyer
Devine
Paronto

With these guys all in the mix for that last spot and/or stashed away in the minors for future needs:
Barry
Cormier
Foster
Lerew
Moylan
Ray
Reitsma
Startup
Stockman
Villarreal
Yates

Honestly, I hope Yates gets that final spot, but I don't know how you can deny Villarreal a spot on next years team. Yates has too much talent to watch blossom for another team, but just with a chance to go into the spring and worry about which one of these guys will be our 12th man is a good feeling to have. Much better than going in wondering which one of those guys will be our closer like it has been in years past.

[BGarrett7]

Getting Boyer and Foster healthy is going to be just as important as getting Wickman to resign. Well, maybe not AS important, but it is going to be huge nonetheless. Combine those three with Kenny, Villareal, Paronto, McBride -- and hopefully Startup, Devine, LeRew being able to make great strides during the fall -- and we should have a pretty stacked bullpen. Going out and signing at least one big name middle reliever would make it probably as dominant as it has been during the past fifteen years.

[Chief Knockahoma]

With these guys all in the mix for that last spot and/or stashed away in the minors for future needs:
Barry
Cormier
Foster
Lerew
Moylan
Ray
Reitsma
Startup
Stockman
Villarreal
Yates

Honestly, I hope Yates gets that final spot, but I don't know how you can deny Villarreal a spot on next years team. Yates has too much talent to watch blossom for another team, but just with a chance to go into the spring and worry about which one of these guys will be our 12th man is a good feeling to have. Much better than going in wondering which one of those guys will be our closer like it has been in years past.

my fear...is that Oscar turns into Sosa. he amazes in Atlanta and then we decide to keep him around and he totally stinks up the majors.

i'm all for bringing back Wickman (obviously) but Baez...i'm on the fence about.

on one hand...Baez has experience and he has shown signs of quality pitching in the past. on the other hand...AT LEAST $4 million for Baez is a bit much, especially if JS decides that go after a quality starter.

[McCarroll21]

my fear...is that Oscar turns into Sosa. he amazes in Atlanta and then we decide to keep him around and he totally stinks up the majors.That's why in another thread I listed him as one of my top trade candidates from this team. JS has already seen it fail once, I don't think he'll do it again...


With the way McBride has come on, and the way Devine has pitched since coming back ... I'm pretty optimistic about how they'll do next season. Wickman isn't one of the options you look at and say, wow! we got our closer ... but he does solidify that back half of the bullpen and allow you to work back to front. Boyer is the key man in this whole thing, and if Foster/Startup can come on and give us a good second lefty behind McBride we'll be pretty well off.

No one will be able to convince me that these arms we have inside our system are not more talented than, and don't have a chance to be better than, that 2002 bullpen that was so great.

[Adam's Army]

Dont forget about Foster, he looked good last year, and could be a useful bulpen guy. I also would say that Devine has already earned a hot in the bulpen. he definitely deserves a shot, but he is going to get some competition. I also like the potential of stockman, startup.

If our pitching staff can just stay healthy and not blow games ( I still believe in Hudson, or at least i want to), then we should have a very good team next year, provided that the offense and defense doesnt drop off.

[lavell12]

I'd like to see the Braves make the bullpen look like so:
wickman
baez
boyer
mcbride
devine
stockman

[Jsh1284]

Now I'm not too big on Foster ... but this is definitely good news for our pen. Could we not sign Danny to a new deal thus avoiding arbitration?

Either way we're gonna be sittin' pretty if Wick can be resigned and a quality starter can be brought in.

[McCarroll21]

We probably could, but I don't know how it would go over with the union. We'll see what happens ... but nonetheless, it's pretty exciting to have all these arms at our disposal.

[Jsh1284]

I was thinking with the appendix removal ... seems like he could be considered an injury risk. Then again, we didnt get any special deal with Gally in 2000 so thats not gonna fly. Dang greedy MLBPA.

[Chief Knockahoma]

based on the performance of the bullpen (after Wickman's arrival mainly) i have a positive outlook for next year...assuming Wickman comes back.

he brings stability to our lacking closer role and his role of a veteran helping the young guys will pay off tenfold.

[RedneckParamedic]

"yawns"

[hawki]

We should try and keep Baez. The two pitchers I really don't want to see in the bullpen next year are McBride and Paranto. In a close game McBride comes in, walks a few and then Paranto relieves him only to give up a hit which scores the runners McBride allowed.

My 2007 bullpen: Smoltz, Wickman, Baez, Villarreal, Cormier, Ray, lefty

[McCarroll21]

McBride and Paronto are here. They've been very good lately. Baez is the one that likes to walk everyone. And Smoltz will never be in the pen again. You've been bitching and moaning about not having enough money to accept Smoltz option, but now we've suddenly got enough money for Smoltz and Baez? I don't see JS paying $8M for a closer, $6.5M for setup, and $4M+ for middle relief.

Keep on contradicting yourself. Your idiocy won't last long here.

[hawki]

McBride and Paronto are here. They've been very good lately. Baez is the one that likes to walk everyone. And Smoltz will never be in the pen again. You've been bitching and moaning about not having enough money to accept Smoltz option, but now we've suddenly got enough money for Smoltz and Baez? I don't see JS paying $8M for a closer, $6.5M for setup, and $4M+ for middle relief.

Keep on contradicting yourself. Your idiocy won't last long here.

The two best teams in baseball record-wise are the Yankees and Muts. How much do their closers and set up men make? Exactly..

McBride's WHIP is 1.48 and his k/bb is 1.33
Paranto has decent numbers but doesnt come through in tight spots

[McCarroll21]

McBride has been a K machine lately. He's changed the way he attacks hitters, and his numbers show it. Paronto doesn't get outs in big spots, but he pitched us out of a jam last night to not let the game get tight.

A closer making $8M would be fine, but not when his setup men are making a combined $11M. That's why we have a closer making $6.5M. Do you think Wickman re-signed so we could shove him out of the closers role? That should tell you all you need to know about Smoltz' return to the pen. It ain't happening ... get over it.

[vnodnarb]

The two best teams in baseball record-wise are the Yankees and Muts. How much do their closers and set up men make? Exactly..

McBride's WHIP is 1.48 and his k/bb is 1.33
Paranto has decent numbers but doesnt come through in tight spots

i hate to tell you but their payrolls are bit higher than ours, allowing them to splurge on their bullpen more than we can

[Jsh1284]

Are you kidding me HAWKI? ALL Paronto does is get out of tight spots. He's been our most consistent reliver all year. McBride ... yeah he sucked until the end of July. Then he became a totally different pitcher. Basically, You can throw the books out on him pre-wickman. McKay is now living up to his 1st round draft selection. In 07, he should be one of the top lefty setup men in baseball. Bet on it. :)

[Chief Knockahoma]

Are you kidding me HAWKI? ALL Paronto does is get out of tight spots. He's been our most consistent reliver all year. McBride ... yeah he sucked until the end of July. Then he became a totally different pitcher. Basically, You can throw the books out on him pre-wickman. McKay is now living up to his 1st round draft selection. In 07, he should be one of the top lefty setup men in baseball. Bet on it. :)

QFE!