2008 Previews: Bullpen

Note: This section will not cover closer Trevor Hoffman, that will be covered in tomorrow's final preview post.

If there is one thing the Padres have an abundance of, it's arms in the bullpen. Both Kevin Cameron and Justin Hampson proved to be pleasant surprises and with another strong showing by Cla Meredith, I am confident middle relief will be covered, no matter who else fills out the pen.

The setup role should be pretty well set too as Heath Bell had an outstanding year last year and seemed to fill in well once Scott Linebrink was traded. Bell should be the closer of the future, but unless he develops Hoffman-like consistency, his effectiveness may run out before he gets a chance.

If the starters can get deep into games with leads, the pen will hold onto most of them. If there is one thing I am not worried heading into this season, it's the pen.

2007 recaps: Relief pitching

Alright, back to our (somewhat) regularly scheduled programming and on with the recap of 2007.

Along with the starting pitching, the pen was considered a strong point coming into the season and it started out as such. But as the season wore on, it was apparent Bud Black favored certain pitchers in certain situations and sometimes that came back to bite the Padres.

With the exceptions of Trevor Hoffman, Doug Brocail and Scott Linebrink (who finished the season in Milwaukee), the pen was a relatively young group that still had plenty to prove. During the first two months of the season most of those guys came off as unhittable but they couldn't keep the torrid pace up all season.

There are definitely some good parts in the pen. Heath Bell proved to be a steal of a deal, Cla Meredith is a solid situational guy that induces ground balls and new guys and Justin Hampson and Kevin Cameron showed a lot of promise. It will be interesting to see what, if any, pieces are added here in 2008. With all of the guys acquired late in the season, including the Linebrink deal, this could just be a maturation process we are waiting for instead of adding any other pieces.

Heading into the 2008 it appears SD has plenty of pieces in place to make another run at the playoffs but it will take a couple of key additions all around the board to make it a success instead of the near miss it was in '07.

What players/pieces are we in need of? That's what we have the entire offseason to discuss.

You definitely need a scorecard to tell these guys apart

I spent today's off day transferring files from my old computer to my new one and while doing so I came across the San Diego Union-Tribune's "Meet your 2007 Padres" page and realized that this team is nothing like it was back in April.

Of the 25 players on the opening day roster, seven players are currently not on the roster (two have spent most of the season in the minors but are on the 40-man roster), one has shuttled back and forth all season between the minors and the Padres and two of the starters have lost their jobs.

As fans we all applaud the job Kevin Towers has done as the season goes along, but looking at these changes wholesale, the job he has done seems even better. Replacing guys like Jose Cruz Jr., Rob Bowen, Russell Branyan, David Wells and Scott Linebrink with Milton Bradley, Michael Barrett, Morgan Ensburg, Rob Mackowiak and Justin Germano may not sound like much (and we may be missing Wells as we search for a No. 5 starter) but these moves have kept the Padres within striking distances while the Diamondbacks seem to be having a "team of destiny" type season playing well beyond their talent. Personally I would much rather be battling for the division title to the wire than sitting here trying to determine what happened to the promising season the Padres appeared to be having at the end of May.

No matter how much we want it to happen, not every move made by Towers will work out in our favor but with his track record, chances are the moves will work out more often than not. The same goes for wins - the Pads may not win them all but they need to be winning more games than they lose at this point. And if that happens, we should be enjoying another postseason.

Looking for any degree of seperation

It's time for that roller coaster feeling again. After a great Monday in which SD took a lead on Arizona, the Diamondbacks tied things right back up on Tuesday, their offense the one that exploded for 9 runs.

Wednesday's game is the last meeting between the two teams for the rest of the season and it's a good things too as I am tired of seeing these guys make mediocre Doug Davis look like Roger Clemens.

The most interesting part about the Pads lately is that it seems the team's biggest strength is now a concern. I would never have imagined that the losses of David Wells and Scott Linebrink would punch so many holes in the pitching staff but apparently Kevin Towers is looking for solutions in the form of callups and retreads like Brett Tomko. Tomko actually has Davis-like numbers for his career with a record of 91-91 and a 4.62 ERA.

Regardless of the outcome, the NL West will be fun to watch down the stretch and hopefully Lady Luck will shine on the Friars.

Adding to the W column

I never thought that in a season in which the Padres are one of the top teams in the NL, that a single win would be such a relief. But after all of the struggles of late it was nice to see Jake Peavy finally pick up win No. 10 in a 9-4 romp over the Astros on Friday.

This game actually had no business being this close though as SD was actually up 9-1 in the bottom of the ninth before Houston tried to mount a come back. I give the front office credit for trying to see exactly what they have acquired for Scott Linebrink but does anyone else find it odd that a pitcher can save his ERA by just committing an error and only allowing those runners to score.

Anyone who just looks at the box score will notice that the newly acquired Joe Thatcher still has an ERA of 0.00 but his 1/3 of an inning resulted in 3 runs, 1 hit and 1 walk - and the need for Heath Bell to come in and get the last two outs before giving up the game.

Obviously this one game doesn't make or break a career but it is a reminder that sometimes stats don't tell the entire story. Let's hope the Padres can make it 2 in a row tomorrow (it seems like it has been such a long time since that has happened). Greg Maddux takes the hill so let's hope Bud Black can remember the number 65.

Linebrink traded to Milwaukee

I wish I had something insightful and useful to say as far as the Scott Linebrink trade is concerned but after ready what Anthony had to say over at Friar Watch, he pretty much gives all the details we need to know about the young guys SD gets and what they can bring to the club.

As far as Wednesday's game is concerned, SD got absolutely shelled by a guy who threw only 74 pitches and should be getting shelled himself considering the type of season he is having. While I admit that all good teams eventually slump at some point, you still can't lose games to teams like the Rockies when they send pitchers like Aaron Cook to the mound. His season stats beg for him to get knocked around every game and SD should be able to do that.

Now I have said before that you need to ride these things out a little bit before panicking, but I am starting to seriously wonder if the Padres have enough consistent offense to make the playoffs. Sure we can put up runs with the best teams but it seems when one or two guys begin to struggle there is no one there to pick up the slack. Adrian Gonzalez seems to finally be hitting the ball again but where is the support?

It would be nice if we could save some of the offensive outbursts the team seems to regularly have and stretch them out over a few games so SD could notch more wins but sometimes you just have to take what you get when you can get it, and if you are the Padres you never turn down any form of offense. Let's hope someone else finds their stroke at Minute Maid park this weekend. SD is going to need it with David Wells taking the mound to open the series.

Young wins pitcher's duel

It looks like this game ended up being what everyone expected, a showdown between two of the top pitchers in the NL. I'm just glad Chris Young was on his game and showed he is having just as good of a year as Cole Hamels.

The thing that caught my eye about the game however, was who came in as the bridge between Young and Trevor Hoffman. After taking a beating in the local blogs (check Ducksnorts and Gaslamp Ball), Scott Linebrink was not called on in the 1-0 win. Apparently Bud Black is getting the messages and listening to the information that is out there.

The only problem now, and I talked about this in my post earlier today, is what does SD do with Linebrink now? Between him and Doug Brocail, the Padres have two guys in the pen I don't want to see coming on in relief in close games. But with Kevin Towers saying he had no plans to make a trade for another bat, it seems like SD is stuck in a tough spot.

But again, I rant about things that should wait for another time. I should just be happy with the fact that SD won again. So I guess I will again table this discussion for another time.

Slumping no more?

So right after I write about guys being in slumps and needing to get out of them soon, Adrian Gonzalez hits his first home run in a long time and Greg Maddux goes out and gets the job done (even if the pen almost gave the game away). And we even had a heroic Geoff Blum citing to boot.

Watching the game on MLB's Gameday, I was shocked when I logged on in the top of the second and saw Maddux struck out the side to open the game. Having Maddux on one of my fantasy teams, I know firsthand that his strikeouts have been few and far between. But to watch him strike out 6 was great and would have been better if I had actually started him last night. Oh well, the Padres winning that game is good enough for me.

But the biggest question after last night's game now has to be what to do with Scott Linebrink. I have previously gone on record to advocate that he should be given the time and opportunity to get himself out of this funk but letting two guys get on and then giving up a 3-run HR when all you have to do is get three guys out is not a good sign.

While Linebrink looked like he was turning things around at one point, he has struggled off and on since June 1, giving up 9 earned runs in 18 2/3 innings. He has also given up 21 hits in that span and 4 of his 5 blown saves have come during that span. But luckily for him, SD has come back to win 2 of those 4 games.

If you look at his home/road splits, that appears to be part of the problem as hitters are batting .303 with an .880 OPS against him on the road and .163/.528 at home. But then again, last night's fiasco was at home, so numbers only tell part of the story.

As I look at my ramblings I really have no idea what to do other than to suggest that Heath Bell should take over at the 8th inning specialist if Bud Black is going to insist on having one. I think Linebrink has had enough time to straighten things out and it isn't happening so now a move has to be made.

Of course, with SD eventually winning last night and maintaining its place as one of the top teams in the NL, I guess I shouldn't be too picky. I mean, the Padres actually could have lost last night.

Second half run and the trade deadline

We all should feel good about the fact that the Padres are in first place heading into the second half of the season but I think the one thing that is making me feel even better is what SD did right before the break in terms of the lineup.

With the July 31 trade deadline approaching and a number of teams still in contention, it seems that there may not be a lot of players available for teams looking to add to their lineup. However, SD struck early and while the team is saying it is still looking to make some moves, the Padres won't be as desperate as other teams will be at the deadline, which should prevent Kevin Towers from making a trade out of desperation and giving up too much to try and help the team.

Now don't read that last line as saying Towers makes bad trades, but we all know what happens when the clock winds down an opportunity, sometimes there is a strong urge to impulse buy. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't make a move either.

Because we have such a strong pen and more starters than we have spots in the rotation, Towers should loosen his Vulcan death grip on at least one of them for a good hitter (notice I didn't say power hitter). Scott Linebrink's name has been thrown around an awful lot and usually is around this time but what about other options? Kevin Cameron, Justin Hampson or even Justin Germano could be decent chips because of what they have done so far this year but I think that if Towers is willing to part with anyone, he should consider Doug Brocail. As a veteran lefty, this is the time of the year guys like Brocail make famous and since he had a solid appearance after getting back from the DL, this would be the perfect time to get top value for him. Someone else may need to be included in a deal to get a top bat but that is completely doable.

Now some may ask what I have against Brocail since I have mentioned a few times that he should be gone but just look at his splits this year when it comes to home and road games (5.40/1.61). Any pitcher who can't succeed in Petco needs to go. Alright, enough ranting about Brocail.

Anyways, enjoy the kickoff to the second half of the season as SD opens with NL West rival Arizona. Greg Maddux will get the boys going but let's make sure someone is on pitch watch this time. Maybe we can ask the ump for Little League rules in this game, so we are forced to pull Maddux after he reaches his limit.

Freedom

So after having my wife constantly ask me if I wanted anything to do with the sparklers we were lighting in celebration of the Fourth of July - and having her try numerous times to unsuccessfully spell words with her sparkler while shooting pictures in fireworks mode - I decided to show a little loyalty.



And then after coming home and seeing our boys battling in a close game, I have to say I was surprised to see Scott Linebrink do so well tonight (even though he gave up a hit). He got the first two batters out with relative quickness and ended up throwing only 11 pitches to 4 batters. I want to see Linebrink do well and it seems that SD has made its moves to improve the offense already so we should really be rooting for Linebrink to succeed. He could still eventually go, but the better his reputation is when he leaves the more we can get in return.

It was a shame Chris Young's gem wasn't rewarded with a win for him but I want to go on record and say he is probably the most underrated pitcher in baseball. Thursday's game will be critical to winning the series and it's great to see the only pitcher better than Young scheduled to start. Look for Jake Peavy to have one of his best performances of the season.

Young, pen handle Braves

Chris Young had another strong outing on Monday, giving up two run in six innings. But the bigger point has to be the fact that Scott Linebrink actually kept everything inside the park and quiet.

I have seen it written many times among the many blogs, but Heath Bell has been a great addition and the fact the Mets said they didn't have a spot for him is just ludicrous - and I'm not talking about the rapper. Bell has been lights out and anyone who can't use him must be playing something other than baseball.

Trevor Hoffman continues to close in on save 500, now only nine away. But what impresses me the most is how Hoffman has not flamed out like more than 2/3 of the guys who have ever been a closer in this league. I was reading the Washington Post on Sunday and they actually had some pretty interesting stats on closers and guys who have saved more than 30 games more than two years in a row - there aren't many. In fact, if Hoffman hadn't gotten injured a couple of years ago, he would have an active streak of 12 straight seasons dating back to 1995.

Now that I have rambled long enough, I will wrap up by saying the Padres have a strong pen and it should be the key to the season. It is already helping them win games they need to - like Monday's win against Atlanta - and except for the occasional struggle, the case could be made the best collection of relievers are assembled in sunny San Diego.

Linebrink's turn

I thought we had another win in the bag, and then Scott Linebrink took the mound. Normally Linebrink seems to be pretty reliable but he gave up back-to-back home runs? How often does that happen when you are in a position to close out the game?

Before that the Friars learned Clay Hensley would be shelved for awhile so now we have a potential hole in the rotation - if you don't count David Wells' erratic starts this year. But one positive from today ... Mike Cameron had a huge triple that should have been the game winner. It's May and so hopefully with the warm weather Cameron's and Kevin Kouzmanoff's bats will heat up.

Now we just need to get to Sergio Mitre tomorrow, but don't let the 0-2 record fool you, his ERA is under 4.00 and the Marlins seem to have a penchant for putting up runs. That in itself is amazing since most of these guys were rookies last year.