The competition to fill out the 2011 bullpen features a lot of new faces and just as many question marks. Who can the Mariners really count on outside of Brandon League? The upside a few of the relievers bring to the table is accompanied by a very low floor. The bullpen might turn out pretty good or it could be a complete mess.
This isn’t the best year for Seattle to have a questionable relief corps. Consider:
Jason Vargas: ~6.1 innings per start last season
Doug Fister: ~6 innings per start last season, missed time with shoulder fatigue, durability in question
Michael Pineda: Rookie with an elbow injury in his past, likely to be treated with kid gloves
Erik Bedard: Recovering from shoulder surgery, has never averaged 6 innings per start in any season
And the other starters looking to provide Bedard insurance and/or hold Pineda’s place until he’s deemed ready are hardly expected to go deep into ballgames.
Felix Hernandez is the man, but he can only do so much to relieve the relievers. Cliff Lee isn’t around to help out this season.
Manager Eric Wedge and staff could be smart to make sure the bullpen features more than one or two pitchers capable of going multiple innings. Unfortunately, the list of guys that fit that profile is looking pretty dire.
Original Story:
http://www.proballnw.com/03-2011/bull...
