In 2015, the Pittsburgh Pirates were victorious in 98 games. To reach such a lofty number, they relied heavily on a relief pitching corps that established itself as the best in baseball.
Last year’s crop, headlined by saves leader Mark Melancon, was unyielding in its efficiency. The group led all of baseball in earned run average, but also found themselves with the best WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) in the National League. WHIP is often regarded as a true measuring stick of relief effectiveness, and the Pirates’ group was as effective as one could ask for.
Going into 2015, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington seemed content with his bullpen. With but one high profile acquisition in veteran left-hander Antonio Bastardo, Huntington filled out the rest of the pen by taking fliers on hard-throwing projects in Arquimedes Caminero and Radhames Liz. Later, reinforcements arrived taking the form of Joe Blanton and Joakim Soria, two under-the-radar midseason acquisitions who helped transform the bullpen from a strength into an outright weapon.
Now, long before a single pitch has been thrown for 2016, Huntington has again shown that relief pitching remains a strong focus as he constructs the club.
Huntington has already sunk $7 million in payroll to recent newcomers Juan Nicasio and Neftali Feliz. Compared to 2015 in which four relief acquisitions — Bastardo, Caminero, Liz and Rob Scahill — cost the team a combined $5.1 million dollars, the money put toward relievers during the current offseason has already eclipsed the previous year’s mark. This, before factoring minor additions such as left-hander Kyle Lobstein and right-handed hurler Trey Haley.
Of course, that figure will swell even further after Melancon, Tony Watson and Jared Hughes collect raises due them in arbitration. The trio projects to collect $16.8 million between them, with Melancon’s expected salary to hover around the $10 million mark.
Coming off of a season that saw him convert 51 of 52 save opportunities, Melancon is the embodiment of a valuable trade chip and may be dealt away before Opening Day. For his part, Huntington has expressed a certain comfort should Melancon remain a Pittsburgh Pirate for 2016.
The need for a strong bullpen may arise from a highly questionable starting rotation. Gerrit Cole and Francisco Liriano form a solid 1-2 punch at the top. Left-hander Jon Niese, acquired from the New York Mets for Neil Walker, brings an excellent ground ball rate but has not yet shown he can be consistent at the major league level.
Former Pirate Ryan Vogelsong has returned following a three-year stretch with the San Francsico Giants that saw him post an undesirable ERA of 4.00 or greater in each of the last three seasons. 2013 All-Star Jeff Locke will likely return and hopes to regain that same form after two down seasons.
Having told reporters at the team’s recent Piratefest convention that the team could “afford a soft spot” in the rotation, Huntington may be guarding against considerable question marks amongst his starters. The focus on relief pitching is a clear effort to remove any pause manager Clint Hurdle may have in going to the bullpen early. Hurdle struck a great balance last year, as the Pirates relievers put in just the sixth-highest total innings pitched in the National League last season. The group’s moderate workload surely played a factor in their dominance from last year.
As we stand today, the team has not officially announced the dates for pitchers and catchers to report. The date for the start of spring training proper also remains unknown. Even without a timeframe, there is still time for Huntington to shore up those soft spots.
But should he stand pat, the Pirates’ best answer to a questionable rotation may just be an unquestioned weapon undergoing a considerable sharpening.
Jason Rollison is an experienced Pittsburgh Pirates commentator. He endeavors to meld the advanced analytic aspect of baseball with old-school thinking. Email him at jason@piratesbreakdown.com.
