Versatility in bolstered bullpen
PHOENIX» At the height of a playoff chase last September, as the Rockies streaked into contention in the nick of time, Scott Oberg saw a nod in his direction he was not expecting.
Colorado manager Bud Black called on the right-hander in the highest of pressure situations, an eighth inning at Arizona that included Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb with a two-run Rockies lead. This was nothing out of the ordinary for Oberg. What came next was. In the ninth, Black pushed Oberg back out from the dugout, sending him in to face J.D. Martinez and A.J. Pollock, two more behemoths.
“It’s not what I anticipated. But it was what I had to do,” Oberg said Thursday at Chase Field. He passed the test and the Rockies won. “The game will always dictate it.”
The Rockies learned the value of a plug-and-play bullpen. Stack the talent and let their versatility fill in the blanks. They plopped a veteran closer in the ninth, then let everybody loose. They will follow that formula again, but with upgrades.
“It definitely passes the eye test,” Oberg said. “On paper, we’re right there with some of the best bullpens in the league. The benefits of having such a good bullpen is you have a lot of guys who fill multiple roles.”
The Rockies made it to the postseason in 2017 for the first time in eight years in large part on the shoulders of a stout bullpen, one whose WAR (wins above replacement) was second only to the powerhouse Dodgers in the National League.
Colorado was not content to cruise. General manager Jeff Bridich then went on a spree, spending $106 million to land closer Wade Davis from the Cubs and setup man Bryan Shaw from Cleveland and re-signing lefty Jake McGee. Bridich specifically targeted his bullpen for upgrades, recognizing the value of improvements in free agency, instead of chasing a signable first baseman or a high-priced veteran starter.
It worked last year. Why not double down?
“We recognized the strength of a good, deep ’pen for a playoffcaliber team last year,” Bridich said. “It was an obvious area that we wanted to target to get better.”
Like last year, Black will work back to front, running Davis out for ninth innings in save situations. Then the order forks. If Davis is not available, McGee, Shaw, Chris Rusin, Adam Ottavino and Mike Dunn all have ninth-inning experience. Oberg is as likely to pitch the sixth inning as the eighth, depending on the breaks.
“We have a great deal of flexibility with those fellas,” Black said. “Veteran pitchers who understand how a bullpen works, these guys are ready for anything we throw at them, as far as type of game, inning, score. And a lot of that will be determined by performance as we go.”
If versatility allows Black to juggle the look of his bullpen, it also raises expectations. There is no need to suffer through patience. Ottavino last season struggled through control issues and a career-high walk total. He soon found his role diminished to early innings and low-leverage situations. Rusin, on the other hand, pitched superbly and soon found late-game innings on top of his long-relief role.
On their run to the World Series, the Dodgers used 13 relievers with 10 or more appearances last season, cycling through a slew of arms to keep them fresh, popping them in various roles and shuttling them between the 25-man roster, Triple-A and the disabled list.
It’s a blueprint for success. And they did not rely on starters to carry the burden. Los Angeles starters faced a batting order three times through in a game less than any other team in the NL. Manager Dave Roberts was not afraid to push his ’pen.
The Rockies, they believe, now have that same luxury, with a depth that extends beyond their opening-day roster. And even if the bullpen dodges significant health issues, the dog days of the season will still press their resolve.
“We’ve talked about that,” Bridich said. “Some of it depends on the makeup of the guys in the ’pen. Sometimes guys pitch better and feel more comfortable with a defined role. Sometimes it doesn’t matter. And the game takes care of that over time.”