2012 Pittsburgh Pirates Preview: The Bullpen

Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan racked up 40 saves in 2011.

When you start thinking back to the teams who have won World Series titles over the past few decades, one constant denominator has always been a rock solid bullpen.  The complete game has gone the way of the Dodo Bird, a relic of baseball days gone by, and in its place we have entered the generation of the career bullpen pitcher.  We are no longer in the days of Tom Seaver or Jim Palmer - two Hall of Fame pitchers who routinely finished what they started - we are now well into the days of the six-inning start, the crafty lefty specialist, the eighth inning hammer, and the ninth inning nail in the coffin.  This is baseball in 2012, where your entire team is only as good as the guy you trust with the ball in the ninth.

The Pirates have bought into the closer concept hook, line, and jolly roger.  In 2011, Joel Hanrahan became one of the best in the business, a virtual lockdown artist who saved 40 of the Pirates eventual 72 total victories.  To put that season in perspective, consider that if "The Hammer" saves exactly 40 games in 2012 again for the Pirates, he will move comfortably into the top 5 all time save leaders in Pittsburgh Pirates history.  He will cruise past such elite names as Jim Gott, Al McBean, Bill Landrum, and Matt Capps on his way to passing Jose Mesa for the fifth spot on the all time list.  A pitcher who has always had the ability to blow away hitters, Hanrahan has combined his upper-90's fastball with a killer demeanor to become one of the best closers in the game.  While much debate will occur in Spring Training over position battles and roster jockeying, not a soul will be asking "who will be the closer"?  The Pirates stole Hanrahan away from Washington in 2009, and despite the constant trade rumor barrage that comes around every July, the Bucs have no desire to open the door to the ninth inning again anytime soon.

RP Evan Meek is looking forward to a healthy 2012 season

While the closer situation is locked down, the rest of the Pirates bullpen continues to be a merry-go-round of different pitchers each season.  The 2011 bullpen was one of the best the Pirates have fielded since the early 1990's, but one key piece to that bullpen was never fully healthy last season, and now is looking to return with a vengence.


Evan Meek was an All Star in 2010 and looked to be the heir apparent to the closer role opened up when the Pirates refused to bring back Matt Capps last winter.  Meek was coming off a season in which he pitched 80 innings of the pen, lead the Pirates with 15 holds, and had a K/BB ratio of 70/31.  He looked to be the next guy in line for the job until injuries and a suddenly lights-out Hanrahan ended the quest.  Now Meek is back, healthy and ready to return to his set-up role that he excelled in during 2010.  When he is on, Meek is as dominant as any pitcher on the roster and could easily close for any team in the league.  The Pirates have the luxury of utilizing Meek in the eighth inning, giving them a dynamic 8-9 punch in the late innings.  It remains to be seen if Meek has fully regained the velocity he showed during 2010, but he will be given the reins as the primary set-up man for the Bucs in 2012.

RP Jason Grilli is back with the Pirates in 2012.

 Jason Grilli is a grizzled veteran RHP who came over to the Pirates as a free agent in July of last season.  Grilli has spent the better part of five major league seasons as strictly a relief pitcher, and he made a great impression on the Pirates organization in 2011.  In fact, he did so well that the Pirates decided he was deserving of a one-year deal worth $1.1m.  The contract and his exceptional performance last season have cemented Grilli as a major piece in the Pirates bullpen.  Once he hit the mound in 2011, Grilli was very effective.  He pitched in 28 games, securing 9 holds with a K/BB ratio of 37/15, while ending the season with a stellar 2.48 ERA and 1.19 WHIP.  Opposing hitters were held to a .200 batting average against Grilli, making him a fantastic option in the late innings.

RP Chris Resop gets kudos from "The Fort" after a Pirates 2011 victory

Chris Resop is also back for an encore performance in 2012.  Resop was acquired by the Pirates in 2010 and his 1.89 ERA over 22 appearances that summer earned him a spot in the Pirates bullpen to start the season in 2011.  All he did from there was finish second with the team for appearances out of the bullpen with 76, while posting a 4.39 ERA and a K/BB ratio of 79/30.  His numbers do not tell the whole tale however, as Resop was used as a mop-up pitcher on more than one occasion, which inflated his ERA.  Resop is another hard-throwing reliever who fits in nicely in this bullpen.  Expect him to equal the same type of season in 2012, while posting a lower ERA as he tries to cut down on balls in play.

The Pirates found out that they had more than one McCutchen who could contribute at the major league level in 2011.  Daniel McCutchen emerged from the shadow of his five-tool namesake to become a solid middle-inning reliever for the Pirates.  McCutchen projects as a long relief pitcher who can come in and handle two or three innings on multiple occasions, all while being effective.  In 2011, McCutchen appeared in 73 games for the Bucs.  His 3.72 ERA over those 84.2 IP looks decent on its own, but McCutchen is more of a finesse pitcher compared to his fellow bullpen mates, and his effectiveness will always depend on his ability to control his walks.  His K/BB ratio of 47/33 was not terrible, but if he can cut his walks down under 20 for the season, he could be a premier long-reliever.  McCutchen stills harbors ideas of once again becoming a starter, as he was for most of his minor league career, and should the Pirates need a spot start somewhere along the way he might get his chance.  For now, pencil McCutchen in for another 80+ innings and a much better WHIP than the 1.42 he showed in 2011.

Pirates RP Daniel "The Other" McCutchen

The Pirates got a look at one of their former 1st round picks in 2011, as LHP Daniel Moskos made his way to the Steel City.  The Pirates 1st round selection in the 2007 MLB Draft, Moskos is a lefty-lefty match-up nightmare for hitters.  He has great movement on his pitches, and in a brief 24.1 inning debut season, he showed flashes of becoming a nice addition to the Pirates bullpen.  Moskos - being a southpaw - would give the Pirates a nice match-up game with the National League's powerful lefthanded bats in the late innings, and could eventually be a top set-up man for the Bucs.  We will see in Spring Training, as he will be battling the likes of Tony Watson, Chris Leroux, Jared Hughes, and non-roster invitees Michael Crotta, Ryota Igarashi, Doug Slaten, and Tim Wood for one of the final spots in the Opening Day bullpen.

Tony Watson is another intriguing LHP who spent a great deal of time with the Pirates in 2011.  Watson pitched in 43 games for the Bucs, posting a 3.95 ERA and 1.32 WHIP over 41 IP.  His K/BB rate was 37/20, and his best appearances were ones in which he was used as a situational lefty.  Watson has a deceiving cross motion with his delivery, making the ball tough for lefthanded hitters to see.  Against right-handed hitters, Watson was actually very good - posting a .193 OBA - but he gave up five of his six homeruns against the right-handed hitters in 2011.  If he can keep the ball in the park, Watson has the potential to be a creatively used RP in the mold of a Roger Mason.  He will be battling for a spot in Spring Training.

Michael Crotta started the year with the Bucs in 2010, but ineffectiveness and injury ended his major league season after just 15 appearances.  He is back with the Bucs as a non-roster invitee this Spring, so the team will have another chance to see if he can contribute.

LHP Daniel Moskos made his ML debut in 2011

Of the rest of the non-roster players who will be attempting to open some eyes in Bradenton, Chris Leroux and Tim Wood spent time with the Pirates in 2011.  Both have had some success in the majors, but neither are close to a lock to make the trip north.  Expect the Pirates to use both of them early and often in Spring Training to get a feel for where they are in their development.

Ryota Igarashi was signed as a minor-league free agent this past month, after spending 2010-2011 with the New York Mets.  Igarashi is a Japanese-born player who could be a surprise for fans this Spring.  He pitched in 79 games for the Mets over the past two seasons and at times was effective.  Overall, his numbers would not indicate that he would make this roster, but his major-league experience will ensure he is given a chance to show what he has in the tank.  Igarashi in 2011 posted a 4.66 ERA with 42/28 K/BB ratio and an OBA of .276.  He is a right-handed pitcher, and can reach up to 96-97mph with his fastball.

Doug Slaten was signed as a minor-league free agent and invited to camp.  Slaten is a LHP who had a fantastic season for Washington in 2010, posting a 3.10 ERA over 40.2 IP.  His 2011 season was a wash due to injuries, but if he can reestablish himself in Spring Training, he could be a dark horse candidate to make the roster.  Slaten has major league experience with Washington and Arizona in his six-year career.

Jared Hughes made his MLB debut in 2011 for the Pirates, and pitched in 12 late season games.  His numbers were 4.09 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 10/4 K/BB.  He didn't pitch in enough games for the team to get a solid account of his skill set, so expect him to be another early Spring Training reliever who should get a long look before being sent over to the minor league camp.  Hughes is a RHP who is only 26 and should be in the future of the Pirates.

Some other names you will hear as we inch closer to the start of camp are LHP Jo-Jo Reyes, who has been primarily a starter in his career, RHP Logan Kensing, who has pitched effectively for Washington in the past but missed the last two seasons due to injuries, and RHP Shairon Martis.

That basically sums up the 2012 Pirates bullpen options at press time.  However, there are currently a number of favorable options left in free agency who might receive an invite to camp from the Pirates, including former Pirates closer LHP Mike Gonzalez, former Mariners closer RHP David Aardsma, RHP Todd Coffey, RHP Chad Durbin, RHP Scott Linebrink, and former Pirate LHP Damaso Marte.  All are still waiting for an offer and could be brought in with little financial considerations.  It will be interesting to see if the Pirates front office feels the need to reach out to any of these pitchers, who all have been extremely successful at the major league level throughout their careers.  Gonzalez would be a great story, as his style and excitability made him a fan favorite during his brief time with the Pirates a few seasons back.  He has battled injuries, but reports are he is healthy and ready to go if he gets an offer.

Thank you all for reading, and remember to BOOKMARK us at www.steelworldorder.com for all of your Pittsburgh Pirates news, rumors, and daily game reports throughout the 2012 season.

Lets Go Bucs!