The Cleveland Indians have won five straight games for the first time since late April, although the bullpen problems continue to plague the team, particularly in the Orioles series. Monday night, it was Edward Mujica blowing a 7-4 lead in the 7th inning, and last night, Masa Kobayashi and Rafael Perez squandered a 5-3 advantage in the same frame. I’m sure Fausto Carmona and Jeremy Sowers are very appreciative. Yesterday also marked the departure of Paul Byrd, who was dealt to Boston for cash or a low level prospect. Byrd won 32 games with the Tribe, which is most he won with any one team in his long, injury plagued career.
Jensen Lewis has saved his first two opportunities in the closer role, but others have had limited success in that role this season. However, no one has really taken control of the spot. Lewis is not a dominant type closer anyway; he is more like the Bob Wickman/Joe Borowski type that has scared everyone one in Cleveland for the last decade. The other thing that Lewis lacks is pinpoint control. He has had issues with walks before (remember in Cincinnati this year, when he walked four in one inning), seems to be a nibbler when he gets ahead in the count. But, for now, he is better than Mujica in the role.
You can pretty much attribute the Indians’ failure in both the 2006 and 2008 seasons to a horrible bullpen. According the Baseball Prospectus, the Cleveland bullpen is five wins worse than any other relief corps in the game. Also, according to run differential, the Indians should be 61-57 right now, which would put them in contention in the AL Central Division. Although the bats struggled early in the year, it is the relief pitching that has knocked the Tribe out of the race. It hasn’t shown any signs of improvement, either. The only reliable options are Rafael Perez and currently, Lewis. The question is whether or not Eric Wedge and Carl Willis can handle a bullpen.
In looking at the ’05 and ’07 Tribe, the thing the stands out with both bullpens is a dominant set up man, Bob Howry (2005) and the combination of Rafael Betancourt and Rafael Perez (2007). Without this role, the bullpen seems to be unsettled. In 2006, Betancourt was on the roster and had a solid year (3-4, 3.81 ERA, 52 hits allowed in 56-2/3 innings, 7 HR allowed), but the other set up men were Fernando Cabrera (3-3, 5.19 ERA and 12 HR’s allowed in 60 innings), Jason Davis (3-2, 3.74 ERA but 67 hits allowed in 55-1/3 frames), and memorable gas can Guillermo Mota. Also, Fausto Carmona was used in this role until he switched to the closer spot when Bob Wickman was traded. Carmona was a failure in the closer spot, giving up three game winning dingers in a two-week span.
Last year, if Cleveland had a lead going into the seventh inning, Wedge went to Betancourt and Perez, and the game was usually in hand. The problem that Wedge and Willis have is if their first option in the role doesn’t work out, they stay with the pitcher even if he is ineffective, and it also takes them a month or two to identify someone else. That’s what happened this year. Betancourt hasn’t been effective since April, and still most of his appearances are in the 7th inning or later. This is not to say the Tribe should cut ties with him, his track record shows that this may very well be a horrible year for a guy who is normally reliable.
It does say that Wedge and Willis must react quicker to guys who aren’t getting the job done. I understand these are people they are dealing with, not baseball cards, but if a guy like Mujica gets bombed in three out of his last four games, he should be sent back to Buffalo. He’s not a guy with a proven track record like Betancourt. Yesterday, GM Mark Shapiro mentioned Rich Rundles as a guy they would like to take a look at. Get him up here! The Indians badly need another southpaw in the bullpen. It’s like Tigers’ manager Jim Leyland says: Show me a team with a bad bullpen, and I’ll show you a bad team.
KM
Cleveland Sports Perspective 