Our bulpen was really the main issue last year. It was very weak. What do you think of all of the offseason moves?

 

My Thoughts: why do I get the feeling Alfonsaca is not going to become a Benitez... Riedling (SP) is OK... When is Bumps contract up??? :whistle

 

What kind of impact will Spoony make? Hows the closing situation, more, opinions?

:drool :marlins

I think we have a number of quality arms, and we're much deeper this year. Mota and Spooney have the stuff to be lights out, and the rest of the crew is average to above average. As far as I'm concerned, our bullpen is good right now. Our only possible hole is with the starting rotation in case we lose one or two guys for an extended period of time. I don't know if we have enough depth in the minor leagues. As long as we stay healthy, this team is balanced and very good, top to bottom. The most complete team in the NL East. :thumbup

I think we have a number of quality arms, and we're much deeper this year. Mota and Spooney have the stuff to be lights out, and the rest of the crew is average to above average. As far as I'm concerned, our bullpen is good right now. Our only possible hole is with the starting rotation in case we lose one or two guys for an extended period of time. I don't know if we have enough depth in the minor leagues. As long as we stay healthy, this team is balanced and very good, top to bottom. The most complete team in the NL East. :thumbup

675601[/snapback]

 

I agree totally... but you can never have enough pitching, Id love for Mota to turn in a Benitez ('04 Edition) , but if he has a Mota season, thats good too :lol

Certainly better than last year.

We have the best possible core of guys to get us to the ninth (I mean, name a team with a better "set-up" staff: Spooney, Alfonseca, Riedling, Jones and Mecir are all much better than I was hoping we'd end up with for the 6th-8th), but Mota is a huge question-mark. He didn't show me enough while he was here to make me feel comfortable just handing him the job (I know, I know, look at the numbers in L.A., but if that's the case...then why the hate for LoDuca?).

 

I have a real bad feeling that Mota could go through Octavio Dotel syndrome (you know, dynamite set-up man but uninspiring closer).

 

 

But, I must say, I'm happier with this bullpen than I was with last-year's 'pen, and I think all the moves of this offseason have exceeded expectations.

Thats all good but it would be nice to trade Encration for UBINA

I thought that last year the bullpen and got a bad rap for the messes left by an ineffective offense and unreliable starting pitching (stats that calculate lost leads ranked them just below average).

 

Certainly there was room for improvement. Beinfest went out and got some flame-throwing strikeout (sorry, Nate Bump) pitchers with control (sorry, Ben Howard) that the organization lacked.

 

The middle relief corps I'm not thrilled with, and I fear the position Beinfest has put the club in when it comes to juggling the roster with ineffective relievers (there's no more inconsistent figure in sports than a middle reliever because of the various assignments he's asked to handle in a single week) and hot rookies. And the lack of versatility among those middle relievers to spot-start.

 

Overall the addition of a few guys who can go get a strikeout in a tense situation should help tremendously.