Pineiro to Red Sox?

Yeah but Romero was dogass awful last year for the Angels. Donnelly wasn't great, but maybe that was a result of being lost in the bullpen shuffle.

The Sox have about half a reliable reliever in that bullpen right now...Timlin. and he's almost as old as spnited. I'm not sure quantity over quality is going to work.

 

I think Donnelly is the closer unless Delcarmen or Hansen are lights out early.

 

If they keep romero to just being a lefty specialist, he'll be fine.

 

Their anabolic steroid use will catch up to them.

 

But they probably won't even be around to get a chance. They've got Schilling, Beckett, Wakefield, Papelbon and Matsuzaka, then the following in the pen:

-Timlin
-Okajima
-Romero
-Donnelly
-Tavarez
-Piniero

Not to mention Rule V pick DeBarr and maybe, if he's in form, Lester. There's no room for anyone there, unless they want a 14-man bullpen.

 

I have to believe that Wakefield could end up in the pen, perhaps even briefly in a stint at closet. He's the ultimate good solider and has been useful there before.

 

Wakefield closing would be a disaster. He's easy to steal on, so any runner who gets to first in a one-run game can get into scoring position easily. Not to mention the increased threat of wild pitches/passed balls. Varitek would either have to try to catch the knuckler, or they'd have to pull him for Mirabelli in late-inning situations, which would hamper their lineup if they came to bat again.

 

Wonder what percentage of save opportunities involve protecting a one-run lead. Because if it's as low as I suspect (about 35 percent?), then the inability to prevent stolen bases wouldn't be such a big deal.

It's not as if closers ever come into games to get out of jams in today's baseball.

 

In fact, the more I think about it, why not have a knuckleballer close? Every once or twice every 10 outings, the guy will have nothing and get lit up. The rest of the time, he'll be pretty damn unhittable. If you don't have a Rivera type, it may not be a bad way to go.

Not saying the Bosox would entertain that.

Just saying it could work.

 

I think the other reason knuckleballers don't close is that many of them feel like they need lots of work to keep the feel for the pitch and to keep their arm in a perpetual state of fatigue (isn't slow arm motion better for the knuckler?)

 

So pitch the guy 80 times a year.

Wilbur Wood had a lot of success in the pen before he became a starter.

The fact is, nobody -- including me -- really knows what to do with knuckleballers. There have been so few of them, so all we have is anecdotal evidence.

If a knuckleballer is effective enough to be a starter, that's probably what he should do. Starters are harder to find than a guy who can give you an inning every two or three days.

I'm just saying I think it could work, assuming a team has enough starters and a glaring need in the pen.