Buente Optioned to AAA; Sosa DFA'd

[emkayseven]

i'm with mibba

and that rarely happens

[Mainge]

The thing I don't like about it is that it requires a different mindset to be able to come out of the bullpen. Both VandenHurk and Hensley talked about this when they were put in the bullpen. Starters have a completely different routine than relievers. It takes some getting used to. I hate how this team just takes guys that are not used to pitching in relief and toss them into the bullpen. With VandenHurk, at least he had a little experience with pitching in relief from spring training and Hensley had pitched in the bullpen before as well but Sanabia hasn't come out of the bullpen for 4 years and now he's expected to adjust to this on the fly against the best hitters in the world? I hope I'm just freaking out for no reason and that Sanabia will pitch well but this is a lot to put on a 21 year old making his major league debut.

I think it's generally easier to go from rotation to pen then the other way around. Going max effort for 3 outs is usually less difficult than getting 21 outs.

[Jay]

The thing I don't like about it is that it requires a different mindset to be able to come out of the bullpen. Both VandenHurk and Hensley talked about this when they were put in the bullpen. Starters have a completely different routine than relievers. It takes some getting used to. I hate how this team just takes guys that are not used to pitching in relief and toss them into the bullpen. With VandenHurk, at least he had a little experience with pitching in relief from spring training and Hensley had pitched in the bullpen before as well but Sanabia hasn't come out of the bullpen for 4 years and now he's expected to adjust to this on the fly against the best hitters in the world? I hope I'm just freaking out for no reason and that Sanabia will pitch well but this is a lot to put on a 21 year old making his major league debut.

I understand that it requires a different mindset but when you work for an organization and you specialize in something but the organization needs you to do something different to fill a need, you try and adapt and make the change. If he can't be make the change on the fly send him down but you have to at least see if he can be productive in that role. I'm sure he would prefer the MLB treatment compared to the AA treatment.

I hate organizations that leave players to rot in the minor leagues for years because there is no void at their normal position. You try things out and experiment with players at new positions. Yes it isn't ideal to do this at the big league level but sometimes you need to find some way to plug the black hole on the team.
--------------------

I think it's generally easier to go from rotation to pen then the other way around. Going max effort for 3 outs is usually less difficult than getting 21 outs.

I don't see that point being argued anywhere.

It's about preparation. When your a starter everything that happens while your on the mound has been in your control. As a reliever you may enter the game in a similar situation where you throw the first pitch of the at bat with no runners on or with the bases loaded and a 3-0 count. Warming up is completely different also. Sometimes you have plenty of time and other times you have basically no time.

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Sanabia projects to be used in long relief. The feeling is he has the makings of a solid fourth or fifth starter in the big leagues. For now, he will be asked to help out in either long relief or in certain situations.

Two relievers joining squad

I feel a little better about this if Frisaro is correct and Sanabia is going to be the long-man in the bullpen. That is less of a change than if he has to enter with the bases loaded and nobody out. I'd still rather let him stay a starter in the minors but I'm willing to give him a shot. This just feels like the pitcher version of the Bryan Petersen call-up.

[Miamarlin21]

I wouldn't imagine him being anything but that.

[FishFanInPA]

Then why waste him?

[Miamarlin21]

Someone needs to do it, why not him?

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Well, JCR and Capozzi have both been saying that Houser would be the long man which scared me about how they'd use Sanabia. I guess we won't know for sure until we here from Fredi but I would much rather use the guy projected to be a 4th or 5th starter as the long man and have the guy that can't get lefties out as a limited use, middle relief guy.

[emkayseven]

houser is left handed so fredi will definitely use him vs lhb even though they tee off against him

[Mainge]

I understand that it requires a different mindset but when you work for an organization and you specialize in something but the organization needs you to do something different to fill a need, you try and adapt and make the change. If he can't be make the change on the fly send him down but you have to at least see if he can be productive in that role. I'm sure he would prefer the MLB treatment compared to the AA treatment.

I hate organizations that leave players to rot in the minor leagues for years because there is no void at their normal position. You try things out and experiment with players at new positions. Yes it isn't ideal to do this at the big league level but sometimes you need to find some way to plug the black hole on the team.
--------------------


I don't see that point being argued anywhere.

It's about preparation. When your a starter everything that happens while your on the mound has been in your control. As a reliever you may enter the game in a similar situation where you throw the first pitch of the at bat with no runners on or with the bases loaded and a 3-0 count. Warming up is completely different also. Sometimes you have plenty of time and other times you have basically no time.

I understand. My point is that relieving is easier than starting for 95% of all pitchers, and that getting all worked up over how a professional will handle a shift in routine is all kinds of Fip-radio bullshit.

If he comes in and gets titty ripped all over the field, it's not going to be because of change in habit.
--------------------
Also

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niqrrmev4mA[/ame]

[Ralph]

I FORGOT!! RAMP CAN JAM NOW!!

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

Florida Marlins' need for relief is getting desperate


Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00 EDT

When the Marlins dipped into their minor-league system two weeks ago to scoop up their top hitting prospect, Mike Stanton was promoted in large part because he had nothing left to prove in Double A.

The Marlins' latest call to Jacksonville, though, is more about their desperate need for bullpen help.

Right-hander Alex Sanabia -- who has emerged as one of the top pitching prospects in the organization -- will join the Marlins in Baltimore on Tuesday night for the start of a three-game series at Camden Yards, along with left-hander James Houser, a former second-round draft pick.

Sanabia, 21, isn't like the other young arms the team has brought up of late. The San Diego native is the ace of the staff for the Double A Suns. In 14 outings, the 32nd-round pick in 2006 is 5-1 with a 2.03 ERA. In 84 1/3 innings, he has walked 16 and struck out 65 -- the kind of ratio the Marlins are desperately looking for when their starters exit the game.

SHADES OF WILLIS

``You just look at his numbers in Double A, they're probably the best we've had since Dontrelle [Willis] was around,'' said Jim Fleming, vice president of player development and scouting.

``He has three quality pitches, none of which are his go-to pitch, that he all throws for strikes. His ability to command them is his strength. It's kind of what we need. Our bullpen dilemma has been finding guys who can throw strikes.''

Houser, 25, was once a starter in the Rays minor-league system. But after signing with the Marlins as a free agent this past winter, he has strictly come out of the bullpen for Triple A New Orleans, where he has gone 0-0 with a 3.26 ERA, four walks and 11 strikeouts in 19 1/3 innings.

``He's a guy who comes at you from a low slot with a different angle, a different look for hitters,'' Fleming said. ``He's thrown a lot of strikes and given us multiple innings [in New Orleans].''

Once they get their uniforms, Sanabia and Houser stand to become the 16th and 17th pitchers to come out of the bullpen for the Marlins this season. A year ago, the Marlins had used only 12 relievers.

In the past month alone, they have been through 10. The only mainstays since April: closer Leo Nunez, setup man Clay Hensley (expected off the disabled list June 27) and right-hander Brian Sanches, who spent the first three weeks of the season on the disabled list.

That trio has gone 3-4 with 15 saves, a 2.55 ERA, 83 strikeouts and 32 walks in 81 combined innings. But the other 12 relievers for the Marlins this season have gone a combined 2-9 with a 6.81 ERA, 71 walks and 91 strikeouts.

The bullpen's 4.68 ERA ranks 22nd overall. Its five relief wins are tied with the Indians for the fewest, and the eight losses after being handed a lead are tied for second-most behind the Royals (nine).

``I don't know if there's been a team where the same bullpen you start with is what you end with, but there seems to be revolving doors [this season],'' Sanches said. ``. . . I can tell you this, every time we go out there we're competing hard.''

MENTAL ASPECT

Pitching coach Randy St. Claire said the biggest problem relievers have had this season is walking leadoff hitters. In Saturday's 11-inning loss to the Rays, the bullpen issued 11 walks.

``It's mainly the mental side of the game that is getting these guys,'' St. Claire said. ``They're all young guys that are trying to prove something. . . . They need to trust their stuff and execute -- simple as that.''

Although manager Fredi Gonzalez said Sunday the team's front office is ``actively looking'' for relief help outside the organization, the market appears thin and geared toward sellers. Unless the Marlins remain in contention, they will likely be sellers instead of buyers before the trade deadline.

``Our history shows we've been good with that,'' Gonzalez said of finding quality relievers on the scrap heap. ``Maybe one of these guys emerges like Joe Nelson, Kiko Calero, Justin Miller, Doug Waechter, Lee Gardner. We've had a really good track record. Maybe [this void] will change.''

/Miami Herald

[Swifty]

The more I thought about this, the less concerned I am. Fredi went like 2 1/2 weeks between Buente appearances, it's not like he's good at getting guys in the game.

So long as Tank, Nunez and Sanches are healthy, we're not going to see Sanabia.

[THE_REAL_MIBS]

I just don't like the idea because, as Jim Fleming said in the article I posted, he really doesn't have a dominant strikeout pitch. As a long reliever, he may be okay. I just don't think he'd be that good as a reliever and I hate that we have no other options than to call up one of our top starters to try to stop the bleeding in the bullpen.

[Swifty]

Oh I agree that sticking him in the 'pen is a bad idea and that he's probably more likely to have a blow up than he is to turn into a mow them down reliever, but he's probably going to get 3-5 innings of work before he's sent back down, if that, just because of how we use our 'pen and the role he figures to fill.

It's a good rotation mixed with bad managing and the long/mop-up guy gets forgotten.

Unless your concern is different than mine, MBA. I'm not scared of ineffectiveness, necessarily, I'm scared of wrecking his confidence, I don't think that can happen in 3 appearances out of the pen when the game is already decided. This isn't Logan Kensing in Wrigley we're talking about.