We move on with our 2014 Pirates position previews with the men that shut the door on opposing offences at the end of games.
The Pirates back end was 73 – 5 — three of those losses came in the final month– when taking a lead into the eighth inning and it produced two NL All-Stars in Mark Melancon and Jason Grilli. Tony Watson and Justin Wilson also aided in the setup role with their power game to create one of the most feared groups in the league.
Justin Wilson: 2013: 6 – 1, 2.08 ERA (1.059 WHIP) in 73 2/3 IN with 59 strikeouts and 28 walks.
Wilson was the man that typically began the back end of the bullpen in 2013 making most of his appearances (19) in the sixth inning — seventh or eighth (14 each) if Tony Watson or Mark Melancon were unavailable — with his only loss coming after not seeing the field for six days.
Wilson’s fastball velocity made it tough on hitters averaging in the 95 – 96 mph range while topping out at 98 mph. With a curveball that ranges between 76 – 81 mph, a hitter would have to prepare for a pitch that could be anywhere within a 20 mph range.
Wilson will again be placed in a sixth / seventh inning role with an occasional eighth inning appearance when another pitcher is unavailable. The possibility of being traded could also be brought up as interest in him could pick back up around the trade deadline.
Tony Watson: 2013: 3 – 1, 2.39 ERA (0.879 WHIP) in 71 2/3 IN with 54 strikeouts and 12 walks.
Watson was the go-to seventh and eighth inning man last season, especially when Jason Grilli was on the DL. He made 17 appearances in the seventh and 32 appearances in the eighth inning while only losing a single game from that position.
His sinker / slider / changeup combination is one of the best in the NL as he can throw the slider / changeup in the 83 – 87 mph range and then turn it up with a sinker that averages 92 – 95 mph. Its not the extreme difference that Wilson has, but the effectiveness of his pitches makes him just as lethal.
Look for Watson to return to his seventh inning role with a healthy Melancon and Grilli with an occasional eighth inning appearance when one of those two are unavailable.
Mark Melancon: 2013: 3 – 2, 16 / 18 SV, 1.39 ERA (0.958 WHIP) in 71 IN with 70 strikeouts and 8 walks.
Melancon was the Pirates full setup man until Jason Grilli went down with an injury on July 22 in which he took over as the closer. The changed status didn’t affect his performance as his ERA stayed under 1.00 until the final weeks of the season. His WHIP constantly stayed below 1.00 allowing him to become an NL All-Star on the final day of the first half of the regular season.
Melancon will return as the Pirates setup man with the opportunity to close on days Grilli is unavailable. It also allows the Pirates to explore trade options if they look to shop Grilli.
Jason Grilli: 2013: 0 – 2, 33 / 35 SV, 2.70 ERA (1.060 WHIP) in 50 IN with 74 strikeouts and 13 walks.
Grilli was having another career year until an arm injury on July 22 sidelined him until the final month of the season. He would work his way back into the closer position for the playoffs where he allowed no runs while recording a save in 3 1/3 IN.
His fastball / slider combination velocity hasn’t declined at age 37 as it is still varies from 83 – 94 mph and with a full offseason of recovery, it shouldn’t drop. Look for Grilli to remain the Pirates closer in 2014 and don’t be surprised if he is shopped at the trade deadline as he is in the final year of his contract.
Follow @TBerardi_OVA
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
