Brian Fuentes Should Remain an Angel
by LAAngelsInsider on Aug 19, 2010 3:49 PM PDT
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PrintIn 2009 Brian Fuentes led the Major Leagues in Saves with 48. Granted, they weren't all pretty and Angel fans still remember the fastball that Alex Rodriguez belted out of Yankee Stadium in the '09 ALCS; but overall Fuentes has been a solid closer for the Angels.
Just one season later, with the Angels at a mediocre 60-61, Fuentes has just 23 saves. He also has finished just 31 games in 2010. Fuentes contract includes a vesting option for 2011 if he finishes 55 games. With just 41 games remaining, a lackluster offense and relievers setting him up who are not getting the job done it seems Fuentes is headed towards free agency. With an ERA presently at 3.22 and a WHIP of 1.16, plus being left handed he is likely to have quite a few suitors.
So in the off-season of 2011 not only will the Angels have to take a hard look at upgrading their core of set up men, they may also need a new closer. Those returning next season the Angels are going to have to right their ship or the 2011 club may have the same bullpen issues they do in 2010.
This Fan-Post is authored by an independent fan. Tell us what you think and how you feel.
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Yes, we should keep the Fuentesaurus, I'm just not sure he should be the closer.
Angels baseball. We do what we must, because we can -- HaloDutch
Let him walk...
but not sure what our options are going forward. Rodney maybe? He has been pretty good in save situations, so stick to only save situations for the crooked-hatted fella.
I love this team.
+1
I believe Fuentes has gotten a bad rap from a lot of fickle Angel fans, but we need to spend our money wisely. Rodney is making about 6 mil. next year and has shown to be decent in save situations. Why not give him a shot at the closer role and then sign sometime (like JJ Putz) who doesn’t mind setting-up but can close if needed. That way, if we then let Fuentes go, we’ll have a little more money for a big bat.
Probably too few games left for that contract option to ever vest
but if he actually makes it to game #54, I’ll chip in for a sniper.
All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine.
Not at the cost of the option and not as the closer
Our first round pick may be protected so signing a type A bullpen arm might not be a problem.
44fan claims that it is a fact Vlad will get hurt. Here is to your "borrowed time" Vlad. You were, are, and will be the man Vlad.
however
like with Krod the First with his record breaking saves, they also reflect close games. just playing devils advocate, because i believe in the nike commercial from a few years ago “a win is a win, a loss is a loss”
Fuentes has pitched well
But at the cost of his option I say no. I’d rather have Carl Crawford play 9 than Fuentes pitch one, and I’m not sure we can afford a FA outfielder if we spend 9 mil on Fuentes.
"That boy is our last hope" - Obi Wan Scioscia, as Francisco Rodriguez left for the Mets. "No, there is another" - Yoda Reagins.
Keeping him isn't a bad idea
It seems unrealistic, however, to spend $9M on a left-handed specialist. If he returns, he returns as a closer. Otherwise, he would find a richer, multi-year deal with another team.
However, I can envision a scenario where Fuentes is kept one more year to close, while the team spends 2011 trying to figure out how to get Jepsen consistent enough to take the role in 2012. I think the construct of Fuentes’ deal was designed to open the role for Jepsen in 2011, except that he hasn’t progressed the way he would have needed to in order to win the job.
"I can't tell people what to think or not to think. Their perceptions are their perceptions. We just feel we've taken a step forward. At the end of the day, we have to play 162 games. Once that happens then we'll be able to evaluate the offseason moves."~Tony Reagins, on the Angels' offseason
i'd like a closer that doesnt have ovaries
Somewhere, right now, Mickey Hatcher is ruining a swing.
by Quinlan's Goofy Swing on Aug 19, 2010 11:32 PM PDT reply actions
No, he shouldn't
At market prices, he will be too expensive for a team that needs every spare dollar to stay within the $120 million range. He is simply not dependable enough. Jepsen/Bulger/Kohn/Thompson should all improve next year, for much cheaper.
by mattwelch on Aug 20, 2010 4:08 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Love the optimism mate, I truly believe they all will improve as well
I can’t wait to have Bulger and Stokes back, and I think Kohn will be much better next year than he’s been this year. His control should improve as will his backdoor slider. Thompson could be a very effective long reliever.
"You play for Cleveland? I didn't know they still had a team." - Claire Holloway
"Yup, we've got uniforms and everything, it's really great!" - Jake Taylor
No chance Fuentes returns
I agree with Matt’s post immediately above — we need every spare dollar, so we have to rely on the young guns (and Rodney) next season. As I posted in the thread about K-Rod:
* * *
Although our bullpen has been terrible for much of the season, we have enough arms — Jepsen, Rodney, Bulger, Kohn, Stokes, Rodriguez, Bell, Palmer, Thompson, — that we should be able to find six decent relievers.
In contrast, although our offense has been just as big a problem as our bullpen, there is no likely internal solution. As was pointed out yesterday, our offense has scored 3 or fewer runs in 51 games this season — i.e., 42% of the time. In those 51 games, we are 8-43. These numbers show that we need to improve our offense next season. Getting Kendry back will help, but we also will lose Matsui, and Hunter, Abreu, and Rivera will be one year older.
If we do nothing on offense, our lineup will look something like this: LF Abreu, 3B Callaspo, RF Torii, 1B Kendry, 2B Kendrick, DH Rivera, SS Aybar, Ca Napoli, CF Bourjos. Our bench will be limited to Izturis, Wilson, Willits, Wood, and perhaps Trumbo (or, even worse, Mathis). In other words, we will have no depth at all.
We need to sign someone else to hit next season, so that Rivera can lead a bench that also includes Izturis, Willits, Wilson, and Wood. In that scenario, everyone except Wood would play regularly, and Rivera would take enough at-bats from Abreu to prevent his option from vesting.
Regarding why we need every spare dollar...
As I posted in the prior thread regarding K-Rod, and as Matt suggested, if we keep our payroll in the same range next season, we will have very little to spend this offseason.
Speier’s contract expires, and presumably Fuentes, Matsui, Shields, and Mathis will not return. This would save the team approximately $27 million. At the same time, we owe raises of more than $16 million to Haren (compared to Saunders’ 2010 salary), Kazmir, Santana, Izturis, Rivera, and Matthews. Weaver also should receive a raise through arbitration or a contract extension, and Kendry will be eligible for arbitration for the first time.
This means that, if we keep our payroll at the same level, we will only have $5-10 million to spend this winter.
Maybe he will
But we have an alternative (Wilson) who costs almost a million dollars less. Mathis has no value to this team at $1.3 million per year.
I feel like Mike Scioscia would be more willing to part with Wilson than Mathis.
"You play for Cleveland? I didn't know they still had a team." - Claire Holloway
"Yup, we've got uniforms and everything, it's really great!" - Jake Taylor
Mathis won arb last year
And is having a terrible year this year. i wouldn’t be surprised if the Angels just tendered him.
let him walk
and if we can’t get Crawford, try and get Soriano when TB lets him walk. if he wants too much, Rodney is the closer in his contract year.
protectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpick
We would pay him way way more than what he is worth to resign
Please don’t Angels.
BOURJOS BOURJOS BOURJOS BOURJOS
Fuentes isn't worth the price.
But he is our most reliable reliever, by far. For those of you who don’t want Fuentes to be the closer, who DO you want the closer to be?
Fernando Rodney? 4.07 ERA, 1.500 WHIP (which suggest his ERA could and probably should be even worse than what it is). BARF!
Kevin “Wild Thing” Jepsen? He’s got the talent but like Rodney, he’s more of a thrower than a pitcher. Pass.
Scott Shields? Hell no. This dude is done.
Unless we go outside of the organization and probably overpay for another closer, there is no better option than Fuentes.
"F it, let's pitch." - Ervin Santana
by Chzburger Jones on Aug 20, 2010 8:46 PM PDT reply actions
my thing with fuentes is
i never feel confident with him in
and if soth feels the same youre in a tough spot you have to be able to rely on your closer. though fuentes has pitched well of late i feel like there are a lot better options out there to help our bullpen who we all know has been shitty. plus the money fuentes would make i believe would be much better somewhere else
One time...
there are a lot better options out there
care to name 5?
protectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpickprotectedpick
by 2pintsofbooze on Aug 21, 2010 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions
The hell is this, a troll post?
Anyone who throws a save stat out there should reconsider what they deem a good closer.
Brian fuentes is trash, and just because he hasn’t sucked as bad as the rest of the bullpen (as of late) doesn’t mean for one second that the angels should bring him back.
What do you need a fancy suit for, Charlie, you ain't got no job to wear it to.
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