Astros acquire Francisco Liriano for Norichika Aoki & Teoscar Hernandez

Eesh. Would love to go into this playoff season with a pen of Dotel, Lidge and Wagner. Hell Let Sipp peddle cotton candy and bring Gallo along with the other 3.

 

As of right now, does Liriano even make the post season roster?

 

Popular opinion is that we won't go into the postseason without a lefty. But if your lefty can't get out lefties what's the point? He simply hasn't been able to make the transition to bullpen quick prep.

We have competent right handers who are better at the task. I am still for continuing to try and let him settle into the role, but if the playoffs started today he sure as hell wouldn't be on my roster.

 

Current bullpen rankings in terms of reliability:

1. Giles
2. Devo
3. Peacock
4. Musgrove
5. Harris
6. Gregerson
7. Clippard
8. Martes
9. Liriano
10. Feliz
11. Hoyt
12. Sipp
13. Guduan / Diaz / Not Happenin

Keep 8 (or maybe even 7).

 

Starters are likely to pitch less in playoffs. Could be 9-10 from that list.

 

#4-5 Starters are more likely to become bullpen guys in the playoffs.

If everybody is healthy and pitching up to their potential.. Peacock and Morton will not be starting playoff games.

 

I'd expect us to use 4 starters rather than starting on short rest. That would mean Morton or Peacock getting that spot.

 

I think most of us expect McHugh to be the 4th starter with Morton and Peacock to the pen.

 

DK
Verlander
LMJ
McHugh

(Again, if everybody is healthy and pitching well...)

Peacock has been the most consistent starter of everybody all season, Verlander/DK included. I don't think they'd hesitate to use him over McHugh... but the fact that Peacock has shown that he can bring the same stuff out of the pen makes him less of an unknown there than McHugh or LMJ would be.

 

More or less agreed. I think there's a big drop off after Harris. I also wonder if they'll use Morton in the pen (presuming Verlander, Keuchel, LMJ, and McHugh are good to go).

If Morton can be used in the pen, that's 6 good arms. Gregerson as a vet probably takes the #7 slot, and then it's Clippard, Feliz, Liriano, and Sipp for the last spot.

 

I'm still confused by this trade.

 

What's confusing.

He was good at getting out lefties as a starter, we thought he would be good at getting lefties out as a reliever.

There wasn't some complex reasoning.

 

The other benefit was that we thought we could replicate, if not improve, Aoki's production with Fisher and save the money we were paying Nori. That hasn't really panned out either.

 

Yep. Peacock and Morton will likely to be in the pen, but probably will be limited to one, two times through the order. McCullers (if healthy) and McHugh will also likely be limited to 1,2 times through the order. So while Peacock and Morton will be in the pen, a lot of their innings will be when a starter is still in the game during the regular season.

Granted, I don't think any team has used as many pitchers as I think Astros will in the playoffs so I may be misjudging what Astros want to do.

 

I don't see them magically instituting a tandem system in the playoffs.

Yes, if any pitcher is struggling or gets in trouble, the threshold to pull them goes down in the playoffs... regardless of team/situation. The Astros have had several games this year where the starter was pulled before 5, and still resulted in wins... and all of those cases were either the starter struggled, or pitch count was near 100.

But, are you suggesting that if LMJ or McHugh goes unscathed through 3... that they're going to be pulled early?

 

I would like to have Aoki and Hernandez left leg back for Liriano aka Tony Sipps lost brother.

 

If they go unscathed, they will go longer. If they get shelled, they will go shorter. It is not unreasonable that Astros will deploy non-ace starters like non-ace starters are deployed in the playoffs.

 

Assuming Keuchel and Verlander are their normal selves, then I think you do go with a fake-tandem system:

Keuchel
Verlander
McCuller/Peacock
McHugh/Morton

How long McCullers/McHugh go depends on how they do, but I think you tell Peacock/Morton that they are pitching those days so they can sort of be on a starter's schedule for prep, offdays, etc. Doubtful that McCullers or McHugh ever go more than 6, so that leaves 3 innings for the other guys if needed - but at worst, those combos should get you 7 or 8 innings. Also, helps reduce your reliance on bullpen scrubs. Given the numerous offdays in the playoffs, Giles, Devo, Harris, and Musgrove can cover almost all the bullpen innings needed in that scenario.

 

That's a scenario that's not Astros-unique... that's simply how #3 and #4-type starting pitchers are handled in the playoffs.

Brandon Backe is rolling over in his grave at your guys' suggestions of pulling them early!

 

I also disagree with pigeon-holing Morton/Peacock simply for the non DK/Verlander starts.

This year, both Verlander and Keuchel are around 6 innings/start.

Peacock is an excellent bridge guy. Morton, on paper, seems like a potential K weapon (when you may really need one). Devo probably is the first call out of the pen for any game where the starter pitches 6... but if he ends up going multiple innings the day before, may not be available.

Hopefully with off-days, and stretched out arms, having Peacock/Morton available for every game does solidify any possible weakness of this staff.