Talking about relievers, Lance Berkman and Jason Lane...
Some things to talk about while wondering what embarrassments are on tap this week...
1) Relievers are fungible
Who were the five best non-closer relievers in baseball last season? About about in 2012? And in 2011?
The list in 2013, judged by ERA+ is Neil Cotts, Luis Avilan, Alex Torres, Craig Breslow and Tanner Scheppers. In 2012, it was Scott Atchison, Eric O'Flaherty, Darren Oliver, Robbie Ross and Jake McGee. In 2011, it was David Robertson, O'Flaherty, Scott Downs, Mike Adams and Greg Holland.
One name duplicated on the lists, which looked at relievers who did not have a start, threw at least 50 innings with an ERA+ of 150 or better and less than 10 saves. In 2014, none of the players from 2012 fit that criteria, much less make the top five. That's despite lowering the inning cap to 30 for the current season, too.
The point is that relievers are fungible. They rarely sustain success from year to year. Remember when Mike Adams was a setup man extraordinaire? Outside of San Diego, he's proven just as unreliable as any other non-closer.
Closers, too, will often be unreliable, which is why so many teams look to bolster their bullpen as they try to contend. Who would have thought two years ago that Koji Uehara would become unhittable or that Zach Britton would turn into a great closer for the Orioles?
But, that success rarely lasts. With someone like Houston's Tony Sipp, what are the chances that he's able to remain this good for multiple seasons? What are the chances he pitches like he did in 2013 with Arizona or his 2010 or 2012 seasons in Cleveland?
If teams are lucky, they nab one reliable closer for a two-year stretch. That's what Houston did with Qualls and why they're likely to keep him around next year, too. But, counting on multiple guys performing that well? It's asking for trouble.
Houston's not going to just give Sipp away. After all, he's cheap and under team control past this season. But, if a contender needs a lefty and is willing to give up talent for him? They make that move 10 times out of 10.
2) Lancelot now at Rice
Next year could be a lot of fun. Lance Berkman will be back in Houston, as he's joining the Rice baseball staff as a student assistant. From the story:
Lance Berkman is returning to Rice - this time in the dugout.
Berkman, a two-time All-American and college baseball National Player of the Year in 1997, will join Wayne Graham's coaching staff as a student assistant.
Berkman received the OK from the university on Thursday to enroll in classes for the fall semester and begin working on completion of his degree.
The reason he's joining as a student is that Big Puma never got his degree from Rice. Once he does so, expect him to be in line to replace Graham whenever the elder statesman decides to retire. As Matt Eddy said on Twitter, this is a pretty big get for Rice. He should be able to help the hitters there enormously and, with his personality, the team should be loose for most of the season.
3) Jason Lane to start for Padres
You won't find many stories this incredible this season. Nine years after playing right field in a World Series, former Astro Jason Lane will be the starting pitcher for the San Diego Padres, thanks to Ian Kennedy being scratched. From Gaslamp Ball:
Ian Kennedy will be skipping his regularly scheduled start tomorrow and Jason Lane is being called up from El Paso to take the hill in his place. Kennedy won't be placed on the disabled list, as he just has a sore left oblique that he tweaked swinging a bat, and the team expects him to miss only this start.
Lane was once such a promising prospect who never was able to tap into his potential with the Astros. But, he has persevered with pitching instead of hitting and now stands poised to start a game. This is so incredibly cool. Even though he's not an Astro any more, I'll be rooting for this story.