Ryan Dull has been without a doubt one of the most impressive September call-ups for the Oakland Athletics. Despite being a late round draft pick in 2012, he has defied all odds and caught the attention of the A’s coaching staff and front office this year. With the A’s bullpen being one of the worst in the MLB this season, it is clear that the Athletics are going to need to rebuild their relief staff. However, Dull should be given the opportunity to earn a permanent relief position with the Oakland Athletics even though he is only 25 years old and this September was his first experience pitching in the Majors.
Dull skyrocketed from Double-A to Triple-A this season and maintained a combined 0.74 ERA by allowing just five runs over 61 innings pitched. Up until this weekend’s series against the San Francisco Giants, Dull had not given up a run since being called up on September 1. Unfortunately, the Giants got the best of Dull and he gave up two runs on Friday and a grand slam on Saturday. However, this should not diminish the success Dull has demonstrated since putting on an Athletics uniform and he has struck out 13 batters in 13.1 innings pitched.
Dull could be the key to the A’s bullpen next season. With Sean Doolittle healthy once again, it will be easier to organize the rest of the relief staff into more permanent roles. With the success Dull has experience in the Minors this season and with the Athletics this September, he could be a great eighth inning setup man.
Currently, Oakland does not have a reliever that is a true setup man. They had Tyler Clippard who has spent most of his career setting up for the closer in the eighth inning. However, he had to assume the closer role when Doolittle was injured and was then traded in July. With the potential of Dull and Doolittle anchoring the bullpen, the A’s would have a nice concrete foundation to start with as they begin to reevaluate, replace, and acquire relievers for 2016.
Even though Dull is young and does not have very much MLB pitching experience, he has proven this month that he could be a successful relief pitcher in the Major Leagues. Since the A’s do not want to trade away their hot young prospects, they are going to have to look within their organization first to see who could fill various gaps on the roster – especially when it comes to fixing the bullpen issues. Dull would be a perfect fit for the 2016 bullpen and deserves a shot at earning a permanent spot on the A’s roster next season.
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