Oakland Athletics: Could Liam Hendriks Be the New Setup Man?
The Oakland Athletics have already been pretty active this offseason as they begin their team rebuild. It has been clear from the start that the A’s want to boost the quality of their bullpen and have already made a big move to make this happen. Last week, the Athletics trade starter Jesse Chavez to the Toronto Blue Jays for right handed relief pitcher Liam Hendriks.
Even though Hendriks only became a full time reliever in 2015, GM David Forst told the media that they definitely see Hendriks in the bullpen and possibly even as the eighth inning setup man. That being said, the Swingin’ A’s staff answered this question this week:
Do you think Liam Hendriks could successfully fill the setup man role in the bullpen? If not, who should be the A’s setup man?
* * * * *
Rich Paloma: Short and to the point. Based on last year’s bullpen crew that couldn’t hold a lead even if it had a handle, the bar isn’t set very high to judge “success” from 2015.
With the departure of Fernando “Yes-he-is-that” Abad and Evan “Another-one-over-the-fence” Scribner unlikely to be back, the local Whiffle Ball kids could probably do better in a set-up role.
Hendricks was 5-0 and a 2.90 ERA with a 90+ fastball. I look forward to the improvement, but I don’t think Beane is done.
* * * * *
Katrina Putnam: Liam Hendriks will absolutely be the setup man for the A’s next season. Part of the issue with 2015 was the fact that Tyler Clippard was signed to fill that role, but was thrust into the closer job thanks to the absence of Sean Doolittle. Now that the A’s have their closer back, they need to make stabilizing their bullpen a priority.
The catch is whether or not Doolittle will stay healthy. If his injury issues creep up again in 2016, it’s possible that the A’s may be forced to move Hendriks to the closer role and use Drew Pomeranz as the setup man. Pomeranz and Hendriks are actually very similar in that both moved from the rotation to the bullpen, then saw an increase in velocity. It doesn’t do them justice to look at their career numbers, because their results as relievers are much better. Either would be capable of filling the setup role, but I’d give the edge to Hendriks assuming everyone in the bullpen is healthy heading out of Spring Training.
* * * * *
Steven Luke: Hendricks is one answer to the maligned bullpen, but he is just one. Ryan Dull is another answer already on the squad. A healthy Sean Doolittle is a third answer, but the 2015 bullpen needed a lot more than three additions to make it viable.
I seriously doubt that Billy Beane and Davis Forst are done make moves. They could flip a versatile guy like Drew Pomeranz, who may be more valuable to a team that has stronger playoff hopes for a bullpen arm and youth. They are also still in the running for the hottest bullpen arm on the market, Darren O’Day.
Hendricks will be a big piece of the bullpen, but he’s just one answer to the question with multiple answers.
* * * * *
Samantha Riley: If we look at the Oakland Athletics’ bullpen right now, the setup man role could be either Liam Hendriks or Drew Pomeranz. Both have been starters that have found more success in the bullpen. In 2015, Hendriks posted a 2.92 ERA with 71 strikeouts over 59 innings pitched as a reliever. In 43 innings pitched in relief this past season, Pomeranz maintained a 3.11 ERA with 50 strikeouts.
Currently, Hendriks may have the edge. With Jesse Chavez now gone, the A’s will probably want to have some sort of long reliever in the pen. Pomeranz could easily fill that roll. That leaves the setup man position open for Hendriks to take for now. However, Oakland does plan to completely overhaul their bullpen. It would not be surprising for the Athletics to bring someone even better in who may become the setup man – especially if this person could fill in as a closer if Sean Doolittle went down with another injury.
Next: Off-Season Acquisitions: The 2012-2014 Postseason Athletics