Over the years, a few teams have attempted to have a closer by committee, usually without much success. The Houston Astros are the next team that will be giving this concept a chance.
When the Houston Astros paid a king’s ransom to pry Ken Giles from the Philadelphia Phillies, it was expected that he would become the team’s new closer. It did not matter that they had given Luke Gregerson a three year contract last year, or that he had produced a solid 3.10 ERA and 0.951 WHiP while notching 31 saves in his first season as a closer, the Astros wanted to upgrade their relievers after the meltdown during the 2015 postseason.
Unfortunately, these best laid plans have not come to fruition just yet. Giles has struggled during Spring Training, giving up seven runs on eleven hits and three walks in 8.1 innings. Gregerson, meanwhile, has pitched just one inning due to injuries suffered in camp, although he did strike out the side in that frame of action. And let us not forget Pat Neshek, who was also a strong reliever for the Astros last season.
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With that being the case, Manager A.J. Hinch has refused to name a closer heading into Opening Day. He also stated that, should he change his mind and actually does name a closer, that does not mean he will always give him the ball in the ninth inning to notch the save, as he is looking to play the matchups and the situation more than have a pitcher be defined by a specific role.
"“I don’t see it as an end-all, be-all moment. I think it can change. In the first road game in the ninth inning of a tie game, whoever I bring in could very well be our closer. I just choose to use him in a non-closing situation,” Hinch said."
It is certainly a sound idea in theory. Using a team’s best reliever in a tight situation with the game on the line makes sense in a vacuum. However, that does not factor in the personalities and the mindset of these pitchers. Even if Giles and Gregerson are completely on board with such a move, there is still a matter of habit and knowing when they would be used that has to factor in.
Climbing Tal's Hill
Relievers, and particularly closers, are creatures of habit. In a tight game, once the sixth inning roles around, they tend to begin to get ready to get on the mound for the ninth. In a way, they need that pressure environment, and to have the game on the line in the final inning. This is why so many closers, when entering games in non-save situations with a large lead, tend to struggle. The pressure is not there.
That same issue could happen when the roles are not defined. Yes, Giles may be called on to close out a game one night, then be asked to get out a jam in the seventh inning the following game. Then, two days later, he may be used in the eighth before closing another night. That type of usage can affect the mindset, and the preparation, of the entire relief corps.
That is why, when teams initially state that they are either going to a closer by committee or are not setting defined roles, they typically renege on such a plan with the first few weeks of the season. Those roles make a tremendous difference to the entire pitching staff.
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The Houston Astros are refusing to name a specific reliever as their closer, at least for now. This could be a mistake during the early part of the 2016 season.