San Diego Padres need to revamp the bullpen for 2022
If Major League Baseball and the Player’s Association could come to a quick settlement on a new collective bargaining agreement, we might have a memorable hot stove league this winter. In San Diego, the Padres will be active in replacing their closer and adding a late-inning specialist to the mix.
Once again, the Friars head into the off-season trying to repair their bullpen. However, there are not alone. San Diego Padres general manager A.J. Preller will have his work cut out as other teams will be looking to revamp their pen as well. The Friars have other areas on the roster that need improvement but finding two or more proven relievers might be their biggest need this off-season.
2021 San Diego Padres bullpen derailed by Pomeranz’s Injury
Last season, the top of the Padres bullpen was impressive because of its interchangeable parts. Mark Melancon was the closer with Drew Pomeranz and Emilio Pagan in the setup roles. Each pitcher was fully capable of handling either role as all three were closers in the past. But as the season progressed, the construction of the pen began to crumble.
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Pomeranz suffered shoulder impingement that forced him to miss close to seven weeks of the 2021 season. His return was short-lived as Pomeranz experienced forearm inflammation that required season-ending surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon.
When he was able to appear in games, Pomeranz was dominant on the mound. He had a 1.75 ERA in 25.1 innings pitched. In 2022, Pomeranz’s absence will be felt late in close games. His road to recovery will be long, hard and with no guarantee of him returning to form. The odds are high that Pomeranz might have thrown his last pitch for the Friars.
Changes have begun to the look of the San Diego Padres bullpen
The look of the 2022 Padres bullpen has already begun to change. Melancon declined his player’s option to test his worth on the open market. Melancon’s possible departure may force the Padres to use Pagan as their late inning closer next season.
No question, Pagan had his struggles on the mound in 2021. His effectiveness began to wane due to a heavy workload. Pagan threw 63.1 innings, which was just shy of his career-high of 70 innings thrown in his final season (2019) with the Tampa Bay Rays. He allowed inherit runners to score at a 33 percent rate last season. Plus, Pagan gave up a career-high 16 home runs in 67 appearances. It was the highest ratio (2.9 HRs/9 innings) of his five-year major league career.
The Friars long run of having one of the top pens in the majors might be coming to an end in 2022. To be fair that statement might be a panic response. But right now, new Padres manager Bob Melvin does not have a proven option to close out tight games.
Instead of being linked with every available reliever, the Padres need to add the right pieces to solve their late-inning troubles.
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A new cast of characters may never replicate the last season’s early-season success. But do not discount Preller’s ability to put together a quality bullpen.