With several pitchers in camp auditioning for the closer role, it appears that Joel Pineiro is going to get the first crack. We'll begin our pitcher-by-pitcher look at the team's options with Pineiro today.
As Gordon Edes notes, of all American League pitchers who threw at least 150 innings last season, only one had an earned run average over 6. That was Pineiro, whose 6.36 ERA was the worst in the majors. Only two AL pitchers this decade who threw 150 or more innings had a higher ERA: Jose Lima (6.99 for Kansas City in 2005) and David Cone (6.91 for the Yankees in 2000).
Not exactly a track record that inspires confidence for a team hoping to challenge for a championship.
Pineiro did perform marginally better in 12 relief appearances last year, and the Sox scouts must have seen something in those outings to give him a $4 million deal.
"One thing we saw in our scouting evaluations," pitching coach John Farrell said, "was that in short stints, his velocity got back up to the mid-90s, and the action and life to his pitches increased in short stints. I think short stints and an aggressive mentality fits well for him. It's a change in role that No. 1, he's accepting of. He throws strikes with three pitches, he's got some late action. We feel like this is the right spot."
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