How Much Does Ryan Franklin Have Left?

Between the star-powered starting rotation and the potentially problematic middle relief, it is often easy to forget about the man at the end of the line for St. Louis: Closer Ryan Franklin. With Wainwright, Carpenter, and Garcia absorbing most of the pitching spotlight, Franklin has become, in a way, a minor detail in the big picture of the organization.

Since Adam Wainwright’s incredible series of post-season performances leading to a World Series Title in 2006, the closer role has received little attention. However, given the fact that closers are an extremely essential key to success in October, it would be quite beneficial for the Cardinals to evaluate exactly what they have at that position.

Looking back at some recent World Series winning closers, names like Brian Wilson (Giants), Mariano Rivera (Yankees), Brad Lidge (Phillies), and Jonathan Papelbon (Red Sox) jump out at you. Why? Because they are intimidating, flashy, reliable guys that come in and shut opposing hitters down frequently. These are closers that hitters don not want to face, especially with the game on the line. They have built reputations of being the best in the business at what they do.

Ryan Franklin, on the other hand, will never be mentioned as one of the game’s best closers, nor should he be. In fact, aside from an all-star appearance in 2009, the biggest news of Ryan’s career is probably his name being linked to steroids in baseball’s Mitchell Report.

Franklin came into Major League Baseball as a full-time starter for the Seattle Mariners in 2001, and he would go on to stay with the team until 2006. During that time, he compiled a sub-par record of 35-50 with a 4.34 ERA. He then spent brief stints with Philadelphia and Cincinnati in 2006. After signing with the Cards as a set-up man in 2007, Ryan Franklin took over for injury-ridden closer Jason Isringhausen in 2008. In 2009, by far his best year as a pro, Franklin posted 38 saves and a remarkable 1.92 ERA, enough to get him to his only all-star game. Last season, as the team took a step back, so did Franklin. In just 59 games and 65 innings, he went 6-2 with 27 saves and a 3.46 ERA.

Over the course of his career, Ryan Franklin has been the definition of mediocre. For the most part, his numbers have been acceptable, and at the end of the day, he usually gets the job done for the Cards. However, due to his old age and knack for allowing the ball to be put in play, Franklin has given many Cards fans some concerns for the future.

Franklin is by no means a power pitcher, and he’s not the kind of guy that will come in and strike out the side to end the game. This has kept St. Louis fans on the edge of their seats over the past three years. Come opening day, Franklin will be 38 years old, and he has hinted that this will be his last season before retiring. At this point, you pretty much know what you are going to get out of him. If anything, his numbers will continue to decline. So, can the Cards survive with a 38-year-old mediocre closer in 2011? Honestly, I don’t think so.

The team will have very little margin for error this season, and I think Franklin should be on a very short leash. Mitchell Boggs and Jason Motte are both young, power arms capable of succeeding in a ninth inning role. Then again, what are the chances that Tony La Russa will actually turn to youth rather than stick with veteran experience?