St. Louis Cardinals: The 2017 bullpen wasn’t as bad as you think

Improve the bullpen. Get a closer. How many times have St. Louis Cardinals fans heard that this off-season? What if the 2017 bullpen wasn’t that bad? What if they deserve a little more credit for their efforts last season?

You may think I’m crazy, but hear me out. First, let me preface all of this by saying that in no way do I think signing a premier closer is a bad thing. That will only improve the St. Louis Cardinals. However, I do  think many people believe the 2017 bullpen was a lot worse than it actually was.

The stat/complaint that I have seen the most this off-season is that the Cardinals blew seventeen saves last season. Yes, they did. However, that number tied for the fifth least number of blown saves in 2017. Only three of the ten playoff teams from last season had fewer blown saves – the Indians, Dodgers, and Rockies.

The team also had 43 saves, which tied for the 7th highest total in baseball. So, the team was 43/60 in saves which is a 71.67 save percentage. That percentage is good for sixth in baseball.

The bullpen’s ERA of 3.81 was 7th in baseball also. The pen had the sixth lowest BB/9, ninth best LOB% (left on base), and tied for the eighth best WHIP (walks plus hits divided by innings pitched).

By most metrics, the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen in 2017 was pretty good.

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While one cannot argue  Seung-hwan Oh was not nearly as effective in 2017 as he was in 2016, he was still 20/24 in save opportunities. Trevor Rosenthal was 11/13. Brett Cecil is the guy to blame here.

He was 1/7 in save opportunities. I think most, if not all, would agree that he was awful last year.

Without the six blown saves from Cecil, the Cardinals would’ve had 89 wins and would have been one of the Wild Card teams instead of the Rockies. Thanks a lot Brett.

Rosenthal has been released. Oh is most likely gone. Luke Gregerson was signed as a free agent to help replace at least one of those guys.

All of the other significant contributors are back, with Alex Reyes seemingly joining the bullpen at the beginning of the season. As it stands now, I don’t think we are in very bad shape.

Next: Interview with Daniel Poncedeleon

Again, signing a closer will only make our team better, and I am not advocating that we do not get one. However, I do think last year’s bullpen was a lot better than most people think, and I think the current bullpen is not in that bad of shape. What do you guys think? Let me know.