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Around SBN: Randy Moss A Raven?

A Bullpen Story

We were talking yesterday about the Brewers' expensive bullpen, and I wondered if it was the priciest in baseball. Mom always told me the lawn wasn't going to cut itself, so I decided to run the numbers.

According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, the Brewers are second in bullpen spending, to the Yankees (surprise!). They're also one of only four teams with a bullpen budget in excess of $20 million:

Star-divide

  1. Yankees - $27.5M
    • Rivera - $15M
    • Farnsworth - $6M
    • Hawkins - $3.75M
    • Bruney - $750K
    • Albaladejo, Chamberlain, Karstens, Ohlendorf, Traber - near min. (~$2M total)
  2. Brewers - $26.98M
    • Gagne - $10M
    • Riske - $4M
    • Torres - $3.33M
    • Mota, Turnbow - $3.2M
    • Shouse - $2M
    • McClung - $750K
    • Choate - $500K
  3. Angels - $22.1M
    • Rodriguez - $10M
    • Shields, Speier - $4.25M
    • Oliver - $2M
    • Bootcheck, Bulger, O'Day, Thompson - near min. (~$1.6M total)
  4. Mets - $20.78M
    • Wagner - $10.5M
    • Schoeneweis - $3.6M
    • Sosa - $2M
    • Heilman, Wise - $1.2M
    • Feliciano - $1.025
    • Sanchez - $850K
    • Smith - near min. (~$400K)
The average aggregate bullpen salary is $13.29 million; the median is $11.94 million, so the average is a little top-heavy. Four teams are spending less than $6 million on their pen: the Giants, Mariners, Marlins & Pirates; a fifth, the Dodgers, is only spending $6.24 million. Amazingly, despite having the fourth-lowest bullpen salary load in baseball, the Mariners are able to pay JJ Putz $3.9 million; they're going with an 11-man staff and are paying all of their other five relievers near minimum.

Of course, spending a lot on your bullpen isn't necessarily a negative; wins are what's important (it's not my money). To that end, I added up the WXRL that the top five relievers in each bullpen are projected to accrue:

  1. Yankees - 7.5
    • Chamberlain - 3.0*
    • Rivera - 2.9
    • Farnsworth - 1.0
    • Hawkins - 0.3
    • Traber - 0.3
  2. Red Sox - 7.1
    • Papelbon - 3.8
    • Okajima - 1.1
    • Delcarmen - 1.0
    • Tavarez - 0.7
    • Timlin - 0.5
  3. Dodgers - 6.7
    • Saito - 2.5
    • Broxton - 1.9
    • Kuo - 1.1
    • Beimel - 0.6
    • Proctor - 0.6
    ...
  4. Brewers - 4.2**
    • Gagne - 1.8
    • Riske - 0.9
    • Torres - 0.6
    • Shouse - 0.5
    • Turnbow - 0.4
Oh, I see. Well then.



*Chamberlain is projected as a starter, so I just arbitrarily assigned him 3.0 WXRL (which would be the #6 total in all of baseball). Hey, this is science, people.

**Mota is projected at 0.3 WXRL.

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More evidence that

great minds think alike.

They don't agree on all the details, though.

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on Apr 1, 2008 7:23 PM CDT reply actions  

oh well

you've got WXRL. It's somethin'... :)

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on Apr 1, 2008 7:57 PM CDT up reply actions  

They should move the FanPosts up

I don't know if it's like this for everyone but I can't see them without scrolling down - I think on the old design you could at least see the newest ones.

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Apr 1, 2008 8:16 PM CDT up reply actions  

grr.

I just tried to tinker, but it looks like something that has to be taken up with the powers that be. For now, we're stuck with the top three sidebar things (recent posts / ad / fanposts) in that order.

Also, cheese.

by Jeff Sackmann on Apr 1, 2008 8:46 PM CDT up reply actions  

yeah

I wouldn't mind seeing the FanPosts and Recent Posts switching spots. I assume the ad isn't going anywhere.

Formerly "Ball and Glove"

by Stoa on Apr 1, 2008 9:41 PM CDT up reply actions  

Sorry Jeff.

Apparently it's too important that brewcrewball users know they should vote for some guy on American Idol who looks like he's six.

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Apr 1, 2008 10:46 PM CDT up reply actions  

Bullpen

Wise just gave up a walk off HR against the Marlins in the 10th.

by molitorfan on Apr 1, 2008 9:43 PM CDT reply actions  

On the bright side

His WHIP is down to an even 3.00, half of what it was going into today.

"He would have been among the league leaders in batting average for a majority of the season had he had enough plate appearances."

Obscure baseball records and more at my blog, Recondite Baseball.

by TheJay on Apr 1, 2008 9:54 PM CDT up reply actions  

Gallardo return

Long time reader and Brewer's fan. First time poster. When Gallardo returns, is it known who will drop out of the rotation.... Villanuera or Parra? This is for selfish reasons as I will probalby pick up 1 of those 2 in a salary cap fantasy baseball league :)

I've spent most of my life playing softball, the rest of it I have just wasted....

by SoftballMVP on Apr 2, 2008 10:08 AM CDT reply actions  

I think

whoever pitches worse over the next week or two.

"I will agree that the attitude [at BCB] is ridiculous and they have done so much to instigate animosity and then block us from responding. Real mature!"

by roguejim on Apr 2, 2008 10:16 AM CDT reply actions  

Ya, that makes perfect sense. Was hoping something more definitive had already been stated. As this fantasy league is complicated. Very limited on trades but I have to decide by game start time today because Wood is the guy I am trading out of.

I've spent most of my life playing softball, the rest of it I have just wasted....

by SoftballMVP on Apr 2, 2008 10:33 AM CDT reply actions  

Manny

I picked up Parra in my league cause I want to believe that they want a lefty in the rotation. With no cappy, it has to be Manny.

by brewfan2 on Apr 2, 2008 11:14 AM CDT up reply actions  

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