So I'm contemplating the Jays bullpen and a strange thought came to me. A Thought I do not remember ever experiencing before.
I think I trust Jason Frasor.
(Frasor has long been my bete noire - everybody should have one - and he smartly stepped into the role after Justin Speier left town).
Well, once I got over the novelty, I began to think - just how much do I trust Mr Frasor? As much as I would trust Tom Henke in his prime? Scott Downs today? Obviously not. As much as I'd trust B.J. Ryan?
Probably a little more. Can I quantify this feeling, somehow?
Well. I need a scale for this. Nothing too scientific, nothing that would require some actual work and analysis. Something.... crude and intuitive. Like this:
Magpie's Levels of Trust
Scott Downs - 90% (This is about as high as a guy like Downs can go for now. A great pitcher having one of many great seasons - Mariano Rivera or Tom Henke - can kick my level of trust up to 95% or so. That's not Downs. He's a good pitcher having a great year or two. Think Duane Ward.)
Jason Frasor - 75% (Actually, he probably deserves about an 80% - but it's Jason Frasor! This is so hard for me!)
Jesse Carlson - 70% (I guess somewhere in the back of my mind, I keep expecting the coach to turn into a pumpkin.)
B.J. Ryan - 65% (Tolerable, and he's been raising the level in each of his last few appearances.)
Shawn Camp - 60% (This probably works out to 80% if the batter is RH, and 40% if he isn't. The Scott Richmond of the bullpen!)
Brandon League - 51% (Yeah, I'm somewhat concerned. If you slip below 50%, it's time for a trip to the minors. If I grade someone below 50%, I am saying Get this Fellow Out of the Pen.)
Bill Murphy - 50% (It's the default setting. If you get promoted to a major league roster, this is where you go until you prove otherwise. One way or another.)
I'll tell you this much - this crew beats the hell out of the Yankees bullpen. Or Boston's.
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