Can Coffey or Bray Step It Up?

[Krusty]

It will be interesting to see in spring training if Todd Coffey or Bill Bray can step up to be the closer on this team. While Coffey failed in a stint during midseason last year, maybe he learned from it and will take the bull by the horns come this spring.

If Coffey or Bray could be the closer for this club, it would set up the other relievers roles with Stanton, Majewski and Weathers assuming setup roles.

So if there was one battle to watch in spring training is which young reliever will step up to be the closer. If both fail, then the Reds will probably have to settle with Stanton/Weathers duo till Eddie Guardado is ready sometime at the halfway point.

[redsfan30]

It would be a major plus for this team if one of them can step up and attack the closers role. I'm not holding my breath on either one of them, though.

[5DOLLAR-BLEACHERBUM]

It will be interesting to see in spring training if Todd Coffey or Bill Bray can step up to be the closer on this team. While Coffey failed in a stint during midseason last year, maybe he learned from it and will take the bull by the horns come this spring.

If Coffey or Bray could be the closer for this club, it would set up the other relievers roles with Stanton, Majewski and Weathers assuming setup roles.

So if there was one battle to watch in spring training is which young reliever will step up to be the closer. If both fail, then the Reds will probably have to settle with Stanton/Weathers duo till Eddie Guardado is ready sometime at the halfway point.

I say give it to Stanton from the start. He is a vet and has shown in the past that he can do it. I think that if we can have a closer in place, it will help the other pitchers focus on their role in the pen, instead of worrying about trying to win the job. Cof struggled in the closers job butin my opinion has the best stuff on the team. I had tons of confidence in him until he became a closer option last year. The group in the bullpen is very interesting, alot of different looks. IMO Stanton will be much more effective after Cofs sinker, or Brays slider, but I think it will be trouble putting Weathers and Stanton back to back.

[TRF]

Weathers signed to close. That was the deal. Now after he inevitably gets hurt, that's a whole 'nother question.

It's not "Can", it's "Will".

Both can. both are talented pitchers. Coffey has more experience and probably throws a little harder. Honestly, I see Bray as the odd man out when the Reds break camp. Too many veteran LH's signed to 2 year contracts. Plus Merker might be back as well. If Coffey can get enough innings to stay sharp, he'd be a fine closer. Bray could too someday.

[dunner13]

I think bray is our best option as a future closer. I think coffey has the stuff but he failed when given the chance last year. Makes you wonder if he has the right makeup to close. I think both should be given the chance in spring training to prove they can do it, and whoever performs gets the job. Unfortunatly I think weathers will be handed the job. He wont be spectacular but hopefully he can get the job done anyway.

[Johnny Footstool]

I'd like Bray to prove he can get people out in the 7th inning before I start handing him the ball in the 9th.

[Highlifeman21]

It will be interesting to see in spring training if Todd Coffey or Bill Bray can step up to be the closer on this team. While Coffey failed in a stint during midseason last year, maybe he learned from it and will take the bull by the horns come this spring.

If Coffey or Bray could be the closer for this club, it would set up the other relievers roles with Stanton, Majewski and Weathers assuming setup roles.

So if there was one battle to watch in spring training is which young reliever will step up to be the closer. If both fail, then the Reds will probably have to settle with Stanton/Weathers duo till Eddie Guardado is ready sometime at the halfway point.

I like Bray's odds to become a closer more than Coffey's. I think Coffey very much so is a set up man and should be allowed to play his "natural" role, if you will.

To me, he's just not a closer. Doesn't have closer type stuff, doesn't have a closer type mentality.

I'm not entirely convinced we exactly need a defined closer, though.

I think a 3rd SP and Jerry Narron's inability to put our best position players in their correct positions on the field are more pressing needs.

[Falls City Beer]

I like Coffey's ceiling more than Bray's.

[vaticanplum]

I still hold out a lot of hope for Bray. I don't really know what was going on last year, but I think he's better than that; I considered him the best part of that deal...we'll see I guess.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

I still hold out a lot of hope for Bray. I don't really know what was going on last year, but I think he's better than that; I considered him the best part of that deal...we'll see I guess.

Same here. I think a lot of people forget that last year was his first year facing major league hitters. There are adjustments to be made and he's still young. I don't know that he'll be able to make them immediately, but barring injury, he should have a long bright future ahead of him.

[BoydsOfSummer]

Both of them need to be able to get lefty's out. They absolutely got hammered by them last year. I do look for them to take a nice step forward this year though.

[Team Clark]

Coffey is way too predictable. He struggles with confidence from batter to batter. Bray is still a wild card but one the Reds should be glad to have. Stormy CAN be effective. Used too much he gets roped and hurt, used too little he gets roped. Stormy and Stanton in Apr/May wouldn't bother me.

[RedsManRick]

Some interesting things in the admittedly very small sample size last year:

After coming to Cincy
- LD% shot up from 19.4% to 28.9%.
- His BABIP shot up accordingly (.310 to .353)
- K/9 went up from 6.26 to 7.48
- BB/9 went down from 3.52 to 2.93
- HR/9 went up from 0.78 to 0.98
- His strike/pitch ratio remained exactly the same (.655)

In summary, he was pretty much the same pitcher except he when balls got hit they got hit a bit harder in Cincy. However, he also missed more bats.

For what it's worth, here are the PECOTA weighted mean projections for Bray and Coffee:

Bray: 54.7 IP, 3.91 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 45 K, 19 BB
Coffey: 59.0 IP, 4.10 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 42 K, 19 BB

Pretty comprable. Interestingly, those are the best two ERAs on the team... Weathers and Stanton are, err, predicted to not do so well.

In terms of our starter options, Rank on team by ERA:

Harang
Belisle (puts him as a "swing" guy)
Arroyo
Bailey
Lohse (puts him as a "swing" guy)
Ramirez
Cueto
Milton

It also has Shafer as a "swing" guy, and he would be between Arroyo and Bailey, and has Alvarado and Contlangus as "Swing" between Lohse and Ramirez.

[flyer85]

Can they? Yes

Will they? They are probably at the very least as good of a bet as Weathers and Stanton.

[Eric_Davis]

That makes a lot of sense Krusty. If Bray could seize the closer's role in Spring Training and then out of the gate close 6 of 7 opportunities in April and May (85&#37, that would, as you say, set up the rest of the bullpen.

With only 2 starters we can count on to be among the top-20 in the National League with the rest falling into the 50-70 group, the strength of our pitching staff needs to be the bullpen.

So often you hear that successful bullpens always know their roles. There must be something said for a bullpen pitcher knowing exactly what's expected of him as he waits to get the call to pitch.

Don't see any reason why Bray cannot close at an 85% rate to start the season and continue it throughout the year. That doesn't turn him into Hoffman or Rivera, but 85% is perfectly acceptable (it's better than Danny Graves). And I could care less what his ERA is, so, please people, when the season comes around lay off whatever his ERA is and concentrate on his save percentage (if he's the closer).