The Arizona Diamondbacks ease bullpen woes with J. J. Putz
The Arizona Diamondbacks recently made a move for another bullpen player and the move involves J. J. Putz who was pursued last year as well. The 33-year-old was one of the targets, sought out last year but he went on to play for the Chicago White Sox on
a one year $3 million deal. The veteran marked the last season with a good contribution. He punched up a figure of 7 wins and 5 losses, with an earning runs average of 2.83 in 60 fixtures.
Putz will officially join the club after a physical examination. The veteran who will turn 34 in February will pen a two-year deal with a club option for 2013. The Diamondbacks have been working towards restructuring and most of their focus has gone to the
bullpen department. New general manager Kevin Towers has been tasked to see the improvement in the bullpen and he has made the most of the changes in a positive light.
Towers has expressed his love for the relief pitchers more than once and his rationale behind his decision recently did come with an explanation. He said, "More bullpen… I want (manager) Kirk Gibson to have a lot of options late in a ballgame. I want our
ballclub to be one where if we've got a lead after the fifth inning, that scoreboard is not going to change. It may every now and then, but for the most part I want it to be pretty much, game over."
Kam Mickolio and David Hernandez were recently acquired by the Diamondbacks from the Baltimore Orioles on a trade deal that saw infielder, Mark Reynolds move to the East. General Manager of the Orioles, Andy MacPhail was observant of Towers and commented
on his ability to spot quality in any bullpen around a clubhouse. He talked about Kevin in the light of the trade and called him a bullpen expert in the Arizona management.
Towers is fond of mixing up the bullpen with different styles and his belief on the matter states that change in the line-up will bring success to the team in the next season.
"It's a nine-inning ballgame, and the most important innings are those last two or three. I've been a big believer that when you build bullpens, I like guys that have different looks… different arm slots, different secondary pitches. I don't like cookie-cutter
bullpens that are all the same guy."
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