JJ Putz gets 1 year extension (Bullpen thoughts)

[Bayless2Budinger]

Putz, whose $6.5 million option for 2013 was exercised in October, agreed to a $7 million extension for 2014, meaning he’s locked in through age 37.

http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/n...z-extended-hill-next-upton-abbey-other-stuff/

Nick Piecoro brought up a good point about the amount of money we are spending on our bullpen. Now I think after the Qualls-led bullpen of a few years ago, we all understand just how important a quality bullpen is but I think Towers has went a tad overboard.

With Putz, Hernandez, Bell, Brad Ziegler and Tony Sipp, the Diamondbacks are spending about $17.5 million, meaning they’ll be spending around $18.5 million on the Opening Day bullpen next year. That’s about 20 percent of their total payroll, assuming a $95 million payroll, and about 22 percent if they’re around $85 million, which is where they’d be if they were to trade their right fielder. (By comparison, the New York Yankees spent about $30 million on their five most-used relievers from 2012 and the injured Mariano Rivera, but even that represented only 14 percent of their total payroll.)

I would recommend reading his other thoughts in this article and in his other articles. One thing he didn't bring up was the fact that Towers strength in San Diego was his good bullpen but he seemed to always get guys that were undervalued and put them in positions to succeed in the bullpen. In Arizona it seems like he is focusing less on the value and more on just building a super bullpen at all costs.

If he really believed Heath Bell would produce at his cost, why extend Putz another year? If he believed Putz would be of value next year, why take on Bell's contract?

 

[ASUCHRIS]

http://www.azcentral.com/insiders/n...z-extended-hill-next-upton-abbey-other-stuff/

Nick Piecoro brought up a good point about the amount of money we are spending on our bullpen. Now I think after the Qualls-led bullpen of a few years ago, we all understand just how important a quality bullpen is but I think Towers has went a tad overboard.



I would recommend reading his other thoughts in this article and in his other articles. One thing he didn't bring up was the fact that Towers strength in San Diego was his good bullpen but he seemed to always get guys that were undervalued and put them in positions to succeed in the bullpen. In Arizona it seems like he is focusing less on the value and more on just building a super bullpen at all costs.

If he really believed Heath Bell would produce at his cost, why extend Putz another year? If he believed Putz would be of value next year, why take on Bell's contract?

Many very bizzare moves...hopefully these are to set up another move, because for a team on a budget, we've allocated far too many resources to bullpen and outfielders.