2013 Season Review: What We Thought We Knew & What We Learned (The Bullpen)

(Courtesy of the AP)

If there was anything that could conceivably derail the Yankees' yearly tradition of having one of the best bullpens in baseball, it would be the loss of Mariano Rivera.  That's a reality they had to face for the first time in 2012 after he went down with a season-ending ACL tear, and it's a challenge they met head on thanks to an all-around "next man up" effort from the remaining healthy cast.  Rafael Soriano proved to be a valuable signing when he was there to take over the closer role last season, allowing everybody else to stay in their usual roles and not compromising the depth in the 'pen that has become a Yankee staple.

Soriano was out after last season, a compensatory draft pick taking his place, and Mo made his gallant return to his 9th inning throne.  Also returning from injury were Joba Chamberlain and David Aardsma, along with much of the same cast that did the job in 2012.  The Yankee bullpen was once again primed for a big year in 2013, with a few minor (and 1 major) details that needed to be ironed out.  The late-inning crew did their job, but it was those unresolved details in the middle relief department that really defined the 2013 bullpen's campaign.

What We Thought We Knew- There Were Arms Aplenty

They had Mo back in the 9th, David Robertson handling the 8th, Joba and Aardsma lined up to handle the middle innings, 2 solid lefties in Boone Logan and Clay Rapada, and David Phelps penciled into the long man role again.  Then you add in the small cache of MiL arms (Montgomery, Claiborne, Whitley, Warren) and the assorted extra LOOGY depth that had been built and the Yankees were more than covered for any possible injury or performance-related issues that could necessitate a change.  In terms of depth, the Yankees weren't going to miss Soriano a bit.

What We Learned- Depth Doesn't Always Mean Good Pitching

The quality of that depth is what became a year-long problem.  Aardsma was actually cut before the season started and Joba never came close to getting back to respectability as the 7th inning guy.  In 42.0 IP this season, he pitched to a 4.93/5.64 ERA/FIP split and his -0.6 fWAR was by far the worst on the team.  The lack of reliable middle relief led to the promotions of Shawn Kelley, an offseason acquisition from Seattle, and Preston Claiborne.  While each of them had their moments early, they faded in the final months of the season and ended up with 104.2 combined IP of average production.  Adam Warren took over the long man role and he too had his good moments outweighed by his bad (4.34 FIP, 0.0 fWAR in 69.0 IP).

What We Thought We Knew- A LOOGY Carousel Was on the Horizon

I know I wasn't the only one, but I think I might have been the most concerned about the state of Boone Logan's elbow heading into the season.  He pitched a ton in 2012 and reportedly never shook the pain in his left elbow that he finished the year with.  He was held back in Spring Training and it seemed like only a matter of time before he was put on the DL and possibly under the knife to address the injury.  The Yankees kept Rapada around and held onto 2012 Rule 5 pick Cesar Cabral, presumably as insurance for Logan.  Knowing Joe's propensity to play the L/R matchups and knowing the volatility of lefty specialists, there was a strong chance we'd see a rotating cast of LOOGYs if Logan went down.

What We Learned- Sometimes Joe Can Surprise Us

That surprise was preceded by the surprise with Logan's elbow, that being that it never got bad enough for him to miss serious time.  He battled pain all year and was diagnosed with bone spurs in the elbow that he's having removed this offseason, but Joe had his #1 lefty at his service pretty much all year.  What was surprising was how much Joe scaled back his usage.  A year after using him for 55.1 innings in 80 appearances, Joe went to Logan for 39.0 innings in 61 appearances this year.  There was less mixing and matching and less leaving Logan out there to face righties, which may have been influenced by Logan's sky high 20.0% HR rate but still went against the tradition of Joe and his binder.

What We Thought We Knew- Mo Was Finally Going to Step Down

Mo kept his word and returned for another shot at a proper final season in 2013.  He also eliminated all speculation about his future beyond this season early by announcing it would definitely be his last in March.  One way or another this was going to be his last hurrah, and he certainly looked fully recovered from his injury in ST and ready to go out in a more appropriate fashion.

What We Learned- He Could Still Do This if He Wanted To, and His Role Will Be in Good Hands

The excellent ST results weren't a mirage.  He doesn't dial it up quite as fast as he used to, but Mo was still an elite level closer in 2013.  He pitched to a 2.11/3.05/3.09 tripleslash with K (21.1%) and BB (3.5%) rates that were comparable to or better than his career averages.  We even got to see a mini flashback to his prime when Joe started rolling him out for multi-inning saves in September.  His club was still in the playoff race and he knew he only had Mo for a few more weeks.  No sense in leaving any bullets in that gun.  As he had been doing for years, Mo thumbed his nose at Father Time and turned in another great performance to fittingly go out on top of his game.

Now that he's gone, all signs point towards the baton being passed to D-Rob next year.  Despite some people's preconceived notions, Robertson should have no problem living up to the task and his 2013 season was another one that should inspire confidence.  He pitched to a 2.04/2.61/2.60 line, struck out 77 batters in 66.1 IP while walking only 18, and led all Yankee relievers with 1.6 fWAR.  It won't be the same without "Enter Sandman" blaring through The Stadium and #42 jogging out from behind the right field wall, but the future of the Yankee closer role is in good hands.

** Coming up tomorrow- The Bench. **