MVN: Most Valuable Network

Forget about the big bat for a second.

Maybe what the Angels need is a big arm.

Here is the Halos’ bullpen ERA in 2002 when they won the World Series – 2.98.

Here is the Angels’ bullpen ERA in 2007 – 4.24.

Once the bedrock of the Angels’ playoff runs, the bullpen is slowly turning into quicksand, threatening to pull the team down with it. In fact, the Angels’ relievers ERA has increased little by little every year since 2002. In 2003, the bullpen ERA was 3.15; in 2004, it was 3.47. In 2005, it was 3.52. And in 2006, it was 3.78.

As much as Angels fans may clamor for a big bat for this club, maybe what this team needs more is for its relievers to return to their dominant 2002 form.

Let’s look at 2007 a little more closer, shall we? Especially the team that knocked the Angels out of the postseason, the Boston Yankees, er, Red Sox.

Red Sox relievers had a 3.10 ERA compared with the 4.24 ERA Angels relievers posted in 2007.

The Red Sox bullpen was MORE THAN A RUN BETTER than the Angels’ bullpen in 2007.

But the bullpen news gets worse for Halos fans. Six other American League teams posted better ERAs than the Angels in 2007, including the Rangers and Royals! (And the last time I checked, the Rangers and Royals were not considered the elite of the American League.)

If you look back at the three-game sweep of the Angels by the Red Sox in October, one of the significant things that stands out was the Angels’ bullpen versus the Red Sox pen.

Angels relievers gave up 10 runs to the Red Sox in the three game sweep. Red Sox relievers gave up one run.

Angel closer Francisco Rodriguez gave up a game-winning home run to Manny Ramirez in Game 2. (This of course has prompted Francisco Rodriguez to say to the Angels this off-season and past week to say, “Give me more money or I’m leaving!” And I am prompted to say, “Hey, don’t give up game-winning home runs on fat fastballs across the heart of the plate in the playoffs, jackass!” I sure hope the Angels bring that up in the arbitration hearing with Francisco Rodriguez on Thursday.)

When Game 3 was still close, the Angels’ bullpen gave up seven runs in the top of the eighth to put the game out of reach.

So, yeah, believe it or not, the Angels’ bullpen needs some help – or at least needs to get better to have any chance of winning the World Series. But this off-season, the Angels’ did not fortify the bullpen spot; I assume Angels manager Mike Scioscia and new general manager Tony Reagins are planning a return to form in 2008.

Otherwise, we can expect more walkoffs.

I don’t want to get too much into individual stats here regarding each of the Angels’ relievers and I think I address the entire bullpen corps’ weaknesses above. I do want to look at each Angel reliever and rank them by their importance to the team. And for simplicity’s sake, I am only listing the guys who logged multiple innings for the Halos in 2007.

Here are your top six relievers on the Angels’ staff:

1) Francisco Rodriguez – I think at this point, even Angels fans want Francisco Rodriguez to calm down after he saves a game. Dude, I get it; you’re happy. But do you need to really explode in a post-game orgasm because you beat the Orioles? Sadly, he is the Angels’ best reliever. And even though his numbers were a little down last year, this is a contract year so I expect him to pitch much better so when he leaves the Angels he can make some other team overpay for him.

2) Justin Speier – At this point, I am ranking him ahead of Scot Shields simply because Speier was more consistent in 2007. Despite missing about two months of the season, Speier kept his ERA under 3 for a third straight year. If Francisco leaves, I am OK with Speier or Shields closing.

3) Scot Shields – Speaking of Scot Shields, 2007 was his worst as an Angels from a purely stats viewpoint. (Damn you fantasy baseball for making me pay attention to such things!!) Anyway, Shields had the worst ERA of his career and his strikeouts declined for the fourth straight year. If there is one Angel bullpen part that needs to get back on track, it is Shields. A solid Shields is, well, a solid shield for the Angels.

4) Darren Oliver – If you believed the Angels needed a situational left-hander to face dangerous left-handed batters like David Ortiz, then Darren Oliver DID not provide that wish in 2007. Despite being left-handed, Oliver gave up more hits than innings pitched against left-handed betters. Against right-handed batters, Oliver retired more hitters than innings pitched. Go figure. Anyway, he is the Halos’ fourth best reliever and a decent mop-up guy, late-game reliever.

5) Dustin Moseley – Also known as the guy that the Angels traded Ramon Ortiz for, Moseley is your jack-of-all trades guy at the back of the bullpen. He can start, pitch long relief, maybe serve as a pinch runner, maybe clean up the dugout after the game, but is never going to overpower guys. Still, he has potential. If he develops and improves his 2007 ERA, the Angels could have another reliable reliever.

6) Chris Bootcheck – Despite being dropped off of the Angels’ 40-man roster at the end of the 2006 season, Chris Bootcheck fought his way onto the Angels’ 40-man roster for 2007. And proceeded to pitch so-so in 2007. He is the guy the Angels rely on when they are blowing out the opposing team or getting blown out by the other team.

The Wild Card: Ervin Santana – With the (annual) injury to Kelvim Escobar, Santana is slated to start the season in the starting rotation. And that’s where he might be best at – if he can ever get his head screwed on right.

But a modest proposal – maybe Santana’s best role might be as a late-inning reliever. It has happened before; former starters such as John Smoltz and Brett Myers have transitioned into relievers/closers and been pretty effective. Santana has good stuff but eventually melts down in games; if the Angels stuck Santana in a late-inning role and said to him, “Mow these guys down”, don’t you think Santana could do it? Wouldn’t he be able to give a breather to Shields and Speier?

Mike Scioscia, Tony Reagins, if you are reading this, please give it a shot. Of course this all depends on Kelvim “Cranky Arm” Escobar coming back to the rotation.

So there you go – the Angels’ bullpen for 2008. Cross your fingers and hope that this relief corps gets that ERA moving in the other direction.

A World Series could depend on it.