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| Benoit leaving SD? Photo Credit: Chris Humphreys/USA Today Sports |
Joaquin Benoit has been dazzling for the San Diego Padres so far this season coming out of their bullpen. His consistency in his performance from game to game have not only been eye catching to the Padres team and front office, but to other teams as well. Benoit has grabbed the attention of some contending teams who are looking to add bullpen help for the stretch run. Who are those teams? Find out below.
By: Michael Hanley
Benoit has been everything and more that the San Diego front office could have wished for when they signed him this past offseason to be their setup man and be the bridge to closer Huston Street. He has posted a 4-2 record with a 1.99 ERA and has a 47/11 strikeout to walk ratio which is outstanding for a relief pitcher, especially one that has pitched 40 ⅔ innings so far this season like Benoit has done. He has brought stability and consistency to a bullpen that has embraced him and followed in his footsteps for the most part performance wise.
As with Benoit, the rest of that bullpen does not walk a lot of batters, strikeout their fare share of batters and keep runs off the board no matter what situation they come into.The bullpen has been one of the few bright spots for this Padres team, who are in the middle of a lost season.
The thinking from the Padres recently has been with the trade of their closer Huston Street to the Angels, Benoit could slide into the closer’s role for the time being. It would not upset the bullpen and their routines and roles they have been so use to over this season. It also would allow San Diego to slide another arm into that bullpen to use and add some more depth.That plan now is on permanent break as the market for him is starting to heat up in a big way as the trade deadline continues to draw near.
As Jon Heyman of CBS Sports has reported three teams have made their interests known in acquiring Benoit in some sort of trade. First on the Tiger’s and Pirate’s interest:
The Tigers and Pirates might like Benoit for the eighth inning mostly but also as insurance in case Joe Nathan or Mark Melancon falter.
On the Cleveland Indian’s interest:
The Indians haven't established themselves as a buyer but could be leaning that way as they heat up and could be interested in fortifying a young bullpen.
Its easy to see Benoit be able to help any of those three teams out and seal the back of the bullpen in either of those three situations.He is a versatile pitcher who can set up or close without suffering the huge swings in performance like other relief pitchers who go through that experience.
Its a big change from the eighth inning role of setup man to the ninth inning role of closer. The amount of pressure goes up ten fold when they become “the guy” who they count on to get those last three outs in a tight game. Pressure effects pitchers in different ways and its how they are able to handle it that separates the great ones from just the average relief pitcher. Experience in those tight situations can make all the difference between success and failure. Benoit is a seasoned veteran who knows how to get the job done with everything on the line and be creative with his pitches in order to get the big power bats out.
Benoit would fit into Detroit’s bullpen quite easily with his familiarity of the ballpark and pitching there as recently as the 2013 season. As Jon Heyman stated in his report, the Tigers would insert him as a setup man for closer Joe Nathan and an option should Nathan go through a bad spell. It also would give them more depth in a bullpen that could use a reliable arm to steady them as they get set for the second half push to the postseason.
If the Pirates were to acquire him he would fill the same setup role for them as he would in Detroit. He would join a bullpen that is rounding into form at the right time. Now they are not at the dominant level they were at last season when they were lights out almost every game out, but they are a strength of the team and have played a role in the team’s overall resurgence back into the NL Central division race. It also would be an easier transition for Benoit as he would not have to switch leagues and could still rely on his familiarity of the hitters he has faced in the NL so far this season to his advantage.
As for Benoit being in Cleveland, he would take on more responsibility as not only being in an important role for their bullpen but also be a mentor to those young arms Cleveland has out there. Its unclear what specific role the Indians would put Benoit in but it would seal up their bullpen and give them an arm they can lean on and go to for almost any game situation and feel confident that he can get the outs they needs in a specific game.
Any trade though for Benoit would come at a pretty good cost to one of these team’s farm systems. The Padres got a great haul in the Huston Street trade and will be looking for either a similar exchange or even higher profile prospects to get in return. It will test each team’s willingness to want to part with potential future cornerstone pieces in order to better their chances of winning this season.
