Phillies: Could Nick Pivetta really succeed out of the bullpen?
By John Town
The Phillies are considering trying out Nick Pivetta in the bullpen. Could he be more successful as a relief pitcher down the road?
For the last few years now, Phillies fans have been suggesting Vince Velasquez would be better off in the bullpen due to his inefficiency on the mound. Internally, the team is tossing around the idea of moving another starter to the bullpen.
Manager Gabe Kapler told reporters before Tuesday’s game that the club had discussions about moving Nick Pivetta to the bullpen. The righty was demoted to Triple-A on April 17 after serious struggles in his first four starts.
Kapler made sure to state that a move isn’t imminent, but at the same time pointed out the potential Pivetta could have as a reliever: [quote via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com]
"“The discussions were kind of similar to what we’ve seen from him out of the ‘pen. He played very well in that role. And the answer is, maybe. And at the same time, we were balancing that with knowing that at any time he might be one of our five best starters. And we can envision him in a situation late in the season where he’s really important in our rotation, or sooner rather than later.”"
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Pivetta showed signs of life Sunday, striking out 14 batters in six innings during a start in Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Kapler stated that the club liked how Pivetta’s stuff looked but are still looking for him to develop a strong mentality from him on the mound.
Pivetta has one career appearance out of the bullpen, coming last year on July 1. It came two days after he pitched just 1.2 innings start.
Pivetta pitched the final frame of a 13-inning game, picking up the win after an Andrew Knapp walk-off home run.
Pivetta’s strikeout ability makes him an attractive bullpen option, although a jump in walks this year leaves some cause for concern. Those control issues generally get played down in the bullpen, but it has to be considered.
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Given the struggles of relievers like Seranthony Dominguez, Jose Alvarez, and Juan Nicasio, Pivetta could slot into one of their spots if the team so chooses. Pivetta also can pitch more than two innings, something that no one currently in the bullpen other than Enyel De Los Santos can do.
Zolecki offered the comparison of Brett Myers, who Philadelphia moved to the bullpen to anchor a struggling unit in 2007. Myers recorded 21 saves and three holds that year before moving back to the rotation for the 2008 World Series team. Pivetta could fill a similar role this year as Philadelphia makes a playoff run.
Adam Morgan is another example of a successful starter-turned-reliever on the team. After utterly underwhelming as a starter, he found new life as a reliever two years ago and has since carved out a role as the go-to lefty in the bullpen. So far this year he has not allowed a run in 15 appearances with 12 strikeouts and just two walks in 11.2 innings.
Next. Phillies top prospect Alec Bohm promoted. dark
Pivetta could become a useful bullpen piece down the road, but it’s still too early to give up on him as a starter. He showed his potential in the rotation at the start of last year; he still has time to rechannel that.