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The veteran pitcher has struggled this spring Ivan Rodriguez Jersey , following a disappointing 2018."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Twinkie Town Farm ReportSatire, Irreverence, & Other HumorGame RecapsAddison Reed probably doesn’t belong in the bullpen anymoreNew,29commentsThe veteran pitcher has struggled this spring, following a disappointing 2018.EDTShareTweetShareShareAddison Reed probably doesn’t belong in the bullpen anymoreWhen the Twins signed Addison Reed to a two-year contract in January of 2018, no one probably saw this coming. Reed has been an utter disaster in the Twins bullpen. In 2018, the veteran fireman pitched 56 innings for the Twins, and only claimed a win in one of his seven decisions. His ERA ballooned to 4.50, the highest number since his sophomore season, and second highest of his career. More alarming, his FIP jumped up to a career high 5.11, suggesting the men behind him saved some runs. His peripheral numbers also show the struggles of the right-handed reliever. Reed gave up career highs in hits and home runs per nine innings. He also struck out fewer men per nine innings than any other time in his eight year MLB Career. Looking at the monthly splits, Reed clearly suffered for an extended period before hitting the injured list. In March and April, Reed was a fairly effective pitcher, holding opponents to .208/.278/.333 in 55 plate appearances. May saw his numbers dip to .296/.361/.519, while his workload increased. June saw his season absolutely fall off a cliff, with opposing hitters beating him to the tune of .385/.444/.538, and a demotion from the set-up role.Reed was eventually shut down on July 11 with a triceps injury. He would not return to the 2018 campaign until August, and struggled in that month as well. While September offered some cause for encouragement, like a batting line of.250/.273/.400 against him, overall the season should be considered lost.If Reed had started off spring training hot, we could have ascribed his 2018 to injury, and moved forward without comment. However, that is not been the case.The Twins have given Reed the ball in four games this spring, for a total of 3.1 innings. He has not impressed in those outings. He has given up eight earned runs on seven hits http://www.rangersfanproshop.com/authentic-matt-moore-jersey , including two home runs. He’s also issued two free passes, while only fanning three men. Obviously spring training stats should be taken with a grain of salt the size of a baseball, and it remains a small sample, but Reed has done very little to calm the worries of his detractors.The most egregious issue with Reed occupying a precious roster spot, however, is the rest of the bullpen. The Twins have Blake Parker as a new addition, as well as holdovers Trevor May, Taylor Rogers, and Trevor Hildenberger likely written into the bullpen in ink. Former top prospect Fernando Romero will also begin the season in the Twins pen. That is already five pitchers. Returning pitcher Matt Magill likely has the inside track to another spot. Reed makes seven, with a total of eight spots likely available.That last slot in the Twins bullpen will likely go to Tyler Duffey or Gabriel Moya. Both pitchers have spent enough time at the triple-A and major league levels that they have very little left to prove in the minors, and need an opportunity to make it in the big leagues. Prospects Jake Reed, Ryan Eades and Andrew Vasquez were invited to camp, and could take a huge step forward this season. In addition, Zack Littell, Stephen Gonsalves, Adalberto Mejia, Kohl Stewart, and Lewis Thorpe are all competing for a starting rotation job that they probably won’t win. Rather than send them all to Rochester, at least one of those options could move to the bullpen, even if just temporarily. The Twins also have other potential options in non-roster invitees Justin Nicolino, Mike Morin, Ryne Harper, Tim Collins, and Preston Guilmet. None of them would be a huge loss, but likely wouldn’t be a huge downgrade over Reed’s 2018 season. Another consideration for the Twins Prince Fielder Jersey , they will likely only need four starters for the first few weeks of the season, but none of their starters can easily be demoted — would the Twins consider starting the season with a four-man rotation and Martin Perez in the bullpen? Even if they don’t that is a huge crowd, and Reed just doesn’t stand out in a positive way. Perhaps it’s time for the Twins to send a message — No Scholarships. It doesn’t matter who is being paid what, the best pitchers should go north, and I’m not convinced Reed should be on that list. You would’ve thought the Boston Red Sox were in a must-win situation.They put everything they had into one of the greatest games — really, two games — in World Series history.Now, even though Boston is still ahead, it feels like the Los Angeles Dodgers have all the momentum.In an epic marathon that lasted a staggering 7 hours and 20 minutes, stretching from Friday night well into Saturday morning, the Red Sox put all their cards on the table and still came away with a losing hand.Max Muncy led off the bottom of the 18th with a walk-off homer, finally finishing off the longest game — in both time and innings — in World Series history. The Dodgers emerged with a 3-2 victory , cutting their deficit in the series to a now-manageable two games to one.Sure, it was only one victory.It felt like so much more.The Red Sox staggered off the field with their pitching staff in shambles, namely because they tried to get seven innings — SEVEN! — from Nathan Eovaldi out of the bullpen.Who will start Game 4?Who knows?It could be Chris Sale, who got the nod in the series opener and may have to come back on three days’ rest. It could be reliever Drew Pomeranz, the only other Boston pitcher who didn’t get in Game 3. It could be Eduardo Rodriguez, who pitched to only one batter.Rookie manager Alex Cora played every inning like it was the last.He doubled-switched. He played guys at positions they’d never played before. He lifted slugger J.D. Martinez for a pinch-runner in the 10th, depriving his lineup of a big bat in a game that, it turned out, still had so much longer to go.Cora’s win-at-all-cost philosophy may come back to haunt him if this series slips away.“The game will dictate the way we move our pieces and our players,” he said afterward, expressing no regrets. “We knew we had to win tonight. It was a great game.”The Dodgers clearly came out of the game in much better shape.Rich Hill is all ready to start Game 4, though the Dodgers tweeted after the game that their probable starter is to be determined, perhaps meaning Game 1 starter Clayton Kershaw will get the nod. The bullpen is actually not too burned out, even though closer Kenley Jansen and Pedro Baez will likely be unavailable Saturday night after working two innings apiece.“It wasn’t how we scripted it Adrian Beltre Jersey ,” manager Dave Roberts said, “but it’s a big win for us.”Cora’s first significant move was lifting starter Rick Porcello in the fifth inning, even though he had only given up three hits and a run. It hardly seemed necessary to make such an early call to the bullpen — two outs, a runner at first base — but Cora gave what has become an all-too-familiar mantra for analytic-obsessed skippers.“We felt that was a bad matchup for us,” he said.Rodriguez struck out the lone batter he faced, providing some immediate gratification. But that move opened up a parade of pitchers — even Game 2 starter David Price made a relief appearance — that finally culminated in the 12th with Eovaldi trotting in from the bullpen.The right-hander, acquired from Tampa Bay during the season and a free-agent-to-be coming off two Tommy John surgeries, was expected to start Game 4 after pitching in relief the first two games.Cora decided to go for a commanding 3-0 lead in the series, figuring if his team pulled it off it wouldn’t really matter who pitched the next game.Besides Sale, who wasn’t going to pitch under any circumstances, Pomeranz was the only other available hurler. But he had a miserable season and was left off the roster for the first two rounds of the postseason. He had not pitched in a game since Sept. 30. Bringing him in would’ve been like throwing in the towel.So Cora went with Eovaldi.It almost worked, too.The Red Sox pulled ahead 2-1 in the top of the 13th when Eduardo Nunez’s little dribbler for an infield single led to a throwing error that allowed the tie-breaking run to score.Boston was one out away from wrapping up the victory in the bottom half, only to get bitten by basically the same play. Second baseman Ian Kinsler stumbled a bit scooping up Yasiel Puig’s grounder up the middle, rushed an off-balance throw and watched it sail past the first baseman, allowing Muncy to race home with the tying run.On it went.Through the 14th, the 15th, the 16th, the 17th.Finally, Eovaldi ran out of gas, serving up a pitch that Muncy launched into the left-field seats to suddenly end a game that seemed destined to last forever.“It’s not crushing at all,” Cora insisted. “I told them how proud I am. It was a great baseball game. There’s probably people back home waking up to the end of it. It’s one of the best, if not the best game, I’ve ever been part of.”No argument there.And his team is still ahead in the series.But it sure doesn’t feel like it.