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Since it seems we’ve entered into audition mode for the September run, any thoughts on who makes the bullpen for 2026?
Locks:
Svanson
Leahy
O’Brien
RomeroGraceffo – Looks good, but continues to give up runs. He probably makes the roster, but it’s not a given.
Granillo – Another young unproven guy that isn’t doing well, but looks the part and doesn’t have much left to prove at AAA.
John King – They probably offer him the same or less than the $1.6M he made this year in arbitration or just cut him.
Anthony Veneziano – He’s not any better than King, but comes in as a cheaper LH option than King if they go that route. Maybe they both make the team.
Jorge Alcala – He’s had a decent amount of time in the majors, but has been poor this year. Does he make it despite being in the 3rd year of arbitration? Probably gets $1.5M in arbitration if we keep him.
That’s 9. Others like Roycroft, Fernandez, and Munoz could be options.
Some new 40 man guys like Mautz and Hjerpe may compete for a spot as well.
What do you all think?
While Leahy may get consideration as a starter, he probably stays in the pen. For this reason, he may not be a lock.
I think Fernandez is pretty close to a lock, but he may be on the shuttle some. Granillo and Graceffo too, but also on the shuttle. Roycroft will either be cut or back on the shuttle. Veneziano has options so he is kind of in the same place as Roycroft.
King and Alcala are both probably gone as they will be Arb 3 guys who aren’t worth the money. Plus, Alcala has no options left. Munoz won’t have any options left either so if he doesn’t make the big league squad out of Spring (assuming he isn’t cut loose over the winter), he will be gone. I expect all 3 to be let go this winter prior to the Rule 5 draft to create roster space.
Expect several of the young arms to fill in. Whoever gets added at Rule 5 time plus potentially Hence who is already on the 40-man.
Assuming he’s healthy, I expect Zack Thompson to be lefty relief and Naughton to potentially be back in that role as well if he does well in his injury comeback. Thompson is still on the 40 man, has an option left, and the team didn’t use it this season because of his year long injury. If he doesn’t get good reports, he will be released this winter as well.
My best guess would be:
Romero
O’Brien
Leahy
Svanson
Fernandez
Free Agent VeteranMemphis shuttle:
Thompson
Graceffo
Granillo
Veneziano if still around
Hence
Maybe Naughton/Santos/Bedell
Mautz/Rincon/Hjerpe/Love later in seasonO’Brien can’t stay healthy. Romero is entering the last year of his deal and will probably be traded.
I think if they were going to trade Romero, they would have done it at the deadline. They may still do it at the next deadline, but I doubt he gets dealt in the offseason. Reliever value peaks at the deadline because of supply and demand. That’s why they held onto Helsley like they did.
The point on O’Brien is valid though! He does struggle to stay healthy and can’t be relied on to shoulder bulk innings in ‘26.
Just looking at the names, some veteran free agent relievers that I like are Michael Kopech and Tommy Kahnle from the right side and Gregory Soto from the left.
That’s a good point J. Let the saves be on JoJo, as we did w/Helsley. Piling saves on Leahy or Svenson now is more expensive in the long run by compounding arb salaries.
For many seasons we have had three good relievers we piled the innings on. We could cover the 7th, 8th and 9th. This season it felt like we have had four late inning arms.
It seems likely that he bullpen will be:
Svanson (co closer)
O’Brien (co closer)
Romero (co closer if not traded)
Granillo
Fitts (if not in rotation)
Leahy (if not in rotation)
Graceffo??Raquet and Thompson could be lefties out of the pen.
And I would expect a Maton like signing of a veteran.
Love, Hence, and Watson could be later season additions. Even Hjerpe.
Pushard (Rule 5) RHP
Kent RHP
Shuster LHP
Blewett RHPWill now factor in as well.
Is Thompson even healthy? Among LH relievers, he is in the same boat as Naughton for me.
I think someone will drop their starting role by seasons’ end between LHers: Mautz, Henderson, Mathews, and Hjerpe.
It’s probably going to come down to health and spring training performance among the bottom RH options: Roycroft, Fernandez, and Graceffo.
I’ve been recording baseball’s All Time Games. And one of the games that caught my eye was the 1983 game between the Royals and the Yankees played on July 24 and finally completed on August 18, 1983. This turned out to be the game in which the famous/infamous, and now timeless, ‘pine tar incident’ occurred.
What caught my eye during the August 18 completion of the July 24 game was that Dan Quisenbury was the Royals’ closer. Quisenbury was a righthanded pitcher who threw underhanded with a pitching motion not unlike that of our own Cooper Hjerpe, but from the right side. Made me wonder what Hjerpe could accomplish as closer.
BTW, The Quiz passed in 1998 at the age of 45.
I forgot about Pushard and Kent. They have to make the team, or are cut. Kent was picked up on waivers, so he could simply released.
Mud, I remember watching that pine tar game live on tv. It was a wild scene with Brett losing his mind.
Quisenberry was a great closer. He actually pitched a season or two for the Cardinals before retiring.
Another great submarine style closer from the 70’s and 80’s was Kent Tekulve of the Pirates.
I don’t know how Hjerpe would do as a closer but if guys like him, Hence, and Roby can’t hold up physically as a starter we could definitely see all of them in the pen.
So now the updated list is:
O’Brien
Stanek
Pushard
Romero (if not traded)
Svanson
Granillo
Leahy (if not in rotation)
GraceffoI could even see Love, Gastelum, Raquet, Hence, or Watson being a part of the 2026 bullpen at some point.
Hence and the other perpetually injured pitchers might fare even worse in the pen where they wouldn’t be pitching a regular schedule with as much time as they want to get ready for each appearance. The pen is an answer for not being good enough to get through a lineup more than once. Its not an answer for fragility.
Doubt they have 8 relievers in the bullpen.
I would guess Leahy gets in the rotation? But I don’t know.So now the updated list is:
O’Brien
Stanek
Pushard
Romero (if not traded)
Svanson
Granillo
Leahy (if not in rotation)
GraceffoI could even see Love, Gastelum, Raquet, Hence, or Watson being a part of the 2026 bullpen at some point.
The bullpen has not been good beyond OBRien and Soriano. Romero has struggled, but can regain his form before the trade deadline I hope. Svanson has done better recenrly.
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