Bullpen Construction

 You all know my position:

1) Should have traded for AJ Puk.  JJ Bleday, the player the A's got back, has already been assigned to their minor league camp more than two weeks before the end of spring training.

2) Should have traded for Gregory Soto.  The package the Phillies gave up was (a) a bunch of guys who were never going to be more than bit players in Philadelphia and (b) were not great prospects.

3) Signed at least one right-handed reliever in free agency or sign a couple of guys (like Bryan Shaw last year) who you were pretty sure would be effective on the opening day roster.

Instead the Guardians did not trade for a reliever although they made plenty of trades (Owen Miller, Nolan Jones, Will Benson) this winter.  They did not sign first-tier or even second-tier relievers in free agency, settling, instead, for third tier relievers who they brought in on minor league deals.  Those 3rd tier guys really have no business being on a contending team's major league roster.  And a contending team with a full 40-man roster?  Where you would have to DFA a prospect to even add them?  Out of the questeion, or at least it should be.

They decided to, de facto, stand pat with their 8 quality relievers from last year.  Great if they all stay healthy, again, for the second year, something that almost never happens.  They also have, appropriately, looked at Gaddis, Curry, Pilkington and to a lesser extent, Battenfield and Logan Allen this year, along with Tim Herrin, to fill out spots in the bullpen.  All but Battenfield and Allen are already on the 40 man.

The point is, the Guardians have made this bed and unless something amazing happens (Reynolds and Bednar from Pittsburgh for any 3 prospects (only 2 pitchers) they would want plus 3 B-prospects (only one position player) negotiated by both sides, making a 6-for-2 trade) we need to go one of Gaddis or Curry for the last spot until Hentges is healthy.

Most of these minor league free agent relievers have now been sent to the minor league camp.  However, any talk of Kelly or Toussaint or even, right now Battenfield, being on the opening day roswter is probably not appropriate due to the DFA thing.  

So the Guardians backed themselves into a corner by not doing what they needed to do this off-season.  Now they need to avoid doing anything stupid to try to make up for it.