By Tomasz Kamien / NewJerseyHitmen.blogspot.com

March 10^th, 2014: Trenton, NJ – Unlike the starting rotation, the Hitmen bullpen will not be seeing much change this coming year.  The one exception will be the long relief position.  Starting pitcher Jerry Jones is the current leading candidate to inherit this position, though he’ll have to beat out some of the younger competition who are also vying for a starting rotation spot.  Over the past couple of years, the Hitmen have used its strong host of minor league relievers in various trades to help bolster the team.  As of 2014, a once-rich minor league system full of strong arms has dwindled in the reliever department.  Let’s look at the bullpen for 2014 and beyond.

Relievers

• Ángel “Melanoma” Mesquit is the name most fans think of when they think of the Hitmen bullpen.  After the 2011 trade of stud reliever Francisco Garza to Aurora, Melanoma became (and still is) the longest tenured reliever in the Hitmen pen.  The trade of Garza was one that New Jersey hasn’t publicly talked about much, but insider information says that it was a move they regret making.  The trade did lead to the draft pick that landed Oliver González, however – one of the reasons why little has been said, as the verdict is still out on Oliver.  Melanoma has been a solid reliever since joining the club in 2010, and 2013 was his best year yet.  Going 5-1 with a tiny 1.19 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 91 innings of work over 73 games, Ángel came in 3rd place for the Shutdown Reliever Award behind Dominic Bélanger and Roberto Bustamente.  The guy is absolutely lights out.  Many teams have inquired about him in the past, I am told.  However, with dwindling minor league talent, I don’t think that upper management will make that trade mistake twice.  Teams gave up hope of a rally in 2013 when Mesquit took over on the mound only to be followed by Duncan.  Will that change this season?

• Travis Hanson will be playing his second season with the Hitmen.  After being drafted by Reno in 2008, he has spent his time mostly in their minor league system.  He was brought up in 2011 but struggled in his 22 games of relief.  A much-improved 2012 lead to the trade to New Jersey.  In 2013, Hanson threw impressively as the backup setup man to Bryant Duncan.  He also tossed a career-best 1.77 ERA in 40.2 innings of work over 37 games.  Hanson is currently the backup setup man to Duncan, though he hopes to make the rotation.

• Kevin Mack is another young reliever that found his way over to the Hitmen in a trade with Reno.  In a rough 2012 big league debut, Mack worked only 17.2 innings in 18 games with an inflated 8.66 ERA and 2.32 WHIP.  2013 was a strong rebound year for the reliever after he came to NJ.  His season stat line consisted of a 4-1 record in 57.2 innings pitched over 52 games.  He brought his ERA down to a solid 3.43, although he still showed some struggles when walking hitters and his 2:1 K:BB ratio was still present.  That is something he will have to work on, but he should continue to be a solid reliever despite having his velocity top out at just 89 MPH – not everyone is a flamethrower.  Mack was also one of the pieces supposedly dangled in a trade offer to Charleston for pitcher Wesley Scott, although San Antonio seems to have the edge there.  Mack will not comment about being a part of any sort of deal – he is happy to be in New Jersey and doesn’t want to be moved.

• John Wallace was last season’s long shot hopeful of securing a full-time role in the Hitmen pen.  He ended up making the most of his spring training success and went on to have a very solid year.  While still unpolished and in need of further growth, the 26-year-old Wallace had a 4.60 ERA in 2013 over 47 innings of relief work in 42 games.  More of a third option out of the pen last year, he is a lot like youngster Kevin Mack.  Power is not his best option; he focuses on movement and control with his pitches.  In a recent chat during the offseason, Wallace emphasized that he is hoping to have a stronger sophomore season and wants to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump that many players tend to go through.  Much like Mack, Wallace will be focusing his spring on gaining better control of his pitches and avoiding walks while he works the outside of the batter’s box.  Though not a superstar, pitching coach Kumanosuke Nii does have faith in his play.

The other big name not present in this breakdown is flamethrowing Bryant Duncan who is trying his hand at starting this spring in hopes of battling for a spot in the rotation.  If he gets beat, though, the Hitmen will not complain about having the 100 MPH beast back in the pen as the main setup man for closer Cary “Checkmate” Bond.  The Hitmen have also been rumored to be looking at a big-name free agent to add to the fold.  Although mum is the word in Trenton, I will let you know once I hear more.

Long Relief: Revolving Door

Over the years, the long relief role in New Jersey has been a revolving door left to backup starters or a struggling rookie.  Looking to fix that problem, the Hitmen have recently been using a rotation of starting pitching hopefuls to fill the role, with much better results.  These players include Matt Hancock, Rob Lambert, Miguel Ortíz, and Javier Pacheco.  The recent rumor is that starter Jerry Jones will be given this task in 2014, although spring training is a long, grueling month and anything can happen.  He could very well still fight his way into a starting role, and then we will see one of the four mentioned above as our long reliever again this season.

Closer

• Cary “Checkmate” Bond was handed the closing role after being acquired in the 2011 trade for Artie Marsh.  From the looks of things, he will not be losing that role anytime soon.  In just three seasons, Bond already has amassed 108 saves with a .850 save percentage.  This puts him just 26 saves shy of team record holder Cedric Mosley, a mark he should easily surpass this season, as he has averaged 36 saves a season so far.  The one pitcher who was being groomed to replace Bond down the line, Ismael Hernández, was shipped to Omaha in the González deal.  With no replacement coming soon and Duncan thinking more about starting than closing, Bond’s job looks secure.

On the Horizon

With fewer options in the system to work with now, the organization is going to have to make use of what is left and restock in the coming draft.  While some of the bigger names such as Ismael, Ellis and Killy have already been moved in various trades, the few remaining have the added pressure of needing to succeed until more help arrives.  This could be some pitcher’s dream since they know the chances of them making the squad down the line have increased.  It could also very well mean a one-way ticket to a wreck of a season or career if they allow the pressure to get to them.  Here are some of the more notable relievers still in the pipeline. 

• Peter “Fury” Kaminka – AAA Jersey City.  Fury signed with the team back in 2010 and looks better with each passing year.  Some thought he would have made it up before Wallace, but at only 21, there is still time to grow in the minors.  Only one of six Lithuanian players in the pros, Fury is looking like the first that will make it to the bigs and represent his country.  Probably a year away from being called up due to the talent already up ahead of him, he could get a chance to show his skills this coming September or sooner if a key reliever gets injured.

• Yura Kajgaliev – AAA Jersey City.  The second Lithuanian player in the Hitmen system, Yura is more of a long shot to make the big league squad.  He was upset he wasn’t called up to spring training this season despite an amazing 2013 as the closer for the Chilltowners.  Initial thoughts are that a rash of injuries would be required to get him into the bigs.  I still like his play and think he is worth a shot with the work he has put in on the mound.  Unfortunately for Yura, there are just too many better players ahead of him, and at 27, he is not getting any younger.

• Júlio Díaz – HI-A Hoboken.  Recovering from a torn flexor tendon in his elbow that he suffered near the end of the 2013 season, he is projected to miss the whole of 2014.  This will more than likely keep Díaz in the minors a lot longer than he would like, but he has a long road ahead of him.  This prospect looks to be one of the few closer options left in the system beyond Bond, now that Ismael is gone.  At only 19, there is still plenty of time for him to recover and turn into the type of hurler he was projected to be when drafted.  We won’t know until we see him again in 2015.