Amid the craziness of trading Matt Duffy and adding a sixth starting pitcher, the Giants ultimately did what they set out do to. They bolstered their bullpen with the deadline day acquisition of Brewers left-hander Will Smith.
It wasn’t a flashy move, akin to the acquisitions Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez, but one the Giants — and their fans — felt necessary after the team led baseball in blown saves before the All-Star break.
“It was a very important addition for us to deepen our bullpen,” general manager Bobby Evans said in a Monday teleconference. “That was a focus from the beginning. He was very much one of our targets and we’re proud to get him.”
Smith is under team control through 2019 and becomes the third lefty in the bullpen along with Lopez and Matt Reynolds. Josh Osich is currently on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left forearm. Evans said Smith has the potential to be a full-inning reliever, not necessarily a matchup only guy. Manager Bruce Bochy might be hard-pressed to give Smith left-handed matchups only, considering he’s fared much better against right-handed hitters this season.
His career splits are fairly even, but lefties this season are hitting .316 off Smith while righties are only 6-for-42 (.143). There was some concern that the numbers might be ripple effects of an early-season injury to his right knee. Smith tore a ligament in spring training while getting ready to shower (really).
“We do feel like he’s healthy and have every reason to believe that,” Evans said.
The lefty steps into a bullpen riding out a two-day wave of success. It allowed only one run against the Nationals over nine innings on Saturday and Sunday. The bullpen’s demise has been slightly exaggerated for one of baseball’s winnigest teams. It’s 3.76 ERA is right in the middle of the National League, and the team’s biggest problems second-half problems stemmed from hitting with runners in scoring position and the allowing home runs.
Santiago Casilla’s balk-off the biggest blunder in the last two weeks. Better results are starting to show, and Smith is stepping in at the right time.
“I think everyone believes we can get the job done,” Lopez said after Sunday’s win. “We’ve done it, obviously not to the greatest satisfaction of everyone at all times, but we’re still in first place and it’s a first-place bullpen.
“You can dissect it all you want … but you’re excited to see the results you’re starting to get.”
One of the biggest developments has been rookie Derek Law, who pitched his 12th consecutive scoreless outing on Sunday. Sergio Romo needed a day off, so Bochy tabbed Law as the fill-in right-hander after Lopez struck out Bryce Harper. Law got the final two outs of the inning, sinking his ERA to 2.27
“He’s a guy I’ll use anywhere,” Bochy said of Law. He’s done that well … he does all the things you like from a late-inning reliever.”
The addition of Smith gives Bochy flexibility to use guys more frequently and for fewer outs. It’s possible, albeit not likely, that bullpen roles will be dissolved outside Casilla’s closer role. Bochy has a left-hander to pair in the game’s last three innings now, or innings 6-8 if he chooses to leave Casilla alone.
That’s why Smith is an asset to the 2016 Giants.
