ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

D-backs GM Kevin Towers places strong emphasis on bullpen

Feb 12, 2013, 8:53 PM | Updated: 9:54 pm

Arizona Diamondbacks’ general manager Kevin Towers put a lot of emphasis into building a strong, reliable bullpen when he took the job in 2010. Entering his third season at the helm, it’s apparent nothing has changed.

Heath Bell was acquired from the Marlins, Matt Reynolds came over from Colorado, and Tony Sipp landed in Arizona as a result of the Trevor Bauer trade. The trio is joining an already formidable relief pitching corps in J.J. Putz, David Hernandez, Brad Ziegler and Josh Collmenter.

“Hernandez and Bell are very similar animals in size and what they bring to the table — mid-90s fastball with plus breaking ball, no fear and attack,” Towers said Tuesday. “Now with Reynolds and Sipp, we’ve got a big tall left-hander with a downward angle that could get both lefties and righties out. Sipp who’s got a plus slider, he’s very tough on lefties.

“Collmenter, gives you that change-up kind of over the top almost looks like a left-hander. Ziegler gives you the submarine sinker look.”

In 2012, the D-backs’ relievers posted a 3.28 ERA out of the pen, good enough for tenth in the bigs.

The arrivals of Reynolds and Sipp did more for the D-backs than just shake things up. Towers said his manager, Kirk Gibson, now has the advantage of picking from multiple lefty options, something he could not do last season.

“It gives Gibby an option early in the game and another one late in the game,” he said. “Last year with only one, he had to kind of pick and choose where he felt was the appropriate time to bring the guy in.”

The general manager said his goal was not to simply acquire left-handed pitchers, but pitchers that thrive against lefty hitters.

“It wasn’t just left-handers, we tried to identify the right left-handers that should be successful against lefties,” Towers said. “Reynolds is probably more of a guy that that could work through an inning a little bit earlier in the ball game, not to say he won’t pitch late in the game. But he could probably give you a little more length.

“Sipp’s been historically very good against lefties, maybe more of a left-on-left guy late in the game.”

Towers said his collection of arms in the bullpen will be able to provide solid relief any point of the game.

“I like their personalities; I think they’re all a bit quirky, a little bit different,” he said. “To me, when you get in jams, we’ve got several guys that could come in and have wipeout-type stuff where they could strike out two or three guys and get out of a jam.”

With a number of young players in the starting rotation, Towers stressed the importance of having a reliable bullpen to back them up.

“I think more clubs are more focused on bullpen that they were 10 or 15 years ago and especially if you’ve got young starters,” he said. “When you have (Tyler) Skaggs, (Patrick) Corbin, (Wade) Miley, you want to allow them to build up innings throughout the early part of their career and have a shut down bullpen to allow them … to keep that lead.

“I think people say I’m enamored with the ‘pen, well I am.”

Arizona Diamondbacks

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. flips his bat during Arizona Diamondbacks' 2024 Opening Day...

Arizona Sports

Diamondbacks score 14 runs in a single inning to beat Rockies on Opening Day

The Arizona Diamondbacks set franchise marks with 13 hits and 14 runs in the third inning of their 2024 Opening Day game against the Rockies.

1 hour ago

Blaze Alexander...

Alex Weiner

Blaze Alexander did all he could to make Diamondbacks’ Opening Day roster

Diamondbacks infielder Blaze Alexander put together a spring that made it too difficult for the team to send him back to the minor leagues.

5 hours ago

Ketel Marte celebrates...

Tyler Drake

Ketel Marte to lead off Arizona Diamondbacks’ Opening Day lineup

The Arizona Diamondbacks' Opening Day lineup is set ahead of their matchup against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

8 hours ago

Jordan Montgomery throws a pitch...

Tyler Drake

Hall: Diamondbacks’ addition of Jordan Montgomery ‘made a lot of sense’

The Diamondbacks' addition of Jordan Montgomery puts a bow on a rotation that should be in the conversation for the top spot across MLB.

10 hours ago

Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno...

Arizona Sports

Roundtable picks: One Diamondbacks young player to watch in 2024

Which Arizona Diamondbacks player should continue an upward trend in 2024? Gabriel Moreno, Brandon Pfaadt and Alek Thomas are possibilities.

11 hours ago

Chase Field flyover...

Damon Allred

Diamondbacks’ Hall ‘battling’ to keep Chase Field roof open for Opening Day

The roof at Chase Field continues to be a hot button topic, especially after an exhibition game was rained out on Monday.

11 hours ago

D-backs GM Kevin Towers places strong emphasis on bullpen