Archie Bradley is the new closer for the Diamondbacks ?

[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Ronin]

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[Brian]

Better learn a third pitch.

 

[overseascardfan]

I could have swore I heard Lovullo a couple of months ago asked in an interview who he thought should be the best choice for closer and he said Robbie Ray. Obviously, they need Ray in the rotation so Bradley makes the most sense since they won't be doing much spending this offseason.

 

[BC867]

I'm happy for Archie. He is now the leader of the team.

But as Brian posted, he better be perfecting a third pitch.

 

[Brak]

I love Archie's personality, which also seems to be a good fit for the closer role. Unfortunately, even though he brings the heat, far too many of his pitches come in flat and right over the heart of the plate, and wind up in the seats. He's gotta get more movement on the ball and develop a 3rd pitch. He'll be another Fernando Rodney in the closer role - great at times, an absolute disaster at (too many) others.

Prediction: this experiment will end by July and he'll then be tried in the rotation (again).

 

[BC867]

I love Archie's personality, which also seems to be a good fit for the closer role. Unfortunately, even though he brings the heat, far too many of his pitches come in flat and right over the heart of the plate, and wind up in the seats. He's gotta get more movement on the ball and develop a 3rd pitch. He'll be another Fernando Rodney in the closer role - great at times, an absolute disaster at (too many) others.

Prediction: this experiment will end by July and he'll then be tried in the rotation (again).

I hope not. If he were to become a starter because he couldn't cut it pitching one or two innings as a reliever, his third time through the lineup would be disastrous.

Hey, Beard, you couldn't cut it as a setup/closer because you have only two pitches, so we're going to make you a 7-inning starter. I'd rather, for his sake and the D-backs, trade him for a reliever and give Archie a chance somewhere else than demote him in disappointment. At his age, rarely does demotion help the player or the team.

 

[Ronin]

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[BC867]

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With the signing of Greg Holland, who will probably get the first shot, that is an obviosity.

 

[Ronin]

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[AZCB34]

I want nothing handed to anyone let alone Archie. At this point I wouldn't trust him to pitch middle innings

 

[Ronin]

Diamondbacks' Archie Bradley: Working on curveball
Rotowire Mar 10, 2019
Bradley is focusing on his curveball this spring, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.

Bradley didn't have the curve in his arsenal last season due to a recurring split in the fingernail of his right forefinger. Because of that, the reliever has prioritized that pitch this spring, including Friday night when he threw as many as possible, regardless if it made sense to throw it. "I was trying to throw as many first-pitch curveballs as I could, and my goal was, if I missed, to come back and throw it right back in the zone," Bradley said Saturday. "I've said this before, but truly yesterday was one of those outings where I had a plan to go in and throw more curveballs and I didn't care about counts, I didn't care who was on, I didn't care who was up. I was determined to throw some strike curveballs." Bradley, who is competing to be Arizona's closer, gave up three hits and a run in his inning of work Friday, but walked away feeling good about it, as he had a chance to refine a pitch he desperately wants in his quiver for 2019.

 

[BC867]

I think Archie's competition for the closer spot is Greg Holland who gave up 1 run on 2 hits in his 1 inning today in Goodyear and has a Spring Training ERA of 33.75.

If Archie can master the curve and changeup, it looks like the closer job will be his to lose. With him as the face of the organization, that would be a good thing.