Ever since JJ Putz was traded, the closer role has been a constant source of speculation. Who is going to fill his enormous shoes? One such candidate arrived in the Putz deal--Aaron Heilman.To most, Brandon Morrow was the logical choice. Then Mark Lowe threw his name into the hat, followed shortly by the signing of Tyler Walker, another possible candidate.
Now,the latest candidate for closer has emerged after Putz claimed Roy Corcoran should be his heir apparent.
Why? Well, apparently Putz believes Corcoran is the only one with the cajones to man the closer position.
“If you’re looking for the guy who’s got it downstairs, Corcoran is best suited to close,” Putz said. “Roy didn’t care what his role was last year, when he came in, he was ready. I think if he knew the job was his, he’d be even better at it."
Corcoran came to the Mariners last season after sporadic play in three previous seasons. He pitched in 50 games with a 3.22 ERA.
At 28, it is likely Corcoran has yet to reach his potential, but he needs much more than a decent season in the bullpen and some flattering words from Putz to win the job. As it is, I've yet to hear his name bandied about in discussions over who's to be closer.
His motto is, "I might not throw 98, but I act like I do." It shows the attitude Putz talked about, but you still need some talent to back it up.
As for yet another candidate for the position, Putz said Miguel Batista has the fastball but doesn't use it enough. The fact is there exist no frontrunners in this race, and we won't know if anyone's prepared to step up until spring training begins.
All that's left is to make a prediction. Mine? Roy Corcoran... There's certainly more talent on the roster, but he's the only one who showed anything last season. He won't be amazing or anything, but he'll probably show more consistency than the others. Plus, you have to like anyone who can sing the classic AC/DC song and mean it. "But we've got the biggest balls of them all!"
