05/23/2008 8:00 AM ET
Movin' On Up: Cards' Perez eyes closer role
Major League debuts from May 16-22
By Lisa Winston / MLB.com
Chris Perez looked the part in Spring Training before notching eight saves in Triple-A. (Danny Wild/MLB.com)
The following players made their first appearance in the Major Leagues between May 16 and May 22:
Chris Perez, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
What started out, apparently, as the Year of the Struggling Closer could morph into the Year of the Upcoming Closer -- at least in St. Louis. In the span of a week, several veteran big-money and big-name short relievers were relieved of their closer jobs, including Cards right-hander Jason Isringhausen.
Izzy, 35, posted an 8.00 ERA and was replaced in the back end of the bullpen by Ryan Franklin, for the time being anyway. The heir apparent, 22-year-old righty Chris Perez, was summoned from Triple-A Memphis when Isringhausen went on the DL May 16, and made his big-league debut that night.
In that debut, a 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay, Perez was the second of three pitchers used and tossed a perfect inning, striking out one. Two nights later he came on in the ninth and earned the win in a 5-4 victory over the Rays with another scoreless frame. Overall, in three late-inning (though non-closing) outings, he's tossed three shutout innings.
For now, Franklin remains the titular closer. But the 35-year-old right-hander doesn't project in that role for much longer than it will take for the Cards to feel confident in their up-and-comer. Franklin only moved from starting to relief in 2006, and brought just one big-league save into '08. He's notched two -- most recently May 10 -- since moving into the closer's role, after being a standout setup man with a 1.57 ERA.
Perez, meanwhile, definitely profiles for the part. Drafted in the supplemental first round of 2006 out of Miami as compensation for the loss of free-agent starter Matt Morris, he has quite simply mowed down the competition in the two years since then.
With a sinking mid-90s fastball and a devastating slider, he has the prototypical "stuff" for the role and knows how to use it. He combined for 35 saves between Double-A Springfield and (down the stretch) Memphis in his full-season debut in 2007. In two seasons coming into '08, he'd notched 47 saves in 79 games and held hitters to a .155 average. He also pitched for the 2007 Team USA club that won the World Cup in Taiwan last fall.
He had eight saves and a 2.04 ERA when promoted.
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