Torres to take on Bucs' closer role

Joey's Take: Adopting former closer and now Braves setup man Mike Gonzalez's closer role will be a tough task to do. It probally will not be repeated by Solomon Torres, newly slated closer so far from the Pirates prospective. the 24 of 24 saves in save opportunities, the 2.17 ERA, and the dominating stuff Gonzalez had will be missed by all Bucs fans. But Torres can be an effective closer. He does have the stuff. I myself, would definatly watch camp for youngsters such as Matt Capps, Shane Youman, and maybe even Brian Rogers to also adopt the closer role if they do in fact make an impact in spring training.

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BRADENTON, Fla. -- It was clear Friday morning that Salomon Torres' pants were a size too small. His bullpen partners-in-crime wasted no time taking advantage of the situation, issuing whistles and cat-calls, and letting loose with the merciless teasing until Torres was able to slip into a larger pair.
Until then, though, Torres hammed it up. Laughing just as hard as his tormentors, he practiced an exaggerated batting stance and quipped that the pants probably were the reason for increased ticket sales at PNC Park.

"They try to pick on me most of the time," he said with a smile. "The whole bullpen treats each other like brothers, like family.

"We have a great relationship, and it's a relationship to be envied by a lot of teams. What we've got going here, it's special."

Special enough, Torres said, that while the offseason departure of closer Mike Gonzalez left Torres' clan one member short, the staff won't be lacking at all this season. For Torres, the Pirates' trade for Adam LaRoche meant a move to closer. It was a role he'd assumed over the last six weeks of the 2006 season when Gonzalez was injured, so he's both aware of the demands of the new job, and ready to accept the challenge.

"Maybe this spring is a little special for me," Torres said. "Me being the closer, I wear the responsibility. Therefore, I'm working a little harder, not only physically, but also mentally to be ready so when they give me the ball, I'm ready."

Primarily a setup man for the Bucs last season, Torres proved he was ready when Gonzalez was sidelined with a sore elbow, saving 10 straight games down the stretch -- and a Majors-leading 12 total during the last month of play. The 34-year-old workhorse also showed his staying power, racking up a franchise record-tying 94 outings in 2006. He finished the year with a 3-6 record and a 3.28 ERA, 72 strikeouts and 12 saves in 15 chances.

Torres began the season as he had many in the past -- a little sluggish and without his best stuff, which found him at 2-2 with a blown save and an ERA hovering around 5 at the end of May. This year, Torres said he's focused on combating just that, because this time around, there's no room for error.

Source: MLB.com