Casilla's Days as a Late Inning Reliever are Over

The second half of baseball for the San Francisco Giants has been a train wreck of epic proportions, one so bad that they could be the first team to have the worst record in the second half after the best in the first.

Whether it be the Matt Duffy trade, long-time starter Matt Cain finally losing his spot in the rotation, or simply the numerous instances the Giants found new ways to lose, it has been hard to find silver linings that alleviate the agony around the orange and black.

Arguably one of the most painful parts of this second half, as well as this season as a whole, has been witnessing the sharp decline of Santiago Casilla as a late-innings pitcher.

Note, a late-innings pitcher, not a reliever as a whole.

There is no debate that Casilla is still a serviceable arm out of the bullpen, but the days of the 36-year-old as a closer in a one-run game are over.

Bruce Bochy has tried time and time again to extract the last bits Casilla's effectiveness as a closer, but after the veteran reliever gave up a game-tying home run to Jake Lamb in the bottom of the tenth, there's no plausible reason as to why Bochy should insert him during the latter innings.

Casilla's blown save last night was his eighth of the season, the most a Giants reliever has given up since the infamous Armando Benitez.

The reliever's performance in September has not helped his case either. In five outings, Casilla has blown the lead in two of four opportunities, allowing four earned runs and two home runs in 4.1 innings, and his ERA has jumped from 3.22 to 3.62.

One of those five outings could have been a save opportunity, but Casilla gave up a solo home run to Nolan Arrenado that cut a two-run lead to only one, and Bochy yanked him from the game right after, meaning he technically did not blow a save.

Casilla's poor performance has not been merely a recent slump, but one that has been brewing all season long. His current ERA is his highest as a Giant, and his FIP is his second highest.

The legitimate decline of Casilla may have started back in May when he announced his distaste after Bochy yanked him during a save opportunity, a moment which marked the beginning of the end.

Derek Law's emergence as the best reliever in the Giants bullpen has not helped Casilla's case either, as the rookie, before his injury notched a 1.94 ERA and a 2.34 FIP in just as many innings.

Bochy has been hesitant to use Law in save situations, utilizing him primarily as a set-up man, but Casilla's inability to close out games has to be testing his patience.

One can even argue that based on WAR, Law's first season with the Giants may be better than any of Casilla's best seasons. Law currently has a 1.1 WAR, while Casilla's best was a 0.6 back in his first season with San Francisco.

Whether it be Law, Sergio Romo, or Bochy's closer by committee, Casilla can no longer be the man responsible when a win or a loss hangs in the balance.

With Casilla's contract up after the end of this season and some decent arms, such as Mark Melancon, Aroldis Chapman, and even Dodger Kenley Jansen, the next couple of weeks may not only be the end of Casilla's reign as closer but his tenure as a member of the San Francisco Giants.

#opinion