D-Backs say bullpen armed for 2008

Since Tony Peña joined the Diamondbacks in the summer of 2006, they have touted him as a potential closer.

D-Backs land All-Star Haren in 8-player trade

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Peña may get his chance this season, although general manager Josh Byrnes would not go that far in assessing his bullpen after the trade of Jose Valverde to Houston, the third D-Backs’ deal in a Friday flurry that involved 14 players.

Chad Qualls, one of the players obtained for Valverde, and Brandon Lyon also are in the running to replace the flamboyant Valverde, who led the major leagues with a career-high 47 saves while earning an All-Star berth in 2007.

“(Valverde) had a great year for us, and did Peña and Lyon,” Byrnes said. “As a threesome, they were a large part of our success.

“It’s not easy” trading Valverde. “But saves sometimes are a byproduct of how a game evolves. We haven’t determined with Qualls, Lyon and Peña how the roles will fill out. All three have had success in late innings.”

By dealing Valverde, the D-Backs also will save some of the money they will use on new starter Dan Haren, who will make $4 million this season.

Valverde is expected to be awarded about $5 million in salary arbitration this offseason after earning $2 million in 2007.

None of the closer candidates has had the success of Valverde, who converted 47 of his 54 opportunities last season as the final piece of a bullpen in which setup man Lyon led the NL with 35 “holds” and Peña had 30.

Holds are computed like saves for relievers who do not finish a game.

Lyon, working primarily in the eighth inning, was 6-4 with two saves and a 2.68 ERA last season. He throws four pitches for strikes and relies on control.

Peña, also a strike-thrower with a mid-90s fastball, was 5-4 with two saves and 3.27 ERA while being used mostly in the seventh inning. He limited opponents to a .207 batting average.

Both converted two of five save opportunities in the regular season but excelled in the postseason, perhaps another reason to move Valverde when his market value likely will never be higher.

Lyon had six scoreless innings in five playoff appearances and Peña had 5 1/3 scoreless innings in five outings.

Qualls had a career-high five saves with Houston last season, when he was occasionally used as a closer along with Brad Lidge and Dan Wheeler. Houston needed a closer after trading Lidge to Philadelphia this winter. Qualls had 21 holds last year.

Lyon opened the 2005 season as the D-Backs’ closer and had 13 saves in 14 opportunities in the first six weeks of the season before suffering a strained right elbow that kept him out for three months.

Lyon has 25 career saves, although he has primarily been a setup man the past two seasons. He had nine saves for Boston in 2003, but did not pitch in the major leagues in 2004 season after undergoing ligament replacement surgery in spring training.

Peña was a dominating reliever at two minor league levels in 2006, going 2-0 with six saves and an 0.89 ERA at Double-A Tennessee before being promoted to Triple-A Tucson, where he was 3-1 with a 1.71 ERA and seven saves.

He was 3-4 with one save and a 5.58 ERA in 25 appearances with the D-Backs after being recalled on July 18, 2006, his first trip to the majors.