I would agree that pace is not sustainable but that is also because Arano, Hunter, and Robertston are all hurt, and Nicasio and Alvarez are not reliable. And I'd almost forgotten De Los Santos is still on the roster. Several of the other games people remember as scarring bullpen losses are because Nicasio, Alvarez or Ramos pitched in them.
To a large extent - this applies to the shifts too - it's hard to separate the manager from the GM, or at least from the analytics department. If we have a bullpen problem right now - and I don't know that we do - I'd put it on the GM for collecting so many over-30, expensive, unoptionable pieces, two of whom are predictably hurt, a third of whom was hurt last year and can't be heavily used, and the fourth of whom isn't good. (But sure, let's add Kimbrel!)
Who knows, it's hard to believe they really thought they needed Morgan to get out Andrew Stevenson, and then it backfired. But they simply might not have wanted Neshek to face a fifth batter regardless.
As with all managerial criticism it always swings both ways. I've seen fans wonder why Kapler waved the white flag in certain games this year, when he clearly wasn't managing for just one night.
