I don't even consider Owens a good depth guy. A random free agent pitcher is probably better depth/starter than ever using Owens.Originally Posted by Kimmi
I don't even consider Owens a good depth guy. A random free agent pitcher is probably better depth/starter than ever using Owens.
The current common setup of one-inning relievers carries risks as well. The one-inning reliever may be pulled without recording an out if he doesn't have his "stuff." Likewise, a long reliever under similar circumstances may be pulled without recording an out but that must be weighed against the greater potential benefit of three innings of relief.
To me it all comes down to run-scoring stats across baseball. In recent years run-scoring was dropping and dropping, suggesting that pitching was dominating the game. It has gone back up again, and a lot of people including me are wondering if that's because the ball is juiced.
I get it, but you are assuming 3-4+ 3-4 IP each and every 4 games. And, when one fails to go even 1 IP, you're stuck with just 4 pitchers to end the game and be ready for the next one.
You'd probably need one of the 4 to be a 2-3 IP type RP'er leaving just 3 short guys.
All but the rare reliever would be expected to go at least two or three innings.
Most MLB pitchers were starters who converted to relief at some point in their life, most often in professional ball. Their development would no longer shrink their expected appearances to a single inning.
Probably. Owens would be way down on the depth chart for sure.
I'm thinking we definitely need to pick up another starter for next year. At least a #3 type, if not better.
I'm guessing that there will come a day when "tandem starters" becomes a regular type of thing.
It could be a natural progression, but it will be hard to change overnight.
My guess is, it might start with just the 4 and 5 slot pitchers and maybe slowly move to all 5.
The big advantage of having a closer or setup guy pitch only a single inning, though, is that he can do it 3 games in a row, or more in a playoff series.
It definitely won't happen overnight. A team will try it and other teams will slowly follow suit, depending on how successful it is.
My question is why would anyone want to try radically reconfiguring how pitching staffs are utilized. The current model works quite well most of the time.
I've been wondering about this trend too, one of starters pitching fewer and fewer innings with designated pitchers for the 7th, 8, and 9th. If this continues we could have starters going 5 innings to get the Win followed by four other pitchers each with a designated inning, and three other guys in the pen in case one of them fails that day.
The game is changin'. No doubt about it.
It's a mere moment in a man's life between the All-Star game and the Old Timer's game.
-Vin Scully
Yeah, it has changed. But it isn't really changing radically. You would still like your starting pitcher to be able to go at least 6 innings. I don't think any manager gets excited about the idea of the starter being pulled after 5 and having to use the pen for 4 innings every game.
I'm not trying to be argumentative.. honest... but we 'old timers' can remember when it wasn't unusual for a pitcher to throw a complete game. Then we started having a designated "Closer". Now we're having someone designated to pitch the 8th, and even down into the 7th. Can the 6th be far behind, especially if a team has built a bullpen with that kind of depth.
Picture our starters going 5 innings, then a closing staff of Kelly for the 6th, Smith for the 7th, Thornburg for the 8th, and Kimbrel for the 9th. That would leave guys like Ross, Hembree, Abad, and Workman to fill in as needed for a partial inning or for long relief, with long relief defined as 'up until the 6th inning', or if a game got out of hand early.
Is that was DD was trying to accomplish?
It's a mere moment in a man's life between the All-Star game and the Old Timer's game.
-Vin Scully
But then you have to do it all over again the next game and the game after that...
I still think you'd rather have the starter go at least 6.
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