Toronto starts relievers!

[Mike Sixel]

It happened..... a MLB team went with my idea of starting a reliever, and having the game be a "starter by committee". They threw a shutout.

 

Really something the Twins should consider, imo. It really is a way of getting the most of your resources.

 

Does anyone think this could actually catch on?

[biggentleben]

It happened..... a MLB team went with my idea of starting a reliever, and having the game be a "starter by committee". They threw a shutout.

 

Really something the Twins should consider, imo. It really is a way of getting the most of your resources.

 

Does anyone think this could actually catch on?

 

It's been discussed as an option for the Braves when Brandon Beachy returns in another angle. They would pair he and Julio Teheran, whose innings they want to control to some degree this year, and have them each plan on 4 innings with a maximum of 5 and piggy back.

 

That said, Houston started the year doing a similar philosophy, and it blew up in their face. If a team still had a bullpen full of guys who could go 3 innings, this would absolutely work, I believe. The problem is that you have a bullpen full of LOOGY and ROOGY types and one-inning max pitchers.

[Mike Sixel]

For me, I think the Twins have 3 starters right now. I'd love to see a rotation between AAA and MLB of 5-8 relievers that fill the other two starts. Lets' see if the concept can work, in an otherwise lost season.......I mean, would you rather watch Pelfrey, or find out if this new concept could work? I know what I'd do.

 

* edit, to me, this is THE market inefficiency out there right now. Cheap, bad starters/good relievers, that can be bundled together to make a very good starter. Or maybe not, but we'll not know until someone tries it on purpose, not just because they have no other option (Houston)

[beckmt]

Colorado tried this a few years back, did not work.

[Mike Sixel]

Colorado tried this a few years back, did not work.

 

I recall that, but nothing has worked in Colorado......but you are right. I want more data though before I write it off.

[Craig Arko]

This may be a workable short term solution but I can't see it going for more than a few starts. If nothing else, the agents and player's association will object to seeing high(er) buck starters on the bread line, replaced by cheaper relievers.

[IdahoPilgrim]

It happened..... a MLB team went with my idea of starting a reliever, and having the game be a "starter by committee". They threw a shutout.

 

Really something the Twins should consider, imo. It really is a way of getting the most of your resources.

 

Does anyone think this could actually catch on?

 

Given the average innings pitched by a Twins starter this season, aren't we already doing this?

 

Sorry, couldn't resist.

[gunnarthor]

A's tried it for a few weeks under LaRussa back in the day. Blew up pretty good.

[spideyo]

I think the idea could be effective, but it relies on having a pitching staff and coaching staff that fully buy in to the situation.

 

Basically, you'd be looking at a game where each pitcher would face the entire batting order, but just once. This would be a big benefit if you have a lot of young, unknown pitchers that can be deceptive right away, and then just as they start to get used to that pitcher, you switch it up on them. However, that also means your pitcher can't be a guy that relies on making adjustments and improving the second or third time through.

 

The stats are definitely against this kind of arrangement. Imagine the uproar if your first pitcher threw three perfect innings, and your second guy only pitched one but he was eligible for the win but the first guy wasn't?

 

 

 

I do think that the Twins have the staff that could make it work, they could easily get 3 innings each appearance out of Duensing, Swarzak, Pressley, Walters, DeVries, Hernandez, Worley, Gibson, Hendricks, Deduno etc. It would make much more sense to instill that system at AA or AAA first, to get those kinds of guys ready for it.

 

Maybe start that system at Rochester this year, and if it works well, over the offseason rearrange our bullpen so it is mostly 3+ innings guys, and go into spring training with a plan already in place.

 

A 3 man rotation (of guys who can reliably go 7+ every start) with the #4 and #5 spots used by our various long relievers and spot starters would be ideal. You'd maximize the value of marginal starters by minimizing their exposure, give up and coming young arms a slightly less stressful situation to work in, and hopefully be able to cut the "short relief" guys down to a closer and a couple setup guys