Tampa Bay Rays: Maybe an ‘opener’ is the way to go?
The Tampa Bay Rays have had to adjust their pitching staff to using an “opener.” The rest of the league has failed to adjust to them…yet
Necessity is the mother of invention. The Tampa Bay Rays have had to necessitate some starting pitching due to season-ending injuries to prospects Jose De Leon, Anthony Banda, and Brent Honeywell. Nathan Eovaldi has missed time, and Chris Archer is currently sitting on the DL.
So what did the Tampa Bay Rays do?
Instead of a traditional starter, they are going to an “opener.” Using fresh arms every few innings. Playing tournament baseball of sorts. You know what? It’s working.
Going into last night’s action, the Rays have the best ERA in baseball since May 19 at 2.98. Not only that, but they are second in batting average against at .212 and WHIP with 1.15.
“A lot of good things,” manager Kevin Cash said. “A lot of things to like from the pitching staff. It’s amazing every day how much buy-in we get. We know we’re doing some unique things, and some questionable things people scratch their heads at. But these pitchers do a tremendous job of buying in.”
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Other teams are using openers to various degrees of success. The Los Angeles Dodgers have done it a couple of times this year. The New York Mets did it this past Sunday.
Will this become a trend in baseball? Will teams just use three to four different pods of three to four pitchers a week pitching three innings or so at a time and making every game look like the World Baseball Classic?
Maybe it is the future considering owners probably won’t want to pay big free agent pitchers $20-$30 million a year considering how the luxury tax does act as a cap of sorts.
Maybe it will help prevent arm injuries, and teams will act like the Tampa Bay Rays and the Colorado Rockies a few years ago who did tandem starts.
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In the meantime, if it keeps working for the Tampa Bay Rays, you’re going to see Sergio Romo start. You’re going to see Wilmer Font pitch four to five innings. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it and for the Tampa Bay Rays, it’s not broken on the pitching side right now.