A starting pitcher has a larger impact on a baseball team than does a reliever. That claim is as much a matter of opinion as the operation of addition. Full-time starters throw 180-220 innings in a single season. Healthy relievers typically log 60-75 innings. 200 is more than 70. That’s why organizations tend to put their best pitchers, at least the ones with a full pitch portfolio, in a starter role.
But what if the standard practice for a reliever was adjusted so he pitched 120 innings? Suppose the team used him for two innings per appearance and in close ballgames, when the team was a run ahead, tied or a run behind.