At last week’s trade deadline, the Rockies bullpen saw an extension for Daniel Bard and some moves with Triple-A Albuquerque. There were no trade departures, no voids to fill, and no extra opportunities on the horizon for younger arms.
For the Rockies to retain extend Bard with a fifth-place divisional record, it may suggest the desire for a bullpen ‘captain’ is being fulfilled. (Bard was once a mental skills coach, after all.)
This idea presents a unique situation: Is it better for younger pitchers to have an advisor in their own shoes, or is it better for the advisor’s innings to be split up among younger pitchers themselves?