MLB teams are continually looking for the next high-leverage reliever to join their bullpen. That search has made them realize that sometimes, these types of arms are actually in their own system, and to spot them, a change of some sort is required. It can be as complex as modifying the arm slot, standing closer to a base while on the mound, or toying with the pitch mix.
However, sometimes it is as simple as changing a pitcher’s role. A sizable portion of the best relievers in baseball, as veteran southpaw Andrew Chafin once let us all know, are failed starters.