The game of baseball is changing. That is, undoubtedly, true in a number of areas. In fact, the game is always changing—and it often does so cyclically—but when it comes to how a pitching staff is both built and deployed, there’s a trend that stands to be here for the foreseeable future.
“What has really happened over the last two or three years, particularly because starting pitchers have delivered fewer innings than in years past, the multi-inning reliever has once again become fashionable, if not critical, to a staff,” said Jerry Dipoto in an episode of The Wheelhouse earlier this offseason.