Bullpen Usage.

Real good read. Could the Reds be leading the pack when it come to the next evolution of bullpens? I don't know if it was stupid or smart, but I always wondered if how an 11 man pitching staff would work if used it like this:

Pitcher 1: Monday, Innings 1-3
Pitcher 2: Monday, Innings 4-6
Pitcher 3: Monday, Innings 7-9
Pitcher 4: Tuesday, Innings 1-3
Pitcher 5: Tuesday, Innings 4-6
Pitcher 6, Tuesday, Innings 7-9
Pitcher 7, Wed: Innings 1-3
Pitcher 8, Wed: Innings 4-6
Pitcher 9, Wed: Innings 7-9
Pitchers 10-11(or 12) sprinkle in as needed:

Hitters tend to have more success the 2nd & 3rd time through the order against starters...but what if the 2nd time through is a pitcher offering a completely different look? Plus, the pitcher wouldn't have to hold back as much to make it through 6-7 innings on the day. If they go every 4th day, that will put about 162 innings/yr on pitchers 1-9. I don't know how feasible it is with arm durabilty, but I always thought it would be an interesting experiment.

Lorenzen and Iglesias started as relievers solely and with their durability issues it's obvious they should go to the bullpen. With Chapman he had no durability issues we just relented to Dusty's wish and that was it. We fucked up. With these 2 though it would be a damn shame IMO to just slot them 8 and 9 and call it a day. And no closer by committee BS either. But 2 guys who can go multiple innings and be the fireman and also close. That there are 2 guys it can lock down a game late in IMO a far more efficient not to mention cheaper manner than what the Yankees tried to do(although I am not arguing the infinite talent of Chapman, Miller, Betances). But I think our 2 guys have not hit their ceiling as relievers yet. With the way the Reds are talking about matchups and throwing strength of pitcher to weakness of hitter as opposed to the generic lefty lefty righty righty conept, you add this style of bullpen and it could be a new wave of bullpen utility. And you maximize the talent you have. And you preserve the lesser arms in the pen. I am intrigued by this.

With Finnegan he is showing durability. In fact he hasn't been allowed to show any durability because he barely pitched in his pro career and because KC used him in the BP the first year he was drafted everybody automatically sees him as a BP guy. C'mon guys wake up! Only if he is incapable of evolving or starts to break down physically should we even consider a different role.Before this season Finnegan since being drafted in 2014 had pitched in both minors and majors a total of 139 innings. By comparison Johnny Cueto had pitched just under 348 innings before his callup. He had a 4.81 ERA that year to Finnegan's 4.94. So I'm not writing him off just yet. I think he's doing OK for such little experience.

Quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of Bryan Price thinking that he's gonna re-write the book on how to use a bullpen!!

This continued bs on how match-ups don't matter is exactly why you've had a bottom 5 bullpen since the day u took over!

You are right Brad. It's all about talent. You can make decisions based on anything and be right when the talent is there. Bullpen is this since the ASB=2.71/1.17 ,3.8 BB9-9.7 K9. And all we did as you said was subtract bullshit and add 2 good arms. Remarkable. I do believe that solid arms do settle into roles and it creates it's own hierarchy which leads to what Davis is saying. But when it's chaos and there is no talent as it was before the ASB using whatever philosophy is as good as anything. The reason I started this thread is because I think that nothing is written in stone and the game is changing and will change and the ideas written about do shed some light. It's easy to look at a team that's failing and say they are all fucked. But they have turned it around completely and you have to give credit where credit is due. My only beef with Price is he has severely bad timing. Like last night. Wood totally and apparently lost his control and he let him go til the game was out of reach.

I certainly haven't been the biggest fan of Price, but to blame him for having the worst bullpen, is just not right.  Since the two kids have come back, this has become one of the best bullpens in the game.  You need decent talent to have a good bullpen, and Price has not had that at all.  Personally, I love what he's doing with the bullpen right now.  In fact, I'm not so sure he's re-writing any book.  It appears he's trying to maximize his best arms in tough situations and late innings.  I'm seeing a little bit of the Nasty Boys style in this bullpen, without the attitude of course.