Strategy: Is it time to start a middle reliever?

[prough73]

I'm going to be 38 games over on my starts limit. Is it a good time to pick up a good middle reliever and replace a starting pitcher?

[swyck]

It its roto then IMO it doesn't matter when you get your starts as long as the value of those starts is maximized. Unless you need to improve some of you rate cats and expect an MR will do that for you. You said starts not IP so I'm also assuming that this does not affect your closers. One thing I would do is not play any marginal SP at all.

It can suck to max out a cat early, and it can make it difficult to tell how well you're really doing, but stats are stats. You could trade SP strength for bats, though that's not as easy to do as it sounds.

[Skippyoz]

Who are your starters?

If you have guys like Ubaldo Jimenez, David Price, Phil Hughes, etc. then I say keep plugging away. If my make it to your start limit in August, that should be fine as long as they are all quality starts.

Also, with about 15 to 18 starts or so for most starters, perhaps some trends have developed? For instance: are your pitchers better at home or away? If you have a pitcher who has proven so far to only do well at home, sit him on the road every time.

SKIP

[fast dogs]

if you have the roster space its always a good time to start top middle relievers; a good 8th inning guy should post fine era n whips and those wins are just pure gravy. @ 38 starts over you need to just be starting the best starters in the easiest spots for awhile. you don't want your # 5 starter to be using up starts in July that your top 2-3 could be making in Sept.

[prough73]

Thanks for the advice guys. I've got really solid SP, so I'm trying to trade Chris Carpenter for Heath Bell. I've got Josh Johnson and Jimenez and, to be honest, Carpenter was my worse pitcher. Good idea?