D-backs Face Tough Decision Over Carrying a Long Reliever
The Diamondbacks find themselves in an interesting dilemma with regard to their bullpen. The team already has six roster locks for the bullpen, between Paul Sewald, Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson, Miguel Castro, Scott McGough, and Joe Mantiply. That leaves just two bullpen spots potentially up for grabs. One of them will likely go to a second left-handed reliever, leaving them with a decision as for what to do with the final spot. The two main options are to either carry a long reliever, or a traditional reliever who can offer more than an inning.
There are merits towards either approach, depending on what the organization wants from their relief corps at the start of the season. Carrying a long reliever gives them more flexibility with their relievers. The six pitchers mentioned above are mostly one-inning types best suited to give you 60-65 innings over the course of the season. A string of short starts could quickly put a lot of stress on this bullpen if they don't have a guy who can eat 2-3 innings.
Another additional benefit is it would give their group of young starters an opportunity to face major league hitters while also addressing a potential logjam with their Triple-A rotation. The D-backs already have 10 starting pitchers on their 40-man roster, all of whom will be pitching at the Triple-A level or higher in 2024, so they can afford to convert a couple arms to relief. Two pitchers in particular make for ideal conversion candidates. This would ensure not only that these young arms get the experience they need at the MLB level, but also allow pitchers such as Blake Walston and Cristian Mena to develop as starters in Reno.
The initial consequence to this particular approach for the Opening Day bullpen is it could close off the path to a roster spot for others. Corbin Martin and Kyle Nelson can be optioned to Triple-A this season, but right-hander Luis Frías is out of options. While the results have not been great for the young right-hander, he is only 25 years old with a fastball that sits 95-98 MPH and a solid cutter and slider when he is able to command them. If they elect to carry a long man, that exposes Frías to waivers where he's almost a sure bet to be claimed. They could work out a potential trade, but they're still losing out on the player.
Should the D-backs commit to a long reliever, they would also need to make sure they aren't yo-yoing them between starting and relieving. That process creates an extra injury risk, most notable coming last season with Drey Jameson suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament in July. After a failed rehab effort, the young right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in late September and will be effectively out until the 2025 season. That's a risk the team cannot afford to take, especially when they have the minor league depth to withstand losing one arm to the bullpen.
When it comes to whether or not the D-backs should carry a long reliever, the benefits of putting Ryne Nelson on the roster greatly outweigh the risk of losing the pitcher that could get bumped off the roster as a result.
