Diamondbacks Conversion Candidates from Starter to Reliever
The third installment on trying to fix the bullpen will focus on pitchers in the Diamondbacks minor league system that would make good candidates to convert from starter to reliever. It is a common practice to turn potential starters into relievers if they have a glaring issue that could prevent them from succeeding in a starting role.
- Current relievers on MLB roster who can compete for a 2023 role
- Current relievers in minor league system who may contribute
- Starting pitcher conversion to reliever candidates in the system
- External trade targets
- Free agents
Typically the main reasons that a starting pitcher gets moved to the bullpen is either a stuff, command, or a consistency issue. Going from the rotation to the bullpen, a pitcher won't have to worry as much about maintaining stuff and pacing themselves so they can afford to throw max effort on every pitch. For some arms, that results in a small increase in velocity and movement and make them more difficult to hit.
The Diamondbacks have some really talented arms in their system, but can only utilize five to six starting pitchers at a time. Sometimes they'll need to keep guys as starters for depth purposes, as teams generally will need eight to nine starters to get through the regular season. With all the high octane arms in the system, they those pitchers develop may make the decision for the organization whether to continue to develop them as a starter or start the conversion process.
Here are some of the top arms in the system that could be bullpen conversion candidates in 2023:
Corbin Martin
Martin is the most obvious candidate after failing to impress as a starter with two different organizations. With Martin out of options in 2023, the D-backs really need to convert him to relief if they want to salvage any value for him. As a reliever, he should be able to focus on rolling through a lineup only once and attack hitters with a more simplified approach and just utilize his best two to three pitches.
Tommy Henry
Henry is an intriguing candidate who may find himself pushed out of the rotation if some of the other arms in the system with a higher ceiling as a starter pan out. He has the confidence to attack hitters, but as a starter needs to have more pinpoint command of his fastball. If there is a velocity bump and Henry is more 93-95 in a relief role, I could see him developing into a solid left-handed option who can give the team anywhere between three and nine outs in an appearance.
Bryce Jarvis
Jarvis had a rough year with Amarillo as a starter, with a lack of strikeouts and a lot of home runs completely derailing his season in Amarillo. Given that he's lagging behind some of the top arms in the system, two of which are in his draft class, a conversion to the bullpen may be the path to the big leagues. 2023 will be Jarvis' protection year and it's almost certain that he'd be taken in the Rule 5 Draft due to draft pedigree and stuff profile. In the past, Jarvis has touched 96-97 with his 4-Seam Fastball and combined with his baseball IQ, raw stuff, and pitching ability displayed at the collegiate level there may be something to salvage.
Tyler Gilbert
Gilbert split time between Triple-A Reno and the big leagues in 2022, but never seemed to be able to give consistent starts before an elbow injury shut down his season. Due to both the injury and lack of stuff necessary to navigate a lineup multiple times, Gilbert is another lefty who could be a bullpen conversion candidate. It'll be interesting to see if what his velocity and stuff look like in short bursts.
As a reliever, he should be able to provide some length or left-on-left matchups in the middle innings. His value to the roster is the ability to be moved up and down when the team needs an extra arm. If things go well, Gilbert can take over the Caleb Smith role in the bullpen when the latter hits free agency after the 2023 season.
These pitchers may be a longer term conversion project, depending on health and how the organization's top pitching prospects pan out. Presently they are more valuable to the team as a starting pitcher than as a reliever.
Ryne Nelson
Nelson isn't a serious candidate to move into the bullpen in 2023, but the ability to maintain stuff may be a reason that he ends up closing rather than starting. Between an overpowering 4-Seam Fastball as well as two above-average secondary offerings, Nelson would be a serious candidate to either close or get high-leverage outs if shifted to the bullpen.
Slade Cecconi
Cecconi, like Nelson, has an issue maintaining stuff throughout starts. Given that he's coming off a successful year in Amarillo, it's much more likely he starts in the big leagues for the D-backs in 2023. As a reliever, Cecconi could just rip through lineups with a mid 90s fastball and a plus slider that he locates well to the glove side of the plate.
