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Who was the Rangers ace last year?

"Built for the postseason" = crap. There is no magic formula. And after 2 seasons in the cellar, wouldn't even a 2 game series in October be nice? Even Usain Bolt only took baby steps at one point...

The biggest thing is using the right reliever. If you’re doing it with Bernadino/Jacques/Weiss/Ort/Dermody/Tayler Scott, you’re not. John Schreiber? That could work. Some starting pitchers might be reluctant. Obviously they are not good “bulk” guys. But it might be a better way to handle whatever Filene’s bargain basement arm is still sitting out there on the free agent wire. Eric Lauer once again leaps to mind. Clevinger? Not so much, as he’s actually talented enough to start the traditional way. Also not all baseball players are creatures of habit. Absolutely some are freak slaves to superstition. Wade Boggs, for example. Justin Morneau was one of the worst. But some can just roll. Those broad brushes just don’t apply universally. It’s always case by case…

Fans can be reluctant to embrace new strategies. And some even buy tickets based on starting pitching. It has drawbacks in those regards, but as even you said earlier - relievers are cheaper - and it’s an effective way to maximize the potential of a budgeted pitching staff when it’s done right…

My guess is they wanted him to have an opt out that also made rejecting the qualifying offer a no-brainer…

Even the Rays switched the opener to some mediocre arms at one point. Ryne Stanek, for example, was a good opener. But they were using Trevor Kelley in the role last year…

And they put them out at the same rate teams get complete games…

Oh there is a correct answer to the difference. When using the traditional innings-based deployment where this deliver pitches the 7th, another pitched the 8th, closer in the ninth, a manager really has no control over the quality of hitters his best reliever faces. But he does in the first inning - he gets the top of the lineup. Every game. Much better than holding on to your closer for the ninth inning, where 44% of his save opportunities start off by facing one of the 6-7-8-9 hitters, who are always the weakest hitters. Opener strategies create better matchups for the manager. Use a good reliever to face the 1-2-3 and maybe 4, 5 hitters. Then bring in your “starter” to face the middle-to-bottom hitters. Not only more effective use of the bullpen, but also of the starter (or “bulk” reliever) as when he hits the lineup second time through, he’s doing so against the middle/bottom of the lineup. It is a clever strategy when done right. But again, if you’re using Zack Weiss, you’re just not doing it right…

I said using the #8 guy is not deploying the strategy properly. You need to use someone of setup caliber. The Rays used to use Sergio Romo as an opener, for example…

No, a continuation of what they have been doing this year…

I mean real bargains. Like 50% sales at Macy’s. Not shopping at Goodwill…

Sometimes it’s the only way to get the correct answer

I think they are prepped to use what they have now, but will take advantage of any bargains that present themselves. But only bargains…

Then what difference does it make if you bring in your reliever in the first inning or the 6th or 7th? There is an obvious difference actually…

The complete game died out with grunge, baggy pants, and “Northern Exposure”…

Casey Coleman?

Oh he definitely went about it the easy way. It was basically “farm system ranking for the sake of farm system ranking”…

Who was Roenicke talking about?

Possibly. Or maybe because they needed another zero in the quantity to get to him on the list. Possibly even two more zeroes…

Bloom simply wanted to improve the farm stream by increasing the number of viable projects. This is more easily accomplished with position players…

How did MLBTR avoid the temptation to put him on their top 50 list?

That was a general “you”. Not you specifically. Really aimed at any manager who trots out bullpen arm #8 as an opener. And it is a clever strategy. The biggest issue with deploying relievers by inning (e.g. setup guy in the 8th inning, closer in the 9th) is you cannot control the quality of hitters they face, and it can be an inefficient use of your best relief arms. But if you use one of those arms in the first inning, you are now using your better relievers to take down their better hitters. When done right, it shortens the game just as much as the traditional setup/closer strategy, just at the other end. But as teams far too often trot out someone like Colten Brewer, they’re not doing the strategy right and are instead just having a bullpen game, which is among the worst strategies in baseball in regards to pitching staff management…

Bloom actually did ok with the Vazquez trade, getting two MLB-capable players for two months of a catcher. But he wouldn’t just do salary dumps. If he wasn’t getting some legitimate (in his assessment) prospect, he wouldn’t make the deal…

Some of whom should be traded for pitching at some point…

When done correctly (i.e. not with Joe Jacques), the opener is a clever matchup strategy. But the Sox and a couple other teams just employed it with random backend relievers, in which case you miss the entire point…