Why Rays are planning for their starters to work deeper into games
ST. PETERSBURG — Time, and Kevin Cash’s anxiety levels, may prove different, but the Rays are entering this season planning for their starters to pitch deeper into games from the outset.
The change is both philosophical and physical, born of results over the past few seasons and based on stretching out the starters more during spring training so they are ready for full workloads their first time out rather than building up to them over the first month.
The plan is designed to have multiple benefits for the Rays.
One, to get as much as they can from their starters, typically among a team’s most effective pitchers and who generally want to work deep into games, anyway.
Another, to shorten the gap to the veteran relievers slated to work the back ends of games who are arguably the strength of this team.
But another reason for the change, and perhaps a key one, is actually in the middle. By getting more out of their starters early on, the Rays are hoping to not have to turn as often to their middle relievers, who tend to get used heavily early in the season and sometimes get lost in the residual roster shuffle.
“I feel like we really chewed into some of our depth last year because we were so mindful of the starter workload and mindful of maybe some of our key bullpen guys and not pitching them just to pitch,” Cash said. “And then we looked up six weeks into the season and like, damn, a lot of good pitchers have kind of come and gone already.”
Indeed, before the end of May, the Rays had designated six pitchers for assignment and lost four of them — Chase Anderson, Braden Bristo, Zack Burdi and Heath Hembree. Javy Guerra and Hector Perez weren’t initially picked up by other teams but eventually left the organization. Tampa Bay shuttled several others to the minors.
While not headline names, the Rays had accrued those relievers to provide depth for a reason and missed it as the season unfolded. That forced them to acquire and weave in other options.
There obviously were other factors in play last season, most notably injuries. Four starters missed time early — Tyler Glasnow opened the season on the injured list due to an oblique strain, Zach Eflin was out two weeks with back tightness, Jeffrey Springs blew out his elbow in April, Drew Rasmussen his in May. Relievers Pete Fairbanks, Ryan Thompson and Garrett Cleavinger also were among the injured.
By the end of May, the Rays had made more than 50 roster moves regarding pitchers. By season’s end, they had used 37 pitchers, one shy of the team record set in 2021.
Last season also was different in that there wasn’t much work early for the back-end bullpen guys. The Rays not only won their first 13 games — tying the modern-day major-league record — they did so by large margins, with a plus-71 run differential. Each of the first nine wins was by at least four runs.
All of which led the Rays to decide to tweak their usual plan. Rather than only build the starters to 75-80 pitches and five-six innings during the spring and ease them through the first month, they wanted them at least capable of — though not committed to — six-plus innings and 90-100 pitches the first time out.
“We talked about it this offseason, that we leaned really heavy on our bullpen. There were a lot of roster moves last year, and we’d like to avoid that as much as possible,” Cash said.
“Still protecting everybody and knowing that we need them to stay healthy for six-seven months, but felt like if there’s one department we could tack on, it’s probably 15 extra pitches per starter.”
The starters, naturally, favor the change.
“I do like that, absolutely,” said Eflin, who went 5⅔ innings and 81 pitches in Thursday’s opener. “I think it’s important for starters and for us as a team to be able to go those extra innings, and to be able to do that at the jump. And it makes sense for our bullpen ... to not burn out our relievers in the first month in the season.”
Ultimately, the key is finding the right balance.
In potentially adding the extra inning or so of work to the starters, the Rays also have them scheduled to get an extra day’s rest between outings several times in April. Plus, in picking Jacob Waguespack over Kevin Kelly for the final bullpen spot, they are carrying a reliever capable of covering three-four innings if needed.
Pitching coach Kyle Snyder, acknowledging he’s previously been “pretty conservative” on the issue, said an offseason data dive supported the shift “in theory.” The staff will continue to monitor each starter closely and treat each game individually.
“It’s all subjective, right? The individuals are the individuals in terms of what they’re capable of,” Snyder said. “You still have to be reactive to outings, where their stuff is, how well they’re responding to the additional (inning), the additional 15 pitches. But we felt more confident this year with some of the research that we’ve done to take them to that full 90-95 pitches rather than the first couple starts you’re still kind of getting to full strength.”
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