Don't Lose the Arms Race

What way too many Major League clubs seem to forget is that the staff they start the season with is rarely the same one they end the season with. It is important to not run out of arms. The Indians of the Mid 90's did this well. With a young Bartolo Colon (yep he was young at one time) and guys like Charles Nagy and Jarret Wright, they surrounded them with the Orel Hershisers and Dennis Martinez's on the world. The Pen would get great performances from the Jose Mesa's of the world who had failed as a starter and became a great closer. The point is, too many clubs on a budget try to blow it on the best three or four guys they can get and go young on the rest of the arms. In Colorado, the Rockies try to get 5-6 starters and then get the rest for the pen, hoping they don't spend too much. I say you don't have to. Instead of paying a guy 25 million a year try to find 5-6 at 4-5 million a year and start building up a glutton of pitching. Give me older guys on one year deals. Give me younger guys on non guaranteed contracts. Give me guys I can stash in AAA until needed. Give me guys who will switch to the pen if it gives them a chance to keep coming to the ball park. Give me guys who know they are about to be coaches some day and want to start showing their worth to the Organization. Last year there were many good pitchers that went into Feb or March with no contracts. Guys like Lance Lynn and Jake Arietta. Lance Lynn was signed by the Twins and dealt to the Yankees. That means the Twins had no long term money to a guy and not only did he give them a couple of months of quality starts, he also netted them an additional prospect for the organization that they didn't have. Its tough to find a Max Scherzer. But thats one guy and you have to pitch somebody new every day. Win the Arms race and sometimes Quanity is Quality.