Besides, Bochy said, the long-relief role is a beneficial way to develop...

Besides, Bochy said, the long-relief role is a beneficial way to develop young pitchers."

From SFgiants.com, regarding potentially having Joe Martinez as the long reliever.

about 3 years ago Fresburg 19 comments 1 recs |

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Is this true? Can someone confirm this? Or does this just further illustrate their reputation for screwing with prospects, a la Sanchez.

by Fresburg on Apr 1, 2009 8:57 AM PDT reply actions

Teams do it all the time, and I’ve never thought it was terrible or anything. I believe Johan Santana was a long reliever in his first season with the Twins. I think it’s an Earl Weaver-type strategy. The Giants problem with Sanchez wasn’t that he was in the bullpen, it was that they couldn’t make up their minds about what his role should be. It went something like this bullpen → starter → bullpen → starter

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by xanthan on Apr 1, 2009 9:23 AM PDT up reply actions

David Price last year relieved (not long relief)
I believe Clayton Kershaw did also

Minor White > Ansel Adams

by say hey nation on Apr 1, 2009 9:29 AM PDT up reply actions

I'm pretty sure Joe Martinez would rather make the big club

as a long reliever than go to the minors.

just sayin…he probably wouldn’t be too bummed about it.

Fairley odd parent to Wendell

by WTF on Apr 1, 2009 9:23 AM PDT up reply actions

Unlike Sanchez I don’t mind having Martinez as a long reliever as he doesn’t the upside of a front of the rotation starter and it’s obviously questionable whether he’ll be a major league pitcher at all. I’m not sure whether it’s benificial for his development or not though.

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by GiantFan on Apr 1, 2009 9:24 AM PDT up reply actions

We never really used Sanchez as a long reliever though – he was more of a sometimes short, sometimes long, sometimes sitting on the bullpen bench for 5 days in a row before being used reliever.

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by jponry on Apr 1, 2009 9:30 AM PDT up reply actions

Yeah, i didn’t mean to imply that Sanchez had been a long reliever as he obviously wasn’t!

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by GiantFan on Apr 1, 2009 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions

I’m okay with this.

I'm spent, just can't rosterbate anymore.

by oldjacket on Apr 1, 2009 9:23 AM PDT reply actions

Pedro Martinez, Johan Santana

Those are the two off the top of my head.

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by WalrusMan on Apr 1, 2009 9:28 AM PDT reply actions

I’d like to see it happen tbh.

Rather him than Ortiz.

Matt Cain: He'll save children, but not the Dodger children.
PABLO SANDOVAL AM STEAL DEATH, DESTROYER OF WORLDS.

by jponry on Apr 1, 2009 9:29 AM PDT reply actions

I’d rather pretty much anything than Ortiz

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by Mr Scruff on Apr 1, 2009 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions

Even if this is a bad idea, and I don’t know that it is, it’s hard to get worked up over when Martinez’s ceiling is probably as a fifth starter.

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by jcb9 on Apr 1, 2009 10:32 AM PDT reply actions

Me and Marcello are going to have to rough you up now.

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by xanthan on Apr 1, 2009 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions

Maybe I’m not being generous enough, but he’s not exactly Madison Bumgarner or even Jonathan Sanchez.

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by jcb9 on Apr 1, 2009 11:42 AM PDT up reply actions

Nah, he’s probably a 4/5 starter but I was pushing for him to make the back end of the top-20 when we were all ranking prospects.

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by xanthan on Apr 1, 2009 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions

Oh, and marcello was too.

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by xanthan on Apr 1, 2009 12:10 PM PDT up reply actions

There’s no harm in starting a pitcher off in a long reliever role. It’s when teams start bouncing players between rotation and relief that it starts to screw things up.

by deuce deuce on Apr 1, 2009 10:37 AM PDT reply actions

Excellent choice

Joe Martinez has pitched well at every level and is already on the 40-man roster. If SF needs some innings Martinez could eat those up. If SF needs a spot starter Martinez can step in. Good luck, kid.

by wilriv21 on Apr 1, 2009 12:41 PM PDT reply actions

I would really like this

Dude did have the best ERA in the AA Eastern League at 2.49, had 112 K to 37 BB and a 1.14 WHIP. He’s moved up a level each year and has been pretty damn good throughout with a 1.17 career WHIP and a 114/457 K/BB. With the rotation we have now and MadBum and TImmy 2 on the way, this could be a good niche for him to fit into and eat innings.

"I didn't know (after seeing a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch) whether to shit or go blind." - Former Giants Outfielder Harvey Kuenn on Willie Mays

by stealth snail on Apr 1, 2009 5:39 PM PDT reply actions