Run it back: Rays plan to continue using 'opener' strategy in 2019
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Naturally, Tampa Bay's Kevin Cash was the opening manager to speak at the winter meetings.
Cash said Monday the Rays will stick with their revolutionary practice of using an "opener" next season.
The Rays deviated from baseball tradition this year, regularly using a relief pitcher to begin games rather than a traditional starting pitcher. Tampa Bay went 46-38 with usual starters and 44-34 when utilizing the bullpen.
"I think right now we're discussing internally whether we do it two times through the rotation or three times through the rotation," Cash said Monday at the winter meetings. "But the nice thing is we've got all that information last year and we have a bunch of candidates that we can fill in as a traditional starter if need be. Yonny Chirinos, Yarbs (Ryan Yarbrough), Wilmer Font, Jalen Beeks."
Tampa Bay's innovation was copied by Oakland, which started reliever Liam Hendriks in the AL wild-card game against the New York Yankees, and Milwaukee. Brewers manager Craig Counsell used left-hander Wade Miley for just one batter in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, then brought in right-hander Brandon Woodruff. While Cash let opposing managers know when he was using an opener and would have a quick hook, Counsell sprung his move as a surprise.
"Yes, it can definitely make it difficult. But I personally don't see anything wrong with that," Cash said. "Each manager, each club, each organization, they're trying to get the best out of their roster. If they feel that's the best way to do it, the opposition, you've kind of got to deal with it. It's going to happen to us. We did it with other clubs, not that quickly, but playoff baseball you see different things."
Tampa Bay originally planned a limited use of "openers," but was forced to expand their use.
"I personally was not skeptical at all when we were discussing doing it one time through the rotation, potentially twice," Cash said. "Then with the injuries when it got to three and four times, I don't know if skeptical is the right word, it's more concerning — like how are we going to keep guys fresh? How are we going to manage workloads in a long series? But we learned a lot through it. Now ultimately the players give you the buy-in. And we had success with it. They embraced it, enjoyed it and it's a big credit to them."
