Strat-O-Matic Baseball 365

I wonder what the vets think about the 5th starter in a four man rotation--if you go for a .5M guy--should he be able to relive or not??? Especially on a 10 pitcher roster.

Sometimes you need a guy for innings in a blowout to keep your other relievers fresh for next game, but HAL don't handle that well----as a five run lead is the same as trailing to HAL--on the other hand I have Guthrie as the 5th starter on a 60M team--and he has the best ERA on that team at about 2.7 with low innings--I made sure he is not listed as 1st mop-up though.

I always select my extra starter to be able to relieve so he can serve a mop-up role. I even select a sixth starter for this role if I have a team with a 5-man rotation. I also will spend a little extra to get someone who isn't horrible, but I still keep the cost under $1 million.

I am glad so many disagree with this; it makes it easier to get the mop-up guy I want!

I've been told to quit using Matusz in this role as he will lose too many games. I have used him on just about every team, and I find that when he does get lit up for the most part the game was already out of reach anyway, and when he comes in as a lefty specialist he does what he's supposed to do...get lefties out then come out.

Most starters that can relieve have a R2. I don't like an R2 that can't pitch as HAL will put him in at anytime that doesn't have a setting. If your starter gets pulled before the 6th this guy will be in there. He will only add fuel to the fire and won't be pulled.
I hate mop up guys as they also mop up a win and turn it into a game for the other guy. I always grab a starter only that is slanted L or R and put him in when the other team is slanted that way, otherwise this guy will never see the mound except when I win the Championship and he jumps on the pile .

Doesn't a listed middleman come in before the 6th?

--Or if your starter gets knocked out in 4th -5th--doesn't the middleman (if you have one listed) come in?

I'm not sure.

I think that junk starter (that can relive) will come into the game in 3rd or earlier though.