Carrasco: The Super Starter & Reliever

Hey Jeep, agreed. I'm not convinced it's strategically viable to use Carrasco (or similar) in both roles over the course of a full season, but letting HAL loose with the card could definitely have happy consequences from time to time.

I don't know how strategically advisable the strategy is, as it is risky, but--as I noted earlier--it can be successfully done. I've seen other managers--including an ex-colleague--do it in the early years, and I'm pretty sure I pulled it off at least once then, too. I just couldn't discern that from my early teams, since SOM doesn't provide player information from then.

Successfully pulling it off does lie with astute selection of when and when not to plug the SP into relief mode, so one maximizes his relief usage for the most opportune times without significantly damaging his SP performance. If done wrong, it's obviously not advisable; but if done right; one has maximized the value of a card in a manner inaccessible to most managers.

Here's a team from the Way Back Machine:

http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/1056060

It was a (mostly) All SP/RP pitching staff, designed for the express purpose of exploiting the Carrasco-effect example that Jeep provided, albeit with lower-budget pitchers. This was 2004. I believe it wasn't too long after this that we moved to the mandatory 4 RP rule.

Not a whole lot new under the sun.

Just to set the record straight. He was only used in 2 games in relief and both were extra innings where the bullpen was depleted. I don't have him set to relieve at all.

Same, same for me:

http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/game/426215/420

Just nice when it works out.

Even better when you help out in Game 7 of the Finals to win a ring!

http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/game/426579/993

I never tested the game's engine, but I think the super-starter & reliever could be done, but only if one goes with a 6-pitcher rotation. You would get 27 starts from Carrasco, game 1, game 7, game 13 etc, and a potential of 54 relief appearence (game 5-game 6, game 11-12, etc). A potential of nearly 400 innings (200 innings as a starter and potentially 200 innings as a reliever), but probably more realistically around 300-320 innings. That would come with a small price (pay for a 5-men rotation but have a 6-men), and a heavier price from the fury of leaguemates!!