Using starters as closers

I usually draft ace starters who can also relieve. Then designate that starter as my closer. Sometimes the computer manager uses the starter on short rest as a closer regularly. But on other teams/seasons, my ace starter/reliever is never used as closer. Seems hit and miss. What's the deal with that?

glad you brought this up. i've had the same experience. the 2 things i do is never set that pitcher to start in advance of game day nor have him anywhere in the "Set Default Rotation". however, these aren't bullet proof so i don't really know if it helps?

do you draft 4 other *SP's?







Sometimes on the Per-Game SP list i'll set my other SP's a few series in advance without the SP/RP listed but once again, i can't confirm that this works. i'll tell what i try to avoid, is if HAL does use the pitcher in the last game of the previous night, and you start him the first game of the next day, fatigue seems to come early? but once again this seems to be random.

In my experience the regular rotation impact how often a starter gets used in relief. Outside of 14 inning games that end up 20-17.
If you have 3 SP* and 2 non*, set the SP* in the rotation, either one of the other 2 will be used in relief depending on where the non* guys fall in per game pitchers. A guy seems more likely to be used the day before his scheduled start than the day after pitching.
But I don't think often enough to be set at closer.

Since the rule changes HAL is much more likely to put a starter in relief. So far in my latest Barnstormers league Dizzy Dean has started every 4th day, shortest stint is 7 innings and has been used 3 times in relief with one win in an Eighth inning appearance a ninth inning pitched for the save, and one no decisions. Also have a left handed Starter Cooper who also has 3 relief appearances with a win and a save, no effect on his starting pitching and Al Downing has a relief appearance. So in 45 games my starters have 7 relief appearances with 2 wins and 2 saves.

https://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1591202

Since the rule changes HAL is much more likely to put a starter in relief. So far in my latest Barnstormers league Dizzy Dean has started every 4th day, shortest stint is 7 innings and has been used 3 times in relief with one win in an Eighth inning appearance a ninth inning pitched for the save, and one no decisions. Also have a left handed Starter Cooper who also has 3 relief appearances with a win and a save, no effect on his starting pitching and Al Downing has a relief appearance. So in 45 games my starters have 7 relief appearances with 2 wins and 2 saves.

https://365.strat-o-matic.com/team/1591202

That's very interesting Charlie, because in my Barnstomers 60 mill league (our staffs are kinda similar in construction) HAL has only use a starter in relief ONCE and that was Lerch ....

https://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/1590940

On a different note to the OP, why would you choose to spend cap on a role you won't be using?

Those S/R cards carry a $ cost for the starter role--it is priced in. Long way of saying, you are paying for a closer but you are overpaying.

I guess if it is your 5th starter among 4 other *SPs, you could argue you are saving ~.50 of dead roster value, but depending on the price of the starter, that would probably be less than the value baked into the price of the S/R in the five slot.

Interesting approach--only thing I do that is similar is to draft a fifth guy who is an S/R as a situational one-sided guy or mopup.