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Kevin Cash dropped a bombshell during his morning meeting with members of the media as he brought up the possibility of the team employing a 4-man starting rotation all season long.
Originally, Cash mentioned the team would go with a 4-man rotation to start out the year, possibly for about six weeks. The bullpen would be made up multi-inning relievers capable of going once through an opposing lineup, effectively shortening games for the Rays pitching staff.
#Rays Cash just said they could go with 4-man rotation all season, filling in with bullpen guys when needed to start
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) March 7, 2018
As of now, the Rays starting rotation figures to be Chris Archer, Blake Snell, Jake Faria, and Nate Eovladi.
The plan will be to allow the four starting pitchers to go on normal rest and fill the 5th day with one of the relievers from the bullpen, or possibly go with an arm from the minor leagues.
#Rays plan is to use 4 starters and when they play 5 in a row to use relievers to cover that 5th day, not to have starters pitch on short rest, How it plays out early in off-day heavy April-May will be key determiner
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) March 7, 2018
The Rays have no shortage of pitchers to turn to as they have Matt Andriese, Chih-Wei Hu, Jaime Schultz, Austin Pruitt, Anthony Banda, and Ryan Yarbrough, and that’s just to name a few of the options on the current 40-man roster.
Back in December, JT Morgan suggested the team go with the 4-man rotation to start out the year. Kevin Cash fulfilled that wish when he announced the team would do just that at the onset of spring training.