Starting Pitching and Baseball Economics

[brianod]

Despite my age and love of baseball tradition, I've slowly come around to the realization that paying starting pitchers big money is fools gold. Yes, the O's could use a TOR. But, if we pay market value for that TOR and he gets hurt, it cripples our ability to compete. If you look at injuries for pitchers, they have much more of a chance to be lengthy than position players. It simply makes economic sense to find five guys that can go 6 innings, give up three runs and take your chances with a dominant pen. You can pay a TOR 30 million per year or pay someone like Chen 15 million per year or you can draft and develop five number 3's that will cost you next to nothing while pouring money into a dominant pen. Andrew Miller, Betances, O'Day, Britton etc will only cost 10 million at the current market price. So, paying three of them diversifies the risk. Would you rather have David Price in your rotation or Miller, O'Day and Britton in your pen?

So, my recommendation is to develop the starters and pay the relievers. The game has evolved but the financials haven't. I think smart gms should take advantage before the Brittons of the world start making 15 million per year.