Zach Buchanan

zbuchanan@enquirer.com

Cincinnati Reds manager Bryan Price has never been a fan of things like left-handed specialists. He'd rather have a staff full of pitchers who can handle multiple types of deployment.

That's what the Reds are trying to do with their bullpen down the stretch of the 2016 season. In Thursday's 5-4 win against the Marlins, it was right-hander Raisel Iglesias picking up the save instead of de facto (but unchristened) closer Tony Cingrani. Price said more save opportunities could be in the future for Iglesias and even right-hander Michael Lorenzen, who returns from bereavement leave Friday.

"We’re also trying to get away from getting too cliché with the bullpen and saying we’re going to limit guys to an inning and get specialized," Price said. "We’ve got a bunch of guys, most of whom can throw multiple innings. We’re not going to be afraid to use them in the sixth and seventh, seventh and eighth, or eighth and ninth. It should be an interesting finish.”

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Multi-inning usage is an interesting factor for the Reds, especially with Lorenzen and Iglesias. The sabermetric community has long felt that standard bullpen usage is a bit stodgy. If the closer is a team's best relief pitcher, why not use him at a crucial point earlier in the game rather than dogmatically save him for the ninth?

Iglesias and Lorenzen, if they remain in the pen long-term, might tempt the Reds to play by that strategy more often. The two have been the team's best relievers since returning from injury, and are both capable of pitching multiple innings. It’s feasible to use one in a tough spot in the seventh and have him finish the game.

“Some people believe that’s how relievers should be used,” Price said. “There’s the argument that you use whoever you feel is your best pitcher in that moment – if it’s your closer or whoever – to come in and throw the eighth and also throw the ninth.”

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That strategy comes with some limitations. If either pitches too long an outing, he can’t be counted on the next two games.That's why it's beneficial to have two of those pitchers in a bullpen so they can alternate which days they pitch.

“You don’t utilize pitchers in that same fashion anymore,” Price said. “A lot of times you won’t use relief pitchers like Iglesias for three innings, because now you lose him for two days with the protocols that most teams have in place.”