2014 Starters With Relief Eligibility
In the MLB, you'll find that it's rare that your stud pitchers are going to get much relief action, but there's a good chance that you can find some solid talent mixed in at the pitching position with players who do a little bit of both.
These pitchers may start 10-20 games per year, but they are also going to get some relief time as well, which can definitely end up helping you from a fantasy perspective. Here we are going to take a look at a few pitchers who have the potential to do both starting pitching and also relief pitching in 2014, and we'll take a look back at their 2013 seasons as well to help you choose your 2014 Starters With Relief Eligibility list.
These pitchers can be valuable as spot starters as well in daily fantasy baseball leagues for real money at sites such as FanDuel.com. So, do your homework and pay close attention to when these pitchers get a start against a weak opponent and you can score big points with a low salary cap number.
Joe Kelly (St. Louis Cardinals)
Kelly started 15 games in the regular season for the Cardinals, but pitched in a total of 37 games. He threw 124 innings and had 79 strikeouts last season, with a 10-5 record in the games that he started. He was also able to put together a nice 2.69 ERA. This is the type of situation that you may definitely like to take advantage of, and a guy that could be worth a look in your fantasy baseball draft this year.
Tom Gorzelanny (Milwaukee Brewers)
Another pitcher who has put the work in, both as a starting pitcher and a relief pitcher in 2013, is Tom Gorzelanny. Gorzelanny didn't have the same type of numbers as a starter that Kelly did, as he posted just a 3-6 record in 10 games started. He appeared in 43 games last year though, for a total of 85.1 innings. He posted a 3.90 ERA with 83 strikeouts, and he could be a guy who's going to get a look late in drafts for his potential to start games as well as pitch some relief.
Joba Chamberlain (Detroit Tigers)
Joba is with the Detroit Tigers now, and while he hasn't been a starter since 2009, he's going to be with his new team this season, which could mean a big season. He started 31 times back in 2009, and it's going to be interesting to see what type of role that he has with this Tigers organization. If he can get some time as a starter, or at least get a shot to start from time to time, then he could be worth a late round pick in your fantasy draft. He has potential sleeper impact.
Lucas Harrell (Houston Astros)
Harrell got the most time out of any of these pitchers as a starter, putting up 22 starts, but only posted a 6-17 record. He struggled as a starter, and unless he can show us something that could potentially help him turn the corner this year, he's going to be a risky pick. With that being said, getting him late in your fantasy baseball draft could be worth it. He pitched in 36 total games last season.
Brian Duensing (Minnesota Twins)
Duensing made the move to a full time reliever last year, making 73 appearances and no starts. In years prior, he started 11, 28, 13, and 9 games, showing that he definitely could end up pitching as a starter to some extent in 2014. There's no guarantee for starts in this spot, but we've seen him pitch as a starter, and for the first two years he did it successfully, so the potential to do it again could be there.
Others To Consider
- Carlos Martinez (Cardinals) - This Cardinals phenom may get a shot at as a starter this year. He has electric stuff and dominates out of the pen.
- Esmil Rogers (Blue Jays) - Don’t let his SP record fool you. This kid has talent and could have RP eligibility this year as well.
- Andrew Cashner (Padres) - The Padres starter has real potential to have a solid year on the mound. It’s TBD if he’ll have RP eligibility, but keep an eye on him.
Bookmark this page of 2014 starters with relief eligibility and revisit it often when making your daily fantasy lineups at FanDuel to get the edge on opponents who are overspending for top starters who barely score them any more points.
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