In today’s game the bullpen is perhaps the most important part of a team.  Pitchers don’t go deep into games like they used with so many teams holding pitchers to a strict pitch count.  Now a days pitchers may only go six or seven innings, and you need a good middle of the bullpen in order to bridge the gap to the closer.  

If a team has a shut down bullpen they can afford for the starter to not go deep into games as the bullpen will keep them in the game. Just take the Yankees from last season.  Their starters often times failed to go deep into games but once it didn’t matter if the bullpen went seven innings or two innings once the bullpen entered the game, if the other team didn’t have the lead it was going to be difficult for other team to score runs and beat the Yankees.

Middle Relief Free Agents

David Carpenter
James Russell
Chris Capuano
Jason Motte
Darren O’Day
Edward Mujica
Bobby Parnell
Manny Parra
Casey Jannsen
Matt Thornton
Matt Belisle
Brian Matusz
Jonathan Broxton
Antonio Bastardo
Shawn Kelly
Chad Qualls
Brian Duensing
Joel Peralta
Tony Sipp
Jerry Blevins
David Hernandez
Carlos Villanueva
Franklin Morales
Fernando Rodney
Fernando Abad
Matt Albers
Alexei Ogando
Eric O’Flaherty
Ryan Madson
Burke Badenhop
Oliver Perez
Joe Thatcher
LaTroy Hawkins

Jim Johnson
Justin De Fratus
Ryan Webb
Aaron Thompson
Jean Machi
Ross Detwiler
Ernesto Frieri
Edwin Jackson
Wandy Rodriguez
Ross Ohlendorf
Phil Coke
Jesse Crain
Tim Stauffer
Carlos Marmol
David Aardsma
Mike Adams
Matt Capps