San Francisco Giants:Options For Last Spot In The Bullpen

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May 1, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Chris Heston (53) throws to the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning of their MLB baseball game at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Lance Iversen-USA TODAY Sports /

Chris Heston

The most logical choice is Chris Heston given his mild success last year. The theory would be that he would be the replacement for Yusmeiro Petit, and he would be able to eat up innings in games that get out of hand.

While doing so, he would be able to learn from the veterans on the team, and use that experience to slot into a rotation spot in the near future.

The only downside to switching a young starter into a “6th man” is that sometimes they get typecast in that role from then on. If they succeed there, they become one of the most valuable pitchers on the staff. Just look at what Petit did for the team, in a quietly amazing way.

There are many 6th starters out there who are just good enough to start, but not good enough to lose the better value of being able to spot start, as well as mop up during those games when an entire bullpen could be exhausted.

The likelihood of Heston being in the bullpen to start the year is very high. He has now had an opportunity to see what the big leagues look like from the field, and he should be able to slow things down now, and pitch with the consistency that got him to San Francisco.

Next: Mike Broadway