Middle Relief Value

While reviewing the top 150 pitchers by innings pitched, I noticed there were nine players in the group who had not made one start. I'd be shocked if any of these players were owned in any mixed-leagues that does not include me amongst its league members. These relievers aren't on closers-in-waiting lists, but they have value regardless.

First, they will appear in enough games to accumulate a handful or so of Wins and their lower innings pitched will make them more valuable than most #5 starters and #s 3, 4, and 5 on the worst teams whose high innings-weighted ratios kill. Who needs to sweat every 5th day with the likes of Casey Fossum, Odalis Perez and Matt Chico, when you can get four or five innings per week of Justin Speier?

Second, these pitchers will pitch frequently enough to be subbed in and out of deep, daily transaction mixed leagues when your starting pitchers are off and where every bench reliever isn't a closer. By doing so, you can get an extra four or five innings per week with 3+ Ks. That is better than a Chien-Ming Wang start!

Third, in traditional 4x4 AL-/NL-only leagues, these pitchers are gold for the same reasons only more so. No NL-only roster should include Matt Chico over Jesus Colome. Or Casey Fossum over Justin Speier in AL-only leagues.

Am I the only one surprised with Kevin Gregg's strikeout total?