Are Two-Way Players in Baseball a Necessity
Betting MLB
The LA Dodgers could ask reserve outfielder Brett Eibner to revive his college fastball and pitch some innings in relief. Eibner has already thrown some bullpen sessions to build arm strength and develop secondary pitches as the Dodgers plan to continue developing him as a pitcher. They want to use him in the outfield or put him on the mound when the bullpen is over-worked.
Basically, he would be a two-way player and maybe a necessity for other teams to follow.
The San Diego Padres had a similar plan with backup catcher turned relief pitcher Christian Bethancourt. That was not a workable solution but the experiment was just the first step for teams to test the waters. Baseball may not be ready for an era of two-way player position but the concept will continue if a team can find that special player, who can perform as a situational relief pitcher and play the outfield when needed.
The reason for the roster move is starting pitchers are going less innings into games this year, so more aggressive bullpen usage is needed. More fresh arms are scarce and if teams carry 12 or 13 pitchers, they have short benches with less options for a manager. One option not used but a probable solution for the Dodgers is to have their fifth outfielder also be their eighth reliever.
It stands to reason that this kind of maneuver could become more common as teams continue to rely more heavily on their bullpens. Until MLB expands its rosters to 26 men, organizations will continue to either stretch their bullpens or work with short benches — unless they have someone who can play both roles.
The dawn of the modern two-way player might not be confined to light-hitting outfielders who can pitch in a pinch. Beginning in 2018, we might see a hitter-pitcher combo emerge as one of the league’s best players. Twenty-two-year-old phenom Shohei Otani from Japan has announced his intention to come to the U.S. next year. It is unclear if a team would really let Otani DH on days he’s not pitching and he has said it would be the same responsibility he has in Japan except on a bigger stage.
His skills and ability might be a good fit for this two-way style of player to be an effective new position for baseball.
The Padres’ plans for Bethancourt haven’t gone as planned and the Dodgers’ experiment with Eibner is worth watching. If he can’t throw strikes enough to earn a role in the bullpen or can’t keep the ball in the park once he gets there, baseball’s enthusiasm for two-way players could diminish. But if he turns into a playable reliever while also serving as a capable back-up outfielder — thus occupying two roles in a single roster spot — other teams might take note. Since baseball has exceeded predictions this early in the season, more teams will compete with a stronger and larger bullpen.
And with Otani set to arrive stateside at any moment, the era of the two-way player might soon be upon us. But there could be some back-lash from the Players Union and league officials to counteract any more roster moves if it becomes more popular. The league can make changes to offset this team experiment by increasing the team roster to accommodate one or two more players who can specialize on one position, most likely more pitching.
