How many pitchers should a MLB team carry?....

[_Sir_Charles_]

Currently, the Reds have 11 pitchers on the active roster. But we also don't have our 5th starter figured out yet.

Harang
Arroyo
Cueto
Volquez
Majewski
Cordero
Affeldt
Bray
Burton
Lincoln
Weathers

Most of the time this season we've had 12 and even 13 once or twice.
What do you feel is the right number of pitchers to carry?

What's the purpose of the extra 2 or 3 pitchers? I feel those extra 2 to 3 spots could be used for more position players and could give us more opportunities to pinch-hit, pinch-run, give everyday players more needed days off, have more options for extra inning games, defensive replacements (something this team needs BADLY), etc. As it is now, our pinch-hitter options are very limited and mediocre.

Personally, I'd like to see us go with something like this:

5 starters (of course I'd also like to see the 4 man rotation...but alas)
1 long man (affeldt)
1 closer (cordero)
3 setup men (bray, burton, majewski)
10 pitchers

However, if Affeldt is moved to our 5th starter spot (definitely a possibility, though I'd prefer Thompson, Maloney or Bailey), then Belisle should be considered for our long man.

[Blue]

Eleven or twelve. It depends on who is the 25th best player you can put on the roster.

[_Sir_Charles_]

I see that several people have chosen 12, and that's sort of what I expected. We've come to expect the norm. We're accepting what's being handed to us in terms of what the "other" teams are doing. What I'm looking for is solid reasoning for having 12. I sure haven't seen any anywhere (not just here on Redszone).

If a relief pitcher throws in 2 or 3 straight games, they need a night off. I get that. But your long man should be able to throw MORE than 1 inning. Heck, if a starter gets shelled and only lasts 4 or 5 innings, the long man should be able to go 3 or 4 innings if needed. Also, other than the closer, all those set-up men should be able to go 2 innings. I personally think that managers are overusing the whole "pull a reliever to get your righty/lefty matchups right" thing. Major league pitchers not only should be able to handle both lefties AND righties, they should simply be required to do it. Carrying an extra pitcher or two just so you can have that LOOGY is simply stupid IMO. Another thing to consider in regards to the bullpen is that starters have to throw in-between their starts. Those throwing sessions could just as easily be an innings work or a half innings work. I simply believe that teams are wasting opportunities to improve their hitting/defense/line-up construction just to have that "specialist" who usually isn't good enough to warrent a "permanent" position in the bullpen (via a 7th/8th/closer postion).

The fact that we are carrying Ross/Bako/Valentine at the same time as a high number of pitchers simply cripples any chance a manager (even Dusty) has at strategic changes during a game. Just my 2 cents worth.

[NarrowStairs]

I don't care how many pitchers we carry, as long as Mike Lincoln isn't one of them.