Originally Posted by
Caveat Emperor
No bullpen in the world can save a terrible rotation, and a great rotation can make up for a shaky bullpen.
Plus, there's always bullpen help available during the season. The Reds acquired Alfredo Simon for nothing and JJ Hoover for Nothing +/- a few hundred pounds of dead weight.
Closers? Reds got one of those at the deadline too. Starting pitching? Get out your wallet, your credit card and firstborn child.
Truth is, if Leake continues to stink in the rotation, the Reds are committed to him for 150+ innings. If something goes wrong in the bullpen, there are a half dozen teams the Reds can call for help at any point in the year.
So yes, you need good pitchers all over your staff. It's just a hell of a lot easier to find one group of them than the other.