Mets bullpen game vs. putting the starting pitching depth to the test

An argument for the Mets to put their starting pitching depth to the test

It’s a lot easier for me to argue this case because it’s what I am used to and believe in. I hate to use any pitcher for multiple innings unless you have to. By starting a game with a reliever with the intention of bringing in someone else for multiple frames after, you burn a potential long-man for no reason at all.

Let’s say the Mets begin a game with Miguel Castro on the mound as they already have. What happens if he gets shelled in the first inning? The Mets could then turn to a guy like Lucchesi. They’ve already fallen behind in their plan and may end up with the need to use up even more of the multi-inning relievers than they had scheduled.

On the contrary, if Lucchesi starts and gets bombed early, the Mets can then use Robert Gsellman or anyone else capable of getting the team through some innings. When we reach the midway point of the game, maybe they’ve only used two arms instead of three.

It’s an imperfect argument and before you leave a comment I’ll never read anyway, let me share the simplest: why have these starters if they aren’t going to start?

I hate being wasteful with roster spots. As well as these two recent games worked out, I really want to see the end result of actually starting the game with a starting pitcher.