Late last week, Brandon Hyde told the media down in Sarasota that the Baltimore Orioles might not use a traditional closer in 2019.
Hyde was quoted on Thursday, stating that the O’s best reliever, Mychal Givens, will be used in “high-leverage situations”, and that the Orioles “haven’t determined roles in the bullpen yet”.
Early in the offseason, most of us would’ve predicted that Givens was in line to get the majority of save opportunities this year, but as has become the trend in Major League Baseball, teams are shifting toward using their best relievers in the highest-leverage spots, rather than saving them for the 9th inning.