It’s an odd move considering that Carlos Martinez is considered the St. Louis Cardinals‘ number-one starter and the fact that there are other arms who seem much more suited for the bullpen.
This wouldn’t be Carlos Martinez’s first time in the bullpen. He logged 85.2 innings as a reliever over his first two plus professional seasons, registering a 3.89 ERA and 75 K’s in that span. He did not play well as a closer, only picking up two saves during that period while blowing five saves, all in 2014.
Martinez was made a starter after just one relief appearance in 2015, and the rest is history.