I think this could be an interesting idea, though the idea that the team would pitch better seems very unlikely.
I think the idea is interesting based on the concept that money saved on starting and short relief pitching could be spent on offense and defense, perhaps more than offsetting the pitching losses.
However, I don't think the idea has much merit, at least as presented above, as a way to enhance a team's pitching performance. The biggest flaw in the data, as I see it, is going with the average starting pitcher. In the scenario presented, a team would be using eight "starting" pitchers. Yet the data used was for the most "average" starting pitchers among the 83 with the most innings pitched. If I'm reading this correctly, that means the data for roughly the 42nd best starting pitcher in 2009 was used to compute what would happen with a four-man rotation and tandem starts. With 30 MLB teams -- and acknowledging that this team would purposefully not be focusing on the top pitchers, either in free agency or the draft -- this seems to be a wholly unreasonable assumption.
Instead, this seems to advocate taking innnigs from the top 1-5 starters and top (non-closing) short relivers and giving them to the 5-8 starters. As I said, I can see the merit of the idea in that this should reduce pitching costs, allowing the team to spend elsewhere (perhaps more efficiently) but I cannot see how the data supports that this would be a more effective pitching staff.
The two game stories are different primarily because they have two separate audiences -- the Arizona story is meant for fans of that team; the AP story is meant for national distribution. The default narrative for any game is simple -- lead with the winner if you're neutral and lead with the hometown team if you're not. I don't know if that's good or bad, but it makes sense.
Having trouble replying ... but FallenPhoenix there does appear to be a charge for making a claim; however it's just $1.
"Upon receipt of waiver request, any other Major League Club may claim assignment of this contract at a waiver price of $1.00, the priority of claims to be determined in accordance with the Major League Rules."
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